I was commenting on Scotts blog recently and went to look up an old concert ticket to find the name of the venue where Bowie played as it has since changed (I lost the ticket stub unfortunately but he played the Warehouse which is now the Koolhaus). It was quite nostalgic looking through the album full of old concert stubs as well as surprising to see how the cost of each ticket has changed significantly over the years.

I don't recall if my first concert was New Kids on The Block or Nelson but bless my poor mother for trekking along to such shows just to make me happy. I was far too young to go on my own and needed someone to accompany me. Nelson played at an amusement park so at least she got some fun out of the deal; that was in 1991 and I was 13 years old. The ticket cost $9.36 plus park admission. Thankfully my taste improved (or so I think Ha!) and the following year I believe it was 1992 (I lost the ticket stub) I saw The Cure at the Skydome with Sly sans parents and we had a blast! We were seated beside these women in long floral dresses who sat through the entire show looking bored and angry. They kept yelling at us to "sit down" while we danced and sang along to each song. Of course we didn't listen.......we were at a concert not sunday school.

I have seen many artists perform more than once and don't mind paying an arm and a leg to see them again and again. There is nothing like hearing my man Trent belt out "Something I can Never Have" live......shivers people, I get shivers.

So to follow, a list of the stubs I have kept (or should have kept) over the years and a few stories to go along with them (Sorry about these silly lines I could not for the life of me get the year and cost to stay in nice little tabbed spaces)

Nelson ------------------------1991 ----------------$9.36
Tea Party ---------------------early 90's on--------------

(This sexy photo was one of those self portraits of sorts and not very flattering at all).

My 1st Tea Party show was inside PPs school gym in the early 90's. I went on to see them play all over the bloody place and am embarassed to even think about how many times I have actually seen them. Go ahead Jennifer make your Captain Morgan and pomade jokes I don't mind. All of you go ahead and have a good chuckle but just know I was tickled when I was able to party with Mr. Jeff Martin a few years back!!

Depeche Mode---------------1993--------------- $36.00 (9th row yay!!)
Madonna ----------------------1993 ----------------$38.50
Depeche Mode --------------1994 ----------------$17.04 (Plus park admission)
Pink Floyd --------------------1994 ----------------$42.00
Rolling Stones ---------------1994 ----------------$54.50
NIN ------------------------------1994 -----------------$29.75

Jim Rose Sideshow and Marilyn Manson both opened up for NIN that day. Sly and I had seats up in the bowl area and a few of her friends had some general admission floor tickets. During the concert Sly walked down the seats in front of us and disappeared into the crowd. She returned a while later with two floor tickets and one bracelet. We left our seats, showed security our floor tickets and when they asked to see our bracelets she grabbed my arm and yelled "RUN." You see we each needed a ticket and a bracelet to enter the floor area however she was only able to get one bracelet from her friend. We ran like hell into the crowd and security lost us!!

Cranberries ---------------1995 -------------------$31.50
Our Lady Peace ---------1995 -------------------$6.00 (at a bar)
David Bowie ---------------1995 -------------------$39.50 (with NIN)
Sex Pistols ----------------1996 ------------------$43.00

We were on the floor for this concert, general admission. All I remember is a group of young men with mohawks, chains, pins everywhere standing in a circle holding one another and singing a song. During the song they all spit into the middle of the circle however I was standing quite close by and got a goober in my ear!! EWE!!! The bloke was very apologetic but it was still disgusting!

Tori Amos -----------------1996 ------------------$22.50
Smashing Pumpkins ---1996 ------------------$34.30
Danzig ---------------------1997 ------------------$24.50
Radiohead -----------------1997 ------------------$31.50

Radiohead played at a very small venue called the Opera House which used to be a Vaudeville theatre way back in the day. They put on an amazing live show and I ran into Jeff Martin (from the Tea Party) in the bathroom area and gave him a big ole hug. It would have been nice to snuggle up to Thom Yorke as well but sadly that did not happen.

