How many times have you seen Ronnie in concert?

[Joe Siegler]

For me it's a bunch.

With Black Sabbath: 1992, 2007, & 2008. (Yeah, I know it's Heaven & Hell for two of those - bite me, it's Black Sabbath - even Ronnie said so).

With Dio:

1983 twice on the Holy Diver Tour (was at the filming of a video for one)
1984 on the Last in Line Tour (was at the filming of a video)
1985 Sacred Heart Tour (one of the best live gigs I've ever seen)
1986 Intermission Tour (after Viv was gone and Craig was in)
1994 Strange Highways Tour (Dio played a bloody PARKING LOT in Dallas for this!)
1996 Angry Machines Tour
2000 Magica Tour
2002 Killing the Dragon Tour twice (once was that festival tour with Deep Purple & Scorpions)
2004 Master of the Moon Tour

So all told it's 14 times. I could have seen him in Dallas on the Inferno tour in 1998, but that concert was an outdoor festival in August, and I shit you not, it was LITERALLY 110 degrees out. I skipped it - was too f'in hot for an outdoor concert.

Met him in person at the 2007 & 2008 shows. I've told the story of meeting him in 2007 here, although I unfortunately did not get my picture taken with him.

http://www.black-sabbath.com/tourdates/2007/050307.html

[snake99]

I saw him not nearly enough. I took full advantage of seeing him as many times as possible since the reunion with Black Sabbath/Heaven And Hell.

I'm stunned that; I will never again get a chance to see him live again and hear:

The World Is Full Of Kings And Queens That Blind Your Eyes And Steal Your Dreams. It's Heaven And Helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

or

If You Listen To Fools. The Mob Rulessssssssssssssss

Stunned there will not be another Heaven And Hell recording. How I will miss him!

[Damian]

Saw him in Philly for The Last in Line, Sacred Heart, and Intermission. New York for Lock up the Wolves and Dehumanizer, back in Philly for Strange Highways and Angry Machines, Las Vegas for Magica, Holmdel for Killing the Dragon, New York for Master of the Moon. Saw him with Heaven and Hell 4 times. Radio City, Philly/Camden, Reading, and Atlantic City.

So I guess I have 14 total also. Unless I'm missing something somewhere, running on fumes right now.

[DiosSword]

Dio, Fort Wayne, Indiana, January 1985 (Dokken supported)

Black Sabbath, Chicago, Illlinois, August 1992 (Danzig supported)

Heaven and Hell, Detroit, Michigan, August 2009 (Coheed and Cambria supported)

I almost saw him at a club gig in Indiana in 1997, but I was so sick with the flu that I couldn't even get out of bed.

I regret that I never saw him sing alongside Ritchie Blackmore. But I was 13 years old when he left Rainbow, and my first gig (Van Halen) was still a year away.

Thank God my dear wife prodded me to get Heaven and Hell tickets last year...she presciently said, "those guys may not be around much longer, you'd better see them again while you can!"

[Joe Siegler]

Saw him in Philly for The Last in Line, Sacred Heart, and Intermission. New York for Lock up the Wolves and Dehumanizer, back in Philly for Strange Highways and Angry Machines, Las Vegas for Magica, Holmdel for Killing the Dragon, New York for Master of the Moon. Saw him with Heaven and Hell 4 times. Radio City, Philly/Camden, Reading, and Atlantic City.

So I guess I have 14 total also. Unless I'm missing something somewhere, running on fumes right now.

Heh - you were at a few of the same gigs as me.

[devstorm]

I was supposed to go see the DIO band twice in the 80's and both times couldn't wind up making it (Despite having tickets). So it wasn't until summer of 2003 when he toured with Iron Maiden & Motorhead that I was able to see him for the first time.

They did a great selection of material (Stargazer was awe inspiring) and some Sabbath which I was totally Jazzed over. I was considerably blown away by the whole thing. I've always liked Craig Goldy so I was particularly stoked to see him with the band.

The next 3 times were with Heaven and Hell. April of 2007 LA Forum. October of 2007 Irvine, CA., And August of 2009 @ Greek Theater in L.A. (Won the tickets from Sam Ash).

