Tool ‘02
Ministry ‘03
Australian Pink Floyd ‘06
AC/DC '09
Nine Inch Nails ‘09
Swans ‘10
Wire ‘11
Revolting Cocks/Retrospectacle ‘11
Therapy? ‘12
Dead Can Dance ‘12
Though I believe they were never that good live, I regret never seeing Type O Negative (could have seen them same year as Ministry, but I do remember it was in support of Life is Killing Me which was fairly crap)
Have also never seen Godflesh live.
Wow, this is a tough one.
Skinny Puppy 2004 Simply Amazing. I was close to the stage and got covered in fake blood and green ooze.
Dream Theater 2008 Awesome visuals, perfect performance.
Nine Inch Nails 2009 The final tour. Got to meet Trent and Co. and got my Fragile LP signed. Love him or hate him, he is actually a really cool, well mannered guy. Perfect performance!
Marilyn Manson 2001 This was the Holy Wood tour, filled with great visuals. Their albums after this seemed to be so so, but I’m glad I got in before their decline.
And One/VNV Nation 2007 And One is amazing live, VNV’s music is just a beautiful live, even though Ronin has issues carrying his vocals at time. I met both bands before the show, very cool guys!
Covenant 2007 Quite possibly the best sounding mix I’ve ever heard at a show, EVER. It always bugs me that sound engineers rarely get it right at shows. Got some autographs afterwards!
Apotygma Berzerk 2010 A very different, rock/metal side of the band. I hung out with Stephan Groth and he has to be one of the nicest guys I ever met!
Ministry 2003 I’m not a huge fan of the post 90s Ministry, but it was a good show, I got promotional tickets, so it was a free show. I met up with Paul afterwards and got all my Barker involved Ministry stuff signed. Al was too tired and went to the bus, which was sort of a bummer. I really wanted my pre-LORAH signed 
Ohgr 2001 The show was just ok. This was my first time hanging out with Ogre and cEvin. Skinny Puppy have been my heroes since the mid 90s, so I was more than stoked!
Type O Negative 2007 (The show was just OK, but I’m glad I went, as this was their last)
Good thread!!
Um…
Best:
Ministry '95
Tool '11
Boredoms '96
Swans '11
Mayhem '10
Mr Bungle '96
Sonic Youth '95
Those are the main ones I suppose. Been to hundreds of small local gigs over the years, but few of them really stand out.
I always change my mind as soon as I make these lists, but here’s a few that come to mind as stand outs right off the bat . . .
Rigor Mortis 2005 – Los Angeles, CA
Twisted Sister 2005 – Las Vegas
“The Big Four” (Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, Metallica) 2011 – Indio, CA
Ministry 1999 – Hollywood, CA
AC/DC 2008 – Los Angeles, CA
Metallica 2007 – Los Angeles, CA
Dead Milkmen 1992 – Hollywood, CA
Iron Maiden/Dio/Motorhead 2003 – Hollywood, CA
Megadeth 2011 – Hollywood, CA
Black Sabbath/Motorhead 1995 – San Francisco, CA
Skinny Puppy 1992 – Hollywood, CA
Sly & Robbie with Sinead O’Connor - Glasgow 2006
Sly & Robbie/Black Uhuru with Grace Jones - Edinburgh 2003
Swans - Glasgow 2010
Amon Tobin - London 2012
Killing Joke - Glasgow 2012
Tack>>Head/Adrian Sherwood - Edinburgh 2010
Ministry - Sydney 1994
Melvins - Auckland 1997
Marley Marl - Edinburgh - 2007
Rezillos - Edinburgh 2009
in no particular order:
Ministry (big day out, UK) - 1999
Faith No More (last gig with Jim Martin, Phoenix Festival, UK) - 1993
Faith No More (first ‘reformed’ gig at Brixton, UK) - 2009
Nirvana - (last UK gig, Reading Festival, UK) - 1992
Seabound - (Purple Turtle, UK) - 2010-ish
Kyuss Lives - (as I never got to see ‘proper’ Kyuss, UK) - 2011
Godflesh - (Forum, UK) - 2011
Pixies - (hung with them in the VIP bar, very cool, Brixton, UK) - 2009
Rage Against the Machine/The Prodigy - (Reading Festival, UK) - 1996
Therapy? - (Portsmouth, UK) - 1991-ish
Verve - (supporting smashing pumpkins, UK) - 1993-ish
There have been a million other cool gigs, but those are some i remember the best. I must also give a small shout out to Tori Amos, although I know she’s not that popular here, as I always get great seats and completely trashed back stage whenever she’s in town as one of my best mates is her engineer/producer/monitor engineer. the last gig was at the royal albert hall in london with a 50 piece orchestra, which was really cool.
