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

[dmpoole]

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?

[ajcham]

Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I had no interest in going to see them, and only went because my gf really wanted to go. Still not really that into them tbh.

[karkus30]

A Perfect Circle
Blondie
The Who
Roger Waters

Loads more gigs that I enjoyed because the atmosphere was better than those above. But the performance and the sound quality of these four acts was incredible. APC,Blondie and RW were recent gigs, the Who was at Newcastle City Hall sometime in the 80s when they announced they were splitting 'Wont get fooled again' was probably the all time best moment for me at any gig, ever !!!!!

[Kenny Glasgow]

The Who - Last UK tour in Glasgow with the Ox and Zak Starkey on drums

Daltrey didn't want to leave the stage

The Albert Hall DVD isn't a patch on that night

[overkill]

Pink Floyd - The wall tour. Still the best live performance I've ever seen.
Bruce Springsteen - Early 80's. Seemed to go on forever, gave 100%, truly great live act.
Roy Harper - On one occasion played for three and a half hours. Emotive, uplifting, superb songs, slightly mad! Best was mid 80's at the 100 club.
Judas Priest - Weren't really my scene (still aren't) but gave a storming performance. 1980-1
Lindisfarne - Great fun, superb songs (the old ones!) and great musicians. (Late 70s & early 80's) Shame it all turned into a hideous cabaret by the mid 80's.
Aerosmith - Can't go wrong with this lot live. Seen them many times but the best was on the Pump tour. Seemed to have it really together and tight that year.
Frank Zappa - As you would expect it ranged from the bizzare to the bezerk. Still great though each time! Mid 80's - early 90's
UFO - Were great in the late 70's and early 80's then went rapidly downhill after that. But, for that period of five years or so they were awesome live.
Neil Young - Like Dylan, his live acts can be hit and miss, but when they hit (as they did when I saw him) he really rocks!
Tangerine Dream - Stopped going when Schmoelling left, but up until then they were truly breathtaking at times. When you could breath amongst all the err', 'fumes' that is.

Like Karkus I was a regular (at Hammy Odeon) concert goer for Years so many great acts have been through the 'mill' that I can't drag back that easily. There were many others though.

[cabstar]

Not neccasarily my fave bands but great performances

Suede Manchester academy farewell tour, wasn't really bothered about them thought they where average the year before at Glasto but wow blew me away that night.

Human League Grimsby Auditorium 2003, went on a whim, just took a walk down, walked in (ticket office closed) loved them, I never thought I would see the League, saw them again last xmas but wherent a patch on Grimsby.

Then Jericho Sheffield Poly 1987 WOW!!!!! Might seem pompous & over the top U2 Simple Minds sound alikes but my god where they good that night.

Ash Virgin Store Grimsby 2001ishAgain just went down on a whim they played a full 90 minutes in our small & dingy local Virgin store. There where kids surf crowding kicking out the suspended ceiling tiles whilst 200 people outside trying to squeeze in I have never heard a loud noise except maybe Slade lol....

Terence Trent Darby maybe big headed so & so but saw him at Manchester Apollo 1987 on the Hardline Introduction tour, that guy could sing.

Faithless Glasto 2002 as Maxi Jazz said after the show "If I live to be 1 million years old I will never forget that!!!! That was ****ing brilliant man!!!!" Checkout the Glastonbury dvd it is on there & believe me it was just as good being there as on the DVD one of my all time favourite festival moments We Come One with 90000 people raving mad in a field in Somerset

Athlete Hull Adelphi 2003 before they had even released an album. If you have never been to the Hull Adelphi you must go see a gig there.... It is basically 2 victorian houses with the 2 front rooms on each nocked into 1 large room The guy who runs the place is in his 20's beer was something like 90p a pint for Stella. The stage is approx 12 inches high. I have some pics somewhere of the actual gig to show how intimate it was.

We where sat in front of the stage whilst the bands played, Longview also supported. My mate even rested his pint on Tim's keyboards during the gig & we spoke to the band during the gig like you would in a living room absolutely bizarre & a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

So many gigs & festivals but these are a selection of my favourite moments, please bare in mind that these are not my favourite bands or acts as they have other special meanings so have not listed them here.

regards

Gary

[tomson]

Orbital - Glastonbury 1994. Absolutely blinding performance - never seen so many people dancing at once.

Pearl Jam - London Astoria earlier this year. Their first UK gig for 6 years. 1600 die hard fans singing along with every word Mr Vedder sang - worth every penny of the 500 odd quid my missus paid for the tickets.

[peterpatch]

A heavy metal band called The Almighty supported Iron Maiden about fourteen years ago. They where AWESOME! I bought their cd 'Powertrippin' after seeing their live performance.

[Rachael Bitchlist]

The two best live shows I've ever seen were both by groups that have hollow shell remnant groups stille hangin' on.

I saw the original Dixie Dregs in the late 70's and that's the tightest band I ever saw live, NRBQ was durn close... Anyway, I saw the group Steve Morse called The Dregs about five years ago... Despite Steve's considerabe tallent, the magic was gone and the bass player could not keep up.

I saw the original Red Hot Chili Peppers back in '83 in a small club in Knoxvlle, Gabby's. I was entertained before the show even started. Apparently, every "Goth" in town was there. This ain't New York City! But, about half the estimated 400 lucky persons had a white face and black nails and lips.

