I know there have been a few prior threads here with discussions of concerts we've attended, but I hope you'll indulge me (yet again) in a little bit of self-promotion. The subject of my latest blog post is My First Five Concerts, where I wrote a little bit about each show and included a copy of my ticket stub and a video clip of the artist performing at around the same time. Here's the link:

https://kamertunesblog.wordpress.com/20 ... -concerts/

For anyone who doesn't want to click through, here's a list of those shows:
CHEAP TRICK at Madison Square Garden, May 12, 1980
THE RAMONES at Paramount Theater, Asbury Park, August 8, 1980
THE CARS at Nassau Coliseum, November 28, 1980
RUSH at Madison Square Garden, May 18, 1981
BLUE ÖYSTER CULT at Nassau Coliseum, December 30, 1981

Please share lists &/or stories about your first five concerts, either here or in the Comments section at the blog. It's always good to clear out the cobwebs in our heads as we cast our minds back several decades. I hope you agree.

I can't really remember. Anything before 1984 - I turned 18, got a car, and started seeing the Grateful Dead - was few and far between (and not documented....no stubs etc.)

My first was when my dad took me to see Elton John at Madison Square Garden in 1976 or 77. I only remember Kiki Dee guested on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart."
Blue Oyster Cult a couple of summers at Convention Hall Asbury Park in the early 80s around the time Fire of Unknown Origin / Extra Terrestrial Live came out.
Bruce Springsteen once at the Philadelphia Spectrum in 1980 or 81 around The River.
The Who - 2nd night at Shea Stadium in 1982 of their Farewell Tour. .

I'm sure there were others.

We're the same age, Charles, but you were fortunate to see some shows at a much younger age than me. No one in my family were obsessed with music like I was so I couldn't tag along to a concert when I was 10 or 11. I tried getting tickets to the Springsteen concerts that opened up the Brendan Byrne Arena on The River tour but I was unsuccessful. Didn't end up seeing him for the first time until 1992. I can't remember if my Who "farewell" show was the first or second night, so we may have been at the same concert all those years ago.

I only know the first 3 for sure:

The New Christy Minstrels (w/ Kenny Rogers) (Oceanside Park, with my family, mid-60s)
The Who (Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, August 1971, with my older brother and his friends)
The Moody Blues (Madison Square Garden, October 1972, with my high-school buddy)

I was supposed to see the Stones at MSG July 25, 1972 with my older brother, but got sick and my parents made me stay home. I watched the baseball All-Star game instead.

P.S. My Dad volunteered to drive us to NYC for the Moody Blues show. Halfway up the Van Wyck Expressway, I realized I left the tickets at home. Dad wasn't happy.

That is a great start to your concert-going years, Jimbo. You got to see The Who and The Moody Blues during their peak years. Very impressive. Too bad you had to miss that Stones show. Have you remained a fan since then?

I had a similar "I forgot the tickets" moment in 1983, on the way to the ARMS Benefit Concert at MSG with Clapton, Beck, Page and many others. My friend & I were already on a bus from Staten Island to Manhattan when I realized I left them at home, but fortunately my friend's sister picked us up and we got to the show on time.

I didn't start concert going till 1977 and the actual first show at MSG was Bad Company. That was the Summer of tours by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd but I didn't see those bands at that time.

Next up was KISS during their KISS Alive II tour later that winter and then Peter Frampton the following Spring.

My first two were in February 1976. Cat Stevens at Forum and then KISS/Montrose at Forum.
I do know the next three I WANTED to go to, but my parents put the kibosh on them. Sweet, Thin Lizzy, David Bowie. And they went to the Bowie show (Station to Station tour) without me.

I'm younger than a lot of you guys, and I had to rely on my parents taking us to these gigs for a few years, so I don't have as many shows in the early years as I'd like, but I have every ticket stub.

My first 5 shows and what I paid (and my memory is exact on the opening acts because they were so damn good and I saw a very early Crue and Bon Jovi):

1. Rush w/ Rory Gallagher (12-13-82) Spectrum/ Philly, PA ($9.50)

2. Iron Maiden w/ Fastway /Coney Hatch (8-19-83) Spectrum/ Philly, PA ($10-for the 8th row at a major arena!)

3. Rainbow w/ Aldo Nova (11-9-83) Spectrum/Philly, PA ($9)

4. Ozzy Osbourne w/ Motley Crue /Waysted (1-16-84) Spectrum/Philly, PA ($11.50)

5. Scorpions w/ Bon Jovi (6-1-84) Spectrum/ Philly, PA ($11.50)

Bad Co. in '77 is a pretty sweet first concert, but had you gone to the Zeppelin & Floyd shows that probably would have been the greatest summer of your life.
Man, I wish I could have seen Kiss on the Alive II tour, but my parents wouldn't let me go. I had to settle for seeing the recreation of that tour by the reunited lineup in '96. Peter Criss had a sore throat that night so he didn't sing "Beth."

