The Sisters Of Mercy

Another gig not to forget. It has been their most successful year and their Vision Thing tour. Everybody adored Mr. Eldritch, still I found it so awkward these days that in a totally dark ambience, he wore black sunglasses all the time.

As far as I can remember, this gig has been moved from Kurhalle Oberlaa to Stadthalle (I might be wrong).


Buddies: Bine, other guys from HL
Score: 5 out of 5
Another gig: See above

Guest Review by Flyingsheep: Alice Cooper

By: Flyingsheep (many thanks, mate)

Alice ´88, what an event. Of course, his biggest times (regarding his influences in the rock scene, at least) were in the early and mid-seventies, but this is the tour after "Raise Your Fist And Yell", which was (and is) a great record. Songs like "Gail", "Prince Of Darkness" and "Freedom" are very fine ones. 

Alice´s band is a tight rock band, almost "heavy metal"; of course, the lead guitarist is a particular eye-catcher, being a kind of metal-version of Arnold Schwarzenegger (his name is Kane Roberts, if my memory´s correct). The show is awesome, especially I you´ve never seen Alice before. I´m not quite sure about the way he died on stage, but I think he got hanged, as shown on the very pretty ticket. 

The funniest part is, of course, getting some of the fake blood that came in big balloons which are thrown above the audience at the end of the concert. One of these balloons explode right above me, and blood is on my hands and on my shoes! I won´t clean my shoes for a long time - but can't save the blood on my hands, though, for obvious reasons...

Iron Maiden & The Waysted & Guests

It is my very first heavy metal gig, and in these times, I am already completely into the music. These are the times of Iron Maiden, so the stage was very impressive and the entire gig is a blast. Open air on Donauinsel, just great (as I read on a Maiden fanpage, it's been their largest and only open air gig in Austria of their career so far).

Buddies: Action, Han+Lisi (THX MATE FOR THE TICKET), Herb, Pez, Wal and other buddies from HL
Score: 5 out of 5
Another gig: Rather not in these times :-)

Dire Straits

It has been my first gig in Vienna besides visits of Musikvereinssaal and Konzerthaus. It had been the 'Brothers In Arms' tour, but I would not have guessed it back to May 1985. And THANKS TO ACTION, here is even the ticket!!! We arrived in a school bus. Being already into 80ies heavy music, I was just looking forward to a concert with a decent guitar performance.

Buddies: Prof. Hofer, ACTION (you RULE!), Pez, flyingsheep, and other school buddies
Score: 4 out of 5 stars
Another gig? Rather not.


In retrospect, it's just great that our music teacher organized and joined us to this gig. I am also not so sure whether anybody of us had been aware of the massive success that Dire Straits landed with this recording.

This concert was huge in any respect and very good. Mark Knopfler played his Strat in this very special way, and even without having known Dire Straits that much, I understood the strength of his performance and of the music. But I also remember the overly lengthy songs that made it sometimes tough for me to follow (in those young times :-).

In any case, this co
ncert probably set the basis for my further quest for live gigs - just a very good start.