Oh man, I have so many good memories of these.
Some of my best...
1. Seeing Noel Gallagher at Massey Hall in Toronto. Every single person in that entire stadium was singing, "Don't Look Back In Anger" at the top of their lungs, and it was the most magical thing I've ever heard. Crowd sing alongs like this are so beautiful, when everyone is just connected as one entity by music.
2. Seeing Kasabian in this club in Toronto. First of all, Kasabian are an incredible live band to begin with. But you're asking about the crowd! Basically I was right up at the barrier, and although people were squishing me, once they saw that I was a fairly petite 17 year old girl, a few 20-something guys stood behind me to prevent me getting very squished. It was extremely polite of them. And I got to dance to Kasabian with cool guys while 2 feet away from the band, too, so that was fun. Also the atmosphere was the best overall I've ever had at a gig because everyone in the crowd was going mental and no one was holding back.
3. Seeing The Black Keys and Shins at an outdoor venue in Toronto. It PISSED down rain, like torrential downpour levels, the entire time. It was cold and wet and miserable, but it was the greatest outdoor gig I've ever been to. My friends and I just danced in the mud with a bunch of hipsters and moms, it was awesome. And it rained the hardest during my favourite song, "Your Touch", so we just all went mental and the rain really did just make it more memorable and magical.
Some of my worst...
1. Seeing Rush in Toronto. Now, don't get me wrong. Rush is one of my favourite bands and THEY weren't the problem. Rush is astronomically good live. But the crowd sort of sat there, and half of them looked bored. Rush aren't exactly good showmen, so it was kind of a boring gig apart from the good music.
2. Green Day in Toronto. Very slightly post American Idiot era; It was full of annoying little girls who only knew 6 songs, and just chatted amongst their friends and plugged their ears when the GOOD songs like, "Longview" and "Basket Case" came on. It was not only disrespectful to the band and the other fans, but it also made them look like ignorant tools. Make sure you know a good range of the band's discography, and if you don't, try to be open to the songs you may not know :)
3. Mark Ramone and Finger Eleven in Hamilton (near Toronto). No one was even paying attention to the music, they were just smoking low quality weed and talking to each other. Seriously, listen to the bloody music!
Who knows what other stories I will have to tell in the future. Apart from those and a bunch more in the past, I've got Muse, The Vaccines, The Who, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra gigs lined up for the next while... And I am very excited to make new magical gig memories.
As per some advice:
- Don't wear good shoes. They will get ruined.
- Don't get falling-down-drunk. You will puke on someone, and ruin their night. Or, you will make a fool of yourself and not even remember the music. It's okay to get buzzed, but you're there for the music. Otherwise, go to a bar and put on a Blur CD or something.
- If it's outdoor in the summer, bring water. You will dehydrate and feel like crap if you don't.
- Unless it's a very intimate gig with a reasonably unpopular band, don't bring stuff to get signed. They honestly do NOT want to do it. When I saw Oasis, Noel Gallagher literally SPRINTED from the building into an unmarked white van and sped off down the street 2 minutes after the gig.
- Don't bring signs. They obstruct other people's view of the band, and it's really not very polite or considerate.
- Don't watch the whole gig through your camera screen. I hate this, everyone does it now! Snap a few pictures, sure. You want to make a few memories. But don't record the whole bloody thing. First of all, people, your iPhone 3 camera is going to make it look like you filmed through a multicoloured brick, and the audio quality will be similar to a melted cassette tape. Just experience the gig as it's happening! THAT's the way to make memories.
And that's really all I can think of on the spot :)
Have a good time man, and I'm sure you'll be a great audience member :P Just enjoy yourself and be mindful of others.