In 1989 I was living in Munich and had tickets for R.E.M. at the Theaterfabrik. This was a small, old, factory building (max. cap. 1000) with an intense atmosphere. At this time I was the biggest fan I knew, having first seen them at the Marquee 4 or 5 years before. In fact, I was the only fan I knew. But there were obviously more of us out there, because a couple of weeks later they switched the venue to Circus Krone (cap. 3000). Still good, but not quite as intimate.
The day of the gig arrived, and it was cancelled, Bill Berry had been taken ill – Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. They rescheduled it quite quickly for 6 weeks later – right in the middle of my holiday in Portugal. Oh well, maybe next year.
However, they spent most of 1990 in the studio, and then in ’91 they released Out of Time, and dreams of ever seeing them in a small venue disappeared.
1992, ’93, and ’94 passed before finally they announced that in ’95 they would be playing… the Olympiahalle – a 15000 seater. I bit the bullet and bought tickets. 3 weeks before the gig Bill Berry (him again) left the stage in Switzerland, and was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Needless to say, they cancelled.
The years passed, ’96, ’97, ’98, then, finally in ’99 they were returning – an outdoor gig at the Reitstadion – for me, and 30,000 others, a mere 15 years after I’d first seen them.
Can anybody beat this?
I saw Stiff Little Fingers in 1981 and next time in 2017; New Order in 1985, next time 2022
I saw New Order this year. First time since Reading Festival 1990.
Saw The Cure at University in Leeds on the Carnage visors/Faith tour which was 1981.
Then next saw them at Leeds First Direct arena in 2022.
So 40/41 years.
Of course I’ve seen them live on tv and film, and oddly they are one of my favourite live bands – I’ve got four of their live albums and would love Live in Orange.
Funny how it goes.
(they were great both times btw)
And now I think of it, saw Pixies on 27/4/89 (my 27th birthday – along with my ex and her new boyfriend) and next at Bingley festival also in 2022 (by which time my ex was sadly ex). So that is 33 years.
Oddly enough another of my favourite bands.
I really must make more of an effort…
(I have seen the Undertones 15 times, which I know is pretty feeble by Afterword standards but I think is quite a lot. Not enough though)
The Undertones are brilliant aren’t they @paulwright I’m off to see them in Dublin soon and they’ll be supported by the great Dublin band Something Happens who I last saw in a very sweaty gig at the Harlesden Mean Fiddler in 1989. As I remember it was the day after the Reading Festival (mentioned above) after which I was so exhausted that I slept until 7pm and just had time to eat and get dressed before heading out to the gig. I’m afraid to Google the dates in case it’s another false memory. 35 years might be my record for this thread.
Bill Kirchen playing with Commander Cody at Reading Festival 1973.
Next time Bill Kirchen Leeds 2012 a mere 39 years later, then again in 2023 so only 11 years that time
Iron Maiden at Brunel University 1980 then The O2 in 2016 as my son wanted to go, so 36 years.
I was sure my 37 year gap (1981-2018) between Iron Maiden gigs was going to be hard to beat but apparently not. I have seen off @davebigpicture though!
I saw John Cooper Clarke at the Gallery in Manchester in 1983.
And then, the next time, at Södra Teatern in Stockholm in 2024.
So: 41 years.
There was a similar thread on the Steve Hoffman forums, where there were many examples over 50 years.
re. Hoffman. I had no idea Seals and Crofts had been goin’ that long. “I was way up in the nosebleeds, but I sure could hear Crofts pickin’ this time. “
Procol Harum in 1973 and 2017 was quite good going, I thought.
I had a ticket to see Steely Dan at the Birmingham Hippodrome in I think 1974.
As we were walking to the gig we noticed fans walking in the opposite direction. The gig was cancelled allegedly due to Donald Fagens ‘laryngitis’ Other stories are available. I was devastated as they were my favourite band at that time
I eventually got to see them around 2004 and then again. Just before Covid with @niallb
@SteveT
I had tickets to see that show too but have no recollection of traveling up to Brum to see it
In my case, the wait to see SD was even longer – 43 years to be exact. By the time I finally got to see them at the 3 Arena in 2017, WB was sadly only in evidence as an empty mike stand next to DB
Having lived and worked overseas from 1981 to 2013, lengthy between-show waits to see artists were very much the norm
Saw Liberace in 1976 – he’s bound to be back some day, I just know it.
Which reminds me.
Stealers Wheel cancelled in 73 but I know I’ll get to see Gerry one day.
