Having seen close to 50 concerts over the last 25 years, this was a tricky list to assemble. They are ranked in order, although if you ask me tomorrow, the order may change. Actually, it probably would. Unless otherwise listed, all took place in Winnipeg.
Honourable Mention. Gowan/Spoons (Centennial Concert Hall, 1987)
I don't think a lot of people really got Gowan. Classically trained at The Royal Conservatory of Music, it made sense that his music was very piano/keyboard-oriented, but that wasn't necessarily what your average '80s music fan was in to. He did well, certainly, but never reached super-stardom. I'm a sucker for the sound of a real piano (not synthesized) in concert, so I was in heaven. The added bonus was when he informed the crowd they would be shooting the video for Awake The Giant. If you look real close (and I mean real close), you can see me for a split second. Just don't blink. And there you have it.
I don't think a lot of people really got Gowan. Classically trained at The Royal Conservatory of Music, it made sense that his music was very piano/keyboard-oriented, but that wasn't necessarily what your average '80s music fan was in to. He did well, certainly, but never reached super-stardom. I'm a sucker for the sound of a real piano (not synthesized) in concert, so I was in heaven. The added bonus was when he informed the crowd they would be shooting the video for Awake The Giant. If you look real close (and I mean real close), you can see me for a split second. Just don't blink. And there you have it.
10. Chalk Circle (The Diamond Club, 1987)
There were so many Canadian bands that had so much potential in the '80s and so many, for whatever reason, never realized that potential. This quartet is but one. I picked up a copy of The Great Lake, their six-song debut that featured April Fool, not long after graduating from high school in 1986 and pretty much wore it out from constant play. What stuck out most from this show was the band's energy, especially when lead singer/guitar player Chris Tait just went nuts on Superman (Meets the Man of Steel). He did it again when they played The Ex later that year, but it wasn't the same in such a massive venue.
There were so many Canadian bands that had so much potential in the '80s and so many, for whatever reason, never realized that potential. This quartet is but one. I picked up a copy of The Great Lake, their six-song debut that featured April Fool, not long after graduating from high school in 1986 and pretty much wore it out from constant play. What stuck out most from this show was the band's energy, especially when lead singer/guitar player Chris Tait just went nuts on Superman (Meets the Man of Steel). He did it again when they played The Ex later that year, but it wasn't the same in such a massive venue.
9. KISS/Dokken (Winnipeg Arena, 1985)
Ask me to name five songs that I know for sure were played at this concert and I would be hard pressed to do so. It's not because I was stoned or that my senses were otherwise compromised, but it was the experience I remember more than anything. This was the band in its post make-up phase, on tour to promote Animalize, its most notable track being Heaven's On Fire. The image of the light-up KISS backdrop and how the stage was configured is still burned in my brain. I don't recall much of Dokken, touring to support Tooth & Nail, which I think has some of the best album cover art ever.
Ask me to name five songs that I know for sure were played at this concert and I would be hard pressed to do so. It's not because I was stoned or that my senses were otherwise compromised, but it was the experience I remember more than anything. This was the band in its post make-up phase, on tour to promote Animalize, its most notable track being Heaven's On Fire. The image of the light-up KISS backdrop and how the stage was configured is still burned in my brain. I don't recall much of Dokken, touring to support Tooth & Nail, which I think has some of the best album cover art ever.
8. 54-40/Ultima Thule (Royal Theatre, Victoria, 1989)
I'm pretty sure this was in December of 1989. Either that or March of 1990. Regardless, it was during a break in classes at Red River, so I went out west to spend a few days visiting friends and family in Vancouver and Victoria. 54-40 is a band I have always liked but can't say have ever loved. Their stuff is good so they alone would have been worth seeing, but like GNR did to The Cult two years previous, I thought Ultima Thule stole the show. Hailing from Estonia, I had absolutely no clue what they were singing about, but it really didn't matter. It was obvious they were having a blast.
