I am having a busy summer of concert going, which will no doubt create a few more historic gigs of the future. Recently I have been thinking about some of the ones who have got away. I have been incredibly fortunate to have seen many of my favourite artists - some more than once, but there have been some notable exceptions. I didn't get to the Isle of Wight when Hendrix played, though I knew many who did. I didn't see the Doors at the Roundhouse, but my friend met them arriving at Heathrow. I saw the Grateful Dead at Ally Pally, Pink Floyd and Country Joe at the Bath Festival in 1970. I caught up with the Stones at Knebworth. I saw Fleetwood Mac, but with Stevie Nicks, not Peter Green. Likewise, Steve Winwood, but not Traffic. Clapton without the Cream. Bob Dylan in his later career, not with the Band. The Byrds, but not the Eagles. Wings but not the Beatles. Manchester University famously turned down the free Wings concert so they went to Salford instead. I was in my local pub, the Cross Keys in Eccles, when the news came through. I have seen Nico several times, but never the Velvet Underground.David Byrne, but not Talking Heads. Little Feat with the incomparable Lowell George. Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant.
The ones I feel have got away include Joni Mitchell,though I have seen James Taylor and Jackson Browne more than once, and hope to see Graham Nash in October! Stevie Wonder is another regret, though I am not sure I'd want to see him now, but I have seen the Temptations and Smokey Robinson.Leonard Cohen is a regret too.
Who knows - I got to see Ravi Shankar a few weeks ago, in his 90s and still amazing. If they keep on playing concerts, I'll keep on buying tickets!
