Did You Go To Concerts In The 60s/70s?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by MortSahlFan, Apr 11, 2019.

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  1. MortSahlFan

    MortSahlFan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    US
    Assuming you also went to concerts in future decades, to compare. What things remain the same, and what things are different? Not just price, but interaction between strangers, interaction between artist/audience, sound quality, rituals before or after a show, anything.

    And if you've seen them in other countries, and if you don't mind, please add that. Very curious how the crowds were from your point of view.
     
  2. FredV

    FredV Senior Member

    Started going to concerts in big venues in 1974, George Harrison at Madison Square Garden being my first one. Besides the ticket prices being reasonable by today’s standards, though considered high at the time, the crowds were Okay though there were still jerks that ruined the experience for some due to their behavior. Also, photos were discouraged and if you were caught you risked your camera being confiscated and getting thrown out. Big difference today with mobile phone cameras.
     
  3. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    I started out in Feb. of 1974. Extremely reasonable ticket prices here in the South. $4.00 to see 3 bands, entire show went on for hours. Volunteer Jams began at 6pm, ended at 2am, only because that was the law.

    My attendance slowed down around 1983, after becoming a responsible parent, and only attended the occasional show into the future. Last was probably Jan.2010, Gov't Mule at The Ryman.
     
  4. tdcrjeff

    tdcrjeff Senior Member

    Location:
    Hermosa Beach, CA
    One big difference of course, festival seating (meaning general admission no chairs). I only went to a few shows in the late 70s when I was a teenager, my first show at the age of 12 was Kiss at Dane County Coliseum in Madison. Me and my 13 year old friend down on the floor about 20 feet from the stage in a mass of mostly older teenagers. But they were nice. We both had cameras and when we wanted to take a shot, we asked the (larger) guys in front of us and they would part a bit to give us a better view. But very different contrast to the 1981 Stones show I saw at the Seattle Kingdome. Also festival open floor, but a huge mass of people packed like sardines. I was 16 and with 3 fellow HS seniors. By the time the Stones were a few songs into their set, none of us could even see each other, separated by the push and pull of the crowd. About half way through I couldn't handle it anymore and bailed and went up to a seat. Only back at the car afterwards did any of us see each other again.
     
  5. StarThrower62

    StarThrower62 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
    The venues aren't wafting with pot smoke anymore. At least not the shows I attend these days.
     
  6. I did during the mid-to late 70's. Fans are about the same. Lots of assholes, lots of folks that just want to have a good time, less people taking LSD more people snorting coke, smoking pot in the 70's.

    Ticket prices weren't the same price as folks mortgage. Folks wouldn't fake it on stage and would actually play material live (well, ELO and 10cc did have to use some tapes--10cc for "I'm Not in Love" and ELO for some of the more difficult to recreate material but, luckily, they did have synthesizers and did also have the string sections to create some of the material live).
     
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2019
  7. StarThrower62

    StarThrower62 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
    Seeing some of the greatest bands in the world for 6 bucks was definitely a perk.
     
  8. gkella

    gkella Glen Kellaway From The Basement

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Been going to concerts since 1966.
    The ticket price. It was affordable.
    You could generally get a ticket if you really wanted one.
    Lots of joints being passed around.
    The acid was really spectacular.
    Sound systems were not as good in large venues as they are today.
    Not much merch in those days, just a programme.
     
  9. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    I stopped going to rock concerts by around 1972. Only a handful in later years. What I do remember is that people listened. The music wasn’t an excuse to act stupid. I don’t recall people talking, yelling etc. That’s my memory anyhow.
     
