Heh. My first concert was John Denver, with my mom.

What did/do you guys do before you go to see concerts?

Well, I usually [redacted] until I'm really [redacted], or sometimes I just drop [redacted] or pop a [redacted]. Unless it's classical music, in which case I stick to champagne.

And what Hugh said.

And while she's at that show having all that fun, I'll be interviewing for an apartment share in Woodside/Maspeth with 2 mechanics from Ireland. I'm not sure I'll fit in. ;>

My first concert was the Scorpions. I was 13, I didn't do much before the show but ride in the back of my friends mom's station wagon, then gawk at all the flipped-out older fuckers loitering around. Inside a guy who looked like Weird Al Yankovic gon to seed borrowed my lighter to spark up a joint, which I found terribly sophisticated. Little did I know that within 5 years, I'd be one of those flipped-out fuckers, judging by the way these teenagers hovered around me and my friends Mooch & Leslie at a Ramones show where we killed a 40 of OE waiting in line.

My second show was The Beach Boys (sans Brian, who I saw solo later). It was fun, but my main memory of it is that some woman's boobs brushed directly against me in the crowd. Some things you don't forget.

You have to figure out what is going on. The show is supposed to start at 8, is there an opening band? Even if there is not they could go on at 10 or later. For reals. Eat as early as possible, show up with as much FRESH booze in your blood as possible or don't drink at all. (Ps, I have tix for Sunday, in typical pogues fashion they just didn't list that show on their site. Tell 'em to save a little back for me!)

When I was a regular show goer, I would usually just show up drunk and then bug the fuck right on out. I like to keep it fairly unplanned. If it was CB's I would show up, drink Guiness mixed with Colt 45
till things got swimmy, smoke 8 blunts, eat a coffee cup full of rice and beans from the bodega across the street and then be ass out for the rest of the evening.

The first show I ever saw (under my own power) was the Toasters, at cb's. It was terrifying, I don't think I've ever recovered.

Depends on the show. Last night for example, I played bridge.

Then went to the Knitting Factory (to see The Bats and they fucking RAWKED and they played for 90 minutes and I had a huge grin on my face for the rest of the night and they played my favorite song as one of their encores, yeah!)

Usually though, I listen to some of their music and see Hugh's entry above.

When I'm there, I either like to be super involved up the front, or else sitting somewhere to enjoy the music. I hate just standing in the middle/back with the NYC head-nodders. (seriously? you can't get any more emotional about the music than to nod your head? Ooooh I see! You're tapping your feet as well -- good on ya!)

it's how you could tell the Bats were awesome last night: even the people standing in the back were dancing

Oh yeah, and the very first concert I went to was U2. When I was fourteen I sneaked out, hitched up to a town 5 hours north of my own with my friend (my town = too small for U2 to play there) and went to the show. Ooooh boy was I in trouble went we got home the next day.

My first NYC concert was The Who at Madison Square Garden on Sept 16 1979. They were good seats and cost the princely sum of $12.50. My older sister was getting divorced and got custody of the seats so she took her nerdy 15 year old brother. Keith Moon was just gone by then but they still sounded great and my ears rang for days afterword.

I was looking at shirts from an un-approved vendor on the plaza after the show and when I held a shirt up to my torso to see if it fit, a cop came up and pushed the vendor off the property onto the sidewalk. He (the cop), called over his shoulder to me, "kid you just got a free tee shirt." It's pretty much a rag by now but I still have it, it's the classic white-on-black of Pete leaping into the air with his guitar.

jonmc's story reminds me of my first concert. A couple friends and I saw NoFX when I was 14 (driven by my dad). I had never actually scene a live "punk" before and all of a sudden we were waiting in line next to a crew of crusty, mohawked punks who were taking turns vomiting and drinking 40s. During the show, an older teen chick sat down amongst the human mass piled up against the front of the stage and licked my calf a few times.

I know I'm going to be dancing up a storm, so I'm going to need some room to move. Close-up, I'm afraid of getting stomped on because I'm only 5 foot nothing. But in the middle, I can flail and jig all I fucking want, right?

Oddly for someone who likes music as much as me I've been to relatively few shows. Lemme see:

Scorpions/Bon Jovi, Beach Boys/Poco, Iron Maiden/Twisted Sister, Metallica/Queensryche, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, et al, Olive & the Branches/Crossfire Choir/Nuclear Valdez, Poster Children/Das Damen, Rolling Stones/Living Color/Olatunji, Brand Nubian/3rd Bass, Paul Simon, Ramones/Lunachicks, Zambonis (6 times), Ramones/D Generation, Social Distortion/D Generation/H2O, Paul Westerberg, Indigo Girls (twice), Metallica (solo), Brian Wilson (solo), Suddenly Tammy, Poster Children (solo), Kiss/D Generation, They Might Be Giants, Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, Tony Hightower, James McMurtry, Muffs/Creature Did/Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver/Chixdiggit, Southern Culture On The Skids/Muffs/Cub, Egghead, Kitty Badass, Knight, US Hair Force, What Up?, Euphoria, Roger McGuinn, and others that I'm probably forgetting....

Tito Puente, The Tower Recordings, Solitary Confinement,..and a few bands who's name I never did catch...

I can flail and jig all I fucking want, right?

I advise against jigging, it's sorta like asking everyone with red hair for a wish or screeching "Where's me fookin' pot o' gold?" at every short mick you see.

wino, if the girl wanna get her jig on, let the girl get her jig on.

DW: Well how else would you dance at a Pogues concert?

DO WHAT THOU WILT SHALL BE THE WHOLE OF THE LAW!

I only offer guidelines and advice, never instructions or demands. Jig if that is what you so choose, but KNOW THIS:


Jigging is total bullshit.


confidential to trishalynn: Mostly I think, pogo, stagger, run in place, hop, reel (but not jig) and a sorta ecstatic flailing are all probably good dancing moves.

Mostly I think, pogo, stagger, run in place, hop, reel (but not jig)

But I was mad for jigs and reels...

Yo jonmc, I can't believe you saw Nuclear Valdez; both versions of "Summer" kick ass.

(For all I know there are more than two versions).

jonmc, you really are my freaking hero. I was JUST thinking about Black 47 a few days ago, wanting to hear that song. I interviewed them many years ago when I was publishing a fanzine. It was a little bar on the north side of Chicago, but I've forgotten most of it. I was quite drunk, as were they.

But thanks bro, and ((hugs)) for that tune.

"you jig, you amble, and you lisp, and nick-name God's creatures, and make your wantonness your ignorance."

Well how else would you dance at a Pogues concert?

Every time I've seen them, it's been hard to tell if people were just slamdancing or if there really was a brawl going on.