Biggest PP regrets

[Daybreaker]

Most everyone here is a multi year attendee but sometimes we don't make em all. What bands have you missed that you just think, man I blew it there didn't I? Pink Cream 69 and Virgin Steele. After wanting Virgin Steele since PP IV I'm still mad at myself for missing them. And then Pink Cream 69. Man, I was out on the road for that one but still that one kind of haunts me.

 

[sh0kr0k]

Oh this is easy: Devin Townsend and Secret Sphere

Back then, I didn't really know much about Devy and decided to wait in the Edguy autograph line during his set. I think I saw half a song and barely heard the rest in the lobby. It wasn't even worth it because my picture with Tobias turned out like crap (the dude who took it for me got the top half of our heads) and I don't care about autographs anymore. I would say that was one of the most memorable/talked about/loved/hated sets in PP history... and I missed it for a crappy picture

Secret Sphere was a band I REALLY wanted to see and had been looking forward to their set for months! Well, somewhere along the way I confused the set times and thought they were playing after Circle II Circle who I didn't really know back then. I figured, "Okay, I don't know CIIC much and I need to eat dinner since I won't have time for the rest of the night. I'll do it now and then get in there just before Secret Sphere!" So I eat.. I wander around the vendor tables.. I wait around in a booth, knowing I'll be standing the rest of the night... Eventually I head for the performance room and get in the doors just as the curtain opens and I see the giant Circle II Circle banner! I was so upset at myself for mixing up the schedule and very disappointed to have missed the band when all I was doing was sitting around. Since it seems like a lot of people didn't like them, I doubt they'll be back

 

[MysticX9]

After Forever - I lost track of time back at the hotel and returned to find they had already played

 

[Rider of Theli]

opting out of the entire ProgPower IV weekend.

I had attended II and III with gold badges, so of course I lost my gold badge status and had to wait until VI to receive them again after attending V with regular tickets.

But I am mostly kicking myself in the ass to this day for missing Nightwish (with Tarja - never seen them live except last year) and Pagan's Mind (now one of my top 5 favorite prog/power bands). Initially there simply weren't enough 'new' bands on the PPIV roster to pique my interest that year. And I had already seen Evergrey and Symphony X. Money was tight; Patrick was in marching band and not guaranteed to attend; and there was a lot of overtime to be had at work. So I opted out.

Since that show I have become a big fan of Pagan's Mind, Mercenary and of course Circle II Circle.

I have vowed since that show that I will not miss another ProgPower USA event unless my life is at stake.

 

[General Zod]

So far... none. We've been fortunate in that we haven't had anything come up that's forced us to miss a PP. Hopefully our luck continues.

Zod

 

[edgeofthorns]

The two bands that I regret NOT seeing the most at ProgPower are Nightwish and Balance of Power. There's not a snow ball's chance of me seeing Nightwish with Tarja or BOP with Lance now.

~Brian~

 

[Kimavir]

PPV. What are the odds something like WMDs will happen again? I'd say looooow. Was that the year with "ladies and gentlemen... Midnight!" as well?

You just can't miss a year of this fest. Something special and unexpected is always going to happen. I haven't missed another since.

 

[J-Man]

Missing PPVI, due to accepting a promotion and having to attend a company wide meeting in Boston from Wed thur late Friday. I really want to see Orphaned Land, Therion and the Conception reunion. I vow to never miss another one as long as I am healthy.

 

[Azrael LenGraden]

I am pretty sure we are going to end up missing this year as Angelia and I are getting married 3 weeks after PP and the cost of the wedding and honeymoon are really adding up. I really wanted to see Pathosray this year... JOP will be in Chicago right after PP so that is cool... The more I listen to Mustache the more I would like to see them as well... Helloween is hitting Chicago as well so I'm not missing out on that...most of all we will just miss out on hanging out with the coolest bunch of Metal Heads there are...

 

[kittybeast]

PPV was to be my first one... then my sister in FL got very very sick and it had been years since I'd seen her... so off to FL we go.

missing Tad Morose left me a tad morose. yeah you knew it was coming.

 

[Dolamite S. Biffle]

Well I missed I-V, so there's that then I got sick/way too exhausted/hungover during Therion at VI and Mercenary at VII.

 

[Matt Crooks]

I missed PP II, which is the only one so far. I am bummed I didn't get to see ARK, but since I missed PPUSA II so that I would have the money for my wedding, it was worth it.

 

[DAVETHEMETALGUY]

no regrets

 

[booB]

Secret Sphere was a band I REALLY wanted to see and had been looking forward to their set for months! (...) Since it seems like a lot of people didn't like them, I doubt they'll be back

You mean, "since people had sticks up their ass about them." Like Devy, they put on a perfectly good show, but their "cheesy" presentation prompted everyone to make fun of them. In Devy's case, it was the mock "insults" that he hurled at the audience that offended everyone. In Secret Sphere's case, it was the zebra-print spandex that the vocalist was wearing. Granted, the album that they played most of their material from (Scent of Human Desire) wasn't very good, but they played plenty of older stuff that people would have enjoyed, if they were paying attention.

My only regret so far is Jon Oliva's Pain/WMD. It was my first time hearing the Pain stuff. I listened to the first few songs, and I didn't really get into it, and I went into the lobby to socialize. Savatage having been my favorite band for a long time, I had already seen them in several incarnations, so I skipped the WMD portion of the set as well. If I had known then that they would not be doing any sort of anniversary tour, I probably would have watched the WMD set. As for the Pain material, I plan on making up for my transgression this year.

 

[MetalOperaChick]

I only regret that last year was my first year. Wish I could have been attending for since year one!

 

[FatesFan]

I only regret that last year was my first year. Wish I could have been attending for since year one!

Ditto. Do to many issues way beyond my control, I did not attend until last year. So I have missed many bands that I may never see again. I have made up for some of them ( BG, Epica, Symphony X, etc.) but I have many more to see.

 

[Magius]

Missing III. Fortunately I've made up seeing all the bands I consider relevent except for Silent Force.

 

[PM1metal1]

I missed Rage because of a really "Proggy" lineup for me. I would have liked to see Rage but I just couldn't sit through all that other stuff.

 

[booB]

I only regret that last year was my first year. Wish I could have been attending for since year one!

You will be from now on. Face it, you're addicted.

 

[Sumeet]

I don't have any regrets about missing bands. I didn't go to the first ProgPower show in Chicago in Feb 2001. People continue to wax poetic about how great Pain Of Salvation was at that show, but seeing as how I was never a huge fan of them to begin with, I am not too broken up about missing it, heh. Subsequently, I went to ProgPower II in Nov 2001, and have gone every year since, and only some kind of dire emergency could keep me from going in the future. I have been familiar with at least half the bands every year, some years with almost all of them. So even if there are bands I am not that familiar with, I don't skip any performances. I don't drink that much, so I've never had inebriation / hangover issues that made me miss bands, and I make sure I have enough to eat (but not too much) before the show, so I don't have to run out in the middle for dinner. Now, I know I'm not getting any younger, but so far I've had enough stamina to get through all the bands over all 3 (and now 4) days. And I mean standing up. I don't sit for performances. I tried that a few times in years past, and paradoxically, it left me with even less energy than if I were standing.