  10. kunstwork

    kunstwork Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    No video screens so having seats close to the stage was a bit more important (always desirable but more important then).
    Sound was worse. T shirts were cheaper (a lot cheaper). The merch counter didn't have much beside t-shirts, posters and tour books. Now they have underwear, baseball hats, leather jackets and tons of other things.
    Surprised no one mentioned this yet, but you had to work harder to get the tickets. Tickets were only sold at the venue box office, at Ticketron outlets and by mail order (sometimes). It was much more difficult to get tickets then than it is today when all you have to do is get on your computer in your own home (I know there are still sell out shows that are difficult to get even from the computer). Staying out all night the night waiting in line before certain shows went onsale was a frequent occurrence.
    Also no secondary market except scalpers in front of the venue. No ebay, no stubhub, no craigslist, and no other means to sell your tickets unless you sold them to someone you actually knew.
    Finally, the shows I went to in the 70's really felt like a gathering of the tribe--I can't remember the last time I felt that other than a Tom Waits show I went to in Austin about twenty years ago.
     
  11. rancher

    rancher Unmade Bed

    Location:
    Ohio
    My first concerts were 1980 at age 13, The Kinks and Yes, so no ‘70’s for me
     
  12. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    Yeah, I went back in the day. Honestly, it all seemed more honest back then. You turned up, had a drink, and eventually the band walked on stage with a few lights and colored gels. If they got fancy they had dry ice. You could get real close to the musicians, and it felt like a more personal experience.

    Today it strikes me as akin to a Broadway show. Everything is bigger, more extravagant. So prices have to go up to make it yet bigger, and even more extravagant. The artists get farther away. There are more lights. Lasers. Screens.

    No-one held a damn phone over their heads. There might be the odd tape recorder though.

    Ah, those really WERE the days!
     
  13. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Yup!
     
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  14. rancher

    rancher Unmade Bed

    Location:
    Ohio
    Many concerts are different these days, though. Lotsa bands playing small venues. Islands at a 250 person hall last year was all-time awesome, no iPhone cameras, just close up to the band
     
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  15. Karmadave

    Karmadave Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Jose
    I started going to concerts in the late 70’s. Besides the much lower ticket prices, people weren’t glued to their smartphones. Lots of drugs and alcohol, but for the most part people were there just to enjoy themselves...
     
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  16. scoutbb

    scoutbb Senior Member

    Location:
    LA
    A bunch in the 70's. Probably started around '72. Think it was The Moody Blues. Can't remember exactly.
     
  17. PsychGuy

    PsychGuy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albuquerque
    Not all that different, considering. Far less smoke -- tobacco and pot -- nowadays. The cell phone thing is, of course, something new and crappy. Back then you had people taking pictures with flash bulbs, kinda similar annoyance esp. to performers, but it wasn't as pervasive. Audio and lighting are much better now. Reserved seats are the norm. People don't sit crosslegged on the floor these days. Opening acts got more attention back then.

    The encores are automatic now, not then. I remember when they didn't happen at pop shows. After that, artists had to earn them. No computer-synched lighting so shows were more unpredictable. You couldn't get a set list in advance so the shows were a bit of a mystery. I miss the sense of community at late '60s shows. Bookers were more eclectic so you got things like Miles opening for the Dead.

    I'd say the overall experience is better now except for the smartphone problem.
     
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2019
  18. Partyslammer

    Partyslammer Lord Of The New Church

    I started going to shows in '78 and I can agree with about 95% of what you say here. Sound quality and video screens are probably the biggest positive leaps in the concert experience the past 20-30 years.

    Getting decent seats was a *lot* harder back then. I waited over night a few times but it almost never resulted in even mediocre seats. Sometimes I would be maybe 5th in line when a TicketTron or Ticketmaster opened in the morning and I'd still miss out on even getting in the building because it would take up to 30 minutes just to get to my turn because everything regarding selling tickets was by hand - they'd show a printed map what was available (you rarely had a choice other then "best" available), sometimes it was pay without knowing where your seats would be and you'd get whatever crap they'd hand you. Once they take your cash, it could be up to several minutes per person waiting for the machine to print out the tickets usually after a few minutes of the system crashing.

    Most of the arena and stadium shows I saw back then with reserved seating, I simply bought my tickets at a huge mark-up from a ticket re-seller agency to get great floor seats. At least I had a choice and knew exactly where my seats were before paying for them. Ticket agencies were a big deal back then - I used to know this guy who spent entire weekends camped out in front of the local Ticket outlet waiting for shows to go on sale and would pay other ticket outlet employees a cut to hold prime tickets for him which he'd flip for big money to agencies.

