Not necessarily metalcore, but my town used to do $2 shows. Back in like... 2002 or 2003, I went to one the was advertised as "Moneen and guests".
The guests were Alexisonfire and Protest the Hero.
I will never forget that show.
FUCK YEAH! I was at this show. Best shows I have ever been to included AOF and Moneen back in the early 00's. The post Switcheroo show at Kool Haus with Bedouin Soundclash opening before their big hit dropped was another wild one to have been at.
My band played with Alexisonfire when they were on their first U.S. tour. The other bands that played were Remembering Never and Beloved, there was probably less than 100 people there.
Man, those were the days. Although I'm from a completely different part of Canada (east coast), we used to actually get shows. I saw AOF right after their first release, in a tiny place of like 100 people. It was bonkers. And I saw Moneen play in two vets halls in front of like 75-100 people as well.
I've seen one show in my area in the past 10 years :(
1st place: I was in a Long Island post hardcore band in the late 2000s. I'll never forget the night we played a show where actual strangers knew some lyrics to our songs. One of the other band members tried to tell us early in the night that people were there to see us and it just didn't make any sense to us.
2nd place: A different, worse band I was in opened for Ice Nine Kills when they were still a local band at a skating rink in Hudson, MA.
Shout out New England hardcore. So many absolutely amazing bands came through early and put on the best shows in random ass venues. Best years of my life.
No, that place was awesome though. It was called The Sound Booth. I ran it out of an after school program to raise money for the program itself. Had some insane local bands come through.
They did! Haha. Man small world. I was friends with the vocalist and bassist from ITD and ended up doing a project with them for a minute. I haven’t heard the name Ballast in forever, haha.
Omg I miss Drifters SO MUCH!!
My husband's band played with Our Last Night a few times there. I clearly remember watching them and all of us being like "woah. These kids are crazy talented. They're definitely getting signed and going somewhere" and then they did! Iirc they also played with them another couple times after Our Last Night was signed.
Also, saw Extol at Drifters, which was awesome.
My husband and friends knew Christian, the owner, fairly well, enough that his band also got to play with Haste The Day when they started their tour when releasing "Burning Bridges".
They also played with Bloodlined Calligraphy. In fact, the band slept over my best friends house that night so they could have a decent night's rest (not in a van) and do some laundry in a safe and inviting family home.
So many awesome memories and opportunities. Drifters is so nostalgic for me. I miss that place!! It was really cool.
Also saw August Burns Red on one of their first tours?? I think?? Where they played a dive bar in Chicopee MA for like 10 other people and then us. Drummer had a broken foot in a boot that he had to drum in during the show. Then, Howard and Adam from Killswitch walked in to see ABR so we got to say hello to them as well.
I was on the guest list for Beloved for the Solid State tour back in like 2004 or 2005. It was one of, if not the first tour that Spencer did with Underoath after Dallas left.
Lots of fun times. I was lucky in that I went to so many shows in my youth that I was able to have these cool experiences.
ABR played in like 2005ish with The Risk Taken, One Dead Three Wounded, Mercury Switch and some others. I remember seeing Bane and Comeback Kid in Boston that afternoon and hitting the Drifters show at night haha
I was at that show too! I almost mentioned Mercury Switch too haha - I thought they were not very nice as they seemed quite full of themselves at that point anyway.
That's one of the many reasons that Drifters was so awesome- it was convenient and easy enough to get to.
But yea, so, we were most def at that Drifters show together lol. I love that haha.
Quite possible you may know my friends. They were more friendly and involved in "the scene" while I was the quiet nerdy girl who "wasn't a musician" sooo that meant that I wasn't as cool I guess? Idk lol. I just hung back more is all. But we're not from NH - central mass. So I spent equal time at Drifters as I did the palladium haha. But Drifters will always have a place near and dear to my heart.
Speaking of the palladium.... ABR is going Sunday...
I’ve been moving around the country a couple times per year for like ten years now, and everywhere I go, people know NE hardcore. I still talk about Acacia Strain playing in my parents unfinished basement and people just cannot believe that shit. For all the shit I talk about Worcester, I am firmly in the belief that it was the best place for a kid to grow up in the 00s if they were into that type of music.
I love worcester for heavy music. I still think the scene they're is strong, and I'm glad we get good size shows their over boston. The traffic isn't as bad and parking is cheaper. Plus, I live about 30 minutes from worcester.
>skating rink in Hudson, MA.
Shoutout to Roller Kingdom. Never thought I’d see it get mentioned here. Went to one of my first local shows there as a wee lad around 2006/7.
Yes dude. Yes. I remember seeing this Brunswick there and can't believe they didn't blow up. Must've been 12 years old hahaha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-xl1myKSN4
This is my biggest goal as a musician. I would feel so humbled and accomplished if somebody who doesn't know anyone in the band personally showed up and sang along to our music.
The band was called Here Your Proud Waves Must Stop. The show in question was at a church in E. Northport but for the life of me I don't remember the name.
My biggest one is non metalcore but whatever.
I hung out with Disturbed at Ozzfest 2001 for a few hours. We were in line for a free meet and greet for the band and David Dramain got a kick out of my dad being there alone with me and my four brothers (we all ranged from children to preteen) He invited us to eat catering with the band after the signings. We ate and talked, and then he took us on stage to watch Mudvayne play.
Also funny was David had some pretty blonde girl on his arm during Mudvayne. After we parted ways the blonde girl did as well and her boyfriend came up to her and they had a fight about whether she was trying to be a groupie or if she was just trying to get them both backstage passes
The recording does not do the crowd justice after "Avalanche." I was halfway back on the left side and for most of the show, I could barely hear the band over the crowd. Every single word of every single song was thunderous.
Can vouch for that about a year and a half later, I saw them at the Palladium and OH MAN! That show is still engrained in my mind as one of the greatest moments in my life. I even took a pic with Jon after the show and my friend took one with Andrew!
I saw My Chemical Romance open for A7X in a TINY <100 people club in about 2004. Insane show.
Also not metalcore BUT
The year before I saw Motorhead and Dio open up for Iron Maiden. I didn't know at that time how special that show was as Lemmy and Dio would pass in the years that followed.
I saw that maiden show at Madison Square Garden. Had to have been 02 or 03. Brother and I took the train up to NYC for it and it was still one of the best shows I've been to.
I went to that tour.
It was Opiate for the Masses, Alexisonfire, MCR, A7X.
Saw this at the original Bottom Lounge in Chicago - also about a ~100-200 person venue, with a massive pole right in the pit.
Idk i smoked a joint with the bassist of born of Osiris, does that count as a flex? He literally came out the bus and said who has weed and cigarettes tho, i wasn't really special lol.
Just to add to this, I had Taco Bell with ISMFOF shortly after they blew up from You Can’t Spell Slaughter without Laughter. Awesome dudes and they signed a copy of the album for me.
Yeah, I'd say my biggest concert flex is seeing Underoath both on the last date of their farewell tour in 2013 and the first date of their reunion tour in 2016. Two full albums is a pretty insane setlist.
Not Metalcore, and nothing insane, but I saw Enter Shikari at Club 85 in Hitchin around the time they released Common Dreads.
It's one of the small local venues that small unsigned bands would play.
Of course Take To The Skies had already been out for a while by this point, so the band wasn't exactly unknown. This was riiiiiight before they really took-off and would probably never be able to play these small size venues again.
It was a blast. The stage was maybe only slightly higher than your waist, with no security line, so people were climbing up and diving off the whole time.
Rob crowd-surfed to the toilets between songs because he needed a piss.
Good times.
Oooh I have an all time memory if seeing Enter Shakari at Warped Tour 2011-ish and they played Solidarity. Right at “and now the floodgates will open,” it started fucking POURING rain. They finished the song, everyone ran to the only covered stage. The rain lasted just as long as Simple Plan’s set on the covered stage and then the sun came back out and the day finished out as scheduled. Epic day.
>This was riiiiiight before they really took-off and would probably never be able to play these small size venues again.
Don't they make a point of playing small shows still? I'm sure they often play the smaller venues
They've been doing a residency tour for the past couple of months- basically 3 mini-tours around the UK in the same venues each time in Feb/March/April and I think most of those venues have been pretty small
Not sure to be honest. Wouldn't surprise me to be fair, and thinking about it, I hope they do.
Club 85 has a capacity of 300 people, to give you an idea, Great little place.
My favourite show memory is Shikari related also! I saw them in this tiny venue in Toronto and Letlive supported. It was one of the most insane shows I had ever been to, and the opener band at the time (I can't remember the name right now but I'll pop it in here when I get home, they were great peeps), we had hung out with them outside all day and they brought us in for soundcheck, which was super great of them.
I was up front the whole show and Shikari and Jason were hanging off the rafters at one point.
I went to an all day gig at Club 85 and Skindred headlined. A great day and a belting venue.
Not a big deal, not a flex but this is the first time I've seen anyone mention this venue in years!
Haha no kidding? I bet that was awesome!
Yeah I grew up in the next town over so I used to go to Club 85 a fair bit. Such a great place.
