The late great Kinetic Playground in Chicago in the late 60’s . I’d go there almost every weekend, and one weekend I went there twice.
The Winspear Center in Edmonton, We've seen about a dozen concerts there. 1700 capacity Sound is exceptional due to adjustable acoustics by way of moving doors, open of rooms, curved acoustic reflectors and many other ways of dialling in the environment. A+
Manchester Free Trade Hall (70s): Groundhogs (three times) Rory Gallagher (three times) Black Sabbath Chuck Berry Dr. Feelgood Eddie & The Hot Rods The Tubes Manchester Polytechnic - The Union (70s): Split Enz Slaughter & The Dogs Warsaw The Only Ones Buzzcocks XTC Wilko Johnson Clive James & Pete Atkin The Electric Circus, North Manchester (70s): Buzzcocks The Jam Penetration Chelsea Steel Pulse The Members The Drones The Adverts John Cooper Clarke Magazine (debut gig) The Russel Club/The Factory (late 70s/early 80s): The Undertones Stiff Little Fingers Joy Division Pere Ubu The Only Ones Red Crayola Teardrop Explodes A Certain Ratio The Venue, London (early 80s): Tom Verlaine Iggy Pop Spirit The Stray Cats Georgie Fame Osibisa James Blood Ulmer
Cobo Arena Black Sabbath Rainbow Iron Maiden Judas Priest TOOL Scorpions Van Halen Metallica Ted Nugent AC/DC The Cult Kansas Frank Marino April Wine Tesla Quiet Riot J Geils Band Krokus Fastway Pat Travers Chilliwack Styx Nazareth Coheed & Cambria Keith Emerson Band ...and a bunch more. Joe Louis Arena Deep Purple Iron Maiden Judas Priest Rush The Mars Volta Foo Fighters Prince Peter Gabriel Metallica Roger Waters Twisted Sister Black Sabbath Blue Oyster Cult Max Webster Boston Styx System of a Down ...and a bunch more.
Been to lot's of venues in various countries and although the number isn't that high i guess it's The Paradiso in Amsterdam. From the top of my head i've seen there: The Black Crowes ( at least 4 times) Gov't Mule (4 times including the Free themed Mule-O-Ween show) Warren Haynes Band Gregg Allman The Derek Trucks Band (with the Steelin' & Slidin' Project that also featured Sonny Landreth and various other slide / steel guitarists) Jimmy Barnes The Alarm The Palladins Slobberbone & The Reverend Horton Heat The Brian Setzer Orchestra Little Charlie & The Night Cats
PLAZA DE TOROS NUEVO PROGRESO (Guadalajara Mexico) This is a bullfight arena, built around mid 60's, rounded circular venue 25,000 but more if GA or seats are added in the round pitch As an 2/3 part open air venue, quality sound depends on the performer's equipment. 1989 Caifanes & Maldita Vecindad & Patente (top Mexican Rock Band) - Sold out 1990 Caifanes & Guests (Fobia, Neon, Maldita Vecindad) - 3/4 venue ( I remember it was wednsday raining and I went alone) 1990 Cyndi Lauper - sold out 1990 Air Supply Plus guest (Carmin Local Band) - half venue, but amazing GH show 2003 Bosé - sold Out BENITO JUAREZ AUDITORIUM (Zapopan Mexico) It has a metalic laminated roof, without elements to make a good reverberance so, the quality of the sound goes to Excellent, if you're in front of the stage, GA level to Awful if you're in the stands (I've been on both) 1991 Chicago (Twenty 1 album Tour) Sold Out!The band was at their peak, Amazing sound! full GH show, we were 3rd row 1993 Duran Duran & Guest Julieta Venegas (Wedding Album TOur), kinda acoustic show - sold out 1995 Caifanes - LAst show with original Line Up - sold out, overcrowded venue, very risky as people were packed like sardins on GA 2002 The Cranberries (Wake Up Smell The Coffee TOur) - Sold Out, Overcrowded venue, the Band actually shortened the setlist due to risk of crowd crushing at front stage, first and last EVER rock show I went with the missus with GA tickets, as she was very scared of people pushing all aorund us trying not to fall to the ground PALACIO DE LOS DEPORTES (Mexico City) Built for the Olympic Games 1968 for the indoors sports category, used for Rock Shows since 1991 after being renewed (INXS re-opened the venue X Tour), as the Dome it's a copper laminated roof, also the quality goes for awful to acceptable 20,000 seated plus GA (4 back to back ZooTV shows from U2 tour were performed here, Metallica played 8 more in 2012 and the 2cds from Bing and Purge