Who are the best live act you've ever seen

[corro]

Springsteen at the Apollo Manchester May 81. Greatest performer ever.

The La's at the Marquee 87. Having followed them from their early pen and wig gigs saw some disappointing performances. Mostly Mavers being pissed off with the other band members. The Marquee gig was fucking boss with the band roared on by a coach load of steaming mickeys.

Madness around 79/80 the Empire. They had all the roadies bouncing around the stage with them. Loads of energy back then.

Waterboys. First time. This is the sea tour. They fell away once the other fella left. Fisherman blues gig was shite.

Prefab sprout. Always loved Paddy McAloon. Wrote some beautiful songs

Neil Young at the arena. Still wide awake after all these years.

[polymerpunkah]

Saw a few big names in the '80s. Stones, Who, Bowie, etc.

 

Usually at BC Stadium. The sound quality was terrible, and I was so far from the stage it was a waste of time.

 

I think the best performance I ever saw was by a country and western singer named Jerry Jeff Walker.

 

At a roller rink in Vancouver, with about 200 drunk shit-kicking C+W fans.

 

Just him and his guitar on a low stage, surrounded by the above collection of drunks, myself included.

 

He, and we, managed to sing all his songs, several of them twice, everyone had a great time, and at the end of the night he picked up his guitar, walked through the crowd, got into his car and drove away.

 

He didn't drop the mike as he walked away, but he could have.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Wish I could've seen Unknown Hinson.

 

Yeehaw.

[stringvest]

Springsteen at the Apollo Manchester May 81. Greatest performer ever.

The La's at the Marquee 87. Having followed them from their early pen and wig gigs saw some disappointing performances. Mostly Mavers being pissed off with the other band members. The Marquee gig was fucking boss with the band roared on by a coach load of steaming mickeys.

Madness around 79/80 the Empire. They had all the roadies bouncing around the stage with them. Loads of energy back then.

Waterboys. First time. This is the sea tour. They fell away once the other fella left. Fisherman blues gig was shite.

Prefab sprout. Always loved Paddy McAloon. Wrote some beautiful songs

Neil Young at the arena. Still wide awake after all these years.

 

 

Seen all of them apart from Neil Young.   And I agree with you about Paddy - fantastic songwriter. 

[mattyq]

Springsteen

Rory Gallagher

Jethro Tull

Mark Knopfler

Some cracking shouts there

Saw Tull a few times and they were ace

In a similar vein Fairport Convention were brilliant

 

Here's Tull at Madison Square Gardens 

 

[RoboRiise]

Saw Pulp in 1994. Nothing else to add.

 

Saw them in 1996 at the first V Festival in Leeds and they possibly make it a three-way tie for me now, I'd actually forgotten just how good they were live.  Was also very very surprised by how good Supergrass were live at the same gig, just a proper rock band making a huge racket.

 

That was one of the best things about the music scene at that time, seeing a band like Pulp who had been plugging away for years put out a couple of albums that just captured the mood and imagination perfectly and blew them into the stratosphere.  Jarvis Cocker is one of the best lyricists this country has ever produced in my opinion and some of the songs they threw out around then were incredible.  Even the really light sounding stuff like Disco 2000 is soaked with quiet, unspectacular and very British desperation and the utter contempt lurking in the barbs of Common People is just brilliant.

[razor]

Saw Pulp in 1994. Nothing else to add.

 

I saw them in 1993.  February 25th to be exact, supporting St Etienne at the university.

 

I just looked it up on the internet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah Cracknell.

[The Midnight Rambler]

Pulp's the only band I've ever got to the front for. Usually far to cool for that shit.

[Harry Squatter]

The 2 birds me and my mate got back to his house one night after meeting them in a pub in South Road.

[Paco]

Pulp's the only band I've ever got to the front for. Usually far to cool for that shit.

I was at the front for the manics on the third night of a festival. never smelt anything as disgusting.

[Moo]

Seen a few decent ones in my time, The Jam, Depeche Mode and Soundgarden being standouts. A surprise one to add to that list is Sophie Ellis Bextor, she's a brilliant live performer.

[razor]

Pulp's the only band I've ever got to the front for. Usually far to cool for that shit.

 

I hear you, JC.  I usually stand well back.  Except for The The.  I had to be right at the front for The The.

[General Dryness]

I was at the front for the manics on the third night of a festival. never smelt anything as disgusting.

I was near the front for Oasis at Glastonbury in 2004. Nastiest atmosphere I've ever encountered at a gig. Burberry and sovvies as far as the eye could see, lots of "what the fuck are you looking at" placcy hard men.

[Remmie]

Seen a few decent ones in my time, The Jam, Depeche Mode and Soundgarden being standouts. A surprise one to add to that list is Sophie Ellis Bextor, she's a brilliant live performer.

