Besides guns/hunting, my other passion in life is music, specifically hard rock/heavy metal. I've been to many great concerts over the years but a few really standout. I tried to pick one favorite but that was too hard to narrow down, especially from the first three. So, I settled for Top 5.
#1: KISS - Reunion Tour 1996
KISS was the band that started it all for me. I was captivated by the makeup and imagery like most kids of the '70s, but never had the thrill of seeing them live in the Glory Days. I saw them numerous times in the '80s-early '90s with the non-makeup lineups and enjoyed each show (especially the '92 "Revenge" tour), but dreamed of a reunion of the original four in full regalia. There was so much bad blood, nobody thought it would happen, but in 1996 the planets aligned and the Catman, the Demon, the Spaceman and the Starchild took the world by storm again and showed all the pretenders out there how the big boys did it. It was like time traveling back to 1977 and I felt 8 years old again. I knew it likely wouldn't last but it lasted longer than I thought and I was fortunate enough to see them twice more before the original lineup imploded again. The current "KISS" is a joke to me. It's now basically Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and two imposters. The makeup belonged to Peter Criss, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley. The original lineup is clearly done for good this time so they really need to ditch the makeup now, kick Tommy Thayer ("Fake Ace")to the curb, bring back Bruce Kulick on guitar, wipe Peter Criss' makeup off Eric Singer's face and revive the "Revenge" lineup.
#2: Black Sabbath - Reunion Tour 1999
KISS is my sentimental favorite, but from a pure musical standpoint, Black Sabbath wins hands down. Tony Iommi specifically is like a God to me. The man created the genre and has composed some of the most earthshaking riffs ever played on a guitar. I was a loyal Iommi follower throughout the many revolving lineups of Black Sabbath and was never one of the "No Sabbath without Ozzy" guys. Iommi was the creative force of the band anyway so I loved each "era" of the band and actually pick the later Tony Martin era as my favorite, even over Ozzy and the late, great Ronnie James Dio. I was one of probably three guys on the planet who was disappointed when Tony Martin was pushed out to allow the reunion with Ozzy Osbourne. The metal world rejoiced, while I cringed. That being said, my only opportunity to ever see Black Sabbath, in any form, live came in 1999 on the reunion tour of the original lineup. Sabbath routinely avoided my area of the South on their previous tours, but on August 8th, 1999, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward stormed the stage in Greenville, SC and it was almost a religious experience. Ozzy was actually in fine voice and seeing Tony Iommi alone would have been worth the price of admission. The power generated from that stage was awe inspiring and my one and only chance to see the band that started it all will always bring a smile to my face.
#3: Stryper, Loudness, TNT - 1987
It might seem ironic that two of my favorite bands are Black Sabbath and Stryper. While Sabbath certainly sang of the darker side of life, Christian band Stryper showed that metal didn't have to be about gloom and doom. They took the music in a whole different direction and had the chops to pull it off. They were touring in support of their "To Hell With The Devil" album and they proved that Christians could rock as hard as any mainstream band out there. They were supported on that tour by Loudness, the band from the "Land Of The Rising Sun". Stryper and Loudness had a lot in common because they both had to prove themselves to a lot of fans, Stryper for the Christian thing, and Loudness for being Japanese. Both were regarded as "gimmick bands" by some. Loudness' guitar wizard Akira Takasaki, was and still is one of the most amazing guitarists on the planet, far eclipsing a lot of less talented axe-men out there who had bigger names. TNT opened the show that night and I had heard very little of them until that night. They held their own and converted me into a fan. Awesome show with three amazing bands.
Journey: "Frontiers" Tour - 1983
Journey is the only non-metal band that I am fanatical about. Neal Schon is such a fantastic guitarist that he brings a certain "heaviness" to the band that even makes metal-heads love Journey. They are the one rock band that my 75 year old mother even appreciates. They have written songs that transcends all genres. I have seen them numerous times over the years with several singers: twice with Steve Perry, once with Steve Augeri, once with Jeff Scott Soto and twice with current vocalist Arnel Pineda, but the '83 "Frontiers" tour with the classic lineup of Steve Perry, Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Steve Smith and Jon Cain was the one all others are judged by. I was 14 years old, that concert was on my birthday and I took my first real girlfriend to that show, a gorgeous redhead named Ginger (ok, her real name was Jennifer but everybody called her Ginger). Ahh, I still wonder if the carpet matched the curtains but never found out! Anyway, Journey was firing on all cylinders and put on a show I will never forget....
#5: Dio, Deep Purple, Scorpions - 2002
Three awesome bands and I saw it all from the front row (a first and last at any "big" concert for me). I never got to see the late, great Ronnie James Dio with Black Sabbath or Rainbow, but at least I got to see him once with his solo band. For a tiny guy of only 5'4", he sang like a giant. There will never be another one like him and I'm thankful to have been that close to him once. Deep Purple played all their classics and old Ian Gillan proved he still had that banshee wail that could shatter glass. I wish I had seen them with Ritchie Blackmore, but Steve Morse filled his shoes nicely. The Scorps also showed why they had been around for over three decades and Matthias Jabs made some of the most amazing sounds I've ever heard come from a guitar. A truly world class band and a concert great enough to land a spot in my Top 5.
Whew, didn't mean to ramble but I got carried away with the memories. Don't know how many metal guys are here and don't expect everybody to be familiar with the bands I mentioned but what are YOUR favorite concert experiences, regardless of genre?