Heaven and Hell were always spectacular. The last two shows in particular were just jaw-droppingly amazing. I feel very lucky to have seen them since it took so many many years to get me & them in the same building. But F-ing A if the wait wasn't worth it.

[Mark7]

Cow Palace, San Francisco 4/17/82 (my 1st concert ever!)
Sacramento 8/2/83 (2nd DIO show ever!)
Sacramento 11/12/92
Oakland 11/13/92 (last for the Sabs the 2nd time around!)
San Francisco 3/3/2000
San Jose 4/24/2007 (wow, 110 mins of classic Dio Sabs)
Reno 9/28/2007
Konocti 9/29/2007
Concord 9/30/2007 (3 straight nites, Ronnie sounded as good here as nite one!)
Fresno 10/2/07
Mt. View 8/31/08 (first row, Ronnie and I touched "devil horns" during "Children of the Sea"
San Francisco 8/10/09

Recorded all of these, glad I did for generations to come... Farewell dear Ronnie...

[Rover]

Only 4 times: twice with DIO in 2004 and 2005, and twice with BLACK SABBATH (once in Helsinki in 2007, the second time in St. Pete's last year). It was not nearly enough, and now it's too late.

[Grimace]

Sadly only once, last August in Cleveland. It is a show I will remember for the rest of my life. Such an amazing man.

[CaptainYowza]

Many, but not nearly enough.

1) Heaven and Hell Tour, Dallas TX, 07-05-80. I had just turned 12. Changed my life forever. Only Dio show I saw with the great Bill Ward on drums.
2) Mob Rules Tour, Dallas TX, 05-12-82. Live Evil does not remotely do this show justice. Possibly the greatest thing I've ever seen.
3) Holy Diver Tour, Dallas TX, 10-15-83. No concert shirt could make a teacher hate your guts like Holy Diver. Superb show. Y&T opened and kicked ass, too.
4) Last in Line Tour, Dallas TX, 11-18-84. Dio hits the big time and fills an arena with his solo band. I've seen few artists greeted so lovingly by the crowd.
5) Sacred Heart Tour, Dallas TX, 11-07-85. Could be my favorite off all the Dio shows, but the gigantic dose of hallucinogens may have had something to do with that.
6) Dehumanizer Tour, Dallas TX, 11-06-92. I don't think I'd ever more eagerly awaited the release of an album, and 30 seconds into Computer God, life was good again. The concert was simply beyond explanation. Too bad this would mark the end of Dio and The Boys....or would it?
7) Magica Tour, Dallas TX, 04-14-00. Dio kicks the crap out of the Bronco Bowl one last time. I thought opener Sebastin Bach would never get his dumb ass off the stage. Great show, and Craig Goldie was superb. Afterward, we spoke longingly of someday seeing Dio front Black Sabbath just one more time.
8) Killing the Dragon Tour, Dallas Tx, 06-09-02. Short set opening for Deep Purple and Scorpions. 3 fine bands in one night remains a rarity, what a great time.
9) Killing the Dragon Tour, Dallas Tx, 08-13-03. Dio opening for Maiden. We were front row in the 120 degree heat. Youngsters were swooning left and right in the heat. Dio, unaffected, kicked ass.
10) Master of the Moon Tour, Dallas TX, 10-21-04. Dio playing a club, and a small one at that? The Gypsy Tea Room? That's a damn shame. Ronnie wasn't fazed - he performed as if he were headlining Wembley Stadium. Stargazer and Babylon were played. Wow. Hell of an experience, but again, a damn shame.
11) Heaven and Hell Reunion Tour, The Woodlands TX, 05-02-07. The big moment I hoped would someday come. One of the best of the many hundereds of concerts I've enjoyed. I can't describe how thrilled I was. Monster setlist, Earth-shaking performance.
12) Heaven and Hell Reunion Tour, Dallas TX, 05-03-07. What a way to spend two consecutive nights. Second row. I took my avatar photo at this one.
13) Monsters of Metal Tour, Dallas TX, 08-22-08. Little did I know this would be the end of a long, damn fulfilling road. How very sad. Ronnie sounded amazing. My girlfriend had to stay home with a broken heel caused by an idiot bad driver, she loves Ronnie as much as I do. Huge bummer.

