[Music] Best LIVE band?

[Peteinblack]

Some of the best gigs I've been to (in 40 years of gig-going) have been in the last 5 years - Killing Joke, Suede and Lee 'Scratch' Perry (RIP) at a three-day rock festival at Butlins, Bognor; Psychedelic Furs at Camden Roundhouse; Half Man Half Biscuit in Bristol a week before the first Covid lockdown; Lene Lovich also in Bristol; Patti Smith band here in Bath just two months ago - she's now in her mid-70s, but her voice is as strong and distinctive as ever, and she dances like someone half her age.

Oh, and going back a while, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at The Troxy in Limehouse, on the 'Dig, Lazarus, Dig' tour - absolutely brilliant gig; Cave was (and still is) a mesmerising performer.

 

[zefarelly]

I've seen the blockheads quite a few times since the forst time in '89, they can still cut it, on any stage.

All very subjective.

Love forever changes at the Dome has to be one of the best . . . .around the same time ( 2002 3 ) we left the Who @ BCtr early as it was poor.

 

[Albion in the north]

Muse for me. Brilliantly bonkers shows.

My favourite too. Saw them in some smaller venues at the beginning which was amazing.
Also, randomly and somewhat linking back to the OP, saw Chris martin introduce them at a festival. Coldplay were actually on in an afternoon slot but were pretty good mainly playing stuff from Parachutes. For me, their best album.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

Some have been disappointed with Bob Dylan, he is not a communicator like some but if you are are a fan the music is wonderful. His concerts have been let down by the crap venues , soulless multi arenas that do nothing for the performers. The best by far was at the O2 where the sound and everything was spot on.
I generally preferred little gigs and have had some nights of absolute ecstasy, not drugs just music !
I give you bands like John Mayall, The Blues Band, the wonderful duel guitars of Wishbone Ash .. and the finest three piece that never made the big time… The Hamsters!

 

[Frutos]

Springsteen & The E Street Band, no question.

Zac Brown Band are very good too.

I'd have loved to see Queen and the Eagles as I'm sure they'd both be right up there.

 

[JackB247]

Linkin Park, without question.
I was lucky enough to see them at the O2. Chester Bennington's voice was unreal, how he could switch from soft and melodic to screaming metal, gave me goosebumps. Their music meant so much to me in difficult times.

Motorhead. Without doubt the loudest thing I've ever heard. My ears were ringing 5 days after the event.

Alice Cooper. Saw his poison tour up at Wembley when I was a kid and then about 10yrs ago at the Brighton centre with Motorhead and Joan Jett.
His stage shows are something else, the props, the storytelling, first class.

Another vote for Linkin Park here, also saw them at the O2 and thought they were amazing for similar reasons.

A special mention also for Kasabian whom I saw at the IOW Festival in 2018 and they were brilliant although that was pre-frontman leaving so don't know what they are like now.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Best live gig I ever saw was thin lizzy at the Hammersmith odean( Apollo)

3 hours of sheer unadulterated rock genius.

 

[Doonhamer7]

Mine best live event was Monsters of Rock 1988 - basically had 4 headliners in 6 bands - which had the most amazing line up Iron Maiden, Kiss, Dave Lee Roth (just left Van Halen and had Steve Vai on guitar), Magadeth, Guns N Roses & an opener. Tragic event as a couple people died in the crush - in retrospect it was no surprise as I was feeling very tightly packed and that was Todd’s from the front.

 

[Ding Dong !]

The best line band I've seen were Muse.

And me

 

[grawhite]

Queen - Wembley twice and Knebworth 1986
Dire Straits - Wembley Arena 1985
U2 - Wembley 2009

Many of others but they were the stand out concerts…

 

[Iron Butterfly]

Did you ever see Iron Butterfly live? My sister's first husband was a drummer who wrote a couple o songs for them and. I think, played with them at a few gigs.

Unfortunately no, but we did sponsor Kerry Mayo for a few years as 'In a Gadda Da Vida'. He was a bit bemused by being given a CD with a dozen different versions of it including one, weirdly, by Boney M.

 

[Iron Butterfly]

I loved this drum solo, not that difficult I don’t think and I used to try and do it on my thighs

https://youtu.be/lSttPLaTx_M

Great drumming on a classic track.

 

[Lower West Stander]

The best live performance I’ve seen was Kasabian at Terminal 5 in New York. This was probably helped by the fact it was a small venue full of fans in a country where the band weren’t that big. I saw them at the O2 a couple of years later and they weren’t as good.

The best live band I’ve seen was the Eagles in terms of musicianship. They just blew me away. It was about a year before Glenn Frey died and I now feel privileged to have seen them when I did.

Honourable mention for Jools Holland as well. He never disappoints.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

James Blunt is quite funny on Twitter, doubt he has a lot of stage presence though.

You typed “personality” though, this what I was picking up on. As it happens, I have actually seen Coldplay perform and Martin seems an adequate and capable front man.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Thin Lizzy - 3 times, Brighton Centre

The rest

 

[Machiavelli]

I think the best live concerts I have seen - were Roger Waters The Wall at the O2 in 2011 and David Byrne's American Utopia at Hammersmith Odeon in 2018.

David Byrne is a good call. Saw him at The Dome about a decade ago, when he was playing his Eno collaborations. Twas magic. Not so sure it was my favourite though.

 

[HantsSeagull]

David Byrne is a good call. Saw him at The Dome about a decade ago, when he was playing his Eno collaborations. Twas magic. Not so sure it was my favourite though.

i was at that one too

 

[ozzygull]

Genesis - Wembley 1987 and Knebworth 1992 incredible live band

Green Day at Wembley Arena stands out as well.

 

[Icy Gull]

If we are now talking about bands in small venues I saw this guy in a small venue in London whose name escapes me. I only remember the gig and the fact that I found myself standing beside Andrew Ridgeley when I was having a fag outside before the concert and that we got lost on the way back to Brighton!

It was very very good


https://youtu.be/UTrv1njKyNI

 

[Weststander]

New Order were the pinnacle for me, incredible gigs, the band and crowd as one (anywhere but the Brighton Centre). Morris, Hookie and Sumner all uniquely brilliant musicians live or in the studio.

I never saw Queen, but so many other famous bands and performers talk about them being on another level live, they were in awe.