Best Live Acts that you've seen (not necessarily your favourites)

SexyGreyFox

SexyGreyFox

SexyGreyFox

Man of Honour
Joined
29 Mar 2003
Posts
57,126
Location
Stoke on Trent
It might be that your favourite artists are the best live acts you've seen but I reckon most of us have come away from a gig when a support band or a band you went to see with your mates ended up being awesome live.

Heres some of mine that I'm not necessarily a fan but I came home fulfilled -

SLADE - what can you say about this band during the 70's/early 80's. Masters of the stage.

QUEEN - saw them supporting Mott The Hoople and thought 'wow'. The rest is history.

STATUS QUO - I defy anybody to go and watch this band and come away saying 'crap'. I saw them loads in the 70's and then made a journey about 2 years ago and they were still awesome.

FRANK SINATRA - I had goosebumps all night (late 70's).

JOHNNY CASH - see Frank Sinatra (mid 70's)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - (1980). A mate had a spare ticket and talked me into going because I didn't like him. I still don't listen to him but what a performer.

So who did you go to see that turned out to be awesome but you still really haven't turned into a fan?
 
Queens of the Stone age. Indifferent to their recorded stuff, never really minded it though.. caught them live by chance waiting for someone else at Reading, god they were good.
 
Feeder - am quite a fan of their stuff, but never massively. But live they are amazing, and not too pretentious to play their old faves, which many bands nowadays seem to refuse to do.

Modest Mouse - although I am a big fan, so very biased, I thought they were amazing when I saw them live doing extended and altered versions of their songs. Although they only played 2 songs that weren't on their latest album, but luckily they were 2 of my faves.

Faithless - was never really a big fan of Faithless, but decided to see them on a whim, and my god, I was in awe - and the crowd was amazing - though might have been even better if i was taking some of the stuff the rest of the audience seemed to be :p

Reel Big Fish - total chilled summer afternoon festival party, nothing better than dancing in a field on a hot day with RBF doing their thing :cool:
 
David Ford - Really intimate, beautiful music. Great gig.

Miocene - No other band has had so much energy flowing both on and offstage.

ThisGirl - Bassist and drummer were so damn TIGHT it was unbelievable.

Iron Monkey - "This one goes out to all the ****s who said we'd be gone by now. You're why we're still here..." *wall of feedback, pelvis-splintering drums and riff after riff after mother******* riff*

*n
 
j00ni said:
Feeder - am quite a fan of their stuff, but never massively. But live they are amazing, and not too pretentious to play their old faves, which many bands nowadays seem to refuse to do.
Click to expand...

Actually....Since Mark Richardson started drumming for them, they've become rather tolerable live.

...Which leads to:

Skunk Anansie - Oft-forgotten nineties brit-rock LEGENDS. They had the tunes and they had the vocals. Score.

*n
 
Supergrass - I was just getting into them when offered tickets so it was worthwhile going. Great live.

The Hamsters - Great covers band, only went by luck.. Didn't realise they were mildly famous :eek:

Livewire (AC/DC tribute) - These were unbelievable.. Never seen AC/DC before but these guys were friggin' awsome.

Creamed (Cream tribute) - As above really.
 
Quo - End of the Road 84 mainly, brilliant.
The Jam - Early 80's, superb gig.
Pink Floyd - Pure audio and visual spectacular.
Rush - Any gig, but then again, I'm biased.
ELO - NEC, Time tour, superb gig, with an awesome opening with the robot.
Michael Jackson - Wembley, 80's, another superb gig, entertainment itself.
AC/DC - First gig at Southampton in 80 (Back in Black tour) which changed my musical taste overnight, blew me away.
Queen - Wembley, brilliant and I think Knebworth was great as well, but I can't remember much of the day. ;)
 
65daysofstatic - Utterly amazing, love their recorded stuff, and they completely blew me away live. Was at a fairly small venue too which had a really cool atmosphere to it.

The Go! Team - Maybe not perfect live (their sound is hard to carry to a live performance) but they got the entire 1000ish crowd ALL dancing by the end of it, and it was such an awesomely happy gig.