Not putting these in any kind of order, and I may get carried away and go over ten, so, fair warning.
Pigface '94 (good all the other times I saw them too, but this one was best)
Godspeed You Black Emperor '03
Skinny Puppy '04
The Jesus Lizard New Year’s Eve '09
Swans '11 (this year was awesome too)
Mr. Bungle '99 (this show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCJ9GBTjRD4)
NoisefeSTL '08 (changed my life, met my wife)
A Silver Mt. Zion '08 (found out my grandpa died an hour before the show started, I sank into the music really deep that night)
Themselves '09 (my 30th birthday)
Lagwagon '06 (A huge storm had blown through St. Louis and power was still out and debris everywhere and it was like we all went through the rapture, this show was just huge dumb fun catharsis, also probably the last show I saw at Mississippi Nights before they closed)
Drunkdriver '09 (probably my favorite show I ever played, I sat in with Catholic Guilt opening for them at Bonerville and it was just INSANE. Violent mostly chick moshpit in a dingy concrete basement, all the dudes clinging to the rafters in the midst. Crazytalk. They were on tour in support of this release: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU08yeovg98&feature=related)
Honorable mention to many many local or underground shows. Most recently this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1rolN6ZnsM
although the video doesn’t do it justice, and that’s just the second part of their show, the first half was brutal and very nearly ruined the Swans show a week later for me, it was just that damn good that the bar was set really high. I have an audio recording that will make it into my podcast feed eventually. That’s me in the light blue shirt on the left behind the guys playing.
I’ve been to too many too differentiate. Two really stand out as special to me.
Ministry in '87 and Skinny Puppy on their Too Dark Park Tour.
I hear you. Picking the worst shows would be way easier.
Pink Floyd was something to see.
One or two of the Nine Inch Nails shows I’ve been to.
Early Marilyn Manson put on a hell of a performance.
William Elliott Whitmore made me a fan for life seeing him play and having never previously heard a note of his music.
Sunn O))) a few years ago when they played at a church and had the Mayhem guy singing with them.
AC/DC '09
I think they were still touring for Black Ice at that time, so I guess I saw the same tour. That show was just amazing. Loud classic rock played with an incredible intensity and energy. I was just in awe that these dudes (especially Angus), despite all being senior citizens, had more vigor and life than most jerks 1/2 or 1/3 their age.
I love that AC/DC has never changed. They still had massive cannons, locomotive engines, giant Hell’s bells, and the humongous inflatable Rosie come out on stage. Brian still swings on the bell like a mad man and lets it pull him 40 feet in the air. Angus still does the duckwalk, he still takes his shirt off, he still does a dirty strip tease and moons the audience.
By far the best all-out rock and roll show I’ve seen. Worth every penny of the $100 I paid (twice, actually, as I saw them in both LA and Anaheim).
And it’s so badass that you see literally everyone from age 5 up to 75+. I met one kid, father, grandfather trio that were ALL dressed in Angus suits. Greatest thing ever.
The Clash - Aragon Ballroom '79
The Birthday Party - COD '81
Radiohead - Aerial Theater Houston '98
Roxy Music - Uptown Theater '78
Morrissey - Congress Theater '11
The Pogues - Vic Theater '86
Gang of Four/Magazine - Mothers '78
Psychedelic Furs - Vic Theater two weeks ago…really.
Buzzcocks - Mothers '78
Pere Ubu - Metro '91
Kreator/Moonspell '99
Rammstein '00
Tool '02 - Perfect
A Perfect Circle
Nine Inch Nails '07
Einsturzende Neubauten '08
Mão Morta '09
Faust '10
Grinderman/ Stooges '11
Akron/Family '11
I forgot Swans!