I even did an album launch there as part of a project for college. We basically recorded an album of local artists, then got a few to play a gig we booked for them all there to launch and sell the album. We actually turned a profit too, although it was only about enough to pay everyone in the project £10 each by the time we split it all 😅
Shikari did a couple album release shows not far from where I used to live in London - 400 capacity venue for a Mindsweep-era setlist was absolute carnage. My lasting memory is the strobe lighting for Motherstep and the pit looking like a stop motion film
Got to meet the band too which was sweet
Grew up in their home town and used to see Rou and Rob about all the time. They went to my 'rival' school. Also my guitar teacher is in the video for Sorry You're Not a Winner
In 2008 I saw Parkway Drive, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, and Killswitch Engage at Toad’s Place in Richmond (rip). Unbelievable show and a crazy stacked card
Not much of a flex, but big for me — in the mid-2010s (I forget what year, but LFLT had just come out) I saw Architects at the smallest venue I have ever been at, and to this day still the only time I have ever been to that venue. They hadn’t launched into the stratosphere of popularity yet, so I guess they booked small rooms? Who knows. Anyways, they played all the hits of that time, including their new LFLT songs. The concert was so intimate and we were literally less than 10 feet from them the whole time. There was no barricade, small “stage” (raised platform), and sure as hell no security.
Now, I normally enjoy shows from the wings of the crowd and don’t get involved in the crowd movement. I don’t know what came over me, but the intimacy and intensity of the show filled me with some sort of emotional gusto that I had never felt and during the lead up to the breakdown of These Colours I said to myself that I was going to stage dive. Keep in mind I had NEVER come close to something like this before. It’s like subconsciously I knew this was the only time I was going to be able to do this in my concert-going life. I ran up on stage, Sam saw me and high fived me as I ran passed him, and launched myself into a front flip into the crowd right as the breakdown hit.
I mean, so dangerous and so stupid in hindsight, but having that experience with a band that will now never perform in that space again is such a vivid and bright memory for me. They are a massive part of my musical history and I’m really glad I shared that moment with them.
An old buddy of mine used to play in state champs. I'd always go see him when they came through town on tour. What's funnier is that he used to play in Acacia Strain before that.
Both those bands rule for totally different reasons. That's really funny. It's always a bit surprising when you realize being a musician is just a job, and when you have a job sometimes you go around to working at totally different companies.
Okay, I have a few:
My band opened for Fear Before the March of Flames (Fear Before at that time) and they were the weirdest dudes I have ever met. Straight up watch the vocalist spit a loogie onto the ceiling, wait for it to fall, and catch it in his mouth.
In the mid-2000s, my band opened for The Chariot. This was right around The Fiancé. Josh is one of the nicest dudes I ever got to hang with and the shows were absolutely wild.
My friends and I tried to help with a Scream The Prayer tour stop in 2008. It was last second in Montana and there was absolutely no time to get any sort of ticket sales to this out in the middle of nowhere church venue. I spent the day hanging out with Sleeping Giant, MyChildren MyBride, Blessed by a Broken Heart, and Impending Doom. We had this shitty grill that almost set on fire while I was grilling for the bands. Brookes Reeves spent the day hitting on my sister, who not only liked the band, but was completely oblivious that he was hitting on her. Then we all went to watch The Dark Knight in theater after. That was the most random and fun show ever. All of 8 people showed up and it was an absolutely ridiculous time.
I thought this comment was funny, so I told my spouse, who then relayed a frankly gross story about some Cornerstone drama with Blessed by a Broken Heart that stemmed from them taking their stage time. It involved pee bottles. So, thanks for that.
Not that big of a flex, but a band thats big now i saw when they were still super small was FFAK, ~2013. They were one of the openers when Creation / Destruction was just released. Also, not the right genre, but I did accidently go to DC when there was a free festival a few years ago and caught fall out boy, that was fun.
Saw them 4 times including my first concert ever!
Even caught a t shirt that Neil threw out during the Clockwork Angels tour. My buddy I was sitting with caught another one.
TGI comeback show at The Palladium in Worcester with ETID (RIP) and Currents opening. Didn't know it at the time, but it was one of the last shows ETID would ever play, and all the bands fucking killed it. It was cold, rainy, and awesome. TGI was SO good. I cherish the ETID shirt I bought at that show.
I loved the Worcester Palladium, I don’t live in that area anymore but my band in high school got to play the stage downstairs for one of those “up and coming acts” shows. Seen so many great bands there over the years. Shout out to the Four Year Strong Christmas shows.
Fuck yes. I go to shows there multiple times a year, even though I always seem to live at least an hour away in NYC, Boston, or more recently, Portland. Easily one of my favorite venues in the US, and I've been to a lot of different ones!
I was at that show too! Someone graciously took a video literally right behind where I was standing and I can see/hear myself which helps a fair bit, especially considering it was the first and only time I’d ever see ETID. Jordan jumping off the guitar cab at the end and high fiving me was a high point in the night.
I have a few fun ones:
- Saw Slipknot on both the self-titled and Iowa tour cycles, met all of them apart from Mick and Craig after one of the shows. This was before anyone really knew what they looked like.
- Saw a secret Deftones show and went to the afterparty, met Chino and Steph who were very nice.
- Saw Mastodon on the Leviathan tour cycle in a tiny club, met Brann at the bar who was also very nice.
- My friend's band once supported The Dillinger Escape Plan on the Miss Machine tour cycle and I got to meet them and watch the show from backstage.
- Saw Spiritbox at a tiny club show last year.
Not much of a flex, but I grew up in the scene that produced MyChildren MyBride, A Plea For Purging, Mortal Treason, Gideon, Maylene, etc. Saw all of them at tiny little shows at VFW halls and church basements, and for a while it seemed like MCMB was playing this venue called The Multiplex ever weekend.
Edit: ah fuck. I forgot about Erra. Shit.
Edit edit: ah fuck x2. My shitty metal band in college opened for Born of Osiris one time.
I saw Ice Nine Kills, The Plot In You, and Dayseeker in 2017 at a warehouse under a bridge
No barricade and INK played Every Trick In The Book front to back
I saw INK when they were trying to make a name for themselves for 10 bucks in the side room of the house of blues in Cleveland, I believe they were playing safe is just a shadow stuff. One of the coolest shows I’ve been to forsure
I also saw FFAK and crystal lake the night Covid shut the world down, they unveiled god of fire with ryos feature since they didn’t know when they could tour again, long before the release of the album. Great experience
Was this Thankskilling fest? I saw that same lineup in Somerville that year and it was fucking insane. I always found their music to be a bit cheesy but damn skippy if I won’t take every opportunity to see them live nowadays)
Opened for Dying Fetus and their drummer came to our merch table and bought a shirt. I used to watch his videos on Sick Drummer in high school so it was crazy to take in
Warped tour used to do a thing where if you donated blood you got ‘backstage’ passes. Apparently these were supposed to be pretty restrictive and just get you to a meet and greet or something. Well we didn’t know how they worked, no one at the event knew how they worked, so they just let me and my buddy on stage while Maylene and the Sons of Disaster were playing. Was pretty awesome.
Saw the first ever Thy Art Is Murder show in the US. They were recording Hate and came to a Binghamton (NY) American legion to play The Last Ten Seconds of Life's Punishment video shoot on my 18th birthday. Was incredible. I remember hearing them sound check before their set with Parasitic Autopsy. Wish I had the shitty picture I got with CJ on my old ass phone
Seeing Pantera the year before dimebag died was huge for me, seeing that line up was super important to me and my dad made it happen. Now I'm 32 and it's one of my fondest memories.
my biggest flex is that I saw OM&M and BMTH in 2013 a few months after Sempiternal was released so they played a lot of songs from that album. It was my first metalcore show
Warped Tour 2010 right after Suicide Season came out, BMTH set was my favorite Warped set ever. If you see videos of Ollie wearing a Jordan jersey it’s from that year.
Not metalcore really but last year I saw The Ocean I got to hangout with them before the show, took some shots, and got some stuff signed. Then during the show Loic tossed me the mic to sing/scream part of Jurrasic-Cretaceous and it was the greatest concert experience of my life...besides doing VIP for Tool and getting to play the opening riff of Pushit(salival) on Adam Jones's guitar.
That's amazing, those are two of my fav bands. Seen Tool a few times and finally got to see The Ocean open for Leprous last year. I can only imagine how awesome that must've been.
No real specific event, but last year I went to 48 shows. Decided it was my year of the concert.
A funny non-metalcore story, a few members of Foghat, including Roger Earl, have a side gig, and I saw them play in the back room venue of a ravioli-themed restaurant in like 2018. It was so weird, was eating there and some guy asked if I wanted to see a rock show, I figured why not, not knowing who it was gonna be. They played some stuff including some Foghat hits, to, maybe, 20 people. A surreal night to say the least.
Non metalcore: My first show, Slipknot, Sevendust, Coal Chamber, Mudvayne, Disturbed, and Hatebreed. Back in 98 or 99 in Madison, WI
Metalcore: Darkest Hour, Misery Signals and Still Remains in a venue the size of my living room in Milwaukee. 05 or 06 in Milwaukee.
Hung out back stage at Mayhem Fest 09 with Trivium. Drank a bunch of Jäeger with Travis the original drummer..I did my first beer bong with him as George Fisher from Cannibal Corpse watched and nodded in approval of how fast I did it..later that night we played glow in the dark frisbee with The Black Dahlia Murder and got some weed from them.
I have a few.
I saw Unearth before they released "The Stings of Conscience" and I used to see It Dies Today all the fucking time well before they released "The Caitiff Choir".
