Bands you have seen more than once separated by (very) long spans of time

If we're looking for the longest time between the first time and the most recent time then Alternative TV, The Damned, Buzzcocks, Chelsea, The Fall, John Otway, UK Subs and The Vibrators must have all clocked up somewhere between 27 and 29 years.

As far as Stewart's question, I listed both - SCG separated by longest gap, Mecca Normal separated by first time vs. most recent time. Either are good, but I think I was originally going for longest gap.

And arjun, I knew for sure there was NO WAY I had the longest time period here. I've only been going to concerts for 27 years! Now if I could just see Molly Hatchet again that would be my record...

Forget it. no.

Although I guess you 20+ years people have me beat, too.

Longest gap ... I think it's for Tindersticks in 1997 and not again until 2004.

New Order first time 1981 last time 2005. : 24 years. (Lots in between though).

If I can count Joy Division it would go 1978 - 2005 : 27 years.

My sister can do Buzzcocks (w/Devoto) 1976 - last seen 2006. 30 years - beat that.

Heck, I forgot that! Same for me too!

Nowhere, just lurking quietly.

Built To Spill: 1995, 2003 (8-year gap)
Sonic Youth: 1994, 2004 (10-year gap)
Corin Tucker: 1994 (Heavens To Betsy), 2006 (S-K) 12 years without seeing this girl play. She improved a bit.

I MUST remember Lydia Pense's voice for when I get to answer James Lipton's questionaire.

Note to self: must go and see The Damned or The Vibrators again next year and revive thread.

Doc, if I were to go and see A Nation Mourns again, what would that add up to? 23 years?

Nomeansno: 1991, 1993, then 2005... 12 years.

Are we counting via just the first and last time seen? Or the longest break in between?

Either. I was more interested in stories about how the bands had changed/developed than rankings, but this is fun.

1st place: Dadaismus (33 years)
2nd place: Dr. C's sister (30 years)
3rd place (tie) Stewart, Dan Heilman, Dr. C's mate Ted (29 years)

(assuming blount isn't actually over 53 years old)

Sun City Girls..

Summer 1984... age 17... I go to my first hardcore show (I had seen The Clash, Elvis Costello, etc. but not an actual homegrown USHC show) in Bloomington Indiana (I was there for early registration, entering as a freshman in the fall). Jody Foster's Army, SCG, and a local band (The Natives, I think). Your typical all-ages dive. This weird band lurches on stage. One of them is wearing a dress. They sing this incredibly obscene song about Nancy Reagan! Not like thrash at all. I liked them. Unfortunately most of this show is lost in the mist of time inside my brain. A track from this gig ended up on the Def In Italy album.

Didn't catch up with the band until later in the decade, around '88-'89 courtesy of a tape-trade with a friend. In the 90's I bought a lot of their stuff. By the 2nd gig I saw, in 2001, I was familiar with most of their material. And they were really good. I swear we saw some alien thing coming out of AB's throat as he wailed. This show later became the CDs Severed Finger With A Wedding Ring and (half of) Flute And Mask.

Saw Chicago when I was in elementary school, as their "19" album was the first record that I owned that wasn't a hand me down from my father. Saw them again two weeks ago -- they were surprisingly tight and preferred the 70's material. Of the 80's pop material, they only played the best of the best, because they probably realized nobody was there to hear "What Kind of Man Would I Be?".

so that would be 1989 first show, 2010 last one.

Had a ticket for one of The Fall's NYC shows that got cancelled last year, which would've been 24 years after I first saw them in 1993.

Saw the Pretenders in 1987 and 2017 (30 yrs). Remarkably similar-sounding shows - the voice has not changed. First show was with Iggy Pop and second with Stevie Nicks!

This is a bit easier in the reunion era. Longest gap between would be Lush 1996-2016, but longest gap for a band that still existed probably Radiohead 1995-2012 (friend had a spare ticket and was on their own, I wouldn't have paid to see Radiohead in 2012). Don't think anything else comes close to those.

Chicago - 1989 (9 years old), then again in 2010 (30 years old)

This doesn't really count, but the first show I ever saw was the B-52's in 1982 and then last year I caught Cindy Wilson's solo show, so for one moment in time I was able to say my first ever show and my last show featured the same singer, separated by 35 years.

also Incantation, first saw in 2000, did not see again until 2016, so 16 years apart.

Wilco on their first tour for A.M.
then this past summer with Kurt Vile opening

Spoon in 2001 then this past summer in Nashville at some radio event. They're not bad live these days, but back then, woof.

My Bloody Valentine in 1991 and again in 2012, 21 years.

Mark Eitzel, first with American Music Club in 1993, then again solo last year, for 24 years.

Ian Hunter in 1979, then again in 2014 for 35 years. (gulp)

Ian Hunter plays in Boston next month, thinking about going in order to to hit the big 3-9.

Hmm, if Mike Oldfield was to tour I could make 38 years.