The Mighty Tull on the Thick as a Brick Tour in 1972, at the Colston Hall, Bristol. There was then a mere 52-year gap because of various reasons, cancellations, living abroad, etc, followed by seeing them at the Beacon (aka Colston Hall) in Bristol earlier this year. It was very good as well, with a set list covering a selection of old favourites, rarely played stuff, and updated versions from across the decades.
The previous longest wait was King Crimson. I am going to guess 1973 (yep, Colston Hall) and then in 2015 at the St David’s Hall in Cardiff. So, a trifling 42-year gap.
Sadly, I don’t seem to want to bother with live concerts too much nowadays unless a) they’re the sit-down variety and b) the artists make it clear that there’s no photos at all or until the end (Tull and Crimson being two groups who follow/ed that line). Both of these moves seem to help reduce the incessant talking by idiots as well, so they get a thumbs ups from me!
This Autumn I have seen David Essex and Paul Weller after gaps of 44 and 42 years respectively.
Possibly this’ll be disqualified, as he wasn’t the headliner when I saw him first time, just a member of the band.
Veteran jazz Trumpeter/flugelhorn player Henry Lowther.
He was part of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers playing the “Bare Wires” repertoire (with Mick Taylor, Jon Hiseman, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Tony Reeves) when I saw him at the long-gone Railway Hotel in Wealdstone in 1968 or thereabouts.
Saw him again leading a four-piece band a few weeks ago at Karamel in Wood Green, so that’s about 56 years between sightings.
I went to The Railway once, about 40 years ago and it was in a dire condition. It was allegedly where Townshend put his guitar through the low ceiling. Since demolition, there are 4 small blocks of flats on the site, named after members of The Who.
The picture in the centrefold of The Who’s “Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy” is of the entrance to the Railway Hotel venue. The wall with the doorway etc. is still there* (though it doesn’t lead anywhere anymore) despite the hotel itself being long gone.
*It was last time I looked anyway, which was a good few years ago. Long after the hotel was torn down and the flats built.
I only went into the pub itself. IIRC, there was a small plaque mentioning The Who in the bar.
The ones that jump out at me
The Cure 2004/2016 (12 years)
Crowded House 2008/2022 (14 years)
The Strokes 2002/2022 (20 years)
Saw the Beach Boys sans Brian support Elton at Wembley in 1974 … then saw Brian in Dubai in 2019 if that counts … 45 years
Midsummer’s Day 1975. I was there, too.
The Beach Boys blew Elton off the stage. Still one of the best shows
I’ve ever seen
Ah yes it was 75. Totally agree. The Eagles were good too. Always a toss up for my favourite show, that and Pulp at Glasto in 95.
Okay, okay, I obviously underestimated everybody’s loyalty/tenacity/stubbornness!
With hindsight however, I realise that the question I was trying to ask was, ‘How long have you had to wait for a second gig, despite actively trying to get tickets (and not travelling halfway round the world)?’
It just doesn’t make for a very snappy title for a post.
Doesn’t matter how precisely you phrased the question in your OP @Kernow, the subsequent thread would have mutated in exactly the same way.
AWers gonna AW…
Yes, I suspect you’re right!
Same situation. I saw REM in 1989 on the Green tour in a small venue. Had tickets to see them on the Monster tour in Zürich, a long wait as they didn’t tour Out of Time or Automatic for the People. Bill Berry had his aneurysm the night before in Lausanne which turned out to be a good place to have one. Concert was called off on the day which I couldn’t quite believe at the time.
However I saw them when the tour resumed at a festival in Frauenfeld which is about an hour from Zürich close to the German border, so same situation but a much shorter wait!
It’s hard to believe today, just how relatively unknown they still were in ’89.
Yes, and unfortunately you never got to see them again with Bill Berry. I saw them 2 or 3 more times but I don’t think they were as good. However I recently watched part of a show from the Monster tour, I had forgotten what an amazing stage presence Michael Stipe had.
Not sure whether this counts, but I had tickets to see Mansun at Oxford Brookes around 1997, I’d guess somewhere between Attack of the Grey Lantern and Six. They cancelled within an hour or so before it was due to start, due to a problem with (IIRC) the lighting rig. I was naturally a bit miffed since it seemed they could probably have continued with minimal lighting. They quickly issued a statement saying that they were “gutted” and would return ASAP to honour the show, all tickets still valid etc. Well, they didn’t. After some weeks the tickets were refunded and many months later they did a warm-up for Glastonbury in Oxford, but by then in a fit of pique I couldn’t be arsed.
Mansun disbanded ages ago, but Paul Draper has been touring and in April this year I saw him run through Six in its entirety, so that’s 27 years later, give or take. It was a real struggle for him, he wasn’t well and his voice was barely there. But he carried on, bless him, and I think the willingness to soldier on was appreciated by everyone there.