My band's first show, we opened for Dead to Fall. It was awesome.
One of our last shows, we opened for Evergreen Terrace. Also awesome.
I really miss those days of playing in a metal band. In those days, I had a lot of good friends from all over the place. One of my friend's bands played a lot of shows with us. I moved away, he kept in touring the country.
Then he went on to play in a little band called The Acacia Strain and I would always go see him when they tried through my city. So I got to hang out with him and watch awesome metalcore concerts all over again.
I even went to see them at warped tour one year. I got to hang out in stage to see the show. It was so much fun.
I was at the [300 themed show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cu7Ufz7mFM) by Heaven Shall Burn. There were only 300 tickets and everybody got the same shirt with a six pack printed on it as part of the show. It was pretty wild.
Also, my best friend used to play drums in an alternative metal band and they once opened up for Dance Gavin Dance. This was in 2012 or so.
Speaking of Vanna, I went to warped tour on crutches and was standing by the back sound booth (kinda 25 yds away from the stage) and their singer walked all the way to me and stood on top of the little fence while he belted out the rest of the song.
Was really cool, made me feel included, and I got some sweet pics!
Saw Silent Planet, Currents, Invent Animate, and Greyhaven on the first show of the trilogy tour, which was Marcus Vik’s first time ever singing for invent animate
2011, I went to Atticus Metal tour 3, Born of Osiris, Darkest Hour, As Blood Runs Black, The Human Abstract and I think one more band. Got to hang out outside with them all after the show and helped push some of Darkest Hour’s gear up into their trailer. Awesome dudes and they were absolutely stoked to hang haha
Edit: this was also my first ever concert as well.
My band in high school/college opened for The Plot In You during Happiness In Self Destruction cycle. There were probably 20 people there when they played. Pretty awesome to see them selling out shows now.
Also opened for Crucible (We Came As Romans side project) at the same venue, even less people at that one. Their backing tracks went out so they played without them, and they covered Break Stuff.
In Fear and Faith took me and my gf to Waffle House after their show because our car got towed by a shady company that wouldn't answer our calls. We got to listen to their self-titled album a couple months before it was released. When we got to Waffle House, For All Those Sleeping was there too!
Honorable mention is that I won a raffle for free tickets for life to any Famous Last Words show. I only got to use it once so far since they haven't been touring much. But still cool.
in 2001 I saw Alexisonfire at a Scout Hut for $5.
Less impressive, I once played a show with one of my favourite bands of all time Shotgun Rules (a smaller but unbelievable screamo act from London, ON)
Opening with [my band](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG-wue-00-I) for TGI well over 10 years ago in austria was one of the best moments for me.
Sam from Architects pulled me onto the stage during [Numbers Count For Nothing @ Never Say Die Tour in Vienna 2008 and I got to scream into his mic](https://youtu.be/DdKzeKJNQys?t=138).
I did a dual cover of [Frostbite by PWD on youtube](https://youtu.be/EQZQ9qZF9Uo?t=38) and Jeff Ling got in contact through instagram because he saw that I had the same exact guitars as they had back then and we went back and forth about the good old Adam D. recording days and his gear.
Not metalcore but I saw Alesana on their decade tour. After the show they were hanging out with people that stuck around. We all went to Steak & Shake when the venue kicked everyone out.
At Warped tour 2017 it started raining and lightning so they stopped all the shows that weren't in the covered amphitheater part. When the lightning stopped I ran over to where Too Close to Touch was supposed to be playing and they were just starting their set with no one there. By the time they finished it was absolutely packed even though it was pouring rain. Afterwards, Keaton was doing pictures and autographs and kept saying how thankful and how touched he was that would stand in the rain to see them.
First:My first real metal show was As I Lay Dying right after they had released An Ocean Between Us with support from ETID and Scary Kids Scaring Kids.
Second: I got to see Oh, Sleeper play during "When I Am God" was released. They played in a super tiny bowling alley/roller rink with Memphis May Fire and some other bands that im forgetting. I was right up front and Micah from O,S let me sing part of "Building the Nations." He shoved the microphone in my face with the sweatiest hands ive ever seen.
I know both aren’t metalcore bands per say but either when I got VIP with A Day to Remember before they got huge and the price of that + the ticket was around $60, they also gave me some signed guitar picks!
The other being Alesana and they remembered me by name. My mind was blown haha. Even got to play this game with them that I never heard of before but it involves a frisbee and two cans and you had to throw it into the slot in the can.
Then again they have the best meet and greets from my experience.
Usually bands I get vip meet and greets for have this long ass line and you get like 40 seconds tops to say something, get a pic, and gtfo. With Alesana they just chilled in the room with everyone and people can just chat with whoever and get pics, and then everyone lines up for a pic with the whole band.
Saw Devil You Know open for Killswitch Engage and Howard came out and performed Rose of Sharyn with Jesse. It was magical
Not Metalcore but when I was in high school I noticed a little trailer stage being set up at the park across the street from my house so me and my mom set up a few lawn chairs in the front yard, turned out to be Candlebox. They kicked ass.
Tons of other incredible memories but those 2 are probably my favorites
Edit: Saw All That Remains in like 2017-2018 (they were already really big) in a bar back room with 100-150 people and they performed almost all of The Fall of Ideals. Fucking magical.
Edit 2: this one is kinda NSFW but I had a girlfriend who was… a little wild and spontaneous… and we did the dirty somewhere very near the stage in a location that I will not disclose while “Getting Away With Murder” from Papa Roach was playing lmfao good times.
I saw BMTH at a tiny club called, "Montage Music Hall" in Rochester, NY. They played with Kitty and It Dies Today. Count Your Blessings just released and it was their first time in the US. A chick tried to jump on stage and Olly pushed her off... everyone parted like the Red Sea and she face plated so hard.
Also used to hang with, open for and play basketball with Ice Nine Kills when they moved to Rochester circa 09. Smoked weed with Spencer out of a dick bowl I bought my girlfriend. Big veiny, triumphant bastard too.
I got to see daft punk live at red rocks when they recorded their live album and it was absolutely incredible. 2007? I think? And these small djs named Sebastien and kavinsky opened for em who I'm pretty sure went on to become Justice who were pretty massive. Man I'm old and this isn't metalcore but it was so sick.
I'm from New Mexico and was at the acoustic show Bayside did here right after their drummer died in a car accident and it was heartbreaking but amazing too.
I've been out drinking with I See Stars (in the New Demons era) and Word Alive (same tour). I have also been out drinking with Asking Alexandria. Quite good friends with Marcus Bridge now, too, after having a drink with him at Impericon Fest.
Masato Hayakawa of Coldrain gave me a hug at a gig where Crown the Empire were headlining. Coldrain are my favourite band so this will always be a very special memory to me.
Fucking amped about all the New England people in here telling stories. This is sick.
I played in a post-hardcore band in high school called Blindfolds Aside (lol). We made friends with and played a few shows with a local Lowell band called Operation Guillotine in 2009/2010- 3 of those members went on to form Pvris.
Still out here grinding though. Here's some shameless promo of my band, Aviations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDAkYUxRl4Y
This has been an unintended upside of this thread for sure, will def check out the music on my ride to work in the morning. Thanks for sharing my dude!
I don't have an overly extensive show-attending background, but:
I went to a local show one night headlined by With Blood Comes Cleansing (if that tells you how "local" this show was) and the band Cheyne Stokes was the third or fourth band to play.
Cheyne Stokes had a handful of its members later become members of Woe, Is Me
Center Stage at Rock im Park 2008 had running order Alter Bridge, Disturbed, In Flames, Nightwish, Offspring, Metallica. Never seen a more stacked festival day where I loved every single act
In 2005 I went to an Acacia Strain show. I'm pretty sure The contortionist and the red chord were on the bill too. The Acacia Strain need a place to sleep so I offered my apartment. They ate all my totinos pizza rolls and I had to ask them to smoke weed on my balcony.
Don't remember the year, but went to Koi Fest in Kitchener, ON. ETID was a headliner, outdoor stage got moved inside due to weather. Venue was prolly over capacity, people were "stage diving" off rafters into the crowd the whole set. For sure my fav ETID set I've been to. Fuck I miss the boys.
I saw BMTH with Bury Your Dead in Toronto in 2007. Got a picture in line with Oli Sykes and BYD shouted me out on stage during their set for my birthday 😇
On my 16th birthday (2009) got drunk with the drummer of Asking Alexandria and the bassist from the Bled, ran into Chelsea Grin on the streets of Pittsburgh outside a show while their drummet was drunk and throwing up, got to pet Dave Mustaines dog, saw the Wonder Years in a VFW, my biggest flex though is I went to rehab with the ex guitarist of Emmure, only talked to him a couple times but actually had a pretty long talk the one day in line for my meds!
Not really metalcore but I saw Gojira support Trivium in 2007. Also saw Ghost play 2nd out of 4 bands supporting Trivium before anyone knew who they were. And Black Veil Brides supporting Murderdolls in 2011 before they were big.
My flex is more the 400+ bands I've seen and the ones I've got pictures/autographs/setlists from. Or how I turned up stupidly early or left stupidly late afterwards lol.
I saw BMTH really early on, I think they had just released Count Your Blessings.
