What is your biggest miss on a live show, that you will never get another chance at due to the death of the artist, as a solo artist or a key component of a band.

I am not talking about "I wish I could have seen The Who with Keith Moon, but I was four when he died."

I am talking about something like this:

Many years ago I was debating whether or not to go see Sun Ra, and ultimately decided not to spend the $12. He died not too long after.

Around the same time I passed on seeing Alice In Chains - which I really haven't regretted.

But man, I wish I would have gone to that Sun Ra show.

Had free passes to see Nirvana, not once or twice but THREE separate times and something came up every time and I never saw them.

Was supposed to see Brainiac in Green Bay. My best friend was going to the show with her boyfriend, who hated me because I was competition for said best friend's attention.

"It's Brainiac," I said.

"They'll be back in, like, 3 months or so. I'll just let Emily and Eric go off and have their date without me being around and all will be well."





My bad.

Every time BB King comes to town, I think maybe I should go see him because he doesn't have much time left and he's one of the few old bluesmen still around, but I'm not into him enough to actually go. At least not at his exorbitant ticket prices.

I didn't get to see the Evens before Ian Mackaye's death hoax.

yeah, missed seeing brainiac several times down in champaign-urbana. strictly due to my own laziness - not wanting to walk a whole mile or two to the show...

can't think of anybody else right now...

When I was a teenager I went to California to stay with a friend for a few weeks. This was in the early 80's. An older guy we knew was talking about going to some place to hear someone named Charles Bukowski give a reading. I had no idea who the fuck he was, and didn't understand why anyone would have ever attended a "reading" if it wasn't for a grade or something. Granted, I was too young indeed to have been able to appreciate who he was. I never read any of his books until years later, in my early 20's. I remember someone gave one of the books to me and the name was familiar. "Oh yeah, the guy who did the reading." Shortly after I started reading Bukowski (and becoming quite engrossed in him, like a lot of guys who read them around that age) was when he died. Although I think he had stopped doing the readings by then anyways.

I saw Nirvana three times.

I saw Elliot Smith.

I saw Sun Ra back in 1989.

I saw Metallica with Cliff Burton (and not once since.)

My old band opened for the Ramones.

I saw Bob Stinson bum money from his mom one night at the Uptown in Minneapolis when we were playing there. She was tending bar. I never did see the Replacements with Bob.

I saw Stevie Ray Vaughn, too, I think. I used to drink a lot. I am a little hazy on that one. I don't know if I lasted until Stevie made it to the stage.

I try not to miss shows if I can avoid it.

I recommend this as a rule.

I knew you were something of a legend, Ringo.

As for me, never been much of a Robert Altman fan, but I had the chance to see him before a screening at the Berlinale, not too long before he died. Instead I probably spent that night sleeping off the previous few nights. Was so tired I could barely lift a stein to my lips.

Robert Altman's dead?

Holy shit.

Missed Codeine in Athens once because of...get this...exams.

They broke up shortly thereafter. Dammit.