Hair Metal Concert Stories: The Best & Worst

1. 

   @HairMetalGuru419

   May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

   So… do you have a BEST… or WORST… concert experience? Lay it on me! And thank you for watching!

2. 

   @mikeg6666

   May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

   My first concert was in 1981 , Ozzy. The Diary of a Madman tour 🤘

3. 

   @Blizofoz45

   May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

   Best: My first concert, Def Leppard on the Adrenalize tour at the end of 1992. Despite revisionist history by the shit media, it was a sold out tour(which they continued into late 1993 because the demand was so high). They had basically a laser light show to accompany the music and the crowd handled the choruses. The band didn't even have to sing.
   Worst: Ozzy Ozbourne, 1996: Mainly due to poor timing. His touring guitarist at that time unfortunately was Joe Holmes instead of Zakk Wylde and what a letdown he was. No charisma, just hung his head and played the whole show with his tone sounding like complete shit. Grunge influenced and total dogshit. Never heard of Joe Holmes again and good riddance for being a pussy sellout in the 90s. Enjoy working that entry level job all the way into retirement, Joe Holmes.

4. 

   @Acerocksoldiers

   May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

   I can't believe anyone would pick a Kiss concert that wasn't in 75 through 79 or 96/97. Unless they did not see them through those time periods

5. 

   @vaughnbrown4878

   May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

   1. First concert – Whitecross at a church lol
   2. King’s X/Galactic Cowboys at a small club in Edmonton AB
   3. Ozzy – just due to health decline. Way tuned down and he had trouble moving around
   4. Galactic Cowboys came and hung out after that epic show so we chatted with them for a while after. Very cool guys.
   5. Poison – didn’t go with my buddy to Flesh & Blood tour
   6. Amon Amarth always has killer merch
   7. Enslaved/U2 – 3
   8. 3 hrs
   9. Commonwealth Stadium U2
   10. Finally seeing Queensryche last year after being a longtime fan. Not OG lineup but still awesome

6. 

   @maxdokdok8712

   May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

   I saw Helloween on that tour in my home town alongside Gamma Ray, what a night, my ears rang for days XD.
   Edit: Best concert Blind Guardian 2002 on their A night at the Opera tour.
   Worst concert: Marilyn Manson 2012, just aweful, zero props on stage, couldn't tell which song they were playing, and you could tell he cared fuck all about being there.

7. 

   @MetalMark-x5h

   May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

   My biggest show was Guns and Roses in allegiant stadium in Vegas in 2021 with Mammoth must of been 60000 there

8. 

   @aronbasile3335

   May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

   Warrant at Jaxx in springfield VA. Jani came out in crowd during family picnic and basically let me sing a whole verse. He looked like " holy shit this dude knows all the words ".

9. 

   @elliottstrong686

   May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

   I signed autographs with Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson after a Night Ranger concert behind the arena, outside their bus. The crowd thought i was Jack Blades because I had walked out arm in arm with Brad and Jeff.

10. 

    @gojohngo106

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    BEST: Bon Jovi, July 2001, Toronto Amphitheatre, had front row seats WORST: Motley/Whitesnake, October 1987, Winnipeg. It sucked because I drank too much and got black out drunk like the stupid 16 year old I was…lol. I worshipped those bands too! Watch how much you drink before concerts, kids…

11. 

    @MetalMark-x5h

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Rush was the longest most boring concert I ever attended just not really a fan. My friend kept bugging me to go when I lived in Vegas.

12. 

    @chrispilmoor4403

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    First concert over here in the UK was 89 I was 15 and it was crue on the feelgood tour with white lion and skid row opening! Was gutted in 91 DLR was touring and warrant was opening ,the night before Jani jumped in the crowd and cracked a rib and a replacement band was brought in . Still a huge regret we never saw warrant as they never returned to the UK so I love hearing your warrant tales Guru.

13. 

    @Greatkingrattt

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    MC, BJ, SR, Cinderella, Ozzy and Scorpions 1989 Moscow (then it was USSR)

14. 

    @inmyhouse11

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Best Experience: Seeing Motley Crue on the Shout At The Devil tour . Total kick ass show.