Rammstein - Whether you like their music or not, you cannot deny they put on an awesome live performance. Probably the best concert I've been to, as it was in Berlin, and me and my mate talked about it for weeks afterwards. We were properly close to the front in a 12,000 person venue, and could feel the heat from all the explosions and flames :D

Zinc - Saw him at a massive massive rave one night with loads of other top names, but his set from 1am - 2am was my favourite of the evening and was dancing the whole time. Damn good dnb.
 
P.J. Harvey was excellent. Their sound is so tight it was like listening to beefed up versions of their albums. None of those little mistakes that bands get away with just because it's "live".

Support on the night was by an American group called "Knife and Fork". They were very good also.
 
Big Kev said:
AC/DC - First gig at Southampton in 80 (Back in Black tour) which changed my musical taste overnight, blew me away.
Click to expand...

Now I know why you like the Johnson AC/DC over Bon Scott.
I saw AC/DC with Bon Scott 3 times so he was the man for me.
I've just agreed to sing Back In Black and You Shook Me All Night Long to compliment the 9 Bon Scott songs we do.
 
dmpoole said:
Now I know why you like the Johnson AC/DC over Bon Scott.
I saw AC/DC with Bon Scott 3 times so he was the man for me.
I've just agreed to sing Back In Black and You Shook Me All Night Long to compliment the 9 Bon Scott songs we do.
Click to expand...

I never really thought about it before, but I suppose that night in Southampton was the most influential gig of my life, so it makes sense really.

Although I do prefer Johnson, I still thing If you want blood.... is their best live album.
 
Pixies - Brixton Academy 2004 - Easily the best gig I have ever been to. The crowd were really up for it and the band did something like 3 or 4 encores.

Radiohead - Manchester Apollo 2003 - I saw these at an arena later that year but this was a venue size I would probably never see them in again. They played a load of new stuff (at the time) and classics such as Talk Show Host, Lucky, The Tourist and Fake Plastic Trees.

Rammstein - NEC 2005 - Visual excellence.
 
Queen - 1986 - Wembley - Absolutely astonishing for an 8yr old.

Dire Straits - 1992 - Wembley - Got me playing the Guitar...

Queen and friends - 1992 - Wembley - See above - but for a 14yr old...

Madness - 1998 - Madstock! As much fun as it sounded :D

Roger Taylor - 1999 - Norwich Waterfront - Awsome to see him in such a small venue. Got me into his solo stuff

Jools Holland and his Orchestra - Many times. Best however was in Thetford Forest. Sun setting behind the stage, lovely warm evening, picnic,

Jewel - 2004 - Royal Albert Hall - bamaged her arm falling off a horse so wasn't playing the guitar - but a lovely evenign of very mellow music.

Soloman Burke - 2004 - Royal Albert Hall - WOW! Never heard him before but what an experience. Fabulous.

Status Quo - Last year - Alton Towers - Fabulous live. Very polished and a hell of a lot of fun.

In amongst that lot there's also Chris Rea, Phil Collins, many Clapton shows...

Simon/~Flibster
 
Killing Joke - 2005 & 2006

Both times they have been awesome ... Jaz is something else at getting the crowd going, plus he's insane which always helps hehe. They are just unbelievably good live :)
 
Flaming Lips - Saw them supporting Mercury Rev in 1999 at De Montfort University. Absolutely amazing band live. Was two weeks before the release of Soft Bulletin. Best thing was they played for about 2 hours :)
 
Ocean Colour Scene Whatever the naysayers can say about these guys, they are at their very best in the live realm. Although I'm speaking as a big fan, there's something about them live (& I've seen them live 5 times) - their musicianship, their passion, even their sound live which transcends any of their studio albums - in fact two of my favourite albums of theirs are live albums (one studio, one bootleg).

The Arcade Fire Absolutely blew me & my mate away at Reading last year. My friend - who's one of those who has been to more gigs than had hot dinners... - was moved to say it was the best live performance he'd ever seen.

Bloc Party Closing act on R1 stage at Reading last year. Was distinctly lukewarm about them before seeing them but their on-stage presence, their ability and the way they sounded was brilliant

& one obscure one...

The Broken Family Band Seen these guys more than 8 times at small festivals & gigs in my native Cambridge & can safely say they're awesome. The lead singer always interacts with the crowd with banter, the guitarist is amazing & the whole band always seems to be having such a great time which really comes across in their music :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom