This is the 20th anniversary of the first time I recorded live audio at a concert. I had been thinking about doing it for awhile. I was way into live recordings and at this point I was buying a few of the unauthorized CDs that were floating around. I had an website for trading CDRs and was starting to acquire a good collection.
I vaguely knew what it took to make recordings. I had copies of a cassette with Slayer and Megadeth's sets from the Redrocks Clash of the Titans tour stop that my friends cousin had made. It was pretty rough but a fun listen. I though I could do a better job so it planted a little seed.
Then years later I meet a guy at a Foo Fighters in 96 or 97 who I saw messing with his DAT tape deck. He was a bit cagey but nice enough to answer some questions for me about his gear. That really peaked my interest and I started looking into gear.
My first foray was a minidisc recorder and some small coresound binaural mics. I did a few test runs at home but the first in the field run was at Smashing Pumpkins show with Queens of the Stone Age opening.
I botched the Pumpkins recording and don't think I'll be sharing that one but I managed to capture 99% of the Queens of The Stone Age set.
I hadn't listened to this recording for a long time and I recall it being way worse than it is. My gear wasn't quite equipped to handle the loud volume of a big show like that so there is some clipping and distortion. I've polished it up as much as I could and it's more than listenable.
I figured it was a nice enough to share a a glimpse into where I started on this odd hobby. It's been a fun 20 years and I have seen and recorded so many amazing things since then. I have also met a ton of fantastic people over these years in relation to live music that I call friends to this day.
I don't get out and record nearly as much as in my heyday but I don't stopping anytime soon either. It's become as much of an obsession as a hobby.
So here is my first recording every. Enjoy.
Queens Of The Stone Age
Ogden Theater
Denver CO (USA)
1999-04-19
Recorded and Mastered SxPxDxCx
Source: Coresound CSB's > Sharp 722 minidisc
Transfer: Sony MDS-JE330 (Analog) > Audition > CDWave > FLAC
Time: (34:31.37)
01 Avon (fades in)
02 Regular John
03 How to Handle a Rope
04 Mexicola
05 The Bronze
06 Millionaire
07 If Only
08 You Can't Quit Me Baby
LINK TO MP3 DOWNLOAD
