Concert #18 - Peter, Paul & Mary at the Universal Amphitheater (September 20, 1986)

Huge favorites of mine, I went to the show with great expectations. I had bought the tickets over the phone from Ticketmaster, and somehow I was under the impression that we had "orchestra pit" seats. It turned out we had "orchestra" seats, along with four thousand other spectators ... to add to the disappointment, our seats were on the far left of the stage, so we didn't even had a good view of my heroes. 

The show was pretty much in line with what we had seen on those much-aired public television pledge drive specials. Peter, Paul & Mary sang some of their old standards, along with some new material. Again, 25 years after the show, I can't positively recall any specific songs played that night, but I still remember that overall it was a satisfying concert.

 

Concert #17 - UB 40 at the Greek Theatre (September 13, 1986)

UB 40

This was my first and only reggae concert. Actually I went primarily to see the opening act, the Fine Young Cannibals, whose sound I really liked. But UB 40's "Rat In The Kitchen" and "Sing Our Own Song" were fun songs as well.

The Fine Young Cannibals

My seat was in the North Terrace, not the best, but definitely acceptable. Roland Gift, the voice of the Cannibals, sounded just like on their debut album.Overall, it was a good concert, but nothing more.

Concert #16 - INXS at the Greek Theatre (September 4, 1986)

Another summer concert at the Greek Theater. I remember listening to the "Listen Like Thieves" album as I was driving uphill. I sat at the North Terrace, not bad at all. The opening act was Del Fuegos, a rather forgettable act. INXS played "Listen Like Thieves", "Original Sin" and other hits, They were a great band to see live, with their power pop and mostly uptempo songs.

Concert #15 - The Cure at the Forum (July 27, 1986)

My seat was just below the nose-bleed area of the Forum, the lights were still on, when all of a sudden I heard loud screams coming from the floor. I saw people trying to disperse in all directions, while a bare-chested guy remained all by himself right in the middle of the floor. But let the Los Angeles Times continue the story:

Los Angeles, California: July 29, 1986, page 2:

A man stabbed himself repeatedly in the chest and stomach with a hunting knife in what police said appeared to be an attempt to impress a girl at a Forum rock concert. Inglewood police and security guards wrested the weapon from the hand of Jonathan Moreland, 38, and administered first aid until he could be turned over to paramedics, who took him to UCLA Medical Center for treatment. He was later reported in satisfactory condition. Bare chested and wearing a cowboy hat and jeans amid the mostly teen-age crowd that had come to hear The Cure, a British band, Moreland told police he wanted to impress a girl named Andrea. A suicide note was found in his truck, parked outside the arena. 

The concert started with a delay, of course, but the evening had been already ruined.

Concert #14 - Shirley Bassey at the Greek Theatre (1986)

 I had been listening to Shirley Bassey since her Goldfinger day, so having the chance to see her at the Greek was very special to me. We had seats in Section A, a bit to the right, so a small part of her backing orchestra was invisible to us. Shirley was in great vocal form, her show was very well paced, as you would expect from an artist of her caliber. It's a shame that I can't remember any of the songs she sang. 

 

Concert #13 - Stevie Nicks & Peter Frampton at the Pacific Amphitheatre (June 29, 1986)

I remember this concert for all the wrong reasons. I went for lawn seating, which turned out to be a terrible choice. The lawn area was just too far from the stage and it was no fun sitting on the ground for two full sets.

This was Stevie's "Rock A Little" tour. She was definitely not in good vocal form. Moreover, I found her show to be boring and unengaging, so I was relieved when finally it was time to go home. The Billboard magazine, in full agreement with my assessment of the concert, wrote an unflattering review, to put it mildly:

Concert Review

(Pacific Amphitheatre, June 29, 1986)

published in Billboard, July 26, 1986

(by Sharon Liveten)

The near capacity crowd that showed for Stevie Nicks' recent concert here was more than willing to accept anything she dished out, even when it was pabulum. Nicks has built her reputation on singing mystical songs with vaguely occult or Arthurian lyrics. This rather bumpy, glitzy show would have seemed more appropriate in Las Vegas than in a Welsh forest.

The first sign of trouble came early in the set, with "Outside the rain." Slowed from a soft-rocker to a dirge, the song would have befitted a lounge act better than a pop/rock headliner. The pace didn't pick up until guitarist and bandleader Waddy Wachtel virtually pushed the 10 person group into "I can't wait."

An incredible light show, more than six costume changes, two semi-erotic tango segments with a male dancer, and a five minute instrumental interlude during "Edge Of Seventeen" (while Nicks shook hands with and accepted teddy bears and shawls from the audience) could not substitute for professionalism.

Nicks has a unique raspy voice, which, given the proper circumstances, can be lovely. Unfortunately, the sloppy production of this show gave her no chance at all.

Stevie Nicks - Partial Set List

Outside the Rain
  Dreams
Talk to Me
I Need to Know
No Spoken Word
Beauty and the Beast
I Can't Wait
Leather and Lace
Stand Back
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
Edge of Seventeen
Rhiannon
Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You 

 Opening the proceedings, Peter Frampton played a decently long set which drew quite a bit from his "Frampton Comes Alive" album. Overall, it wasn't bad, but I was just too far from the action to really enjoy it.

Trying to get out of the parking lot was as painful as the rest of the evening. With very few exits and extremely undisciplined drivers, it took me close to an hour to reach the freeway. Without a doubt, it was one of the worst concert-going experiences I've ever had.

The Pacific Amphitheater