"R" Bands And Artists I Recall Seeing Live
98 as of last count
Ladies and Gentlemen…..The Letter “R” for your reading and listening pleasure.
If they are in BOLD they have been witnessed at least 2x.
Radiators (Aussie Band)-When I lived in Manly I wandered into the Old Manly Hotel when they were playing. I don’t think I stayed very long.
Radiators (New Orleans Band)
Radio Birdman
Rag And Bone Man
Raised By Eagles
Ralph Mctell-Somewhere, but not in the Streets Of London
Ramblin Jack Elliot-As the legend goes, Elliott's nickname originated with the folk singer Odetta's mother. “I knocked, and the door opened a crack, and I heard her say, 'Odetta, Ramblin' Jack is here,'” Elliott said. “I adopted it right away.”
The Jewish cowboy from Brooklyn is still with us at 92.
Ramones-1, 2, 3 the band from Forest Hills, New York. They are all gone now, but they will live forever.
Ratcat
Raul Malo
Raun Mckinnon
Ravi Shankar-A festival somewhere…..
Ray Beadle Band
Ray Charles-Only got to see Ray once and that was in Melbourne in 2003 a year before he died. Not at the top of his game, but good to bask in the legend that was Mr. Charles.
Ray Lamontagne-Ray has a lovely voice. When I saw him with John Stirrat (Wilco) on bass, in 2018, I enjoyed the gig for about the first 45 minutes. Unfortunately, the songwriting is not ‘stellar’ and I was kind of bored for the rest of the gig. Samey.
Ray Parker Jr (Raydio)
Real Life
Rebecca Barnard
Rebirth Brass Band
Red Clay Ramblers
Red Rivers-Whatever happened to the country/rockabilly guitarist from Australia Red Rivers? Caught him a number of times in small pubs in Sydney, but it has been a long time now. Think he is somewhere in Victoria running a recording studio, last I heard.
Redd Volkaert
Reels
Regurgitator
REM-Back in 2005 they played the Sydney Entertainment Centre with Bright Eyes. With my date at the time and Michael, as he is pictured in this page, launched into “I Took Your Name” from the Monster Album.
Stipe is prowling the stage and the crowd is digging it.
We are in the first row and Michael falls to his knees in front of us and sings directly into our faces. We all make eye contact with him and hold that stare. I think he expected us to look away so he kept on singing to us. He realised we were not going to flinch and smiled and we smiled back laughing.
1985 at the same venue it was REM, Grant Lee Buffalo and Died Pretty. My son Zac was about to be born but he ended up coming a week later. Thanks Zac!
Re-mains
Renaissance
Renee Geyer-RIP Renee. She had her own stool at The Basement in Sydney. I sat next to her and shared a drink one night. I recall it, I think she may have been on Planet Claire!
Renee Sweetman
Revelators
Reverend Horton Heat
Reverend Peytons Big Damn Band
Rhiannon Giddens
Rich Robinson
Richard Clapton
Richard Pleasance
Richard Thompson
Richie Havens
Richmond Fontaine
Rick Danko
Rick Derringer
Rick Estrin and The Nightcats
Rick James
Rickie Lee Jones
Ringo Starr
Rising Star Fife and Drum Band
Rob Snarksi
Rob Wasserman
Robben Ford
Robbie Robertson
Robert Cray
Robert Ellis
Robert Forster
Robert Gordon
Robert Lockwood Jr
Robert Palmer
Robert Parker
Robert Randolph - In 2003 Robert Randolph played to a paltry crowd at The Basement where he and his Family Band succeeded in taking the room apart piece by piece. Randolph made many lifelong fans after the blistering set he delivered that Easter Monday. After his second song he said, “I know y’all had a big long weekend. But we came here to party!” One of the most amazing pedal steel performances I have ever witnessed.
