When Would You Go? Choose Your Own Adventure!

Wästed The Great

Minister Of Chicks, Metal&Beer; Cool & Froody Dude
Staff member
I used to love those "choose your own adventure" books when I was a kid. They are totally goofy and sometimes had really weird endings, but I didn't care. So, just for fun and to spark some conversation, here's my choose your own adventure:

It's 2a.m. and your tequila soaked hangover can't quite allow you to figure out what the pounding you're hearing is. Slowly, you realize that it's your door. You drag yourself out of bed to find your best friend jumping up and down in the hallway yelling something about going to the gig.

"What?" you say.
"You won't believe the luck!! Don't you realize what this is?" he says.

You have no clue, so he starts to explain: "This crazy, wild eyed old man grabbed me as I came out of Jimmy's Booze and Suds, and told me a tale of time travel and adventure. He said that this device allows you to go back in time ONCE, to any concert, any time, any place-- but it only goes to gigs."

So, the question is, When Would You Go? Who do you go see? Queen in the 80's? Maiden at Long Beach? Zepplin in the 70's? Pink Floyd? Sabbath? The Who? Johnny Cash? Dio?

Sky's the limit, but choose wisely, you can only go back once....
 
This might be the hardest question I have ever been faced with! There's so many possibilities for me. My instinct would be to go with something Maiden because I'm really into them right now but there are so many other bands I love and concerts I would have loved to been there for... I'll have to really think about this.

Very cool idea, Wasted! :)
 
That is a toughie... I'd probably go with Dio because he's one of the few artists I wanted to see and never managed to.
 
Tough one, I love the idea of seeing Pink Floyd in the 70s, but I think I'd have to go with Maiden, and something earlier than Long Beach, a much smaller venue. I really like small venues
 
My first instinct was to say, Maiden, Hammersmith 1982. The second was, Queen, Hammersmith 1974. But I think, and part of it is novelty value, the coolest experience would be Black Sabbath, Berlin 1969. Why? Because they played in an auditorium of my university! The one I wrote that terrible exam in I never really cared for. Now how would that be?

EDIT: I just found that I even have a bootleg of that show, but apparently it was 1970.
 
Judas Priest New Haven 1988. Halford at the top of his game. The Sinner was surreal. Thank heavens it's available as a bootleg. Short show though - Or could be that the bootleg is incomplete.

Second choice would be Maiden, Rock in Rio 2001.

Third choice would be random Queensryche show 1988-1991.
 
Same with Perun, Maiden Hammersmith 1982. Or maybe Dream Theater's Live Scenes from New York concert which featured a 3 hour long setlist.
 
Actually, I changed my mind. Hammersmith would be frickin' sweet.

So, Hammersmith followed by New Haven and QR.
 
I'm having a hard time coming up with an answer myself, because I'd love to see Freddie Mercury sing live. But, I'd also like to see Geoff Tate at the top of his game on Operation: Livecrime.

Or Dio with Sabbath...
 
Good question!

I also initially thought of Maiden..but then I thought how different would that really be...seeing them in 82 would no doubt be amazing knowing everything about them that you do now, and they were very energetic back then, but they haven't changed THAT much in the time in between...They're just older.

So I kept thinking and came up with a few other possibilities.

August 28th, 1963. Bob Dylan and Joan Baez and their performance at the Peace Walk, a civil rights rally for jobs and freedom, next to them stood Martin Luther King who minutes later gave his "I Have a Dream Speech"

July 5th 1969, Hyde Park free concert feat: Rolling Stones, Family, Blind Faith, Battered Ornaments, King Crimson, Roy Harper, Third Ear Band, Alexis Korner's New Church, Screw. An estimated 500.000 people. Not only would I get to see all those bands but I would get a first hand impression of the "spirit of 1969" and the atmosphere of those times. I'd walk around the park, soak in the music and the people...Maybe even score a hippie chick? :D

July 12th 1986. Queen at Wembley Stadium. Don't think I have to explain this one too much. Just amazing atmosphere and show :edmetal:

July 21st 1990. The Wall-Live in Berlin. Having never seen a Roger Waters or Floyd show this show would have been amazing to be at I think with all the different guest performers and the incredible stage show...Eight months earlier the fall of the Berlin wall..yep don't really have to say too much more about this - electric atmosphere no doubt.
 
I'd definitely want to see any gig of the SIT tour. Can I choose where I'm standing? First row, my right-hand side of stage.
 
I've already asked myself this question so many times ;)

It would probably be Saint John 1999. The setlist was cool, that's for sure, but first of all, I'd like to experience that feeling of Maiden coming back in its full glory. In the first row! I can imagine the euphoria I'd feel getting that show after the whole 90s era. I simply consider Bruce's and Adrian's return as an example of a... happy ending, for the lack of a better word. Something really fortunate. Like a beautiful ending of a dramatic story. Don't get me wrong, I fully appreciate and truly love Blaze albums (a bit more than NPftD and FotD) but the 1999 events started the best stuff.

Another choice would be any Somewhere On Tour date (well, one during which Bruce was able to sing). Normally I'd pick a SSoaSS gig, but since I'm getting it this year... :D
 
I'd pick a Midnight Oil concert because they are the only band I regret never having seen live. A very energetic and dedicated band, just like Maiden. And lots of awesome songs. Since they are not active anymore it's not possible except through the crazy, wild eyed old man. A gig somewhere between 1981 and 1985 would suit me well. :)
My first instinct was to say, Maiden, Hammersmith 1982. The second was, Queen, Hammersmith 1974. But I think, and part of it is novelty value, the coolest experience would be Black Sabbath, Berlin 1969. Why? Because they played in an auditorium of my university! The one I wrote that terrible exam in I never really cared for. Now how would that be?

EDIT: I just found that I even have a bootleg of that show, but apparently it was 1970.
Wow that's really cool. The echoes of the past ! :)
 
Iced Earth's Alive In Athens concert.
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Maiden always sounded awesome, but I'd probably choose the opening show of SIT tour, because it was in Belgrade and it had The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner.
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Any Slayer show from Still Reigning tour where they played whole Reign In Blood album and had real (or fake) raining blood on the last song :)
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Any Opeth show with Martin Lopez on drums.
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Any Heaven & Hell show.
 
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