This is cheating, I know, but I saw Husker Du in 1985 and Bob Mould in 2013--28 years. Both shows were in medium-sized clubs: the 2013 club was there in 1985, but the 1985 club was gone a few years later.

Metallica - 1999, and then last year in 2017.

also Cryptopsy in 2001 and then again in 2015. I do this a lot apparently.

man or astroman, 1995 and 2016

i guess i could beat that score by going to see the beach boys (saw them in yankee stadium in 1985), but i'm not going to go and see the beach boys.

Like Colonel Poo I think Lush would be my current winner as such -- several times up through 1992, then not again until 2016. But in terms of bands/performers that continued on, I'm not sure. Have to think about this!

Einsturzende Neubauten 89, 97 and 2004 and a few other times but I know that 97 and 2004 were an interval and the previous one is probably pre '92.
& I should try to see them again

There's a fudge I could claim -- last saw Yo La Tengo proper in 1992, but I did see them in September backing up Robyn Hitchcock out here.

how was everybody's experience the second time around in these instances?

I found seeing Chicago as an adult interesting because they were my first concert, at the age of 9. My parents were HUGE Chicago fans, and my dad bought me Chicago 19 (an unremarkable album but I was a kid) on vinyl along with my first record player. and growing up I loved most of their songs, so I was thrilled with the show. Saw them a few years ago and remarkably still felt a little excitement seeing them again, granted missing lots of original members.

First time I saw MBV I was totally enthralled, completely immersed myself in that wall of noise, got right up to the speakers...couldn't get enough, it was like a religious experience. Most recent time I saw them was like being in the same room as an nuclear-powered leaf-blower. Still a fan, but seeing all the warning signs posted in the venue about earplugs/hearing damage made me wonder what the point of it all was. Guess that's what 21 years of living does to you.

I definitely feel like the experience of concerts has diminished for me since I've become a fiscally-responsible adult, because growing up, a concert was a special treat, whereas now, it's basically "Thursday night" for me.

Gang of Four, 1982 and 2015

The first was an outdoor show that was being broadcast on the college radio station, and I recorded it off the air on my boombox while at the show

Second time was good but the house sound was oddly quiet

saw the Music Tapes/NMH guys doing a Christmas show in Athens in 2001/2002 in a tiny room that couldn't hold more than 50. then saw a reunited Neutral Milk Hotel play Shakey Knees Music Festival ten years later with the same performers in a totally different venue - huge outdoor festival, big crowd, etc. both times were amazing

how was everybody's experience the second time around in these instances?

― Hi diddley dee, hen fapper's life for me (Neanderthal)

i liked man or astroman a little better the first time around but a lot of that was probably because i was younger. they had great opening acts both times. the first time it was the delta 72, who would have blown man or astroman off the stage if man or astroman weren't so good, and the second time it was a shoegaze band called wray who were a lot of fun.

Swans in 1992 and 2017 but disqualified for not being the same band by a long shot

Ian Hunter plays in Boston next month, thinking about going in order to to hit the big 3-9.

you would have to unsee him in 2014 for this to work

I saw Dio in 1986, then again in 2003 - 17 year gap. The 1986 show was my first concert, and it was great. Dio was headlining, Accept was opening. At the 2003 show, Dio was second on the bill, after Motörhead but before Iron Maiden. He was still good, but his high level of theatricality didn't really work as well on the smaller, more naked stage awarded non-headliners. It was like seeing someone you'd seen leaading a full-on Broadway show now doing dinner theater.

xpost with my failing memory these days that's a pretty sure bet...definitely remember way more about the '70 show than the , uh, what was it we were talking about now?

'79 show - that was a typo, not a senior moment

Outkast in 2001 and 2014. 2 of the greatest shows I've ever seen

Thought of another one that equals the Radiohead one. Saw Sexton Ming support Sonic Youth in 2000, and last year in a local pub.

This probably doesn't count but:
Beach Boys: 1977
Brian Wilson (doing Beach Boys material): 2005

Not that I saw either one, but if anyone saw Kate Bush's two live outings that would be a possible winner. 35 years.

McCartney in 89 and 201

Anvil at Monsters Of Rock in 1982 (rubbish), then again post-documentary in London, 2009 (still rubbish, went on a spare guest list spot). If they can't improve in 27 years then I'm calling it as a hopeless case.

my Dad saw Todd Rundgren three times, once in '75, once with Utopia in '84, then just now a couple months ago

he said the first one was excellent (first date with my Mom!), second one was alright (apparently the crowd wasn't into it), and the last one was the weirdest show he's ever seen

Next month I'll have an opportunity to see Clan of Xymox, almost 31 years since I first saw them touring for Medusa in '87. I haven't much cared for anything they've done in well over 25 years though, so will likely skip it.

Longest span I can think of is New Model Army in '89 and '09. Fantastic both times.

King Crimson in 1974 and last year. They were awfully good both times!