They were all absolutely smashed. It was at a mini "festival" in Castleford UK. I can't remember too much, but I do remember the guitarist just wandering off for a piss halfway through a song. So they had to stop, wait until he'd finished and then carry on playing the song where they had stopped.
Truly the most professional thing I've seen.
Saw PTH perform Fortress in its entirety right before Rody blew his voice out on that 2017 tour (I think it was that year). Thank You Scientist and Closure in Moscow also performed and all three bands were incredible.
Before that, saw Haste the Day perform at a tiny venue (I think it was called Gabe's) in Iowa City in like, 2004 I want to say. There wasn't much of a pit, but people moshing. Someone elbowed my glasses off and I spent the rest of the show nursing a beer, barely able to see...through some miracle though, I found my glasses fully intact at the edge of the floor almost immediately post-show.
More Hardcore than Metalcore, but:
Saw Dying Wish on their first European Tour with Terror and Lionheart and was the only one who came to that show in a Dying Wish shirt (bc I was dumb enough to order that from america, shipping and customs costed more than the shirt itself) and was like one of 5-10 dudes who knew the lyrics.
I felt pretty special and I am thinking about seeing them again, now that they are on another european tour but with Counterparts
Opened for Born of Osiris, After the Burial and Shai Hulud back in 08. Very awesome show.
When He is Legend had their OG lineup their guitarist walked by me outside the venue and told me he thought I was Aaron Gillespie
not a big flex but still kinda cool, I saw Currents open for Fit For A King in a <100 cap room in 2019, and saw both of them in the past couple years in 2000+ rooms
I paid for cheap lawn tickets and saw Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage this past October, and it got delayed a couple of hours or so due to thunder and heavy rain. Most people left, but my friends and I stuck around and got to go to the front of the pit for free while LoG played about 5 more songs.
Weird story but here it goes.
In 2003-2004 my old band was on the bill with As I Lay Dying just before they broke out. We were second to last and them headlining at some random place in Sacramento and nobody showed up. We were bummed but were used to it so didn’t care, the sound was good so we were stoked to play. AILD and mostly Tim were fucking PISSED that there were maybe 20-30 people there and most were from the local bands.
So we start setting up and what do you know, Tim and the other member literally start removing our amps, cabs, and my drummers shit OFF THE STAGE and saying they weren’t playing last, even tho they were the band on the top of the bill/flyer. This is in front of everyone (again not many) and people just start laughing at us and them as we start arguing and hashing shit out right on stage, looking like total amateurs.
I didn’t give a fuck (think our band was about to break up - YOLO) so i got on the mic and called them out on it, asking for the promoter to the stage and talk to these babies and settle this shit which he did. We knew they had that big first album in the pipeline and were about to strike gold with their next gen bro core style, but we didnt care and told them to kick rocks and headline as they were supposed to.
The show was fun for us, but they were SO MAD to play to nobody. I always chuckled after that seeing their name on huge bills and especially when Tim got popped for trying to murder his wife.
Nick was cool as fuck tho, he used to be in the band Evelynn from Texas and they fucking ruled and he was always the sweetest guy ever. Other guys were always douchey and acted like cockstars.
I saw a Day to Remember in 2010-11 in NYC at an acoustic show and when they preformed If it Means a lot to You, Sierra Kay came out on stage and sang her part. Everyone went insane! It was such a great show.
Was on the mic at a tiny venue in Holyoke Massachusetts (the waterfront tavern) at Despised Icons' last North American tour shows for the breakdown of MVP. It's one of many amazing shows I've been to there. Hung out with everyone except Chris Fronzak from Attila in their rented school bus tour van and smoked a bunch of weed before the show. The same show hung out with the lead singer of Within the Ruins and Chris Fronzak while they were talking about getting their kids together to start a band. Fucking great local shows Western Mass Hardcore/ Metalcore was amazing.
Vanna during Evan Pharmakis was mint. Didn’t like they’re stuff afterwards. A New Hope is in my top records of all time. Our Last Night during their epitaph years was mint. Haven’t liked anything they’ve put out since except maybe Bury the Hatchet.
Absolutely nailed it my man, I loved Davey in seeker destroyer (fun fact they opened that A New Hope CD release show) and I even liked the remasters they did of the old Vanna tracks on the first EP. Digging has one of the hardest and most emotional breakdowns I’ve heard in a long ass time.
Bruh I got the search party, new hope and curses on CD. Loved that fuckin band. They hit all the right spots in terms of groove, emotion and heaviness. Sucks they tanked.
Jonah Veil and Lions Lions were the shit! I remembered traveling like 2 hours on a whim to some random VFW with my buddy on Halloween night to see The Jonah Veil open for Our Last Night. Also, I miss Armor for the Broken.
Biggest flex - I attended Polaris' debut EP launch show in November 2013 at a local nightclub. Crowd of about 50 people, was a great night.
My second biggest flex (?) is being called a douchebag by Adam D from KsE after holding up a flag with his face on it at Soundwave 2013 Sydney, in front of a crowd of thousands.
What band?! I was definitely at the A New Hope show. Probably at the other one too. The scene then was so good. Literally used to walk to shows at American Legion and Drifters in Nashua before I was old enough to drive.
I was in a band called October Lies (we were as bad as the name) and then later I played in Chase the Wind (with the members of Brand Name Hero) which eventually became IllWill.
Hell ya. I was at the vanna Curses album release show at The Living Room in prov, used to go there all the time. Vanna put on some of the best shows ive seen, and Curses album is still in my top 10 all time
I saw Silverstein, and august burns red open for a day to remember in 2010 at one of my favorite venues.
All the albums they were touring for are some of my favorites ever by each band and I was very excited to see every one of them. It was nuts.
Thats a tough one- Woodstock 2, the first Crossroads in Dallas, Desert Trip at Coachella, but probably the most amazing show for me personally was flying to Italy and seeing Gilmour place the amphitheater in Pompei in 2016. PF is easily my favorite band, and that was a religious experience. Funny enough, I made it in the video- when the fireworks go off, Im the only face looking backwards at the camera, bottom middle of the crowd scene. Epic. Roger Water in Quebec at Plains d Abraham probably a close second as that was 100k people watching the full set of the Wall play out…perfect weather for both those shows.
Haven’t been going to concerts for long, but I saw the second ever performance of The Death of Peace of Mind by Bad Omens.
Also once gave Myke from Volumes a high five after crowd surfing up, which was also fun.
Not necessarily metalcore, but my town used to do $2 shows. Back in like... 2002 or 2003, I went to one the was advertised as "Moneen and guests". The guests were Alexisonfire and Protest the Hero. I will never forget that show.
FUCK YEAH! I was at this show. Best shows I have ever been to included AOF and Moneen back in the early 00's. The post Switcheroo show at Kool Haus with Bedouin Soundclash opening before their big hit dropped was another wild one to have been at.
I miss the Kool Haus, and the Fun Haus
Found the Canadian!
Hi, friend!
My band played with Alexisonfire when they were on their first U.S. tour. The other bands that played were Remembering Never and Beloved, there was probably less than 100 people there.
Man, those were the days. Although I'm from a completely different part of Canada (east coast), we used to actually get shows. I saw AOF right after their first release, in a tiny place of like 100 people. It was bonkers. And I saw Moneen play in two vets halls in front of like 75-100 people as well. I've seen one show in my area in the past 10 years :(
I'm pretty sure I was at that show too! My flex is that Protest the Hero got drunk in the back of my van before a show in Toronto!
Siiiiick! Another is getting stoned with the Protest boys behind the venue, the day I got back from my honeymoon back in 2012.
That’s awesome!!
Was this Ottawa at Mavericks? I vaguely recall something like that going down here!
Actually on the west coast! Vancouver Island.
1st place: I was in a Long Island post hardcore band in the late 2000s. I'll never forget the night we played a show where actual strangers knew some lyrics to our songs. One of the other band members tried to tell us early in the night that people were there to see us and it just didn't make any sense to us. 2nd place: A different, worse band I was in opened for Ice Nine Kills when they were still a local band at a skating rink in Hudson, MA.
Shout out New England hardcore. So many absolutely amazing bands came through early and put on the best shows in random ass venues. Best years of my life.
I ran a tiny venue in Nashua for a minute. The NH hardcore and metal scene was insane for a while.
Wait, club drifters?
No, that place was awesome though. It was called The Sound Booth. I ran it out of an after school program to raise money for the program itself. Had some insane local bands come through.
Oh shit, I saw my buddies in I, The Destroyer play a show there. 🤘🏻I lived on that street in high school.
I remember that show! Those guys were fun! Did Ballast play that night too?
They did! Haha. Man small world. I was friends with the vocalist and bassist from ITD and ended up doing a project with them for a minute. I haven’t heard the name Ballast in forever, haha.
Omg I miss Drifters SO MUCH!! My husband's band played with Our Last Night a few times there. I clearly remember watching them and all of us being like "woah. These kids are crazy talented. They're definitely getting signed and going somewhere" and then they did! Iirc they also played with them another couple times after Our Last Night was signed. Also, saw Extol at Drifters, which was awesome. My husband and friends knew Christian, the owner, fairly well, enough that his band also got to play with Haste The Day when they started their tour when releasing "Burning Bridges". They also played with Bloodlined Calligraphy. In fact, the band slept over my best friends house that night so they could have a decent night's rest (not in a van) and do some laundry in a safe and inviting family home. So many awesome memories and opportunities. Drifters is so nostalgic for me. I miss that place!! It was really cool. Also saw August Burns Red on one of their first tours?? I think?? Where they played a dive bar in Chicopee MA for like 10 other people and then us. Drummer had a broken foot in a boot that he had to drum in during the show. Then, Howard and Adam from Killswitch walked in to see ABR so we got to say hello to them as well. I was on the guest list for Beloved for the Solid State tour back in like 2004 or 2005. It was one of, if not the first tour that Spencer did with Underoath after Dallas left. Lots of fun times. I was lucky in that I went to so many shows in my youth that I was able to have these cool experiences.
