VIRTUAL TICKET STUB GALLERY: Seeing the band in its original lineup (or in partial groupings thereof), Part 1

This post runs a little long, so I'm going to split it into three separate sections to run over the next few days. 

I've had the great fortune to catch a lot of bands in live performances. My first concert was in 1976, my first rock 'n' roll club show in 1978, so my Virtual Ticket Stub Gallery has amassed a whole lotta virtual ticket stubs. Many of my rockin' pop peers have seen many, many more shows than I have, and others have not had as much opportunity as I've enjoyed.

Furthermore, I've been lucky enough to see a number of bands with their original lineups intact. In some cases, this was simply because I got to see the group early enough in their own timeline that individual members hadn't yet departed for greener pastures elsewhere. And sometimes, a reunion gig or tour roped in all of the group's original participants.

I started to think about what groups I've seen in their intact original configurations, which ones I've seen with just one original member missing, and which I've seen all or most of the OG, but not all at the same time.

For "original lineup," we're referring to whatever configuration most would accept as the original, usually whoever was in the band at the time of their first record. We are not under oath at any time during this exercise.

First, we have the groups I saw in their intact original lineups: 

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THE ANIMALS

THE BANGLES

CHEAP TRICK

CULTURE CLUB

ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS

THE EVERLY BROTHERS

THE FLASHCUBES

THE GEORGIA SATELLITES

KISS

LIVING COLOUR

THE LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH

PETER, PAUL AND MARY

THE PRETENDERS

PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION [if we presume the Purple Rain band is the original lineup under this billing]

THE RAMONES

THE RECORDS

THE SKELETONS

THE SMITHEREENS

THE STRAY CATS

TALKING HEADS

Plus:

THE FOUR TOPS [I have a vague memory of seeing the Four Tops at the New York State Fair in the '80s; can't guarantee it's true]

That's where we start. For further reading, I refer you to reminiscences of my first times seeing KISS, the Flashcubes, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, the Ramones (with the Flashcubes and the Runaways), and the Bangles. We'll come back tomorrow for acts I saw with one of its founding members MIA.

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Carl's new book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is now available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/

If it's true that one book leads to another, my next book will be The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). Stay tuned. Your turn is coming.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.

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