I don't think there's any one band that I would travel more than three hours to see.

That's crazy to me. Do you live in an area that's just flooded with good shows or something?

Count_V and I pretty much consider a 4 hour drive some routine shit. It's usually the most fun part anyways, jamming classic records the whole way and talking nonsense.

I'd fund their albums. And I'd travel anywhere.
Luckily, my favorite band is relatively popular. I've only had to travel about 40 minutes to see them live. Probably have spent around $100 total: CDs, 2 shirts, show admission.

I tried to go to Holland to see the gathering live, but didn't get a passport in time. Going to try again soon. Got their logo tattooed as well, but then tons of people have band stuff tattooed.

If Demilich or At the Gates ever came Stateside again, I'd be willing to go just about anywhere in the country assuming it's during the summer. Fortunately, I live near a major city, so chances are they'd stop by.

Not very far seeing as I don't have a favorite band and I work full time and have to many priorities. Unless it was Mr. Bungle. I don't really know what I would to go see them but I'd do it (but nothing insane.)

Well, I traveled 1600km to and from Athens on my birthday without knowing if i could stay with my brother who was on vacation there, didn't know how I was going to go to the festival and come back (the festival was outside Athens), paid 250euros in the process, which is a lot of money around here, my phone died and i don't mean the battery, just to see Down and I would gladly do it again. It was the best day of my life seeing my favourite band on my birthday, meeting some cool people along the way.

Furthest I've gone so far is Montreal from Winnipeg to see Pagan Altar at Montreal is Doomed, that was fun. Going to MDF this year to see a bunch of favorites. Traveling to see bands is great fun.

...

But to answer the post, no distance is too great. I have no thoughts of my convenience at all. Hell, I've driven to Kingston just to eat at Red Lobster! So for something important, like a major concert, whatever it takes.... I'm ready to hop over to Leeds Damnation (U.K.) for the Carcass reunion.

Cephalic Carnage is finally coming back to The Netherlands in a couple of weeks. I have final exams on the day they play, the day after and the day after that. I'm still not sure if I'm going because I should have finished school when I was 18 and I'm 21 now. I really don't want to wait another year to go to university. That said, I'll probably go anyway. If I do end up going to the concert, that'll be the furthest I've gone for a band, since it might cost me an entire year of my life.

Few times over 1000 km. Usualy on festivals, where I can see few favorites.

My roommates and I drove from New Orleans to Houston for Sabaton 2 weeks ago. Then I flew to Los Angeles to see them again. That wasn't the sole reason for my travels but I did some creative scheduling. Most times I won't even meander down the street if there is a hefty cover charge. Then there's the idiot audience to contend with...

Even seeing Sabaton, I had to contend with jackasses all over the place. L.A. was worse than Houston. Stupid kids, probably on molly, throwing themselves into people. I would just shut my eyes and throw an elbow behind me to establish not to touch me. I know I assume the risk taking to the floor but I wanted the best real estate possible. Knock a couple people down and usually they stop bothering you. I hadn't been to a typical metal show like that since Down back in 2011. I forgot how fucking awful the crowd is at those things, especially when they are younger. I don't pay all that money and do all that traveling to be smeared up against a bunch of paunchy white people. I probably would NOT do that again.

Oh and while I'm venting. Fuck that mosh pit brotherhood nonsense. Don't fucking touch me. I will put you down and not help you up. When I'm paranoid about raising my arms up, thus exposing my rib cage to a stray elbow or shoulder, you've taken me out of the moment. The moment I have paid for. Endanger my safety AND my money? You just clicked my only 2 buttons, son.

I also drove through snowstorm in Pennsylvania to see Whitesnake in 2003. But I was 17 and stupid.

Edit: double post

Across the street.

I've been lucky enough to see pretty much all of my favourite bands without it costing over 200 € and within the borders of Finland.
But... If such a thing would happen that Marillion would play a show with Fish fronting, the setlist consisting of the first four albums, I would stop at nothing to see it.
No matter the cost, no matter the continent. I will look for them, I will find them and I will see them.

So, we're a year later. I didn't go that time, but that does mean that I am now the proud owner of a degree that gets me into university! (which I already fucked up this year)

So I saw them a week ago for the first time. Good stuff! The concert last year probably would've been better (longer/more people), but whatever. They were really tight, and that's not always the case, I've heard.

Extreme. Respect.


----

On-topic: well, my favourite bands aren't likely to come to Brazil. Mostly, I can buy some merch and some releases over the web. How much I'd spend on that? Dunno, maybe $50-60. Im quite low on money to be honest.

In 2012 I traveled 800km from Vienna to Milano only to see Warbeast and Down performing.
I spend about 380€ and it was totally worth it!

I would go see them live if they played in the city I happen to be living at the time. If, and only if, the venue isn't a complete piece of shit. I buy merchandise, CD's, books and all the stuff I can from the bands I care about, though.

Dude, it's a concert, if you don't want to deal with crowds then don't go. Do you ever have an experience that you don't bitch about? On topic: I have left the state for shows but nothing more than an hour or two away, though I do plan to one day make it to MDF...

Not my favourite band, but I drove from Toronto to Quebec City (8ish hours) to see Avantasia's only North American show. I know people came in from all over North America for that show though, so I definitely didn't travel as far as some people.

I did however see my favourite band (HammerFall) play at Wacken 2012, which is the furthest I've gone for any show. I had seen HammerFall before, but that was a killer show.