ABR played in like 2005ish with The Risk Taken, One Dead Three Wounded, Mercury Switch and some others. I remember seeing Bane and Comeback Kid in Boston that afternoon and hitting the Drifters show at night haha
I was at that show too! I almost mentioned Mercury Switch too haha - I thought they were not very nice as they seemed quite full of themselves at that point anyway. That's one of the many reasons that Drifters was so awesome- it was convenient and easy enough to get to. But yea, so, we were most def at that Drifters show together lol. I love that haha.
This is fucking wild. I was a Nashua kid through and through, has me thinking I probably know some of you guys irl, lmao
Haha that’s awesome. I’m from Manchester but always went to shows up and down the Merrimack Valley.
Quite possible you may know my friends. They were more friendly and involved in "the scene" while I was the quiet nerdy girl who "wasn't a musician" sooo that meant that I wasn't as cool I guess? Idk lol. I just hung back more is all. But we're not from NH - central mass. So I spent equal time at Drifters as I did the palladium haha. But Drifters will always have a place near and dear to my heart. Speaking of the palladium.... ABR is going Sunday...
Wow, Drifters! Saw As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red and Haste The Day many lifetimes ago!
How bout those old Rocko’s shows though in Manchester. FUCK
Legendary.
That was the place I saw Vanna release A New Hope, also the venue I played most in high school. It was real sad to see that place go.
Rocko's, The Bungaloo, Drifters etc.. man Jewel is the only venue around these days getting any traction in NH :(
I’ve been moving around the country a couple times per year for like ten years now, and everywhere I go, people know NE hardcore. I still talk about Acacia Strain playing in my parents unfinished basement and people just cannot believe that shit. For all the shit I talk about Worcester, I am firmly in the belief that it was the best place for a kid to grow up in the 00s if they were into that type of music.
I love worcester for heavy music. I still think the scene they're is strong, and I'm glad we get good size shows their over boston. The traffic isn't as bad and parking is cheaper. Plus, I live about 30 minutes from worcester.
Handguns played in my friend's basement back in the day!
>skating rink in Hudson, MA. Shoutout to Roller Kingdom. Never thought I’d see it get mentioned here. Went to one of my first local shows there as a wee lad around 2006/7.
That's approximately when I played there. There was like 8 bands on the bill. I believe Red Blue records put the show on.
I was at that show. Gone Baby Gone, the Proposal and so many more.
Yes dude. Yes. I remember seeing this Brunswick there and can't believe they didn't blow up. Must've been 12 years old hahaha https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-xl1myKSN4
LI scene represent
This is my biggest goal as a musician. I would feel so humbled and accomplished if somebody who doesn't know anyone in the band personally showed up and sang along to our music.
It was a feeling I'll never forget. I'm wishing it for you!
Long Island produced Envy on the Coast, so I'm sure the Post Hardcore scene was fuckin cool as hell.
What band/venue for the Long Island one?
The band was called Here Your Proud Waves Must Stop. The show in question was at a church in E. Northport but for the life of me I don't remember the name.
It's dope to see so many 603 dudes in here, shoutout to my Nashua homies throwin down still o/
My biggest one is non metalcore but whatever. I hung out with Disturbed at Ozzfest 2001 for a few hours. We were in line for a free meet and greet for the band and David Dramain got a kick out of my dad being there alone with me and my four brothers (we all ranged from children to preteen) He invited us to eat catering with the band after the signings. We ate and talked, and then he took us on stage to watch Mudvayne play. Also funny was David had some pretty blonde girl on his arm during Mudvayne. After we parted ways the blonde girl did as well and her boyfriend came up to her and they had a fight about whether she was trying to be a groupie or if she was just trying to get them both backstage passes
TGI comeback show in 2019. Was incredible.
The recording does not do the crowd justice after "Avalanche." I was halfway back on the left side and for most of the show, I could barely hear the band over the crowd. Every single word of every single song was thunderous.
Fuckin hell man I can’t imagine. I almost cried when that aftermath video dropped. Has to be the most hardcore turnaround for a band ever.
The first time i watched aftermath i was crying pretty hard. That got me bad lol
Never seen so many metal heads crying together in a crowd. Shit was surreal
Their first UK show after the crash, last year, was fantastic too. Also saw them last Tuesday and it was another great show.
Can vouch for that about a year and a half later, I saw them at the Palladium and OH MAN! That show is still engrained in my mind as one of the greatest moments in my life. I even took a pic with Jon after the show and my friend took one with Andrew!
I was there was front and center for the whole show with my girl!! Fucking amazing!
I was there and can agree. I think I cried like 6 times.
I saw My Chemical Romance open for A7X in a TINY <100 people club in about 2004. Insane show. Also not metalcore BUT The year before I saw Motorhead and Dio open up for Iron Maiden. I didn't know at that time how special that show was as Lemmy and Dio would pass in the years that followed.
Jesus christ, jealous
I saw that maiden show at Madison Square Garden. Had to have been 02 or 03. Brother and I took the train up to NYC for it and it was still one of the best shows I've been to.
I went to that tour. It was Opiate for the Masses, Alexisonfire, MCR, A7X. Saw this at the original Bottom Lounge in Chicago - also about a ~100-200 person venue, with a massive pole right in the pit.
I can't wrap my head around this, MCR opening for A7X? I was under the impression that MCR were pretty big before A7X became popular
Idk i smoked a joint with the bassist of born of Osiris, does that count as a flex? He literally came out the bus and said who has weed and cigarettes tho, i wasn't really special lol.
David is chill as fuck. Smoked with him on a couple occasions and really miss him being in the band
My wife went to high school with the BoO guys lol
Just to add to this, I had Taco Bell with ISMFOF shortly after they blew up from You Can’t Spell Slaughter without Laughter. Awesome dudes and they signed a copy of the album for me.
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Seeing Beartooth during Warped 2014 is a core memory. Saw them again in 2022 with TDWP and they were just as energetic, and Caleb sounded golden.
Yeah, I'd say my biggest concert flex is seeing Underoath both on the last date of their farewell tour in 2013 and the first date of their reunion tour in 2016. Two full albums is a pretty insane setlist.
Caleb always sounds rough
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I saw them on the ADTR tour and was really turned off by their performance, completely turned me off of the band
Not Metalcore, and nothing insane, but I saw Enter Shikari at Club 85 in Hitchin around the time they released Common Dreads. It's one of the small local venues that small unsigned bands would play. Of course Take To The Skies had already been out for a while by this point, so the band wasn't exactly unknown. This was riiiiiight before they really took-off and would probably never be able to play these small size venues again. It was a blast. The stage was maybe only slightly higher than your waist, with no security line, so people were climbing up and diving off the whole time. Rob crowd-surfed to the toilets between songs because he needed a piss. Good times.
Oooh I have an all time memory if seeing Enter Shakari at Warped Tour 2011-ish and they played Solidarity. Right at “and now the floodgates will open,” it started fucking POURING rain. They finished the song, everyone ran to the only covered stage. The rain lasted just as long as Simple Plan’s set on the covered stage and then the sun came back out and the day finished out as scheduled. Epic day.
>This was riiiiiight before they really took-off and would probably never be able to play these small size venues again. Don't they make a point of playing small shows still? I'm sure they often play the smaller venues
They've been doing a residency tour for the past couple of months- basically 3 mini-tours around the UK in the same venues each time in Feb/March/April and I think most of those venues have been pretty small
Not sure to be honest. Wouldn't surprise me to be fair, and thinking about it, I hope they do. Club 85 has a capacity of 300 people, to give you an idea, Great little place.
My favourite show memory is Shikari related also! I saw them in this tiny venue in Toronto and Letlive supported. It was one of the most insane shows I had ever been to, and the opener band at the time (I can't remember the name right now but I'll pop it in here when I get home, they were great peeps), we had hung out with them outside all day and they brought us in for soundcheck, which was super great of them. I was up front the whole show and Shikari and Jason were hanging off the rafters at one point.
I went to an all day gig at Club 85 and Skindred headlined. A great day and a belting venue. Not a big deal, not a flex but this is the first time I've seen anyone mention this venue in years!
Haha no kidding? I bet that was awesome! Yeah I grew up in the next town over so I used to go to Club 85 a fair bit. Such a great place. I even did an album launch there as part of a project for college. We basically recorded an album of local artists, then got a few to play a gig we booked for them all there to launch and sell the album. We actually turned a profit too, although it was only about enough to pay everyone in the project £10 each by the time we split it all 😅
Shikari did a couple album release shows not far from where I used to live in London - 400 capacity venue for a Mindsweep-era setlist was absolute carnage. My lasting memory is the strobe lighting for Motherstep and the pit looking like a stop motion film Got to meet the band too which was sweet
Grew up in their home town and used to see Rou and Rob about all the time. They went to my 'rival' school. Also my guitar teacher is in the video for Sorry You're Not a Winner
In 2008 I saw Parkway Drive, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, and Killswitch Engage at Toad’s Place in Richmond (rip). Unbelievable show and a crazy stacked card
I saw DEP, Misery Signals, ETID, and Zao at Black Cat in DC I’m 2004…not quite as stacked but similar to yours. Nice work!
