Best gig you didn't go to

[pcolbeck]

Those near misses.

In the early 90s I was at Glastonbury and Johnny Cash was playing but no on else in our group wanted to see him so I ended up going to see someone else instead, cant even remember who now.

Was nearly going to the big Cisco conference in Barcelona last week but at the last minute couldn't. Was chatting to a customer today who went, asked him who the band was for the conference closing party this year, it was Chic. The whole place was bouncing apparently. As well as all the Chic hits they did a load of the ones Nile wrote for other people.

[Mrs Pingu]

I didn't go to see Presidents of ths USA in Furrybootoon a zillion years ago because I had a stinking cold. I've regretted that more recently.

[nicknack]

Jimi Hendrix at the Albert Hall. I said I'd catch him later. 

[Redlight]

In about '83 or '84 I was browsing Rolling Stones albums in the big record shop at the end of Oxford Street one lunchtime and a bloke sidled up to me and said something to the effect of: if you like the Stones, there's a good band playing at the 100 Club (a basement club at 100 Oxford Street, for the non-Londoners) tonight that you might like. 

Obviously, I had other things to do, like watching TV, that night and didn't give it a moment's thought.

And, yes, it was them. 

[Canardly]

Ditto Stones in the Park. Oh well.

[Robh]

Funny, I was talking (writing) about this just last night. I think it was 1970. I’d been talked into hitching up to Manchester (from Stoke) to catch Captain Beefheart at the Free Trade Hall. We didn’t have tickets, we figured we’d buy some when we got there. Seemed like a good plan at the time. Got there late, no tickets to be had. We spent the gig with our ears to one of the exit doors, hoping to catch what we could. Then we hitched home again.

[Mr Larrington]

One week in the summer of 2011 Dylan played in Finsbury Park, the mighty Amplifier had a rare (for them) summer gig on this side of the Channel and another band wot I like but I can't remember which one were also in Londonton.  While I was on chauffeuring duty for Lt. Col. Larrington (retd) in Yorkshire.

Edit: the third band was Half Man Half Biscuit

[caerau]

Queen at Kneborth '87. Was admittedly a green 16 yo and didn't know really what I was doing trying to buy tickets.... but I thought... next time.... 

[Efrogwr]

The Who at Leeds university... I think I went to Redcar dor the weekend!

[SpaceBadger]

Summer XS at Wembley Stadium in 1991. INXS at their live best. Thankfully recorded for DVD, but why wasn't I there?!

[Jurek]

Any Bowie gigs.

[fd3]

Bowie on the Outside Tour in Belgium.
To be fair I went to the shops to try and buy tickets for months until they went on sale sold out before making it to the shops.

I planned to go and see whether I could buy some dodgy tickets outside the venue, but apparently my Physics final exams what would decide whether I go uni or not the next day made that a bad idea.

[hatler]

The Stones at Roundhay Park in about '84.

Offered a ticket but refused on the grounds that they were "past it".   
Ended up closing that little miss off at Twickenham with Mrs hatler and both minis a couple of years ago.

The Jam's last gig (Brighton ?)  Offered a ticket but being a PSO in Notty I couldn't afford the ticket and the travel back and forth. (It would have increased my overdraft by about 2%.)

[Jurek]

The Stones at Roundhay Park in about '84.

Offered a ticket but refused on the grounds that they were "past it".   
Ended up closing that little miss off at Twickenham with Mrs hatler and both minis a couple of years ago.

The Jam's last gig (Brighton ?)  Offered a ticket but being a PSO in Notty I couldn't afford the ticket and the travel back and forth. (It would have increased my overdraft by about 2%.)

I was never into The Stones, but I managed to score a couple of tickets for their gig at Earls Court in 1975. 2 days before the gig. Face value. (About £2.50) One of the best and most professionally delivered gigs I've ever attended.

[Pickled Onion]

This is an easy one. Stone Henge 1980-something. All my mates were going but I was working every hour and saving every penny for a trip to India and Ladakh. So I said I’d go next year. Of course that year was so good it was banned from ever happening again.

Answering a related but unasked question: The Au Pairs. They were supposed to be playing at an RAR thing in Vicky Park so I convinced a few mates to make the trip up there. We saw The Slits, The Raincoats, The Pop Group, John Cooper Clark, several others before we worked out that The Au Pairs had cried off. But they were booked to support Toyah at the Lyceum that night so off we went to the Strand by public transport and arrived just after they finished their set. A few weeks later they were supporting at Hammersmith Odeon. And once again they were a no-show, replaced by Steel Pulse. But I remember being so blown away by Steel Pulse I have absolutely no recollection who was headlining that gig.