Concert Reviews, Songs Beginning with R

This page is for reviews of concerts people have seen during the 80s and reviews of tours that more recently focus on vintage 80s groups (like Depeche Mode or Bow Wow Wow, etc.). The first reviews here are from the old message board, so they might look a little familar. Hope no one minds me reformatting their original messages.

This page currently edited by: No one. Past editor: Vapor Trails, Banasy



"Ramones" / Summer 1985
Seattle-Hub Ballroom. The Ramones were in a surly mood and kept stopping in the middle of songs getting angry with the audience about one thing or another. Then during "sedated" a red ladies pump flew out of the audience and smaked DeDe Ramone in the head. He threw down his guitar and randomly picked some guy out of the audience and pounced on him. He beat the crap out of this poor kid, and he wasn't even the one who threw it! Then about 15 minutes later the fire marshals shut down the show.
Review by: dria
"Ratt & Quiet Riot" / November or December 2001
I had the privilege of seeing these 2 bands in concert together. They can still rock the house!!! The best nastalgia flashback had to be Quiet Riot. To see Kevin DuBrow, the lead singer still wearing striped spandex, his mic stand done up with frayed ribbon pieces hanging as he lifted it above his head as he screamed out those high notes in perfect form while kicking his foot out at the crowd. OMG....I was wishing I was back in the 80's all over again. I LOVE IT!!!
Review by: Valerie Herrera
"Ratt - " City to City"" / 1989
Ratt- "Reach for the Sky"! A damn awesome concert. Ratt at their height. They rocked and Stephen Pearcy sounded awesome. "City to City" was the tour. Great lighting and effects. Ratt and Roll.
Review by: mary f. miller
"RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS" / 1984 OR 1985
TAMPA, FL LONDON VICTORY CLUB. THEIR VERY FIRST TOUR AFTER TRUE MEN DON'T KILL COYOTES. DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT I WAS WATCHING, BUT SEEING FLEA ABSOLUTELY KILL IT, THEN PISS IN A CUP ON STAGE MID SONG WAS UNBELIEVABLE. BURNED IN MY MIND FOREVER.
Review by: RATFINK
"REO Speedwagon" / July, 1998
It was so wonderful to physically be apart of the "80's" music again. It was such a thrill to be there with the thousands of others that loved REO and eighties music like myself. Survivor opened up for them. It was truly awesome!!!!
Review by: Hayley Nadel
"Rick Springfield" / Spring 2000
My wife was so excited to see Rick Springfield, a heart-throb from her teen years, in concert at Chastain Park in Atlanta. And I admit that over the last 20 years I've come to appreciate his music more. In '82 he was Mr. Tiger Beat. How could any guy take him seriously? I remember I was an unenthusiastic 16 yr old when I had to take my younger sister and her friends to his "Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet" concert. But since then I'd learned to enjoy his music. After all, the guy could write a decent pop tune, and he could play guitar pretty well. But I digress.... Jump forward 18 yrs and we are at a outdoor venue on a nice spring evening with a bunch of other 30-somethings. I was looking forward to the show because the previous year Mr. Springfield was the surprise hit of the annual Atlanta music festival, Music Midtown. But when he took the stage it was a letdown. Millions of fans and myself have seen the VH1 Behind the Music segment on him and how he hated being a "heart throb" and not taken seriously for his music back in the day. But he sure was eating it up that evening. Apparently one of his trademarks is to play his guitar with a rose. After the 40th rose was thrown on stage that novelty got a little stale. I mean, that's not really a great way to get good tone out of an instrument-to bang on it with a flower. But the most disappointing aspect was his vocal delivery of the songs. These are songs we've heard thousands of times and love to sing along to. We know how they go. But Rick apparently had forgotton or was just trying to make it fresh by singing completely off-time. Every song was like this and my wife began to wonder if he was so drunk he couldn't sing. We ended up leaving the concert about halfway through because it just wasn't any good. My wife will never be able to look at her teenage idol in the same light again. And I felt vindicated for all those years of doubting.