Robin Trower
Robin Williamson
Robyn Hitchcock
Roches
Rockin Dopsie and The Twisters
Rockpile-Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner and Terry Williams. They defined English pub rock and roll. One night at The Ritz in New York City my good friend Tony had trained down from Albany. He had been drinking and smoking weed and had had a huge day. By the time we met up and Rockpile had hit the stage, he was slumped on a stool asleep against the table.
I had checked on him a couple of times but he was out.
At the end of the gig I woke him up and he said, “Are they starting soon?”
Rod Piazza
Rod Stewart And The Faces-One time only. Not the original line-up, but was still damn fine. Madison Square Garden during their final tour.
The show featured lead singer Rod Stewart, keyboardist Ian McLagan, guitarist Ron Wood, drummer Kenney Jones, and bassist Tetsu Yamauch. Yamauch replaced founding bassist Ronnie Lane, who had left the band in the summer of 1973.
Roddy Frame
Rodriguez
Roger Glover
Roger Knox
Roger Mcguinn- Saw Roger at The Bottom Line in New York City and he had a guitar that lit up in all sorts of colours when he played “ 8 Miles High”. He also played quite a bit of 12-string. Right on, Roger.
Roger Waters- Something About a Wall.
Roky Erickson
Rolling Stones-1972. 15 years old. 8th row. Madison Square Garden. BLEW MY MIND.
Stevie Wonder was the support act. Read that again and imagine him doing songs from his new album “Talking Book”.
And of course the infamous tale of how I met my now ex-wife Julie on eBay when The Stones were playing The Enmore and she was trying to buy a ticket. (February 18, 2003)
I was surprised that people were going to pay over 1200 dollars for a ticket to see them in such a small venue.
Will write that tale in full someday!
Whoa.
Ron Peno
Ron Sexsmith
Ron Wood
Ronnie Lane
Roomful Of Blues
Roosevelt Sykes
Rory Block
Rory Gallagher- I saw him a few times at The Academy Of Music warming up for groups like Slade, Foghat, and others. He should have been top-billing. I can close my eyes and see him standing there in his flannel shirt just wailing.
Rose City Band-Cosmic Country Fabulousness
Rose Tattoo
Rosie Flores
Ross Wilson
Roxy Music- Finally saw them in 2022 in Los Angeles at The Forum. Fabulous gig.
Roy Buchanan- If you don’t know Roy, you don’t know great guitarists.
Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings
Royal Southern Brotherhood
Ruby Boots
Rufus Wainwright-February 14th 2005 at The Basement in Sydney. I think he might still be playing…..it was a very long gig.
Rumour
Russell Morris
Ruthie Foster-Ruthie has pipes. Check her out.
Ry Cooder-My love for Ry and his music and his slide and his politics is huge.
Ryan Adams- Ryan's first gig in Sydney in 2002 with his band The Sweetheart Revolution was on a hot summer night. The Metro was electrified with anticipation due to the hype around this 28-year-old rocker.
He did not let us down with his songs, his banter and a band that included my 2 favourite instruments, the pedal steel guitar and the Hammond Organ.
The Rolling Stones may no longer play “Brown Sugar” but Ryan did a cover in his very long set. He also bought a couple of cases of beer for the people up front. It was a very warm January night.
From that point on I never missed Ryan Adams when he came to town. Solo at The Sydney Opera House or a number of nights at The Enmore with his fabulous band The Cardinals. They took me to some psychedelic heights.
Or that night he had all the spotlights down at The Enmore and played under dark purple lights? No one past row 5 could see him but it sounded beautiful.
The last time I saw him at The Hordern he was in a grumpy state but still delivered. I walked out of that gig thinking he would never come back to Australia.
Some questionable and abusive behaviour buried Adams from that point onwards.
He is back and trying to find himself and his footing and apologising for whatever mistakes he made.
Ryan has been doing some shows with a re-vamped Cardinals this year:
Brad Pemberton
Chris Stills
Daniel Clarke
Don Was
He has advised the LAST Cardinal shows will be in October in the USA and that will be it. He will be retiring those songs. Check out one of them below in the clip.
Ryan Bingham