I had just heard the Pepper's first 2 albums, the only ones out then, in the previous few days by a friend who warmed me up for the show. As good as the albums sounded, I was shocked by the group. The guitarist had mastered all that funky stuff made famous by The Meters' Leo Neocelli and had taken it a step farther. I saw The Meters twice. I know their sound well. The rhythm section was wound tight.

The bass and guitar players were wearing the Union Jack and Ole Glory as skirts. They went back behind the amps and switched skirts with each other several times during the show. They jumped around on stage in such athletic fashion and never missed a beat. They were stylin'.

I'd say they did all or close to all of those 2 albums in two sets. I bet they played their Meters' cover, Hollywood Africa, for about ten minutes. It blew my mind that he played the guitar better and funkier than Leo on that one! They had humour in Yertle The Turtle, raw power on Green Heaven, and Baby Appeal was way better than the fuzzy recording on their first album. They were so eclectic in a twisted ways. I was ever so impressed!

I might go see the current Peppers if it was the free concert series we have here in the summer, down on the mall. They're OK but they are too much like everybody else. The Chili is gone as,... en el mundo passada.

[huwg]

Probably Faith No More at Cardiff University in 90 (I think) - The Real Thing tour.
Tool tonight, I hope they put up a stiff challenge (even if they only play for 90 mins)

[hottstuff]

Metallica 1996 - In the snake pit

[TeeDoubleUDee]

Originally Posted by dmpoole

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.

Saw the Quo a few months ago in Ipswich - still a great bunch of rockers - off to see Moody Blues same venue later this year - already looking forward to it!

Terry

[RichardG]

Too many to mention really.... but

Jane's Addiction Bristol Bierkeller - Ritual de lo Habitual era

Guns N' Roses Bristol Bierkeller, BEFORE Appetite for Destruction came out!

Robert Plant when he was "Priory of Brion" Ebbw Vale Beaufort Theatre (front row sitty down affair - magic!), many many more Robert Plant and Jimmy Page gigs...too many to single them out

Tori Amos - St David's Hall - Under the Pink tour

My first Donington - 1987 (even if it was Bon Jovi - hahaha)

A Perfect Circle - 2 years ago Birmingham Academy, went on a whim...now a fan for life - blown away

Metallica - Master of Puppets tour St David's Hall Cardiff - ticket was £4.50 with Anthrax supporting!!!! Hetfield had his arm in a plastercast after falling off a skateboard - guitars by a roadie, 10 days before poor Cliff was killed

Slayer supporting Iron Maiden, Earls Court a few years back - was genuinely scared! (and I hate thrash metal)

The BEST EVER for me (and after some 200+ gigs and being in my mid-thirties I thought I wouldn't be able to top some of the excesses / experiences of youth) was The Mars Volta at the Birmingham Academy at the end of November last year. First "song" was 35 minutes long. Took about an hour before I recognised anyhting. I was stunned that a band could take so many risks with their performance. Truly, truly original. Felt like I was watching Miles Davis or some other wayward legend...

It may be topped tonight tho'.....

TOOL AT HAMMERSMITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (yes I am excited!)

Cheers!

[unique]

prince - seen him plenty of times, but it's the informal aftershow parties or shows at his paisley park complex that are the best. in one week at his studio he played 7 nites in a row, playing a different set and style each nite, including the only accoustic show he's ever done (just him solo with guitar), a similar piano led show, an all out rock show, jazzy show, funky show, etc. not just different style, but different songs each nite. at one point or another he played almost every instrument on stage apart from the wind/horn section.

justin timberlake - seriously, this guy was good. apart from prince, the next best show i've ever been to was the MTV aftershow party in edinburgh with NERD who introduced JT onstage after the second track, just to do a song or two (the NERD backing band are the same band that played on JT's album, as well as NERD/Neptunes producing it) but as the audience went mental, after doing 3 of his hits he stayed onstage and did all the lead vocals on all the NERD tracks, which was very impressive for an unrehearsed improtu show. JT even played guitar and keyboards, and put on a really great show, no dancing, just jamming. at one point he started doing an acapella version of pharell's (the lead vocalist - now solo) hit single frontin', initially as a joke, but the band then started playing, and the black eyed peas and sean paul got onstage and rapped jay z's part

robbie williams - i've seen a lot of live shows, but few people seem to have the audience lapping it up like robbie. live 8 was a great show, but the best time was probably at a tv show where he was playing live, and between sets he mucked about and played new songs and covers, and said how great it was to do this show instead of top of the pops where he has to play his new hit single instead of the cool stuff he can play here. the guy was one of the biggest knobs i've ever met in my life, and his musical and vocal talent is limited, but as a live act / performer, he was great. and how many ex boy band members can fill the likes of knebworth?

pink floyd - i only saw them at live 8, which was a fantastic show to be at for a big fan but not necesarily the greatest show they've done by any means, but they are/were one of the greatest live acts. i saw david gilmour the other week and he was also pretty damn good

i also have to mention the who. i saw them at live 8 doing two songs, and i must say they were probably the best act of the day (sorry pink floyd!) and i'm not even a who fan really

theres tons more, but those stick out at the moment

[rich tee]

Howard Jones Shepherds Bush Empire 2003.
This was a 20th Anniversary gig, 4 hours long and I'm on the fan bit of the DVD chatting to the camera.