MSI '05 (it was a scene right out of a movie) Orlando
NIN '09 (Wiltern, Fonda, Palladium, Echoplex) L.A.
Retrospectacle '11 Chicago
Gen '04 Ft. Lauderdale
Ministry '04 (on Halloween) Orlando
Skinny Puppy '04 and '09 Orlando
Juliette and the Licks '07 (on Halloween) Orlando
Danzig w/ Doyal '05 (Misfits set) Orlando
NIN '05 (club show w/ Dresden Dolls) Las Vegas/'08 Lights in the Sky Orlando
Toadies '00 (Halloween Monster Mosh) Houston
weird, i HATED both 08 and 09 nin tours. by far the two worst concerts i’ve ever been to.
system of a down - ozzfest 2002 in sacramento, CA
deftones - 2 shows back to back in montreal 2007
black light burns - montreal 08
skinny puppy - toronto 09
revolting cocks - this show wasn’t GOOD, it was just FUN. i was fucking hammered and i put my hand down josh’s pants at some point. also, i slapped him in the face. ottawa 09/10 (can’t remember)
refused - montreal 2012
Wax Trax! Retrospectacle 4/15/11 - 4/17/11
Peter Gabriel - US Tour 7/24/93
Ministry - The Mind Tour 2/3/90
Laibach - Sympathy Tour 2/18/89
Depeche Mode - Masses Tour/101 filming 6/15/88
U2 - Joshua Tree Tour/Rattle & Hum filming 12/19/87
Front 242 - Tyranny Tour 9/29/91
Pink Floyd - Division Bell Tour 4/24/94
Front Line Assembly - Tactical Tour 2/8/92
Gary Numan - Exile Tour 4/10/98
1002
weird, i HATED both 08 and 09 nin tours. by far the two worst concerts i’ve ever been to.
The '08 NIN show was the visuals with the music for me.
[reply]AC/DC '09
I think they were still touring for Black Ice at that time, so I guess I saw the same tour. That show was just amazing. Loud classic rock played with an incredible intensity and energy. I was just in awe that these dudes (especially Angus), despite all being senior citizens, had more vigor and life than most jerks 1/2 or 1/3 their age.
I love that AC/DC has never changed. They still had massive cannons, locomotive engines, giant Hell’s bells, and the humongous inflatable Rosie come out on stage. Brian still swings on the bell like a mad man and lets it pull him 40 feet in the air. Angus still does the duckwalk, he still takes his shirt off, he still does a dirty strip tease and moons the audience.
By far the best all-out rock and roll show I’ve seen. Worth every penny of the $100 I paid (twice, actually, as I saw them in both LA and Anaheim).
And it’s so badass that you see literally everyone from age 5 up to 75+. I met one kid, father, grandfather trio that were ALL dressed in Angus suits. Greatest thing ever.[/reply]
They take a fairly basic formula and turn it into something so much more. I cannot stand bands who just try “rock” for the sake of it and sing about “rocking” in their songs, it just gets so lame and juvenile but with AC/DC they totally get away with it because they are the kings and have been doing it right for decades.
And another plus is their concerts attract women who are always willing to ahem impress
So True!
There is absolutely nothing about AC/DC that doesn’t feel 100% true and authentic. And while they may use “gimmicks” (funny props, Angus’ schoolboy uniform) there is nothing at all that feels gimmicky. They’re just one of those absolutely legendary bands that anyone who is into rock and roll should see.
I really wanted my pre-LORAH signed
he would have probably punched you in the face if you gave him with sympathy to sign lol. or at least that’s how the story goes :P.
[reply]weird, i HATED both 08 and 09 nin tours. by far the two worst concerts i’ve ever been to.
The '08 NIN show was the visuals with the music for me.[/reply]
yeah, i’d probably like it now. i just had such high expectations. i didn’t like how the songs were more rock oriented. his voice sounded off with the earlier songs cause he can’t sing like he used to anymore. also, not much energy. i wish i could have catched them in 94 :P.