Post #130445 by ikitnrev on Sat, Dec 11, 2004 10:42 AM

One of my biggest concert regrets was missing out on a U2 show in 83. I was living in Boulder, Colorado at the time, and had checked the concert listings for Red Rocks, the Outdoor Ampitheatre at the base of the Rockies. U2 were one of the few bands that fit or came close to my definition of rock/new wave that were playing up there - most of the other artists were more mainstream - REO Speedwagon or George Benson type stuff.

I kept on procrastinating, plus I was low on funds at the time. A few days beforehand I was thinking about driving up and buying a ticket at the gate. But the day of the concert, it was raing/snowing in Boulder, and I decided I didn't want to risk the drive up to Red Rocks, or be freezing outside.

A few days later, the music critic for one of the Denver Papers wrote a review, saying it was perhaps the best live rock show that he had ever seen - the combination of bad weather, a sparse but enthusiastic crowd, the flames used as part of the stage set-up - everything combined to a great experience,and I had missed it. This was the show that was captured on the 'U2 - Live at Red Rocks' LP and video.

It wasn't until a few months later that I saw my first Red Rocks show - which featured the Clash (and 2 days before that, the then yet-to-have-a-hit Stray Cats playing in a movie theatre) so I guess things turned out well.

I later saw U2 during their big 90's Arena shows, and still have (I think) the souvenir condoms, still unused, that were sold at those shows.

Vern