box set were recorded here) 1994 Bon Jovi - These Days Tour - Sold out! in the stands, amazing quality sound, band at their peak, Jon still had a powerful voice, look for the bootleg of this one in YouTube 2000 Oasis - Standing On The Shoulders... Tour, Sold Out! so damn loud, but great quality sound, the band in Top Form! 2004 The Cure - Sold Out, first night of 3 visiting for the first time Mexico City, as I was in the highest stands, as far as it can gets in the venue, sound was not what I expected, but a great setlist was played and I enjoyed the moment. ESTADIO AZTECA (Mexico City) Biggest Soccer Stadium built in Mexico (Pele and Maradona were champions playing FIFA World Cup here) Venue Capacity has changed with the years, even has been remodeled for NFL season games: MJ performed here 6 shows (500,000+ in attendance) Elton John also 2 sold out shows back in 1992, Macca Also has been Here 2006, x2 U2 (sold out both 70,000+according Wikipedia) Vertigo Tour - 1 on Edge's side, 1 on Adam Side 2011 U2 (sold out 94,000+ according Wikipedia) 360 Tour FORO SOL - AUTODROMO RODRIGUEZ This basically is a big open space where people get robbed, since, from the stands to the stage, easy there are beyond 100 meterspaying overpriced tickets. The stands are divided in 2 sections by the concrete road where F1 cars pass by. The rest are hundreds of square meters of plain area to be standing. Pink Floyd, Rush, Bowie played single shows here...from Madonna to Radiohead, Coldplay to Pearl Jam, this is the WORST venue to attend for a rock concert, so now you know...and I've been 4 rows from stage (1997) and close to rail on Stage B (2019) and the terrible stands- at least U2 had a big screen, the rest of shows, have been armed robbery 1997 U2 PopMart TOur 52,000+ Sold Out 2017 U2 & guest Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Joshua Tree Tour 30th anniversary Sold Out 58,000+ 2019 MUSE & guest the Ruse 47,000+ Quality of the sound was beyond expectations on those shows, despite casual fans of the band chatting, eating, drinking yelling at the vendors for more and more beer,going to the bathroom every 15 mins...terrible, but that's what bigger venues are for. Did you know that instant ramen noodles soup, tacos and even salty and spicy boiled corn grains with lemon are sold in the Mexico City venues? Vendors push their way through the fans yellin out the products, and they don't care if Robert Smith is starting to play 10:15 saturday night or The Edge is about to begin the heavenly intro of Where The Streets Have No Name... Be prepared if you come down here for a big concert in a stadium...
The greatest venue in the world. Glasgow Barrowlands Echo and the Bunnymen Terence Trent D’Arby Big Country The Jesus and Mary Chain The Gaslight Anthem Paul Weller x2 Muse Arcade Fire Royal Blood The War On Drugs Depeche Mode Robert Plant
Aside from the hockey arena here in town (I go to just about every rock show there), it would have to be the Beacon in NYC. I saw the Allmans there every year from 1998 to 2014.
Whelan’s 3Arena (formerly The Point Theatre) The Olympia Theatre Vicar St. All in Dublin London - Royal Albert Hall
Top 5 LA Forum - 116 Greek Theatre - 97 Universal Amphitheatre - 71 Staples Center - 52 Hollywood Bowl - 48
FleetCenter/TD Garden in Boston: Pearl Jam x3 Prince x2 David Bowie The Rolling Stones x8 Guns N Roses x2 Paul McCartney x3 CSNY x3 KISS x5 Bruce Springsteen x4 Black Sabbath Queen + Adam Lambert Billy Joel x2 Page/Plant Van Halen x2 Stone Temple Pilots Fleetwood Mac Dead & Co. Roger Waters x2 Red Hot Chili Peppers Dave Matthews Band Foo Fighters The Killers Great Woods/Tweeter Center/Comcast Center/XFinity Center in Mansfield: Bruce Springsteen x2 Dead & Co Steely Dan Neil Young x5 Aerosmith x2 KISS x3 Phish x4 Roger Waters Queen + Adam Lambert Motley Crue The Allman Brothers Band x4 Pearl Jam x4 CSNY Oasis x2 Jimmy Page/The Black Crowes Fleetwood Mac Jimmy Buffett Santana Chicago Jay-z Jeff Beck Van Halen BB King Robert Cray Band Ringo Starr Jethro Tull Sex Pistols Spin Doctors/Soul Asylum Plus a bunch of shows at Lupo's in Providence, Fenway Park, The Paradise, The Avalon, House of Blues, the Orpheum in Boston.
