I'm watching this documentary with Jimmy Page, The Edge, and some kid I never heard of. They are showing some old footage, some even of a young teen Page in a skittle band.

ANYWAY, one of my brothers turns 60 at the end of the month. He used to tell me of back in the 60's seeing Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, etc. Seeing Iron Butterfly in a basement bar in Indiana just before their In-Na-Gadda-Da-Vida became a hit. My concert memories didn't being until 1981 and I was drunk through most of them the first 8 years. Even though I've seen legendary bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, they were already past their prime by then.

I was wondering if any of our older posters have some old stories to share about seeing the legends of Rock n Roll back in the 60's or early 70's?

I'd just like to add that I am too young to partake in this thread

Your brother is in the same age group as my dad.....and although he was a bit of a "groover" and "snazzy" (from what I can gather), he has not retold to me anything like seeing any RnR legends.

I went to the Stones in Auckland (Voodoo Lounge tour), and agree that they were out of their prime....but timeless nonetheless.

One of my friends back on Samui, 67 yrs, told me he saw the Beatles in Liverpool. I would guess that a lot of the older English posters around here would have had many opportunities to see these legends sometime or another.

While I grew up in the '60s during what I call the Renaissance of Rock 'n Roll I was still too young to attend rock concerts, but not too young to become totally immersed in the music of that decade. My earliest concerts were in '71, the first being Cat Stevens, seen at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, which was hands down the best venue due to the unparalleled acoustics. I believe the ticket price was $3.00.

That year I also saw Emerson, Lake & Palmer, shortly after their 2nd album release, Tarkus. I recall seeing Keith Emerson performing "Knife Edge," a cut off their self-tilted debut, with an unrestricted view from our box seats. Playing two organs simultaneously, set face-to-face, he then mounted one of them while sticking knives in the keyboard. Needless to say, it was an awesome performance.

That same show had Yes as the back-up band. They had just released their first critically acclaimed album, which was their 3rd LP, "The Yes Album." I thought their act subpar compared to their studio recording.

Of course, the actual concerts themselves in those days weren't the only attraction. The total experience included much more than just seeing the band play. The cultural aspect was just as electric as the music itself. The days of long-haired hippie freaks are more than memorable for me.

Seen quite a few of them in my time, but the all time best was a Hendricks concert with a full moon eclypse at the end when he did the burning and smashing of his guitar while playing the star spangled banner at the outdoor stadium in Hawaii......and I'm still surviving.

Never cared much for Hendricks on vinyl, but live, he was the best ever, RIP Jimmy

one of the great benefits of being raised in middle america is the bands would book shows i think more because they were passing through than expected attendance, i went to loads of concerts in the 70's but i never saw any of the greats, i did see doobi brothers when they were playing back up to trex, aero smith, kansas, santana, earth wind and fire, average white band, miles davis, commadores, head east, reo speed wagon; that group that toured with a buffalo, the beach boys, stevie nix, lynard skinard, ted nuggent, alice cooper, jethro tull, and many more but i was in a fog through most of them so my memory is limited, the outstanding thing about concerts back then was the price, dirt cheap, i think the most i paid ever was 8.00 dollars

I was too young for the Stones and Beatles in their prime, but I saw "Jefferson Starship" before they were an official band - and were still really good.. Also, the Cure before they were famous in America was another great concert.

i used to talk to Cat Stevens every day when he was recording in Miami and staying in the hotel that I worked in, but never saw him in concert.

Too many stories to relate. You're making me feel very old.

I did see Hendrix give a free concert in Golden Gate Park in '67. No announcement, but he was to appear in concert that week. Purple Haze was a big hit, but no one had really seen him live. They were setting up a stage, and I sat down to watch. I had never seen anything like it before. He was unbelievable.

While I grew up in the '60s during what I call the Renaissance of Rock 'n Roll I was still too young to attend rock concerts, but not too young to become totally immersed in the music of that decade. My earliest concerts were in '71, the first being Cat Stevens, seen at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, which was hands down the best venue due to the unparalleled acoustics. I believe the ticket price was $3.00.

That year I also saw Emerson, Lake & Palmer, shortly after their 2nd album release, Tarkus. I recall seeing Keith Emerson performing "Knife Edge," a cut off their self-tilted debut, with an unrestricted view from our box seats. Playing two organs simultaneously, set face-to-face, he then mounted one of them while sticking knives in the keyboard. Needless to say, it was an awesome performance.