Review by: Steven
"Rick Springfield" / November 2000
For someone who last saw Rick over 18 years ago (I was just 16), I wasn't sure what to expect as I anxiously sat waiting for him to arrive in front of a packed house in Milwaukee. As the intro music began, the crowd of mainly thirty-something female fans went nuts!! And for good reason. As soon as he bolted onto the stage, I felt as thought I had been transported back in time. OK,OK, I'll say it. He's still hot. But damn, can he play a guitar! As a teenager, I listened to all his albums, but honestly, I probably didn't appreciate the music as much as I did the face. Now, I'm sincere when I say "The man can rock!" Among the concert highlights were when he took cell-phone calls from members of the audience during "Don't Talk to Strangers" and talked to fans who couldn't be there; when he invited some 30 or so women to join him onstage for "I Get Excited;" and when he took roses from fans and strummed his guitar with them, tossing the petals in a shower of color. Rick was just about to finish a long, 2-plus-year tour to promote his CD, "Karma," but he had all the energy and charisma of someone who was having the time of his life. He did all the old favorites: "Human Touch", "I've Done Everything for You," -- and some new beauties: "Ordinary Girl" and "It's Always Something." Was I floored when he pulled Van Morrison's "Gloria" out of his hat -- and did it proud! Rick has completed his Karma tour now, but you can catch him in "EFX" at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at least through 2001. And if you're lucky, you can catch one of the hand-full of concerts he plans to do this summer around the Country. I'm not shy to say that one concert in November made me a fan for life, and I know I'll be doing some roadtripping this summer to catch him again.
Review by: Jeanne Rosen
"Rolling Stones" / August 5 2006
Switzerland, August 5 2006 2 days of cold rain have ended the hotest summer on record. It has taken 5 days to build the 5 story high stage on the military airstrip at Dubendorf. The Stones on what some hold to be thier farewell tour, (age related, certainly not enery) 60000+ sold out and the largest concert in swiss history. Show is preceeded by a good roking band that i cant remember the name of(will follow) The stones or "Mick" jumped onto stage with, and didn't stop moving for 2 hours straight ,changing cotumes more than Tina Turner, The stage an enourmous collosas of some 5 stories with the first 2 for back stage 3 lighting and the rest show. The swiss present went nuts for 2.5 hours and not one i spoke to had a word of critique. Myself and another american felt a little disappointed expecting more power and show out of them, which i felt was more present in '82 Candlestick Park SF and Halloween Oakland Colloseum'93, but all in all I still have to say no other band will ever attrack those kind of crowds anytime and anywhere as the Stones have for more than 30 years!!! I think they have one last tour in them say when mick is say 70.
Review by: Thom Ruben
"RUN DMC" / 1989 OR SO
RUN DMC WAS DUE TO PLAY AN ORLANDO, FL SHOW THE NEXT DAY, AND DECIDED TO PLAY A SMALL VENUE FOR A WARM UP IN A ST. PETERSBURG, FL. VENUE WAS CALLED CITY LIGHTS, A SMALL, REDNECK BAR THAT HELD NO MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE. BEING ONE OF 50 OR SO THAT FOUND OUT ABOUT IT AND SAW THEM LIVE WAS A TREAT. BEYOND WORDS. GETTING TO TALK TO JMJ, RUN AND D AT THAT TIME WAS AMAZING. THE TIME OF BIG GOLD CHAINS AND ADIDAS WERE WORTHY. TO SEE 12 FT. TALL SPEAKERS OF NOTHING BUT BASS BEING BROUGHT IN TO A TINY ROOM WAS SHOCKING TO SAY THE LEAST. THEY PLAYED ABOUT 1.5 HOURS OF THE BEST, CLOSEST DMC I'VE EVER SEEN, AND FOR ONLY $5. TRUE STORY.
Review by: RATFINK
"Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Davy DMX" / August, 1985
I think it was in 85, maybe 1984. I was in New York that weekend by chance and saw the Together Forever tour at MSG. It was awesome. It opened with Davy D, then the Beastie Boys came out and rocked stuff off of Licensed to Ill. Then Run and D tore things up. A historic concert showcasing a group of white kids rapping, and also a chance to see the godpops of hip hop...RUN-DMC.
Review by: gFunk


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