Including tonight (just got in from seeing the 3rd night of an Anthony Braxton residency) I've seen 204 gigs at Cafe Oto since January 2013. Basically one room with bar at one end and a space where the musicians play up the other. Capacity I guess is about 150-ish. I tend to go there a lot...
I love the Big Country New Year's Eve 1983 video. That was one rabid crowd - they made me want to see a show at Barrowlands!
I see many of you are now adding the bands seen at your most attended venues. Not my original intent but a cool thought so might as well join in. My top five most attended venues with bands seen added in..... Crystal Ballroom Portland, Oregon Big Head Todd And The Monsters Bill Kreutzman Trio Galactic (x2) George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic (x2) Government Mule (x2) Greensky Bluegrass Greyboy Allstars Kyle Hollingsworth Leftover Salmon Mickey Hart Band Moe Railroad Earth (x6) Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger Slightly Stoopid Aladdin Theater David Nelson Band Hot Tuna (x3) Jackie Green (x2) Johnny Winter Jorma Kaukonen Mickey Hart Band Mickey Hart Global Drum Project New Riders Of The Purple Sage Railroad Earth Robin Ford Steve Kimmock and Crazy Engine Steve Kimmock Cotillion Ballroom Wichita, Kansas Brecker Brothers Buddy Guy Dr John Government Mule (x2) Indigenous Joe Cocker Joe Walsh Johnny Lang Kenny Wayne Shepherd Marshall Tucker Band Mitch Ryder Peter Frampton Rare Earth Robin Trower Spin Doctors War Neptune Theater Seattle, Washington George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic Hot Tuna w/Steve Kimmock Kyle Hollingsworth Leftover Salmon (x4) Railroad Earth (x4) Yonder Mountain String Band Cuthbert Amphitheater Eugene, Oregon Furthur (x3) Jackie Green Ratdog String Cheese Incident (x4) Widespread Panic (x2)
In Paris : El Dorado Theater for sure In London : Town and Country Club , Dingwall's , Archway Tavern and Sir George Robbey mid 80 s to mid 90 's in my twenties , the peak of my gigging frenzy
The Heineken Music Hall, now called AFAS Live, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, Netherlands (the HMH and the ZD are right next to each other). Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Vitesse Stadium, Arnhem, Netherlands. Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Het Paard, The Hague, Netherlands.
Probably the Royal Festival Hall, where I've seen Randy Newman, Roy Harper, Tori Amos, David Sylvian, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Richard Thompson, Elvis Costello, Steven Wilson and whole bunch of Classical concerts over the years. Runner-up is probably Warwick Arts Centre, where I've seen Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson, Eels, The Magnetic Fields, Steven Wilson, Zappa Plays Zappa, Rufus Wainwright & Pat Metheny (but no Classical that I can remember). In fact, most of the venues I've been to a lot are (principally) Classical: Birmingham Symphony Hall, Barbican Hall, ENO Coliseum, Royal Opera House.
not counting clubs seeing unsigned bands......less than 100 for me...... Tacoma Dome Seattle Center coliseum Paramount (Seattle) The Gorge- George Wa. I've seen a lot of national acts in clubs and theatre's but not a lot of times at any particular venue. Clubs come and go and a bunch of venues I've seen national acts play in no longer exist, others changed names. A saw a few shows in the SF bay area in the early 80s, a couple shows in Oregon and most around Tacoma/Seattle or other places in Washington.
St. Andrews Hall Detroit. 100's of bands including: New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen, Simple Minds, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Spiritualized, Swervedriver and tons more. Best venue: The Brudenell in Leeds. Great staff, great beer at super inexpensive prices, fantastic sound system.
That's now up to 213. Capacity is, I learned recently is 180. No idea when I'll be back there though. Next on the list is the Barbican - 27
I spent the last few months trying to compile info on every show I’ve been to and I have some actual concrete data for this thread now! Like I assumed, I’ve been to the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia more than anywhere else: 96 times. I’m surprised I didn’t break 100. Number two on my list is the Trocadero, also in Philly, at 52 times.
Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ Academy of Music/Palladium, NY Schaefer Music Festival/Dr. Pepper Music Festival, Central Park, NY Beacon Theater, NY Meadowlands Arena (Brendan Byrne Arena/Izod Center), NJ Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ At the Tabernacle, Mt. Tabor, NJ Splatter Concerts in Whippany, NJ Garden State Arts Center/PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ Morris Stage/Mayo Arts Center, Morristown, NJ Dirt Club, Bloomfield, NJ Hitsville, Passaic NJ South Orange Performing Arts Center, South Orange, NJ Giants Stadium, NJ and a lot more, but not as much as those listed above... the funny thing is I only went to Madison Square Garden a few times - not sure why.