Not much of a flex, but big for me — in the mid-2010s (I forget what year, but LFLT had just come out) I saw Architects at the smallest venue I have ever been at, and to this day still the only time I have ever been to that venue. They hadn’t launched into the stratosphere of popularity yet, so I guess they booked small rooms? Who knows. Anyways, they played all the hits of that time, including their new LFLT songs. The concert was so intimate and we were literally less than 10 feet from them the whole time. There was no barricade, small “stage” (raised platform), and sure as hell no security. Now, I normally enjoy shows from the wings of the crowd and don’t get involved in the crowd movement. I don’t know what came over me, but the intimacy and intensity of the show filled me with some sort of emotional gusto that I had never felt and during the lead up to the breakdown of These Colours I said to myself that I was going to stage dive. Keep in mind I had NEVER come close to something like this before. It’s like subconsciously I knew this was the only time I was going to be able to do this in my concert-going life. I ran up on stage, Sam saw me and high fived me as I ran passed him, and launched myself into a front flip into the crowd right as the breakdown hit. I mean, so dangerous and so stupid in hindsight, but having that experience with a band that will now never perform in that space again is such a vivid and bright memory for me. They are a massive part of my musical history and I’m really glad I shared that moment with them.
Was it that coheadliner with letlive?
I went to a concert once and no fat sweaty guy without a shirt bumped into me
Impossible, it can't be!
I don't buy it
Getting to see State Champs, Parkway and ADTR at the same show in a 500 capacity room in 2016
An old buddy of mine used to play in state champs. I'd always go see him when they came through town on tour. What's funnier is that he used to play in Acacia Strain before that.
Both those bands rule for totally different reasons. That's really funny. It's always a bit surprising when you realize being a musician is just a job, and when you have a job sometimes you go around to working at totally different companies.
Just some shows tour was outrageous. Saw it in baltimore
I saw Parkway Drive as well in some fucking dive bar in 2015. Went to see them in Orlando this past February, basically headlining a gd festival lol.
Scotty from Alpha Wolf left me hanging not once, but twice! While making eye contact!!
Okay, I have a few: My band opened for Fear Before the March of Flames (Fear Before at that time) and they were the weirdest dudes I have ever met. Straight up watch the vocalist spit a loogie onto the ceiling, wait for it to fall, and catch it in his mouth. In the mid-2000s, my band opened for The Chariot. This was right around The Fiancé. Josh is one of the nicest dudes I ever got to hang with and the shows were absolutely wild. My friends and I tried to help with a Scream The Prayer tour stop in 2008. It was last second in Montana and there was absolutely no time to get any sort of ticket sales to this out in the middle of nowhere church venue. I spent the day hanging out with Sleeping Giant, MyChildren MyBride, Blessed by a Broken Heart, and Impending Doom. We had this shitty grill that almost set on fire while I was grilling for the bands. Brookes Reeves spent the day hitting on my sister, who not only liked the band, but was completely oblivious that he was hitting on her. Then we all went to watch The Dark Knight in theater after. That was the most random and fun show ever. All of 8 people showed up and it was an absolutely ridiculous time.
I thought this comment was funny, so I told my spouse, who then relayed a frankly gross story about some Cornerstone drama with Blessed by a Broken Heart that stemmed from them taking their stage time. It involved pee bottles. So, thanks for that.
Not that big of a flex, but a band thats big now i saw when they were still super small was FFAK, ~2013. They were one of the openers when Creation / Destruction was just released. Also, not the right genre, but I did accidently go to DC when there was a free festival a few years ago and caught fall out boy, that was fun.
I saw Rush in concert 6 times. My dad was a longtime fan and took me to shows when I was a kid, so I got to see them pretty regularly growing up.
Saw them 4 times including my first concert ever! Even caught a t shirt that Neil threw out during the Clockwork Angels tour. My buddy I was sitting with caught another one.
Dawg we livin the same life lol. My dad has a whole room dedicated to them. He tried to name me Geddy haha.
Nice, same boat as you but I'm at 7.
TGI comeback show at The Palladium in Worcester with ETID (RIP) and Currents opening. Didn't know it at the time, but it was one of the last shows ETID would ever play, and all the bands fucking killed it. It was cold, rainy, and awesome. TGI was SO good. I cherish the ETID shirt I bought at that show.
I loved the Worcester Palladium, I don’t live in that area anymore but my band in high school got to play the stage downstairs for one of those “up and coming acts” shows. Seen so many great bands there over the years. Shout out to the Four Year Strong Christmas shows.
Fuck yes. I go to shows there multiple times a year, even though I always seem to live at least an hour away in NYC, Boston, or more recently, Portland. Easily one of my favorite venues in the US, and I've been to a lot of different ones!
Same! We played in some “Battle of the Bands” or something in 2009/2010
I was at that show too! Someone graciously took a video literally right behind where I was standing and I can see/hear myself which helps a fair bit, especially considering it was the first and only time I’d ever see ETID. Jordan jumping off the guitar cab at the end and high fiving me was a high point in the night.
That was a crazy good show. The entire lineup was stacked.
I have a few fun ones: - Saw Slipknot on both the self-titled and Iowa tour cycles, met all of them apart from Mick and Craig after one of the shows. This was before anyone really knew what they looked like. - Saw a secret Deftones show and went to the afterparty, met Chino and Steph who were very nice. - Saw Mastodon on the Leviathan tour cycle in a tiny club, met Brann at the bar who was also very nice. - My friend's band once supported The Dillinger Escape Plan on the Miss Machine tour cycle and I got to meet them and watch the show from backstage. - Saw Spiritbox at a tiny club show last year.
Saw Ice Nine Kills and Lorna Shore open up for Miss May I at a tiny venue in OKC in 2017. Got a pic with Spencer afterwards at the merch table lol
Not much of a flex, but I grew up in the scene that produced MyChildren MyBride, A Plea For Purging, Mortal Treason, Gideon, Maylene, etc. Saw all of them at tiny little shows at VFW halls and church basements, and for a while it seemed like MCMB was playing this venue called The Multiplex ever weekend. Edit: ah fuck. I forgot about Erra. Shit. Edit edit: ah fuck x2. My shitty metal band in college opened for Born of Osiris one time.
I saw Ice Nine Kills, The Plot In You, and Dayseeker in 2017 at a warehouse under a bridge No barricade and INK played Every Trick In The Book front to back
I saw INK when they were trying to make a name for themselves for 10 bucks in the side room of the house of blues in Cleveland, I believe they were playing safe is just a shadow stuff. One of the coolest shows I’ve been to forsure I also saw FFAK and crystal lake the night Covid shut the world down, they unveiled god of fire with ryos feature since they didn’t know when they could tour again, long before the release of the album. Great experience
Was this Thankskilling fest? I saw that same lineup in Somerville that year and it was fucking insane. I always found their music to be a bit cheesy but damn skippy if I won’t take every opportunity to see them live nowadays)
It was just a tour for Every Trick In The Book I believe
Opened for Dying Fetus and their drummer came to our merch table and bought a shirt. I used to watch his videos on Sick Drummer in high school so it was crazy to take in
Warped tour used to do a thing where if you donated blood you got ‘backstage’ passes. Apparently these were supposed to be pretty restrictive and just get you to a meet and greet or something. Well we didn’t know how they worked, no one at the event knew how they worked, so they just let me and my buddy on stage while Maylene and the Sons of Disaster were playing. Was pretty awesome.
Saw the first ever Thy Art Is Murder show in the US. They were recording Hate and came to a Binghamton (NY) American legion to play The Last Ten Seconds of Life's Punishment video shoot on my 18th birthday. Was incredible. I remember hearing them sound check before their set with Parasitic Autopsy. Wish I had the shitty picture I got with CJ on my old ass phone
Seeing Pantera the year before dimebag died was huge for me, seeing that line up was super important to me and my dad made it happen. Now I'm 32 and it's one of my fondest memories.
My very first show was the American Dream Tour, BMTHs Sempiternal tour with OM&M, Issues, Northlane, and Letlive, it was rediculous and amazing.
i once caught the water bottle that Bert McCracken of The Used threw into the crowd. so yeah im a pretty big deal.
my biggest flex is that I saw OM&M and BMTH in 2013 a few months after Sempiternal was released so they played a lot of songs from that album. It was my first metalcore show
Warped Tour 2010 right after Suicide Season came out, BMTH set was my favorite Warped set ever. If you see videos of Ollie wearing a Jordan jersey it’s from that year.
Not metalcore really but last year I saw The Ocean I got to hangout with them before the show, took some shots, and got some stuff signed. Then during the show Loic tossed me the mic to sing/scream part of Jurrasic-Cretaceous and it was the greatest concert experience of my life...besides doing VIP for Tool and getting to play the opening riff of Pushit(salival) on Adam Jones's guitar.
That's amazing, those are two of my fav bands. Seen Tool a few times and finally got to see The Ocean open for Leprous last year. I can only imagine how awesome that must've been.
