Gig travellers?!

[Sam.]

Just saw that a member here is going to Blackpool to see Elbow, and Glastonbury and York and London for various shows. Talk about traveling the country.

So I wondered, which bands would you be willing to travel the earth (country?) to see?

Personally, only the Arctic Monkeys, but possibly not even them.

[superdry]

June 2004 I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Paris, Amsterdam, Manchester, London Hyde Park (twice) and Cardiff over 8 days.

I was 19, had the money and the time to do it and I loved every minute of it. I wouldn't travel that far to see a single band anymore now mainly because I've bills to pay. Tickets plus travel for one band is just too huge compared to a weekend at a festival where I can see more acts and do more things.

Edited February 10, 2009 by superdry

[Lake]

I'd love to follow a Pearl Jam tour in the US. Quality live band.

Arcade Fire are worth seeing as many times as possible too.

[darrenbha]

Followed the cure around europe on the prayer tour and seen most uk shows since. Seen carter in glasgow and birmingham in last 2 years and oasis in cardiff. Will travel any distance if i want to see a band

[Mardy]

Yeah, absolutely, if it's someone I want to see, then yeah, I'll fly over from Moscow to the UK for it. Done it for quite a few gigs. Was planning a trip over to see Jeffrey Lewis in a few weeks time, but it's sold out

[Joshuwarr]

Radiohead and The Cribs.

There are a few bands who if they reformed I'd so the same for: Pixies, Larrikin Love, Be Your Own PET

[Darkshine84]

Muse, seen them 9 times in various venues.

Brighton Centre, Wembley Arena, Earls Court, Wembley Stadium, Eden Project, Royal Albert Hall. Never been up North to see them, but I was going to their Marley Park and Murrayfield gigs until work decided I couldn't have the time off.

[Sam Crawley]

Last year three of us cycled for charity (AVERT) from London to Lille, which is near Arras, which is where by complete coincidence Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Vampire Weekend and the Wombats were playing the following day. Over 160 miles over 24 hours, we had earned our beers and earned those gigs! And no we didn't cycle back!!

Incidentally if anyone fancies seeing Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand and others, they're playing Arras this year. The festival's called Main Square Festival, website here. Is quite a good trip if you can find cheap Eurostar deal.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Sam Crawley

[mr_bizarre]

Planned a holiday to Switzerland so it coincided with a Rammstein tour, they were f*cking awesome!!!

[Pulpfan]

Usually just stick to Belfast & Dublin gigs. But have flew over to for the following

New Order @ Hyde Park 2005

Ryan Adams @ The Sage, Newcastle 2006

Morrissey @ Carling Academy, Glasgow 2006

Madonna @ Millenium Stadium, Cardiff 2006

Pet Shop Boys @ Carling Academy, Manchester 2007

Prince @ o2, London 2007

Sigur Ros @ Ally Pally, London 2008

Glastonbury 2007

End of the Road Festival 2008

Glastonbury 2009

Edited February 10, 2009 by Pulpfan

[Dark Star]

Have travelled around the country in the past for Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and in March am giong to see The Gaslight Anthem in Norwich and Nottingham.

Living in Exeter means I have to travel halfway across the country to see anyone.

Next time Pearl Jam do Europe I'm going to do Europe too. It can be done fairly cheaply (barring ticket costs) and I'm not one for big expensive holidays. I'd rather not go to the pub for 2-3 months to save and do something like that instead.

[disasterplan44]

Last year I went from Southside festival in Germany straight to Glasto, straight over to Roskilde then to Leeds to see The Hold Steady, did a few days in Paris and then down to Barcelona for Summercase. A then did a couple of weeks off and went over to Belgium for Pukkelpop.

[usatoglas]

flew from washington dc to london to see neil young and crazy horse at the fleadh

done quite a few other long distance gigs but none of that magnitude

[Sam.]

When I was a little child (I was 17...), i went to see the Kaiser Chiefs in Glasgow. Being from Manchester that was a fair trek?

[scaryclaireyfairy]

i've never left the u.k. for a gig, but i have followed radiohead the length and breadth of the country.

[Sipperana]

Just saw that a member here is going to Blackpool to see Elbow, and Glastonbury and York and London for various shows. Talk about traveling the country.

[SoCalMusicLover]

In the U.S., I've traveled out of state to see:

Bruce Springsteen

U2

Garth Brooks

In 2005, I traveled to Europe and saw 4 U2 shows, plus Live 8 in Hyde Park.

This year, looking to go even more nuts, hoping to see Bruce, Dave Matthews Band, U2 & possibly James Taylor.

[grumpyhack]

Went to Paris to see the Stones. Well actually I was planning a holiday in France anyway but juggled the start to take in the show.

Also saw Ray Charles at the Cognac Blues Festival, which was awesome. That again was a lucky chance as I was on holiday in France, picked up a local paper for a weather forecast and saw an ad. They wouldn't take telephone bookings so I had to drive 200 miles to buy the ticket and then return three days later to see the man. But it was worth it.

[hazey_jane]

I used to live in SW Germany and I flew over to London to see The Who at Wembley Arena in 2000 (I think) and am so glad that I did as it was the last time I saw them perform with John Entwistle. I also managed to coincide a trip back to London with a Beth Orton gig at the Union Chapel which was pretty special. I have also travelled to Belgium (where I live now) to see Paul Weller and Billy Bragg in concert, a couple of days after I'd seen him in Germany.

Speaking of Weller, one of these years I'll follow him on one of his European tours, possibly doing all the German dates as he plays such tiny venues. Everytime I've seen him in Germany and Belgium I've been right up against the front of the stage.

[fantomas]

Out of England gigs I've done:

Pearl Jam - Paris 2000

Pearl Jam - New Jersey 2003

Pearl Jam - Marseille 2006

Pearl Jam - Verona 2006

Some of the best holidays I've had too.

never really travelled around any of the UK outside of where I live for gigs though, went to Wolverhampton to see counting crows once back in 2000 and saw ginger (wildhearts) in pompey once. I think that's about it.

Edited February 18, 2009 by fantomas

[.jay.]

if a band i like are playing ina place i've never been that is easy and affordable to get to on a weekend then i will try and go, not only to see the band but also to check out the city and the sights and everything.

i went to Amsterdam to see Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2004 and i went to Berlin to See Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal & Masters of Reality all on the same bill last summer.

my trip to Berlin last summer in all cost me £76 for gig ticket, Flights and Accomodation it seems daft not to go really, and i got to see Berlin for the first time and loved it.

i may be going to Brussels to see Eagles of Death Metal in March as it is only a couple of hours or so by train from where i live and you can get fairly cheap train tickets.

as for travelling within the UK to gigs that's just not really viable due to the cost of traveling by train and nobody i know really wanting to drive long distances, i mainly stick to brighton and london as they are close to me but i sometimes go to portsmouth and have been to bristol.

Edited February 18, 2009 by .jay.