We would have seen The Devil You Know Tour, which skipped Texas, at Red Rocks, Colorado 2009, but complications from the car wreck kept us off the road. If only I had known this was the last chance. I would have chunked Mrs. Yowza's smashed carcass in the RV and we would have toughed it out. Curses!

13 times, eh? Cool. When my life flashes before my eyes someday, it will surely be worth watching, as was Ronnie's. Ya can't beat that.

RIP Ronnie James Dio, so many thanks for all those kick-ass experiences, and, while I'm here, UP THE IRONS!

\m/

[GuyOfOwnage]

My first opportunity to see Dio live came on the 2007 Heaven & Hell Tour. First in London Ontario, on March 24th, 2007, where I managed to push my way to the very front of the floor crowd. Being just a matter of feet away from those guys while they did what they've always done best was a very special moment, not to mention a distinct privilege, that I will never forget as long as I live. I'm pretty sure if you look hard enough, you can find the boatload of pictures I took at the gig in the Photo Gallery.

My second (and sadly final) gig came on September 20th, 2007, in Hamilton, Ontario. Not quite as memorable as the first gig, mainly due to a pain in the ass security guard that wouldn't stop giving me a hard time. Nonetheless, the band were arguably tighter than when I'd seen them 6 months prior. At the time, I assumed it would be my last time seeing the band as the new album had not yet been decided upon at that point in time. Unfortunately, I was more correct than I could have realized...

[Sahand]

none... Unfortunately...

[Charger]

Only 3 times...and that is about 1000 times too few...

First was in 2004 with Dio in Tuska Festival (perhaps one of the best concerts ever!)
Second was with H&H in 2007
Third with H&H in 2009

I was supposed to see him again and again and again, but those will never happen and my heart aches for it....

[DaniArrow]

Not nearly often enough. I've been a fan since I was 14 (I'm only 23 now). I've seen Heaven & Hell once, in Bamberg 2009. It was amazing and I'll never forget the show and meeting them afterwards.

[MH1986]

I've seen Dio twice in concert with Heaven and Hell. The first time being in 2008 at the Metal Masters Tour in Devore at the Glen Helen pavilion when they where touring with Judas Priest, Motorhead, and Testament. The 2nd time I saw him was at a Best Buy in San Bernardino California last year when they had an in store signing of the Devil You Know, I'll always remember meeting the guys, especially Ronnie; he was a true gentleman whom extended his hand to shake mine and thank me. That was special and something I will always remember.

I then saw them August 11th at the Greek Theatre. I don't have much money so I bought the least expensive tickets for the show for myself and my gf. Not long after sitting down a man walked all the way to the back of the venue and said he had to leave early giving me and my gf tickets about 10 rows back center stage. That was the best show I've seen to date.

I was extremely shocked today when I opened my email to find that Ronnie had passed away. I've been playing his music all day and even as I type this am watching Live From Radio City Music Hall. The music world lost one of its very best, nobody will ever equal Dio. He lived for his fans, and now we'll have to live for him.

[gunman42782]

Only once, fronting Heaven and Hell, in Cincinatti.

[Niklas]

It kills me that I only got the opportunity to see him two times: 2007 and 2009 with Black Sabbath.
Best concerts I have ever attended.

[Johnny Blade 1978]

Could've saw the guys on August 11, 2009, but decided not to like an idiot.

[sn0wb1ind0zzy]

Unfortunately didn't get the chance :(

[AngryHeart]

Just once: September 14, 2007, and now I am doubly glad I did.

[dartholy]

2 X Dio
3X Sabbath

[Sabbathman]

8 times and now, in retrospect, it seems just too few. The possibility of seeing the most exiting and energizing performer live on stage is forever gone, it's an inner pain I can't even begin to describe here. However, I have many fond memories of Ronnie performing live, always the most awaited artist of the year. Luckily I got at least these 8 magnificent concerts:

Dio --- July 18th 2004 --- Tuska Open Air Metal Festival, Helsinki, Finland

Dio --- June 10th 2005 --- Sauna Open Air Metal Festival, Tampere, Finland

Dio --- December 9th 2005 --- Christmas Is Heavy, Jyvaskyla, Finland

Dio --- July 1st 2006 --- Miljoonarock, Tuuri, Finland

Heaven & Hell --- June 9th 2007 --- Sauna Open Air Metal Festival, Tampere, Finland

Heaven & Hell --- June 10th 2007 --- Icehall, Helsinki, Finland

Dio --- June 7th 2008 --- Water & Rock Festival, Lahti, Finland

Heaven & Hell --- June 2nd 2009 --- Icehall, Helsinki, Finland (note: 3 links here)

After the last Heaven & Hell concert, I had the priviledge of meeting Ronnie James Dio at the PSOF fan meeting. Tapio Keihanen was at the helm of our Dio group, the whole meeting was pushed to razor's edge until the last moment, I got the confirmation by SMS from the PSOF head while the concert itself was still running through its last songs. When the final hits were played and the band started making its final greetings for the frenzied crowd, I left in hurry to get my gift montage for Ronnie and I had to literally jump over the crazed people who wrestled on the floor to get some guitar picks or drum sticks! When the hall was starting to be empty, we gathered for the meeting and got the backstage passes and were escorted to a cafeteria to wait for the meeting to start. As a surprising bonus, Vinnie Appice dropped by to meet us before Dio's manager came to get us. I also saw Tony Iommi at the corridor greeting his group of fans.

Then we were escorted to Dio's private backstage room, soon Dio emerged from another room, happy and welcoming us with a glass of wine in his hand. Even though I was the only new guy among the group, he welcomed me like I was his best friend and genuinely appreciated my humble gift and wanted a decent photo to be taken. He happily signed my copies of The Dio Years and The Devil You Know, I was the only one who brought anything to be signed. He was also very eager to answer any questions that I managed to form and to join in another photos as well, the classy fan-loving guy he was.

I had to properly frame the prized photo with Dio, the frames look like chromed steel and dark radiant stone, a fitting choice for a treasure like this.

The greatest vocalist, the greatest gentleman, Ronnie James Dio.

[kentuckyfan]

1981 Louisville Gardens first concert ever with Black Sabbath
1984 Louisville Gardens Last in Line tour
1985 Freedom Hall Sacret Heart tour
1992 Cincinnati Gardens Dehuminzer tour
1994 Toy Tiger Louisville KY Strange Highways tour
1996 Toy Tiger Angry Machines tour
1998 A1A Lexington KY Infernio Live tour
2003 VIrgina Beach Kill the Dragon tour
2007 Allstate Arena Chacigo The Dio years tour
2008 Post Gazette Pavilion Pittsburg PA and Homdel NJ Monsters of Metal tour
2009 Riverbend Music Center and Nissan Pavillian The Devel You Know tour

At the two Toy Tiger and A1A shows I met him and got his autograph on my LA 59 album and Inferno CD.

[kamikazetom]

For me it's a bunch as well - 18 total & that's still too few

Rainbow
1. Austin 1978 Long Live Rock N Roll Tour - opened for Reo Speedwagon - somewhere I have an old picture of Ronnie holding up one of the Renaissance records Disco Sucks T-shirts that was thrown on the stage - I remember him reading the shirt to the crowd & thanking the store for a great t-shirt

Black Sabbath
2. Black N Blue tour San Antonio 1980
3. Mob Rules - San Antonio 1982
4. Dehumanizer - Bronco Bowl 1992