    Worst : Had front row seats for Kiss on the Asylum tour with Blue Oyster Cult opening but missed the entire show because I consumed one too many damn Screwdrivers at the tailgate and passed out in the arena .

15. 

    @sascha4483

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    And i was forced to watch Tori Amos because my wife adored her because of songwriting…. but to play two pianos at the same time… amazing

16. 

    @sascha4483

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Oh … another one
    The living end live in Berlin Postbahnhof . That was great.

17. 

    @sascha4483

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    The Cranberries …. live in Berlin around 2009 , that was amazing , too

18. 

    @sascha4483

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Best concert ever …. Social Distortion in Berlin Zitadelle … it was awesome

19. 

    @distantstorm3808

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    My first was Motley Crue – Theater of Pain tour. 1985. Hearing Vince's subpar vocals was unsettling.

20. 

    @ScottNazzarese

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Great episode guys! All my AC/DC shows I’ve seen since 83 and another was meeting Dokken after a show opening for Twisted Sister in NYC in 1986…and the worst was I got dragged by my cousin to a U2 ( who I hate) concert at Giant Stadium….absolutely boring and horrible…Walked out!

21. 

    @johnny8771

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Best…Whitesnake 88, Savatage a month before Criss Oliva died, Stryper / Hurricane…too many to mention. Worst..Malmsteen last year..so loud and obnoxious my ears were greatly pained. Yes i know i should have worn plugs..

22. 

    @williamblake1144

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    First concert was KISS/Queensyche in 1984. Too many great shows, but the best would either be Monsters of Rock in 1988, Guns n Roses/Skid Row in 1991 or Bon Jovi in 2001 at Giant's Stadium.

23. 

    @TheCD5150

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    The only concert I've been to (as of right now) was Sammy Hagar at the Forum in Greater Los Angeles. August 2024. Loverboy opened. Despite the guys from Loverboy looking a bit rough, both acts were great.

24. 

    @strangeways75

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Many best of experiences…..1st Kiss was NYE 1982 Rockford, Il. … as an aside there should be a HMG forum board (that would be cool)

25. 

    @sgsultana

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Best: Monsters of Rock 1988 (Kingdom Come, Metallica, Dokken, Scorpions, Van Halen), Shark Island 2022 at The Whisky
    Worst: David Lee Roth 1991

26. 

    @Quinn25

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    In unrelated news. I just listened to Tesla's Spread Your Wings. It rocks.

27. 

    @mattflesch1365

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Awesome episode
    Awesome questions from Patrick
    My buddies played this game road tripping from Kentucky to Atlanta for 16 straight progpowerusa festivals and could answer every question just from those trips

    Guru you and Stevie killed it Tuesday night

28. 

    @elsietrinity8636

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    You guys were late bloomers. I still enjoy some of your podcasts. My fav shows were Kiss, Bon Jovi – New Jersey Tour, Skid Row opened up, Metallica and Queensryche on The Justice For All tour, Motley Crue and Whitesnake Girls Girls tour, Ratt and Bon Jovi Invasion tour, Def Leppard and Tesla Hysteria tour, Motley Crue and Scorpions, scorpions blew them off stage. Ozzy and Alice In Chains No More Tears tour. Cinderella and White Lion . I wish I could have seen Guns n Roses and Metallica tour in 92 or The Monsters of Rock 80s tours. The worst tour I saw was Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, I just couldn't get into it.

29. 

    @slurrygod

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Great show guys great memories

30. 

    @Mittel_Deutscher

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    BEST: Too much; just mention a few: Monsters of Rock, Castle Donington 1983: Diamond Head, DIOs first ever concert, Headliners Whitesnake! ; SCORPIONS "Blackout" tour, Edinburgh Playhouse 1982, Def Leppard "Pyromania" tour before they broke big in the US with Rock Goddess opening 1983, Offenbach, Germany; Lee Aaron & Anvil & Mama's Boys & Heavy Pettin' & Marillion & Thin Lizzy @ Reading Festival 1983, Status Quo "Never too late" Tour 1981 Straßbourgh, France; Metallica & Metal Church 1987, Böblingen, Germany. Poison & Vixen & Cold Sweat Monsters of Rock "Super-Rock" 1990 Germany, Iron Maiden _ Bruce & Adrian "Comeback" Show 1999 before "Brave new world" was recorded, Stuttgart, Germany.
    WORST: Tygers of Pan Tang playing at Z-Rock-Festival Mannheim, Germany 2001 playing the hall empty; Ozzy not performing 2009 (?) but they let Black Label Society play and let everybody buy drinks waiting for Ozzy to THEN announce: People go home, there is NO show and then 5 minutes later force people to leave the hall!!!
    Virgin Steele @ Keep it true in 2003 (?) playing the hall empty…

31. 