Have to disagree with Sophie E-B, I saw her at a nightclub in my Uni days when Groovejet was still fresh in the memory, she turned up 2 hours late, mimed it twice in succession and fucked off.

[Bernard Diomede]

Seen Leonard Coen and Richard Hawley at Bennacisim in 2008 they were both quality. The verve at the G mex in Manchester were ace. Been to some ace coral gigs down the years as well. Any time I've watched elbow I've never been disappointed either. Watched the doves at delamere forest as well that was brilliant

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[manwiththestick]

Have to disagree with Sophie E-B, I saw her at a nightclub in my Uni days when Groovejet was still fresh in the memory, she turned up 2 hours late, mimed it twice in succession and fucked off.

 

I saw her pre Groovejet when she fronted a band called The Audience and remember them being pretty good.

[Bob]

Sophie Ellis Bexter? I'm a thread about best live acts? Have a fucking word.

 

As for standing near the back, bollocks to that.

 

Get in the pit, elbows sharpened and go fucking mental.

 

Why I picked Ignite as my choice. First proper punk mosh pit I got involved in.

 

Wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The a big skinhead caught the beach ball that was bouncing around in the crowd while we waited for it to start, bit a hole in it and that set the tone.

 

Fucking brutal pit, but so much fun.

[lifetime fan]

The Who - just wish it had been the first time around.

[manwiththestick]

Sophie Ellis Bexter? I'm a thread about best live acts? Have a fucking word.

 

As for standing near the back, bollocks to that.

 

Get in the pit, elbows sharpened and go fucking mental.

 

Why I picked Ignite as my choice. First proper punk mosh pit I got involved in.

 

Wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The a big skinhead caught the beach ball that was bouncing around in the crowd while we waited for it to start, bit a hole in it and that set the tone.

 

Fucking brutal pit, but so much fun.

 

Just to clarify on my post above regarding S.E.B, in no way was I insinuating that she is in the top live acts I've seen, just that she was alright.

 

Seen loads of top live shows, particularly in the 90's when I seemed to be at a gig almost every week. If I had to pick one know I'd go for Beastie Boys in Paris as it was the first gig that involved a hefty road trip.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

RATM for me.

Bastard.

 

I don't think I've ever been to a bad gig, other than a shit band called something horses I think. Walked out halfway through the gig they were that shit.

 

Fave gigs though are:

QOTSA at the MEN

Opera at The Manchester Acadmey II

Alice In Chains at The Manchester Academy

Faith No More, Pearl Jam, Skink Anansie, Slayer, Gomez, AIC and The Manics in Bilbao

Prodigy at Manchester Apollo

 

Think it has to be Opeth. To see a band of that musical ability and quality live after going in absolutely baked off some big fat spliffs prior, was something else.

[SammyAftershave]

I saw a fair few of the titan's in my concert going days in the 70's: The Who, Genesis, Yes, Floyd, Dylan, Clapton, Zeppelin, Bad Company etc. but some bands you were made up just to be there for the event whereas others are/were truly great 'live' performers and quite often they were not the headline act on the night and regularly put the big boys to shame:

 

Graham Parker and the Rumour

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Q-Tips

 

But if there were ever two sides to a coin it would be Van Morrison. He, and his band, capable of lighting a venue up or stinking the place out. Depending on the night.

 

In '93 I had the great pleasure of seeing JJ Cale and his band live in a cabaret club in Portland, Oregon. Two hour set the longest song being about 4 mins, totally chilled and also a great raconteur to boot....and that was nice.

[Paco]

I was near the front for Oasis at Glastonbury in 2004. Nastiest atmosphere I've ever encountered at a gig. Burberry and sovvies as far as the eye could see, lots of "what the fuck are you looking at" placcy hard men.

I was at a noel gig in Belfast one night. it was like a football match. people holding scarves, flags the lot. there were running battles in the car park after which has was quite entertaining as it takes about 45 mins to get away.

[ZonkoVille77]

I saw Oasis in the old point depot in Dublin in 2006. Heavy stereo supported them. I was right at the front right up to just before Oasis came on but I passed out through too much drink and the heat and ended up watching the gig from the back of the venue after the medics gave me the ok. They were at the top of their game then and dopey bollocks here missed the close up.

[Bjornebye]

I was at a noel gig in Belfast one night. it was like a football match. people holding scarves, flags the lot. there were running battles in the car park after which has was quite entertaining as it takes about 45 mins to get away.

The worst I saw was at the Rose bowl near Southampton. Loads of running battles between pompey and scum fans. Even Noel had to ask them to chill the fuck out.

[manwiththestick]

And yet when I seen them in 94 and at Maine road a year or so later, no knobheads.