That's an awesome 1-2 punch with Cat & Kiss (as well as Montrose). Ironically, weren't they both inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in the same year?

How cruel of your parents to not allow you to see Bowie...and then go to the show themselves. What a tour that must have been. Station To Station was my favorite re-discovery when I wrote my blog series on his discography a few years ago.

I can't remember what my last five concerts were, let alone my first five. The Cult on the Sonic Temple tour with Jason Bonham opening was the first one, though.

Thanks for sharing the ticket prices, Pete. I should have included that in my blog post. It's hard to believe you could see some of the biggest bands in the world for less than $10. Maybe in the '60s & '70s, but prices started to come up in the '80s. I remember scalping my ticket for The Who at Shea Stadium for $50, which was a lot of money for a 16-year-old. Now that would get you nosebleed seats if you're lucky, although more likely it would cover the cost of parking.

Great First Five Concerts for you, Pete. I've only seen two of those artists (Rush & Maiden) but you got to see the greats during their peak years. Nice.

Haha. If I hadn't saved my ticket stubs I would probably be scratching my head trying to remember anything beyond my first concert. I didn't get into The Cult until a few years after their commercial peak, but I'm guessing that was an awesome show.

My first was The Kinks at Brooklyn College. Can't remember which ones the next four were, I went to so many after that.

Which Kinks tour was that, Linda? I didn't get to see them until 1984 on the Word Of Mouth tour, and Ray was "under the weather" so they played a short set. Something tells me the show you saw was a little better than that.

My first Stones show was at MSG in 1975. My Dad knew somebody who sold us floor seats for $50, which was a helluva lot of money for a high-school student back then. That tour featured the lotus stage, and Mick was just several feet away from us. We were at the only show where they didn't play "Sympathy for the Devil" as an encore, because people were throwing firecrackers in the crowd.

That's a great story, Jimbo. Can't believe you had to pay $50 in 1975. That was A LOT of money at the time. Heck, I don't like spending more than that for concert tickets now...which is why I never see arena shows anymore.

The first band I saw live was Pink Floyd in 1989....no idea of the date.

I honestly can't recall what the next one was, but I managed to see everyone from Dire Straits to Billy Joel, Jethro Tull to Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton to Joe Satriani....just anyone who toured here (Australia). Metallica. The Ramones. Mudhoney. Nirvana. Just everything I could.

Ah, so we've got an Australian youngster here. Haha. I saw Floyd in '87 and loved it. I'm sure they were just as good in '89. You clearly saw a lot of the greats. Glad they all made it to your part of the world.

It was early in the Sleepwalker tour or possibly late in Schoolboys ... I remember them doing "Sleepwalker" the song, and a lot of Schoolboys In Disgrace. They were still small enough to play colleges. Artful Dodger opened, and I liked their records, but in concert they were deafeningly loud and sort of slick and non-spontaneous. The Kinks worked at about half the volume but were so good. Very intimate and it seemed like they really loved college audiences. Ray told stories and cracked jokes, and Dave had a perpetual smile on his face.

Not completely sure of the order in time.

Johnny Cash was the first concert. I only said I'd go to please my parents as I didn't appreciate the Man In Black at the time. Plus a friend had been killed a few days before the show & I was just getting over being very sick & I was looking forward to spending more time with my girlfriend but oh well, I went and it was okay. 1972 January.

Next up- I think- was Elton John on the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" tour. Though it seems there were a couple other shows before that, probably local shows at bars I sneaked into under-age.

Elton was followed by Seals & Crofts and then Stevie Wonder/Rufus. Stevie ruled! Then- I think- it was either the Spinners or Kris Kristofferson/Rita Coolidge/Billy Swan or the Beach Boys/Eagles/Kansas. I don't recall.

I saw The Kinks at Hofstra. I don't remember the year, but I think they were doing Preservation. I saw them a few times and they always did a great show.

My first concert was Steppenwolf at the Island Garden in West Hempstead, 1970.
I think my 2nd show was Led Zeppelin at the Nassau Coliseum in '72. Either that or The Kinks with The Beach boys at the Coliseum, also in '72.