Dio Band
5. Holy Diver - 1983 Bronco Bowl (after the show I waited by the buses & got my Holy Diver & Elf LP’s signed - 1st time I met him & I remember him telling me I wasn’t old enough to own the Elf records)
6. Last in Line - 1984 Reunion Arena
7. Sacred Heart - 1985 Reunion Arena
8. Intermission - 1986 Texxas Jam = Cotton Bowl (headliner wase Van Hagar - great shows the old Texxas Jams wish they would come back)
9. Dream Evil - 1988 Reunion - Thanks to Warner Brother records I got a stage pass for this show to get something signed for the Record Store that I used to work at (my sister owned the store with her husband) - Remember after a long wait in the bowels of Reunion Arena someone finally noticed that I had a retailer pass & I got into a waiting area where the band came out to sign my poster for the store & talk to me a bit - had a great time talking about the Rainbow show I saw with Ronnie - one funny thing I remember is Ronnie asking me to spell the store’s name and being a bit embarressed by asking because the store was called Renaissance Records & he wrote so many songs about the renaissance era & didn’t want to mispell it. What a great night - one I will never forget
10, Lock Up The wolves - 1990 Bronco Bowl
11. Strange Highways- 1994 Dallas City Limits Parking lot (somewhere I have some not so great pictures that I will need to find)
12. Inferno Tour - 1998 Starplex - opened for Iron Maiden
13. Magica - 2000 Sunken Gardens San Antonio - went to see this show in San Antonio because Leg Diamond & Budgie were on the bill instead of the Dallas show with Sebastian Bach & LA Guns - Remember Budgie just played smoking set
14. Killing the dragon - 2002 - Starplex with Deep Purple
15. Killing the Dragon - 2002 - Canyon Club
16. Killing the Dragon - 2003 - Starplex with Iron Maiden

Heaven and Hell
17. Dio Years tour - 2007 Nokia with Megadeth & Machine Head - took my wife to her first show seeing Dio - remember she was blown away by his singing & couldn’t beleive he was the same age as her father
18. Metal Masters - 2008 Starplex with JP & Motorhead - unfortunately this is the last time I saw Dio since The Devil You Know tour didn’t hit Dallas

[YouSaidItAll]

I got to see Ronnie twice. Both times with Black Sabbath:

11/03/07 - Heaven and Hell 2007 Tour, Vancouver, BC (First show with Ronnie since Dehumanizer!)

07/08/09 - The Devil You Know Tour, Vancouver, BC


I cannot tell you how many times I thought about seeing him for the third time. I thought about it constantly, and I was certain it would happen.

Seeing Ronnie perform in the flesh only made it clear that I'd never see something this great for a really long time, if ever.

I was fortunate enough to meet Ronnie in 2007 right after it had just been announced that he'd be reuniting with Tony, Geezer and Vinny and kicking the tour off in Vancouver. It was immediate to me that he was an incredibly passionate human being when he reached out and grabbed my hand, nearly shaking it to the point of minor injury, and asked "Hey, man, how's it going?". Our encounter was brief, but his sincerity and his kindness made it feel like a lifetime. It was a moment that stood out for me even in the midst of it, and it is one I carry with me for the rest of my life.

Thank you, Ronnie.

[RedZero]

Zero. I am one of the unfortunate saps who never got to see him. I was planning for TDYK tour but they never came to Texas.

[The Rules Mob]

Twice. Once on the Last in Line tour in Providence, RI in 1984ish, and last summer in Boston, which, I think, was his second to last show. I'm glad I rediscovered how great his music is after the Radio City CD came out.

[eman]

Mob Rules tour Omaha Ne, Last in Line tour in Omaha, Dream Evil tour (twice in Germany) one was at Monsters of Rock 70,000 people. Dehumanizer tour Omaha. and Strange Highways at a bowling alley in Omaha. It didnt matter if it 70,000 or 500 people. He was the BEST. Always a Great show!

[CaptainYowza]

For me it's a bunch as well - 18 total & that's still too few

Good god, man - that's highly impressive. Rainbow too, eh? I was just too young to see that. Looks like my possible neighbor kamikazetom is the king of seeing Dio perform. As I listed, I was at many of those same shows, and I'd forgotten about the Canyon Club event (which was great) so I'm up to 14 now. Thanks for reminding me of that....gotta go update my spreadsheet.

[Guillesab]

Twice, once in 2006 with Dio and once last year with Heaven & Hell, both gigs in Buenos Aires.
Not nearly enough.

[H&H]

9 times

1988 - Dio; Dream Evil Tour
1992 - Black Sabbath; Dehumanizer Tour
2000 - Dio; Magica Tour
2007 - Heaven & Hell Tour (Detroit)
2007 - Heaven & Hell Tour (Cleveland)
2008 - Heaven & Hell; Metal Masters Tour
2009 - Heaven & Hell; TDYK Tour (Detroit)
2009 - Heaven & Hell; TDYK Tour (Cleveland)
2009 - Heaven & Hell; TDYK Tour (Atlantic City)

Wish it had been more. So glad I made the 1200+ mile round trip to Atlantic City to see Heaven & Hell's last performance. I was front & center in front of Dio for that show. What an incredible evening, and now, looking back, it holds a special place in my heart.