7. Bryan Adams/The Storm (Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane, 1992)
I have nothing against Bryan Adams, having seen him three times, but this show was so similar to one I saw seven years earlier at the arena when he was on his Reckless tour with Luba. What made the night for me was The Storm, a group made up of several members of Journey plus singer Kevin Chalfant, who sounds an awful lot like Steve Perry. Their brief set included an incredible cover of Santana's Black Magic Woman and they were very gracious when I used my media access to get backstage, explaining they got the spot opening on this tour because Bryan Adams had opened for Journey years before.
I have nothing against Bryan Adams, having seen him three times, but this show was so similar to one I saw seven years earlier at the arena when he was on his Reckless tour with Luba. What made the night for me was The Storm, a group made up of several members of Journey plus singer Kevin Chalfant, who sounds an awful lot like Steve Perry. Their brief set included an incredible cover of Santana's Black Magic Woman and they were very gracious when I used my media access to get backstage, explaining they got the spot opening on this tour because Bryan Adams had opened for Journey years before.
6. Iron Maiden/Twisted Sister (Winnipeg Arena, 1984)
The second time I had seen Iron Maiden in just over a year, my ears were still ringing from their previous visit. One of the loudest bands I have ever seen, they augmented their displays of sound and fury with equally eye-catching stage shows, this time an Egyptian theme that tied in with Powerslave, the album they were promoting. You have not lived until you have heard Bruce Dickinson live singing Aces High, the best song off the album and one of their best ever. And while Twisted Sister may not have been an obvious choice to open for Iron Maiden, Dee Snider et al committed themselves rather well.
The second time I had seen Iron Maiden in just over a year, my ears were still ringing from their previous visit. One of the loudest bands I have ever seen, they augmented their displays of sound and fury with equally eye-catching stage shows, this time an Egyptian theme that tied in with Powerslave, the album they were promoting. You have not lived until you have heard Bruce Dickinson live singing Aces High, the best song off the album and one of their best ever. And while Twisted Sister may not have been an obvious choice to open for Iron Maiden, Dee Snider et al committed themselves rather well.
5. Martina McBride/Little Big Town (MTS Centre, 2008)
I would love to know how Martina McBride can get such a huge voice out of such a tiny body. Wow. Anyone that considers themself a music fan that missed this show missed out completely (even if she told those in attendance that her kids weren't overly thrilled with the idea of having to spend their spring break in Canada), from opening with Anyway to closing with her Journey and Pat Benatar covers. As for Little Big Town, for my money, Boondocks is one of the best songs to hit country radio in recent memory. They also wrapped up their set with a bang-up job of Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way.
I would love to know how Martina McBride can get such a huge voice out of such a tiny body. Wow. Anyone that considers themself a music fan that missed this show missed out completely (even if she told those in attendance that her kids weren't overly thrilled with the idea of having to spend their spring break in Canada), from opening with Anyway to closing with her Journey and Pat Benatar covers. As for Little Big Town, for my money, Boondocks is one of the best songs to hit country radio in recent memory. They also wrapped up their set with a bang-up job of Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way.
4. Big Country (The Town Pump, Vancouver, 1993)
There are a lot of bands I like that no one else I know seems to care for and Big Country is right at the top of the list. I say they deserved better in terms of commercial success, but it is what it is, so let's move on. By no means large, this was the perfect place to catch them on tour in support of The Buffalo Skinners, a very different album for them but nonetheless a very worthwhile purchase if you ever feel so inclined. It still bothers me that singer Stuart Adamson took his own life almost 10 years ago, robbing the music world of a very talented but equally troubled man. What a shame.
There are a lot of bands I like that no one else I know seems to care for and Big Country is right at the top of the list. I say they deserved better in terms of commercial success, but it is what it is, so let's move on. By no means large, this was the perfect place to catch them on tour in support of The Buffalo Skinners, a very different album for them but nonetheless a very worthwhile purchase if you ever feel so inclined. It still bothers me that singer Stuart Adamson took his own life almost 10 years ago, robbing the music world of a very talented but equally troubled man. What a shame.
3. Fleetwood Mac (MTS Centre, 2009)
I was never a big fan of the band, but my lovely wife is, so she was more than happy to see them after receiving tickets for her birthday. The fact that Christine McVie wasn't on the tour kind of sucked, plus Stevie Nicks couldn't hit the high notes like she once could, but Lindsay Buckingham was just amazing. So was Mick Fleetwood. Both went non-stop. I was pleasantly surprised to hear so many songs I knew but didn't necessarily remember as being Fleetwood Mac songs. The highlight of the night was Tusk (sans USC marching band unfortunately) with Second Hand News coming a very close second.
I was never a big fan of the band, but my lovely wife is, so she was more than happy to see them after receiving tickets for her birthday. The fact that Christine McVie wasn't on the tour kind of sucked, plus Stevie Nicks couldn't hit the high notes like she once could, but Lindsay Buckingham was just amazing. So was Mick Fleetwood. Both went non-stop. I was pleasantly surprised to hear so many songs I knew but didn't necessarily remember as being Fleetwood Mac songs. The highlight of the night was Tusk (sans USC marching band unfortunately) with Second Hand News coming a very close second.
2. The Cult/Guns N' Roses (Winnipeg Arena, 1987)
On tour to support their Electric album, The Cult were quite good, but they were completely upstaged by GNR. They were the first band I had ever seen smoke on stage, plus Axl Rose was a sight to behold, what with his lavender leather pants plus a t-shirt that featured a word (twice) I can't write on this website. I was totally blown away and if it wasn't the next day, it was the day after that when I bought Appetite For Destruction, still one of the best albums ever. It's just too bad how this band imploded, something you can read all about in Watch You Bleed, a pretty decent offering from Stephen Davis.
On tour to support their Electric album, The Cult were quite good, but they were completely upstaged by GNR. They were the first band I had ever seen smoke on stage, plus Axl Rose was a sight to behold, what with his lavender leather pants plus a t-shirt that featured a word (twice) I can't write on this website. I was totally blown away and if it wasn't the next day, it was the day after that when I bought Appetite For Destruction, still one of the best albums ever. It's just too bad how this band imploded, something you can read all about in Watch You Bleed, a pretty decent offering from Stephen Davis.
1. Garth Books (GM Place, Vancouver, 1996)
A feast for the senses, this was both quantity and quality. Never had I seen such a diverse crowd, one that ranged from kids to grandparents and all loved every minute of it, from his opening with The Old Stuff to wrapping up the two-hour show with a marathon sing-along of Don McLean's American Pie. The added bonus was getting to meet him (a truly nice and humble guy) at the pre-concert news conference as well as taking what is without question one of the best pictures of my life, which I managed to get him to autograph weeks later in Ottawa. How that happened is a very long story I'll save for another day.
A feast for the senses, this was both quantity and quality. Never had I seen such a diverse crowd, one that ranged from kids to grandparents and all loved every minute of it, from his opening with The Old Stuff to wrapping up the two-hour show with a marathon sing-along of Don McLean's American Pie. The added bonus was getting to meet him (a truly nice and humble guy) at the pre-concert news conference as well as taking what is without question one of the best pictures of my life, which I managed to get him to autograph weeks later in Ottawa. How that happened is a very long story I'll save for another day.
2 comments:
Chuck's Top Ten Concerts:
1. Bruce Springsteen - Fargo
2. Roger Waters - MTS Center
3. Neil Young - MTS Center
4. Rolling Stones 1& 2 - Wpg Stadium
5. Pink Floyd - Wpg. Stadium
6. Bob Dylan - Wpg. Arena/Concert Hall, MTS Center
7. Eric Clapton - MTS Center
8. Fleetwood Mac - Grand Forks
9. The Eagles - Assiniboia Downs (1977?)
10. CCR - Classic Rock - Minnedosa
I was very surprised to not see Britney Spears or The Wiggles on this list
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