I live in a world where people my age play golf on
weekends and go someplace warm for vacation. What do Ter and I do for fun?
We go to rock concerts. Even now, in our fifties,
we’re doomed fools for arena shows headlined by the artists/bands who figure
prominently in our CD libraries. We have averaged one to two shows a year over
the course of our adventure, starting with The Jacksons’ Victory tour in
1985. Actually, I started in 1979 with April Wine and Ter saw the Osmonds in
Seattle before we knew each other, but since we became a team, yikes, have we
set ourselves up for hearing aids in the nursing home.
Some bands we’ve seen more than once. Some more than
twice, three times, do I hear six? That would be Sting … or Def Leppard
… or is it Duran Duran, and do we count the Power Station show in their tally?
Between the clusters, we’ve seen any number of acts but once, including some as
opening acts—the Cranberries, for instance, when they opened for DD on their
Wedding Album tour, kd lang ahead of Sting in 1998, and Hedley when they warmed
up the crowd for Bon Jovi in 2007. (Okay, we heard Hedley from the concourse
’cause a Canucks/Oilers game was on and the show was at then-GM Place, but
still.)
There was David Bowie, and Aerosmith, and Heart, and
Rob Thomas, and Sheryl Crow. Then the PBS shows like Celtic Thunder, Andrea
Bocelli, and Sarah Brightman—easier on the ears than the rock bands by far, and
alarming evidence that we are becoming our parents. Back in the 80s, we caught
Can-con acts like Glass Tiger, Kim Mitchell, and Corey Hart, but missed
Platinum Blonde and Strange Advance. Corey retired from performing this year,
but hey, if we really want, we can catch the retro-tour on just about everyone
else.
Er, no, thanks.
Truly, a lot of the live arena shows are too loud and
attended by really annoying individuals who invariably get tickets close to
where we are positioned, but who make for dandy Darwinian reminiscing. The
cokehead who somersaulted down the stairs at Def Leppard in 1992. The cokehead
who nearly flipped over the railing at Aerosmith in 1993. The little dancing
man at Sting in 1998. More shenanigans at Leppard and Duran gigs because we’ve
seen them more than once—flailing arms and boogying butts in our faces, not to
mention the rank stench of marijuana wafting over from somewhere we’re not. Oh,
and the guy who was so smashed at yet another Lep concert that he lost his
glasses and Security had to help him find them. That was rich. Ter has been
beaned by bags at the swag stall and boots from the row behind, I’ve been
elbowed aside and done some sharp elbowing back, and for what, you ask? Well,
for the memories, of course.
We have also been privileged. Peter Frampton played
guitar when he still had his hair (with Bowie in 1986). Roland Orzabal of Tears
For Fears sang, and his voice was as deep and resonant live as on tape. Stewart
Copeland stole The Police show from Sting by drumming like a madman with
absolutely surgical precision. Discovering guitarist Dominic Miller when he
joined der Stingle’s band. Sarah Brightman … geez, angels weep for lacking her
purity of pitch. Most recently, Heart’s Ann Wilson loosed a kickass vocal on a
bunch of Led Zeppelin tunes and my skin still hasn’t stopped prickling from the
sonic waves. Later this year, we’ve got tickets for Sarah McLachlan when she
comes to town.
Next year, who knows? We each have a David yet on our
wannasee list—Garrett for Ter, Usher for me, and both acts are going strong so
there’s a good chance we’ll check the boxes on them before we’re completely
deaf. On the last Duran tour, I asked Ter how much longer she thought we could
keep this going. She shook the sweat from her eyes and said something like,
“When they stop, we’ll stop.”
That pretty well says it all.
Rockers 4 life!
ReplyDeleteI still have good shows on the horizon, smaller in scale still but Canada Day with Sam Roberts and my new favorite Canadian band, July Talk - UNREAL. If you minus the run-in with the 'sailor' in the swelled crowd it was a perfect night of music and joy and pride.
You and Sam! Practically a couple, you've seen him so often, lol. (Better him than the sailor, alas.) As for live shows, I don't do the club/bar bands like you do, not until they hit the US charts, anyway, and it may be that I'm missing something but time and hearing are limited so I have to pick my battles. There are ALWAYS memories when the lights come up. I wouldn't trade a moment for anything.
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