    @CharlesTRose

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    In 1999 I saw Slayer in a small House Of Blues and it was insane. Also Lollapalooza 1992 was unbelievable

32. 

    @stephanea5364

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Matt sure knows how to milk his secret about Dave Mustaine Ahah. And it works, I really want to know!

33. 

    @Hwy13La

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    I saw the Rolling Stones in Junior High with my uncle , Houston Astrodome, Voodoo Lounge Tour they had Bryan Adams open … Many years later , The Stones play first show at Reliant (NFL Texans) Stadium , with Ryan Adams as opener .. 🤔

34. 

    @benguindon1400

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Great stories from everyone Guru! My favorite concert memory was in 1979, the fall semester of my senior year when I saw the Doobie Brothers at an outdoor venue in northern Michigan. We got to the concert 4 hrs early, and back in the day, you could bring any liquid inside as long as it was in a glass bottle that you could throw at somebody so we filled a gallon jug with vodka and a another one with orange juice. My best passed out and wine up three songs into the Doobie Brothers set not what a blast! I danced with my high school sweetheart on top of our cooler to their encore song of Dancing to the Music. 😁

35. 

    @toddtipton2857

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    My first concert was Vandenberg opening for Ozzy right after Randy died

36. 

    @SabresU-

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    Best concerts for me – My first one was Iron Maiden 1989 Seventh Son tour with Megadeth opening. Motley Crue – Carnival of Sins tour and Metallica when the stage blew up and the lightning rigs falling. The theatrics of those shows were phenomenal! Also two of my other favorites were Arcade and Shotgun Messiah at a small bar called the Thirsty Whale just outside of Chicago. Worst show ever, Dokken about a year ago. Don Dokken was barely singing or I guess talking through the songs. I left after 4 songs

37. 

    @zachary_attackery

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    the best show I ever saw was my first one, Aerosmith Get A Grip tour 1994 with Jackyl opening. My mom signed me up for the Aero Force One fan club and was able to buy front row seats. Aerosmith played for 3 hours and did 35 songs, it was insane. I think it was the live debut of Walk On Water too (it hadn't been released yet). Jesse James from Jackyl was drinking out of a Castrol GTX motor oil bottle and I was scared he was literally going to chase me around in the audience with the chainsaw (I was 10 and didn't know who they were).

    Worst show was probably Motley Crue's "final" tour. Mick was actually screwing up a LOT of the songs, that's why I wasn't as shocked as everyone else when I heard they fired him. There wasn't a drum solo either, and the setlist was the same old crap as always.

38. 

    @mattflesch1365

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    I went to that helloween tour at BBKings club in New York with Jag Panzer as opening act

39. 

    @Hwy13La

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    The Glam Slam Metal Jam .. First year .. Woodlands Texas .. I’m home on leave from Marines , Summer 2001 . Was so much fun .. Faster , Bulletboys , Enuff Z Nuff , Quiet Riot with Kevin , Warrant with Jani , Vince solo , Cinderella and Poison . Months later in September, anything would change ..The Worst thing I saw , Motley Crue and Kiss at the same Woodlands . They are wrapped around an upscale neighborhood.. so they have to be done with the noise by like 11pm . That put Motley on stage in the daylight .. daylight Crue , with a very heavy Vince ,, man it was bad .

40. 

    @Hwy13La

    May 21, 2026 at 10:56 pm

    My first ever concert was Motley with Warrant , Feelgood Tour , I was 12 . In one year , saw GnR with Soundgarden, few months later Metallica no opener , both at the Summit in Houston . Later that same year , GnR Metallica and Faith No More in the Astrodome . Best show I’ve ever seen , The Black Crowes and The Allman Brothers , with an unknown BlackBerry Smoke .

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