First live guitar influence?

[Davis Webb]

Shawn Phillips, Ann Arbor Michigan, 1970 something, early.

He showed up with a dozen guitars, the first drum machine I ever heard a tape delay.

Big Venue;;; John Martyn opening for Yes..solo, with a tape delay!

Wow..

[Rodger Knox]

Hofheinz Pavillion, 1970 BB King and Johnny Winter

[Nymuso]

The Kingston Trio, not because they were such great players, but because as a kid I remember thinking, "That doesn't look so hard - I can do that!" Turns out I was right.

Never got to see that original Trio live, but I did see Shane with George Grove and another guy under the KT moniker in the mid 80s.

[DavyM]

JeeBee1404

I notice you're in Lincolnshire, did you get to the 'Spalding BBQ 67' event?

Cream and Hendrix on the same bill along with Pink Floyd and many others. Clapton won the day, they seamed to be good friends and no rivalry as the press was wont to promote.

[started with 1]

I saw Tommy Emmanuel on Tuesday and I can't decide if he made me want to play more or quit all together.

[Blunote]

For me, my first concert was at Pine Knob, North of Pontiac, MI, 1973. Logins and Messina were headlining. Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger were the warm-up act.

Pavilion seats, $6.

[The Growler]

Originally Posted by started with 1

I saw Tommy Emmanuel on Tuesday and I can't decide if he made me want to play more or quit all together.

Haha! Don't feel bad. We've seen this post before and said the same ourselves. Tommy would tell you to practice.

[The Bard Rocks]

1960, a Hootenanny at a bible Conference. No idea the name so who was playing; there was a teen with a classic and one with the tenor and everyone had so much fun, I resolved to learn to play as soon as I got back home. I did too.

[shadow714]

In 1979, saw a no name trio in a dive bar play southern man an jammed it for 20 minutes. Still one of the best live experience I remember. Thought to myself, man, I would love to do that!

[rwmct]

First big concert was in 77 or 78, the Dead at the Hartford Civic Center.

However, there was a local Connecticut band at the time, Little Village, that was my first live band. They had two good guitarists. One who was known for a mean, rocked up take on BB King, and another who played some slightly jazzy slide. They had some good originals and they did very good covers. They were the first good guitarists I saw live.

Funny, they cut an album but it did not have nearly the pop that their live show did. But I loved going to see them. And they played venues, like Shaboo, that national acts played. Good times.

[gmr]

Merle Haggard at the Muskogee Civic Assembly center in the late 60s I think. I was maybe in the 1st or 2nd grade. My favorite artist, by a fair margin. And Marty Robbins a few years later. He played a little parlor sized guitar that night. I was inthralled by his coolness and that tiny guitar.

[Rockysdad]

First live guitar influence, hmmm,...…….. that would have been mid to late sixties, possibly early seventies, hmmm,...…. wait, what was the question again?

[M19]

Originally Posted by started with 1

I can't say I listen to too much "Yes" these days but the other three, The Band, the Dead and Little Feat, are still among my favorites. When choosing a new song to learn these are often my go-to catalogs.

Not a Steve Howe fan? He was my first major guitarist influence.

Still listen to Yes. And The Band.

No Dead.

[KevWind]

Probably local bands like the Portland Zoo at the Crystal Ballroom 1967 I was 17

First experience with a National act was probably
Aug-29 1968 : Portland Civic Auditorium - Portland, OR
Iron Butterfly ...... Eric Brann on Guitar was pretty amazing, 18 at the time

[Steve DeRosa]

Took lessons from this guy in the early-60s when he was a teenage phenom, before he became a jazz legend: