Have you ever forgot you saw an "important" act?

When I saw REM on the Monster tour, Radiohead was the opening act. Years later, on the advice of others, I've made an honest effort to see them (Radiohead) again to no avail, but occasionally I had to remind myself I actually did see them already, lol...

 

Saw Steve Earle open for Dylan in the late 80's... Didn't think too much about it until maybe 5-6 years later, when I became a huge fan of his. (And he got out of jail)

 

I had the same experience. I saw Radiohead open for Belly in Chicago in the early '90s and was underwhelmed. Totally forgot about them until someone reminded me I had seen them.

I hate to say it, but I still feel the same way about them.

 

I've already forgotten Metallica's show I visited in July this year.

 

Yes, Cheap Trick... but a couple mitigating factors... it was '77 and few knew of them as of yet... and I was 9... they opened for KISS, who I'd really gone to see... it was a couple of years ago before I realized I'd even seen them at all! My older sister who'd taken me to the show unearthed long lost photos of the show... and a couple pix were of the opening act... who I don't remember seeing at all... and who I didn't discover on my own til '79...

 

When I think of all the acts I've gone to see, I sometimes forget that I saw Paul McCartney in 2014. I believe it was the first show back after his health scare in Japan - was that show in Albany? Sir Paul serenaded a 64-year-old couple in their marriage proposal with the song of the same name, which was sweet (and I can't stand that song). I don't remember a ton about the show - the one thing that sticks out was the band jamming on "Foxy Lady", because I had just gotten into Hendrix, and trying to find the bathroom when he played "Lovely Rita". Our seats were pretty bad. But the show was good. That was before I got sick of the Beatles, so it really came at the right time. The reason I forget about it is because this show was right before I started college, and since my pre-college days were mostly marked with depression and isolation, I sort of swept everything under the rug, including seeing Sir Paul.

I expected the Who show I saw in 2017 to be forgettable. I expected The Pete & Roger Show and I got the bloody Who. John Entwistle was, at that time, my favorite musician on earth (and Keith Moon had that title before the Ox!) so I don't make that statement lightly. Perhaps I just happened to catch them on a good night. Considering all the bad press they've gotten for their recent shows, I feel the need to defend them. Roger's still got the pipes, Pete's still got the energy, and they've got the songs. Oh man, do they have the songs.

 

I was 10 when Live At Budokan came out...that's a tough one to have slipped under the radar, but probably kinda neat that you were reminded seeing them!

 

Not all major artist concerts have been unforgettable. Sometimes they perform on autopilot: Tina Turner in 1986, David Bowie in 1987, Paul McCartney in 2004, Bruce Springsteen in 2001. It was unforgettably boring.

 

Agree with the sentiment, but I get the impression you're talking about headliners that underwhelmed you in general...I'm talking about bands/artists that are more-or-less in the public sphere now, but maybe didn't reel you in when you saw them in the earlier days

 

Interesting topic. Back in the 90's Dylan played a long stint at The El Rey in Los Angeles. It's a small(ish), general admission theater. It was a big deal. Over the course of the residency there were several major opening acts. I got tickets for one night, my brother got tickets for another night. One of us had Sheryl Crow as opener, the other had Willie Nelson. I know I really wanted to see Sheryl Crow, but think I got the Willie Nelson show. The fact is, I can never remember which of us got what show.

I'm pretty sure I got Willie, and I think he had a cold.

 

I'm sure I have forgotten some important artists I've seen, but I can't remember which ones.

 

Bands I think I saw but am not sure:
Los Lobos
Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson
Bob Dylan with Tom Petty

For years Paul Rodgers has been on my list of people I've always wanted to see.
Then I remembered I saw The Firm back in the 80's.

I may or may not have seen Public Enemy open for the Beastie Boys.

 

A friend recently reminded me that we saw Crosby, Stills, and Nash at the Cleveland (Richfield) Coliseum in 1978.
The house sound was horrible, we had a deluxe box (courtesy of my brother working at a bank) and Springsteen was being broadcast live from the Cleveland Agora with a legendary concert.
We spent most of our time back in the box listening to Bruce on the radio and ignored CSN. I had forgotten I had ever seen them.

 

Saw a band on a charity gig (for Hillsborough or maybe Red Wedge?) in Liverpool called The Smiths, often wondered what happened to them...

 

My first concert was Elton John's Dodger Stadium show in '75. I remember seeing Joe Walsh. But till I saw the old add I had forgotten I saw Emmylou Harris too. Which kind of bums me out as Emmylou in 1975 would have been great. Wish I was a fan then. Pretty sure I would have remembered.

 

Souxsie and the Banshees at the time of their first album, but I don't think they were very important for me after the initial promise.

 

I love David Bowie, but have no recollection of seeing him at London's Shepherds Bush Empire in 1996.
My friend says, "You hated it. You were constantly moaning about the guitarist" ('twas Reeves Gabrels).
Cut forward to 2019, and I flick on the telly, catching a few minutes of The Cure at Glastonbury with horrible sludge metal guitar liberally slathered all over the already heavily chorus-pedalled songs (I love The Cure's early singles, the first album, bits of the second, but from there it's mostly not so good, barring several singles).
"No! 'ck off!" I shouted and switched channels with a harrumph.
A friend then posted on Facebook how great The Cure's Glasto show was.
"That guitar player was appalling!" I retorted.
"What?" replies said friend. "That was the great Reeves Gabrels!"
I fully expect to also forget the five minutes I saw of the Cure on tv.

 

The Monkees with some bluesy psych guy

 

nope

 

now you mention it - The Prodigy. One of the support acts for Oasis at Knebworth.

 

Back in '81 I saw New Order in the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden. Years later I was told that Simple Minds opened the show. I have no idea if it's true.

I did see them open for the Pretenders several years later when Jim Kerr and Chrissie Hynde were married. That was a great show, I do remember that one.

 

I only got into Spiritualized a few years ago and last year wanted to see if they were coming to my city on their tour. (They did!)
I only then learned they were the opening act at a Radiohead concert I was at 20 years before.
I remember thinking it wss a very good performance for an opening act.

 

I saw Nirvana supporting Tad in the early 90’s. All I remember is that they were loud.

 

B.B. King in the mid 2000s
CSN in the late '90s
Joan Sebastian (Mexican pop artist)

 

I saw Chris DeBurg when he was a support act at another concert. I didn't remember this for a lot of years. Can't remember who the main act were. I' m not familiar with his work, but I understand he sells a lot of records.