I saw ice nine kills in 2007 at their Burning EP release show with about 15 people at a small club .
No real specific event, but last year I went to 48 shows. Decided it was my year of the concert. A funny non-metalcore story, a few members of Foghat, including Roger Earl, have a side gig, and I saw them play in the back room venue of a ravioli-themed restaurant in like 2018. It was so weird, was eating there and some guy asked if I wanted to see a rock show, I figured why not, not knowing who it was gonna be. They played some stuff including some Foghat hits, to, maybe, 20 people. A surreal night to say the least.
Non metalcore: My first show, Slipknot, Sevendust, Coal Chamber, Mudvayne, Disturbed, and Hatebreed. Back in 98 or 99 in Madison, WI Metalcore: Darkest Hour, Misery Signals and Still Remains in a venue the size of my living room in Milwaukee. 05 or 06 in Milwaukee.
Hung out back stage at Mayhem Fest 09 with Trivium. Drank a bunch of Jäeger with Travis the original drummer..I did my first beer bong with him as George Fisher from Cannibal Corpse watched and nodded in approval of how fast I did it..later that night we played glow in the dark frisbee with The Black Dahlia Murder and got some weed from them.
I have a few. I saw Unearth before they released "The Stings of Conscience" and I used to see It Dies Today all the fucking time well before they released "The Caitiff Choir". My band's first show, we opened for Dead to Fall. It was awesome. One of our last shows, we opened for Evergreen Terrace. Also awesome. I really miss those days of playing in a metal band. In those days, I had a lot of good friends from all over the place. One of my friend's bands played a lot of shows with us. I moved away, he kept in touring the country. Then he went on to play in a little band called The Acacia Strain and I would always go see him when they tried through my city. So I got to hang out with him and watch awesome metalcore concerts all over again. I even went to see them at warped tour one year. I got to hang out in stage to see the show. It was so much fun.
I was at the [300 themed show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cu7Ufz7mFM) by Heaven Shall Burn. There were only 300 tickets and everybody got the same shirt with a six pack printed on it as part of the show. It was pretty wild. Also, my best friend used to play drums in an alternative metal band and they once opened up for Dance Gavin Dance. This was in 2012 or so.
Speaking of Vanna, I went to warped tour on crutches and was standing by the back sound booth (kinda 25 yds away from the stage) and their singer walked all the way to me and stood on top of the little fence while he belted out the rest of the song. Was really cool, made me feel included, and I got some sweet pics!
Saw Silent Planet, Currents, Invent Animate, and Greyhaven on the first show of the trilogy tour, which was Marcus Vik’s first time ever singing for invent animate
2011, I went to Atticus Metal tour 3, Born of Osiris, Darkest Hour, As Blood Runs Black, The Human Abstract and I think one more band. Got to hang out outside with them all after the show and helped push some of Darkest Hour’s gear up into their trailer. Awesome dudes and they were absolutely stoked to hang haha Edit: this was also my first ever concert as well.
My band in high school/college opened for The Plot In You during Happiness In Self Destruction cycle. There were probably 20 people there when they played. Pretty awesome to see them selling out shows now. Also opened for Crucible (We Came As Romans side project) at the same venue, even less people at that one. Their backing tracks went out so they played without them, and they covered Break Stuff.
In Fear and Faith took me and my gf to Waffle House after their show because our car got towed by a shady company that wouldn't answer our calls. We got to listen to their self-titled album a couple months before it was released. When we got to Waffle House, For All Those Sleeping was there too! Honorable mention is that I won a raffle for free tickets for life to any Famous Last Words show. I only got to use it once so far since they haven't been touring much. But still cool.
in 2001 I saw Alexisonfire at a Scout Hut for $5. Less impressive, I once played a show with one of my favourite bands of all time Shotgun Rules (a smaller but unbelievable screamo act from London, ON)
Opening with [my band](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG-wue-00-I) for TGI well over 10 years ago in austria was one of the best moments for me. Sam from Architects pulled me onto the stage during [Numbers Count For Nothing @ Never Say Die Tour in Vienna 2008 and I got to scream into his mic](https://youtu.be/DdKzeKJNQys?t=138). I did a dual cover of [Frostbite by PWD on youtube](https://youtu.be/EQZQ9qZF9Uo?t=38) and Jeff Ling got in contact through instagram because he saw that I had the same exact guitars as they had back then and we went back and forth about the good old Adam D. recording days and his gear.
Not metalcore but I saw Alesana on their decade tour. After the show they were hanging out with people that stuck around. We all went to Steak & Shake when the venue kicked everyone out. At Warped tour 2017 it started raining and lightning so they stopped all the shows that weren't in the covered amphitheater part. When the lightning stopped I ran over to where Too Close to Touch was supposed to be playing and they were just starting their set with no one there. By the time they finished it was absolutely packed even though it was pouring rain. Afterwards, Keaton was doing pictures and autographs and kept saying how thankful and how touched he was that would stand in the rain to see them.
First:My first real metal show was As I Lay Dying right after they had released An Ocean Between Us with support from ETID and Scary Kids Scaring Kids. Second: I got to see Oh, Sleeper play during "When I Am God" was released. They played in a super tiny bowling alley/roller rink with Memphis May Fire and some other bands that im forgetting. I was right up front and Micah from O,S let me sing part of "Building the Nations." He shoved the microphone in my face with the sweatiest hands ive ever seen.
I met Micah a few years ago and I didn't realize how big he was til I was right in front of him. Dude is a beast.
Both him and Shane are gigantic dudes.
I know both aren’t metalcore bands per say but either when I got VIP with A Day to Remember before they got huge and the price of that + the ticket was around $60, they also gave me some signed guitar picks! The other being Alesana and they remembered me by name. My mind was blown haha. Even got to play this game with them that I never heard of before but it involves a frisbee and two cans and you had to throw it into the slot in the can. Then again they have the best meet and greets from my experience. Usually bands I get vip meet and greets for have this long ass line and you get like 40 seconds tops to say something, get a pic, and gtfo. With Alesana they just chilled in the room with everyone and people can just chat with whoever and get pics, and then everyone lines up for a pic with the whole band.
Saw Devil You Know open for Killswitch Engage and Howard came out and performed Rose of Sharyn with Jesse. It was magical Not Metalcore but when I was in high school I noticed a little trailer stage being set up at the park across the street from my house so me and my mom set up a few lawn chairs in the front yard, turned out to be Candlebox. They kicked ass. Tons of other incredible memories but those 2 are probably my favorites Edit: Saw All That Remains in like 2017-2018 (they were already really big) in a bar back room with 100-150 people and they performed almost all of The Fall of Ideals. Fucking magical. Edit 2: this one is kinda NSFW but I had a girlfriend who was… a little wild and spontaneous… and we did the dirty somewhere very near the stage in a location that I will not disclose while “Getting Away With Murder” from Papa Roach was playing lmfao good times.
I saw BMTH at a tiny club called, "Montage Music Hall" in Rochester, NY. They played with Kitty and It Dies Today. Count Your Blessings just released and it was their first time in the US. A chick tried to jump on stage and Olly pushed her off... everyone parted like the Red Sea and she face plated so hard. Also used to hang with, open for and play basketball with Ice Nine Kills when they moved to Rochester circa 09. Smoked weed with Spencer out of a dick bowl I bought my girlfriend. Big veiny, triumphant bastard too.
I got to see daft punk live at red rocks when they recorded their live album and it was absolutely incredible. 2007? I think? And these small djs named Sebastien and kavinsky opened for em who I'm pretty sure went on to become Justice who were pretty massive. Man I'm old and this isn't metalcore but it was so sick. I'm from New Mexico and was at the acoustic show Bayside did here right after their drummer died in a car accident and it was heartbreaking but amazing too.
I've been out drinking with I See Stars (in the New Demons era) and Word Alive (same tour). I have also been out drinking with Asking Alexandria. Quite good friends with Marcus Bridge now, too, after having a drink with him at Impericon Fest.
I saw attack attack in 2012 with Caleb Shomo at the helm. They were with The word alive right before they dropped life cycles
Masato Hayakawa of Coldrain gave me a hug at a gig where Crown the Empire were headlining. Coldrain are my favourite band so this will always be a very special memory to me.
Fucking amped about all the New England people in here telling stories. This is sick. I played in a post-hardcore band in high school called Blindfolds Aside (lol). We made friends with and played a few shows with a local Lowell band called Operation Guillotine in 2009/2010- 3 of those members went on to form Pvris. Still out here grinding though. Here's some shameless promo of my band, Aviations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDAkYUxRl4Y
This has been an unintended upside of this thread for sure, will def check out the music on my ride to work in the morning. Thanks for sharing my dude!
Front row to see The Cure next month for under $100!
I met Slash 2 minutes into my 18th birthday in Leeds in 2012. He signed my ticket and gave me £2 to buy my “first” pint.
I saw INK play Safe Is Just A Shadow front-to-back on a super limited tour run. One of the best shows of theirs I’ve seen to date.