Prince ---------------------1997 ------------------$65.00

I've always been a big fan of Prince but never found him to be particularly attractive until I saw him live. Holy shit did he surprise me! The way he sauntered across the stage and gyrated his hips caught my attention! He is soooo unbelievably sexy when he dances!

David Bowie --------------1997 -------------------I lost my stub :(

Bowie played at The Warehouse which holds approximately 2500 people. It was a very small and very intimate show. He engaged the audience like no other artist I have ever seen, he sounded phenomenal, laughed a lot and was just so friendly and captivating. I'd have to say this is one of my favorite shows ever as it was just so personal and he really made the show special.

Depeche Mode ----------1998 ---------------------$54.75
Korn/Rob Zombie -------1999 ---------------------$41.75
Rage Against the Machi--1999 ---------------------$35.75
Tori Amos ----------------1999 ---------------------won these tickets
Morrissey ----------------2000 ---------------------$46.25

I jumped on stage (as Morrissey allows his fans to do) and I walked towards him with my hands outstretched as he walked backwards away from me. Apparently I was making grabbing motions with my hands or so I've been told, the lovely Morrissey did eventually give in to a hug!

NIN ------------------------2000 ---------------------$39.50
The Cure -----------------2000 ---------------------$49.00
Dave Matthews Band --2000 ---------------------won these tickets

I won these tickets and agreed to take PP as she was a big DMB fan however I had no idea who they were. We were in the nosebleed section on a metal bench, it rained, she enjoyed herself and I did not love it at all.

Third Eye Blind --------2000 ----------------------won these tickets
A Perfect Circle --------2001 -----------------------$37.50
Sarah Slean ------------2002----------------------- $14.00
Lenny Kravitz ---------2002 -----------------------$73.25 (with Pink)
Sarah Slean ------------2002----------------------- $15.82
The Dandy Warhols --2003 -----------------------$21.00
Coldplay -----------------2003 -----------------------$35.75
Metallica -----------------2003 -----------------------$100.25 (with Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit)

A friend had an extra ticket to the Summer Sanitarium Tour and I do like Metallica so I agreed to go. While I enjoyed all of the peformances (especially Linkin Park) I was a bit distracted by all of the pyrotechnics going on during the other two pefromances. I really really hate fireworks and for whatever reason Limp Bizkit and Metallica really seem to enjoy them. I spent much of my time ducking and holding my ears through these two shows trying to avoid the fireballs of death.

Madonna --------------2004 ------------------------$318.50
The Cure --------------2004 ------------------------$69.25
NIN ---------------------2005 ------------------------$58.75
Depeche Mode ------2005 -------------------------$104.00 (8th row yay!!)
Theory of a Deadman--2005 -------------------------Free tickets
Depeche Mode -------2006 -------------------------$104.00
NIN ---------------------2006 -------------------------$72.75
John Mayer---------- 2007 --------------------------$82.50
The Killers----------- 2007 --------------------------$51.75
The Cure ------------ 2007 --------------------------$98.50
NIN -------------------2008------------------------- $69.50
Lenny Kravitz -------2008 -------------------------$79.50

We had great floor seats for the Lenny concert. He walked around the bottom of the stadium at the end of his show and I was able to reach out and touch his hot sweaty arm yummmmmm!!!! I was sooo fucking excited as he is on my list of the top 5 sexiest men alive!!!

Note: My first Depeche Mode concert 9th row cost me $36 and my Depeche Mode concert in 2005 8th row cost me $104. My how times have changed!

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I absolutely love going to concerts I love to hear the music and I love to share the experience with other fans. When Sly was climbing down the chairs at the 1994 NIN concert, people were holding her hand and helping her down giving nods of approval. There's a sense of togetherness at live shows, I've had people come and sneak in beside me on the floor when I've had great seats and they have not. As long as I have enough room to dance I'm happy to share my space with someone who enjoys the band as much as myself. I've also been helped and have helped others climb over seats to get a closer view of the action, this type of thing would never fly anywhere else. Can you imagine someone climbing over you at a sporting event or budding in line at the grocery store without saying anything to them? At a concert it's different, there's a sense of camaraderie, everyone wants to have a good time and it's all about the music!!!