That same show had Yes as the back-up band. They had just released their first critically acclaimed album, which was their 3rd LP, "The Yes Album." I thought their act subpar compared to their studio recording.

Of course, the actual concerts themselves in those days weren't the only attraction. The total experience included much more than just seeing the band play. The cultural aspect was just as electric as the music itself. The days of long-haired hippie freaks are more than memorable for me.

I can't reply to the OP - so let me first say here that they were 'skiffle' bands, not 'skittle'. Lonnie Donegan was the top of the pile. Just using tea-chest bass, various plucked, strummed and bowed fiddles, comb-and-paper and suchlike.

Cat Stevens was a regular in one coffee bar I ran at the start of the sixties. He was about sixteen then, well known in Soho (the London one) as he lived nearby.

I moved out to Earls Court and ran another coffee bar there, where Long John Baldry and Donovan were regulars. In those days everyone respected these guys private time - Long John could walk into the SouSol with his group of acolytes around him and everyone left them alone to eat, chat and generally relax.

Donovan was left alone because all the things crawling in and out of his hair meant that no-one wanted to sit in that corner - ever! Had to ban him in the end.

I also lived on the top floor, over the Two I's, around the time Cliff Richard was emerging. Tommy Steele was another promoted from there.

I can't reply to the OP - so let me first say here that they were 'skiffle' bands, not 'skittle'. Lonnie Donegan was the top of the pile. Just using tea-chest bass, various plucked, strummed and bowed fiddles, comb-and-paper and suchlike.

Cat Stevens was a regular in one coffee bar I ran at the start of the sixties. He was about sixteen then, well known in Soho (the London one) as he lived nearby.

I moved out to Earls Court and ran another coffee bar there, where Long John Baldry and Donovan were regulars. In those days everyone respected these guys private time - Long John could walk into the SouSol with his group of acolytes around him and everyone left them alone to eat, chat and generally relax.

Donovan was left alone because all the things crawling in and out of his hair meant that no-one wanted to sit in that corner - ever! Had to ban him in the end.

I also lived on the top floor, over the Two I's, around the time Cliff Richard was emerging. Tommy Steele was another promoted from there.

I almost never get the British references, and I'm always surprised that two english speaking peoples could be digging music that neither ever heard about. That said, a couple of things strike me from your post. One, you've lived a long and rich life. Two, you seem to have been pretty close to ground zero of the British, pop/rock/boogie(woogie?) movement. I don't think I've ever been envious of anyone, but you've got me leaning a bit that way.

I can't reply to the OP - so let me first say here that they were 'skiffle' bands, not 'skittle'. Lonnie Donegan was the top of the pile. Just using tea-chest bass, various plucked, strummed and bowed fiddles, comb-and-paper and suchlike.

Cat Stevens was a regular in one coffee bar I ran at the start of the sixties. He was about sixteen then, well known in Soho (the London one) as he lived nearby.

I moved out to Earls Court and ran another coffee bar there, where Long John Baldry and Donovan were regulars. In those days everyone respected these guys private time - Long John could walk into the SouSol with his group of acolytes around him and everyone left them alone to eat, chat and generally relax.

Donovan was left alone because all the things crawling in and out of his hair meant that no-one wanted to sit in that corner - ever! Had to ban him in the end.

I also lived on the top floor, over the Two I's, around the time Cliff Richard was emerging. Tommy Steele was another promoted from there.

I almost never get the British references, and I'm always surprised that two english speaking peoples could be digging music that neither ever heard about. That said, a couple of things strike me from your post. One, you've lived a long and rich life. Two, you seem to have been pretty close to ground zero of the British, pop/rock/boogie(woogie?) movement. I don't think I've ever been envious of anyone, but you've got me leaning a bit that way.

One of the 'acolytes' of Long John Baldry was Rod Stewart (who lives abroad now) and of whom you may have heard.

Also in Earls Court (West London) was another subterranean all-night place called Cafe des Artistes. (At the bottom of Redcliffe Gardens, for those who know the area) which had a lot of the young hopefuls starring each night. Georgie Fame was one that I recall, but there were so many, it's difficult to remember (this was fifty years ago).

Also the Coleherne pub, which had a strong gay clientele, but Sunday lunch-time it was worth the possible harrassment (and there was harrassment) to listen to the Caribbean artists from Island records and the others who wanted to sign for Berry Gordie records.

The start of the sixties in London was a time that can never be repeated, but today's kids will also have their memories to bore their grand-kids with.