    One thing I'd disagree with, is the ******* factor seemed to be in some ways worse than similar shows these days. A big thing in the late 70's was people throwing firecrackers in the audience and onstage. Same with glass bottles being thrown especially at out door shows. Obviously, heavy pot use was a big deal at shows and just regular cigarette smoking. I'd always come home from a show reeking of pot and cigs even though I never smoked either. I saw a lot more crazy, outrageous stuff at shows back then than I do these days. Lot more people passing out, puking on seats, etc.

    The A**hole factor is completely different these days, people obsessed with their phones, much more aggressively rude and pushy to get up front.

    Another big difference was shows back then (at least ones I saw in SoCal) never sold any alcohol harder than big gulp sized crappy beer. So usually my friends and I would smuggle in something like a bottle of JD or Bacardi to mix with a big coke to craft our buzz. Now I can pay $15 - $20 for a small plastic cup of whatever mixed drink I fancy .... the ridiculous price which keeps me straight.

    Another thing I can think of that almost no bands do anymore is tour programs. I used to love buying programs at shows. T-shirt graphics used to be a lot more imaginative back then - some actual works of art. Even bootleg concert shirts sold in the parking lot often looked cool. Now a concert t-shirt is basically the artist's name in boring bold Helvetica text... for $50.
     
  19. rkt88

    rkt88 The unknown soldier

    Location:
    malibu ca
    in addition the to the musicians that hung out in our house(s) ( or apts while still in nyc to 64/65 ) i heard amazing stuff as a kid "in concert" live.

    as a child i had cherry cokes at the village vanguard in nyc with my dear ol' pop in tow. his cousin lorraine owned it. i also went to every newport folk and jazz festival from 61 to 64. given my early family proximity to dylan, we were in the thick of "it". then we went west.

    i was present and largely unaccounted for during more sessions in LA than i can even remember. byrds/doors, who knows who all else. also, to a lot of incredible live performances including monterey pop ( fagedaboudit ) and carrying timmy schmidt's bass to early poco gigs or doors rehearsals in venice, as well as sessions of theirs at sunset sound and the "house that jim built" at 962 n la cienega bl.

    i've been to sessions with george harrison to tiny tim, and a whole lot in between. i'm "here", in an active attempt, to recall much of what i forget. f'n drugs. ha.
     
  20. mbrownp1

    mbrownp1 Forum Resident

    The pot smell remains the same. The ticket prices do not...not even if you factor in the value of the dollar over the years...not even close.
     
  21. rkt88

    rkt88 The unknown soldier

    Location:
    malibu ca
    pot smells better now.
     
  22. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
    First concert was 1979.

    Went heavily during the 80's.
     
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  23. sheffandy

    sheffandy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sheffield, UK
    Missed out by a couple of months, debuted in Feb 1980
     
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  24. Fullbug

    Fullbug Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Everything, on all conceivable levels, was better in the 60s and 70s than it is today.
     
  25. Brian Lux

    Brian Lux One in the Crowd

    Location:
    Placerville, CA
    First show was 1965, so yes.

    Some things that have changed that I think were better in the 60's 70's:
    -Used to be able to take all kind of weird stuff into many auditoriums. I've seen cameras, a decorated ceremonial staff of wood and beads etc., an electric guitar brought in by an audience member, your own food and beverages.
    -Tickets were more affordable. In the late 60's/ early 70's I had low paying jobs. Some weeks the only food in the house was rice and ketchup. But if I wanted to go see a show at the Fillmore or Winterland, I could scrape up the few bucks.
    -Light shows back then were better. To my way of seeing, way better.
    -Some venues had black lights.
    -No cell phones, no iPhone or other artificial lights.
    -Show recordings were analog and often made great records.
    -Free hand-bills given out at the Fillmore, Winterland in S.F.

    Some things that are better about today's shows:
    -WAY better monitors for the musicians.
    -More frequent sound board recordings of shows.
    -Fewer audience members puking. Maybe.
     
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