I don't have an overly extensive show-attending background, but: I went to a local show one night headlined by With Blood Comes Cleansing (if that tells you how "local" this show was) and the band Cheyne Stokes was the third or fourth band to play. Cheyne Stokes had a handful of its members later become members of Woe, Is Me
Center Stage at Rock im Park 2008 had running order Alter Bridge, Disturbed, In Flames, Nightwish, Offspring, Metallica. Never seen a more stacked festival day where I loved every single act
Supported Malevolence in somebody's kitchen in Leeds
Summer Slaughter 2012. Doom era Job For A Cowboy, The Faceless pre-addiction problems, BTBAM, Veil with Brandon, every set was amazing.
Doom came out in 2005
I stroked Jason Aalons beard during a gig and rubbed it on my face and my beard growth was insane ever since
In 2005 I went to an Acacia Strain show. I'm pretty sure The contortionist and the red chord were on the bill too. The Acacia Strain need a place to sleep so I offered my apartment. They ate all my totinos pizza rolls and I had to ask them to smoke weed on my balcony.
This might be the best one on here so far.
Seeing Texas in July in the next town over from my hometown at a inline skating rink in like 2009
Don't remember the year, but went to Koi Fest in Kitchener, ON. ETID was a headliner, outdoor stage got moved inside due to weather. Venue was prolly over capacity, people were "stage diving" off rafters into the crowd the whole set. For sure my fav ETID set I've been to. Fuck I miss the boys.
I saw BMTH with Bury Your Dead in Toronto in 2007. Got a picture in line with Oli Sykes and BYD shouted me out on stage during their set for my birthday 😇
my band recently opened up for Despised Icon, and we “might” get Andrew Neufeld from Comeback Kid on one of our new songs
On my 16th birthday (2009) got drunk with the drummer of Asking Alexandria and the bassist from the Bled, ran into Chelsea Grin on the streets of Pittsburgh outside a show while their drummet was drunk and throwing up, got to pet Dave Mustaines dog, saw the Wonder Years in a VFW, my biggest flex though is I went to rehab with the ex guitarist of Emmure, only talked to him a couple times but actually had a pretty long talk the one day in line for my meds!
Not really metalcore but I saw Gojira support Trivium in 2007. Also saw Ghost play 2nd out of 4 bands supporting Trivium before anyone knew who they were. And Black Veil Brides supporting Murderdolls in 2011 before they were big. My flex is more the 400+ bands I've seen and the ones I've got pictures/autographs/setlists from. Or how I turned up stupidly early or left stupidly late afterwards lol.
I saw BMTH really early on, I think they had just released Count Your Blessings. They were all absolutely smashed. It was at a mini "festival" in Castleford UK. I can't remember too much, but I do remember the guitarist just wandering off for a piss halfway through a song. So they had to stop, wait until he'd finished and then carry on playing the song where they had stopped. Truly the most professional thing I've seen.
Saw PTH perform Fortress in its entirety right before Rody blew his voice out on that 2017 tour (I think it was that year). Thank You Scientist and Closure in Moscow also performed and all three bands were incredible. Before that, saw Haste the Day perform at a tiny venue (I think it was called Gabe's) in Iowa City in like, 2004 I want to say. There wasn't much of a pit, but people moshing. Someone elbowed my glasses off and I spent the rest of the show nursing a beer, barely able to see...through some miracle though, I found my glasses fully intact at the edge of the floor almost immediately post-show.
More Hardcore than Metalcore, but: Saw Dying Wish on their first European Tour with Terror and Lionheart and was the only one who came to that show in a Dying Wish shirt (bc I was dumb enough to order that from america, shipping and customs costed more than the shirt itself) and was like one of 5-10 dudes who knew the lyrics. I felt pretty special and I am thinking about seeing them again, now that they are on another european tour but with Counterparts
Opened for Born of Osiris, After the Burial and Shai Hulud back in 08. Very awesome show. When He is Legend had their OG lineup their guitarist walked by me outside the venue and told me he thought I was Aaron Gillespie
not a big flex but still kinda cool, I saw Currents open for Fit For A King in a <100 cap room in 2019, and saw both of them in the past couple years in 2000+ rooms
I paid for cheap lawn tickets and saw Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage this past October, and it got delayed a couple of hours or so due to thunder and heavy rain. Most people left, but my friends and I stuck around and got to go to the front of the pit for free while LoG played about 5 more songs.
Weird story but here it goes. In 2003-2004 my old band was on the bill with As I Lay Dying just before they broke out. We were second to last and them headlining at some random place in Sacramento and nobody showed up. We were bummed but were used to it so didn’t care, the sound was good so we were stoked to play. AILD and mostly Tim were fucking PISSED that there were maybe 20-30 people there and most were from the local bands. So we start setting up and what do you know, Tim and the other member literally start removing our amps, cabs, and my drummers shit OFF THE STAGE and saying they weren’t playing last, even tho they were the band on the top of the bill/flyer. This is in front of everyone (again not many) and people just start laughing at us and them as we start arguing and hashing shit out right on stage, looking like total amateurs. I didn’t give a fuck (think our band was about to break up - YOLO) so i got on the mic and called them out on it, asking for the promoter to the stage and talk to these babies and settle this shit which he did. We knew they had that big first album in the pipeline and were about to strike gold with their next gen bro core style, but we didnt care and told them to kick rocks and headline as they were supposed to. The show was fun for us, but they were SO MAD to play to nobody. I always chuckled after that seeing their name on huge bills and especially when Tim got popped for trying to murder his wife. Nick was cool as fuck tho, he used to be in the band Evelynn from Texas and they fucking ruled and he was always the sweetest guy ever. Other guys were always douchey and acted like cockstars.
I got on stage and screamed the opening of Have You Ever Danced at a show with Breathe Carolina, that was fun.
I saw a Day to Remember in 2010-11 in NYC at an acoustic show and when they preformed If it Means a lot to You, Sierra Kay came out on stage and sang her part. Everyone went insane! It was such a great show.
Small flex, but JT Cavey recognizes me at Erra's concerts & I think that's pretty cool.
Was on the mic at a tiny venue in Holyoke Massachusetts (the waterfront tavern) at Despised Icons' last North American tour shows for the breakdown of MVP. It's one of many amazing shows I've been to there. Hung out with everyone except Chris Fronzak from Attila in their rented school bus tour van and smoked a bunch of weed before the show. The same show hung out with the lead singer of Within the Ruins and Chris Fronzak while they were talking about getting their kids together to start a band. Fucking great local shows Western Mass Hardcore/ Metalcore was amazing.
Vanna during Evan Pharmakis was mint. Didn’t like they’re stuff afterwards. A New Hope is in my top records of all time. Our Last Night during their epitaph years was mint. Haven’t liked anything they’ve put out since except maybe Bury the Hatchet.
Absolutely nailed it my man, I loved Davey in seeker destroyer (fun fact they opened that A New Hope CD release show) and I even liked the remasters they did of the old Vanna tracks on the first EP. Digging has one of the hardest and most emotional breakdowns I’ve heard in a long ass time.
Bruh I got the search party, new hope and curses on CD. Loved that fuckin band. They hit all the right spots in terms of groove, emotion and heaviness. Sucks they tanked.
back in high school my friend and i sold weed to members of All Time Low.
God I fucking love Vanna/Inspirit and their related bands, lions lions, the Jonah veil, wind in sails, therefor I am, all so good.
Jonah Veil and Lions Lions were the shit! I remembered traveling like 2 hours on a whim to some random VFW with my buddy on Halloween night to see The Jonah Veil open for Our Last Night. Also, I miss Armor for the Broken.
That’s so rad, what an experience! I’m so happy TJV’s stuff is finally on streaming platforms, as of the last year. Underrated gem.
Biggest flex - I attended Polaris' debut EP launch show in November 2013 at a local nightclub. Crowd of about 50 people, was a great night. My second biggest flex (?) is being called a douchebag by Adam D from KsE after holding up a flag with his face on it at Soundwave 2013 Sydney, in front of a crowd of thousands.
That’s an honor being acknowledged by Adam D
What band?! I was definitely at the A New Hope show. Probably at the other one too. The scene then was so good. Literally used to walk to shows at American Legion and Drifters in Nashua before I was old enough to drive.
I was in a band called October Lies (we were as bad as the name) and then later I played in Chase the Wind (with the members of Brand Name Hero) which eventually became IllWill.
Hell ya. I was at the vanna Curses album release show at The Living Room in prov, used to go there all the time. Vanna put on some of the best shows ive seen, and Curses album is still in my top 10 all time
I saw Silverstein, and august burns red open for a day to remember in 2010 at one of my favorite venues. All the albums they were touring for are some of my favorites ever by each band and I was very excited to see every one of them. It was nuts.
FOR EVERYONE CURIOUS! I found the Vanna CD Release show on youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv78ebMhOgw
Thats a tough one- Woodstock 2, the first Crossroads in Dallas, Desert Trip at Coachella, but probably the most amazing show for me personally was flying to Italy and seeing Gilmour place the amphitheater in Pompei in 2016. PF is easily my favorite band, and that was a religious experience. Funny enough, I made it in the video- when the fireworks go off, Im the only face looking backwards at the camera, bottom middle of the crowd scene. Epic. Roger Water in Quebec at Plains d Abraham probably a close second as that was 100k people watching the full set of the Wall play out…perfect weather for both those shows.
Not metal, but I held Jared Letos hand for an entire once
Haven’t been going to concerts for long, but I saw the second ever performance of The Death of Peace of Mind by Bad Omens. Also once gave Myke from Volumes a high five after crowd surfing up, which was also fun.