RIP Ronnie.

[Matt Hebert]

7 times total.....

1990 Philly Spectrum - Lock Up the Wolves
1992 Philly Tower Theater - Dehumanizer
2004 Philly Trocadero - Master of the Moon
2007 Philly Spectrum - the Dio Years
2007 Binghamton NY - half an hour from where he grew up
2008 Camden NJ - Metal Masters
2009 Atlantic City NJ - THE very last show of the great man's life :( \m/

[Wicked Cricket]

1980 - Black & Blue Tour outdoor speedway (name escapes me), on the Heaven & Hell record tour

1982 - Mob Rules Tour - last show of tour Binghamton, NY

2007 - Reunion tour - Holmdale NJ Ampithearter

2007 - Binghamton NY - Reunion tour

2009 - Atlantic City NJ House of Blues - TDYK tour

[dehumanizer91]

I have seen Ronnie three times. Not nearly enough times.

9/19/07 Darien Lake, NY
8/12/08 Hamburg, NY
8/22/09 Cleveland, OH

Here is one of my favorite pictures I took of Ronnie.

[devilmaycare]

14 times for me I think...

Twice with Rainbow (in 1976 & 1977)

Five time with Sabbath (twice each on the Heaven & Hell & Mob Rules tour, once on the Dehumanizer tour)

Six times with Dio (Twice at Donnington, one time each on the Holy Diver, Last In Line, Sacred Heart & Master Of The Moon Tours)

Once with Heaven And Hell (Radio City)

I had tix for shows at Jones Beach & the Theater @ MSG since the Radio City show, but didn't attend either...

[Baricco]

I saw him twice in 2007. In Mexico City and in Guadalajara, Mexico.

I bought everything I could. T-shirts, posters, keychains. Very emotional concerts, both. It was the second time of 'Sabbath' in Mexico City (first time was in 94), and the first time ever in Guadalajara, my adopted city.

[nuuch]

once as Dio , twice as Black Sabbath and twice as H&H and he gave his usual best every night.

[MH1986]

This is a pic I took from the August 11th concert at the Greek Theatre.

[Bruce]

Like many others here, my answer is "Not Enough".

I did see him several times however, plus had two misses that I regret now..

I don't remember dates...but

With Rainbow (I think on the Long Live RnR tour)

With Sabbath
Black n Blue tour
Mob Rules tour (twice)

Solo
Killing the Dragon tour

Heaven & Hell
Three times, twice on the first go round (in Washington DC and Italy), last time was in Washington with Judas Priest before the album came out.

The two misses I had were these:

During the (I'm pretty sure) Angry Machines tour, I had tickets to see him at a night club in Springfield, VA called Jaxx. The day before the show, I got a phone call from one of the guys in the opening act (a local band I am friends with) who told me that Jaxx had cancelled the show due to very weak ticket sales. Ok, so I didn't go, and then found out two days later that Dio or his management wouldn't let Jay cancel the show and only 50 people showed up! A friend who went said that Dio was in fantastic form and they whole thing was more of a party than a concert, Dio went into the crowd and was headbanging with all the people.

The second miss was last year when over a two day period, Judas Priest/Whitesnake & Heaven and Hell were playing at an outdoor venue. A week before Whitesnake cancelled because of Coverdales voice problems, and I wasn't really interested in seeing Priest again so I decided to just go to H&H, but it was an outdoor venue (not for the band, they were covered up) and it was pouring down rain so I didn't go. I could kick myself and have over and over again.

[Iommip]

Only once. The edmonton concert on the 2007 Heaven and hell tour. Even though half my family was assaulted by some aggressive megadeth fans, I couldn't be any happier with heaven and hells performance and setlist. Thank you Ronnie, tony, vinny and geezer for allowing so many of us to see what is truely the greatest band to grace the stage. As his music lives on, I doubt there is a place in this universe his voice won't be heard.