My #2 favourite band/artist is Alice Cooper, and I've seen him in various places: Quebec City, Toronto, Buffalo, Kitchener, Oshawa, and Hamilton. Other than Quebec City, those are all within 2 hours of home though.

Man I saw Hammerfall open for Dio in 2002 in a tiny club. Holy shit that was great. King's X was sandwiched between them and it made absolutely no sense at all. I recently looked up Hammerfall live and man...they really look haggard.

Saw that same tour at the Recher Theater in Towson, MD. How Kings X got on that bill is beyond me. Great show, though. Last time I saw Dio.

On topic....I went from Frederick, MD to B.B. King's in NYC to see Edguy and Tad Morose. Stayed the night in Northern New Jersey then drove from Northern Jersey to Atlanta, Georgia (through the remnants of Hurricane Ivan) to ProgPower V to see Edguy and Tad Morose again.

probably oral for starters

Last year I drove 650 km to see Darkspace in Switzerland, and I'm planning to do it again in October

Reading this thread makes me really glad that Katatonia tours the US at least once or twice a year in recent years. Seeing them has never been an issue. Poets of the Fall and Machinae Supremacy, though... probably never going to happen. : < If I had the money, I'd for sure fly to Europe to see both of them. Twice.

drove 500km or so each way to see moonsorrow last year, but that was a RARE occasion. also travelled from oldenburg to cologne (probably 300km or so, including train changes and whatnot about 5 hours travel time each way) in 2012 for the ugly kid joe reunion tour. don't regret that!.

I have you all beat. I bought Keldian MP3s! I never thought I'd see the day!

That was the show I attended. Slammed up against the front guard rail. I went to high school in Towson. I still have the shirt I wore, my sleeveless Sabbath Dehumanizer one.

I've never seen a good show at Recher. The only shows I've been to there were awful nu-emo crap I saw as a chaperone. Decent venue but shit bands.

I've admittedly never gone very far to see any shows - typically I just see stuff that comes to the Washington, DC or Baltimore areas. All comes down to budget, though; if I had a lot more disposable income I'd probably travel to Philly or NYC for cool tours that don't come here, and to Canada/Europe for festivals with great lineups.

Recher was always more of a kids venue given all the high schools in the area. I saw a lot of locals play there. It was your usual pay to play venue, so it was a lot of peoples' first bands playing for their families. I played my first show there in May 2003, actually.

I saw Ripper/Judas Priest there. Dio/Hammerfall. Sebastian Bach. Iced Earth. I think Darkane at one point. Strapping Young Lad. Devin Townsend shouted at one point "THOSE FISH IN THE BACK ARE FUCKED!" referring to the fish tank by the back bar. I haven't been there for years but I still hit up the bar next door wen I meet friends over the holidays.

Still remember as it was yesterday. November 12th 1989, I ventured from then Soviet Union to Canada to "visit" my relatives and to SEE King Diamond live in Montreal supporting to what to this days is my numero uno metal album of all time Conspiracy. Yes, I am that old but my memories are very vivid. Who'd knew that 3 years later I'd move to Canada for good.lol

I saw King Diamond in 2005 and to this day it's my favorite concert memory. It wasn't crowded, the whole thing was creepy and King was totally hypnotic. Glad I saw him before all the health problems.

HammerFall have been on some exceptional North America tours in their early years: Death, Dio, and Edguy. Sadly they don't come by as often and their last tour had the awful Powerglove opening.

I would agree that HammerFall is not a great live band. Both times I saw them, they made an obvious mistake. Still, they're a ton of fun, and they don't take things too seriously, so I really love their music.

did it really ruin anything though? I'd rather see a band make a mistake or two than just be a jukebox for the crowd. Of course, there can be a happy medium heh.

i saw hammerfall at a festival 2 years ago and i thought they were pretty good. i'm not a fan by any means, but it was some good "stand there with arms folded and drink your beer" festival metal/rock. simple songs, good between-song banter, etc.

Let's see...

I flew to LA for Opeth's 20th anniversary show (3 hour flight, roughly $500 expense total)
Flew to Minneapolis in February to see Enslaved since their most recent tour skipped Seattle (3.5 hour flight, $300 expense total)
I make the 3 hour drive to Portland at least once a year to see a band (most recently was for the debut of VHOL, who originally said they wouldn't play more than that one show)

Other than special Opeth show, Enslaved is the only band I would do that again for. But I guess it helps that my friend does their lights so I get to go backstage when I see them.

Well, now that I am an older guy with a family, I am rather picky about who I will go see and where. Once upon a time I would have traveled far and wide if the situation allowed just to see a killer band I hadn't seen before. Now I have seen so many shows in my life that I do not feel badly about passing up opportunities to see people.

There are really only a few bands that are out there that would make me jump out of my seat to go far away to see. I have never seen King Diamond... I would put some miles on the car to see him play. I had a shot to see him play a halloween show some years ago, but his show was just a couple of days after a Slayer show that I could not miss. It was a really tough decision, but I had to pick one or the other... and for me, nobody topped a Slayer show.

Im with Jonpo, a simple 4 hours trip is half of the fun.

What sucks is dropping $800 for a plane ticket (6 hour flight) that had to be rescheduled due to work fucking me over (followed by the airlines fucking me over). And flying alone with no friends. But I cant back down from MDF XII and the glory of that Saturday Night Rams Head show.

I make bad financial decisions that have outstanding effects on the weeks afterwards but metal is what I do so whatever.

As to my favorite band, if they got back together... I would totally figure out a way to get to Germany.