Best Live Band and Worst

Best live band :drahdiwaberl.
Ex band of Falco,prohibited to play in usa,prohibited to play on austrian radio.
good quality music,youth forbidden textes and
the most radical and excessive show on stage you haveever seen in your live.never heared another comment than this by anybody who have seen drahdiwaberl on stage .you would not believe your eyes.In austria come more than 25000 people to their openair happenings.In most other countries they are not allowed to perform.
O.J.

Hi
I also saw Isotope and enjoyed them lots especially the great Gary Boyle on guitar.
Regards
Jim

Best live band consistently during the seventies Jethro Tull.
Worst althogh great playing etc,Gary Moore he played a gig in the early nineties exactly one hour on stage and i was gratefull for the brevity.

Best band I've seen in terms of atmosphere and just 'getting the vibe' thang going, was Maceo Parker & the JB Horns, back in around 1993 or 1994.

As a matter of fact, I'm off to see James Brown play in a couple of months, and I certainly hope that he, and whatever manifestation of his band he has these days, can live up to my memories of the JBs back in the day...

John

Isotope were brilliant! Gary Boyle is a God!
I just wish Naim would put out another of his albums.

The worst gig I ever went to was Stone Temple Pilots at Brixton Academy, firstly when they didn't show up and then when they returned 6 months later to play the show and honour the tickets, they played without any interest for no more than 40 minutes and then walked off.
Although I have their CD's, I only bought them 2nd hand. They can fuck off.

I saw Remember Shakti last year, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
The last Pink Floyd gigs at Earls Court was like that too.
Neil Young at Reading or Pheonix (can't remember which) in the rain playing Cortez. I cried.

Best gig - Arthur Lee/Love, Glastonbury 2003
Worst gig - hmm - the ones I played!? Hmm - that's tough actually, since even pants gigs have been enjoyable. I guess it'd be Oasis at Knebworth. If I wanted to watch a band mime to their CDs I'd watch TOTP - seriously, no atmosphere, very dull. The support acts (all of them!) blew Oasis away. Thank GOD for the Prod(igy!) and Bootleg Beatles (and Chemical Brothers and Ocean Colour Scene for that matter)....

__________________________
Don't wanna be cremated or buried in a grave
Just dump me in a plastic bag and leave me on the pavement
A tribute to your modern world, your great society
I'm just another victim of your highrise fantasy!

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Originally posted by central:
Best live band consistently during the seventies Jethro Tull.
Worst althogh great playing etc,Gary Moore he played a gig in the early nineties exactly one hour on stage and i was gratefull for the brevity.

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Hy central!Agree on jethro tull.Specially those "thick as a brick"long version concerts.(think it was 77)

O.J.

I've pretty much enjoyed all the gigs I've been to. Even Wizard in front of 6 people at Loughborough Uni put on a good show.

Least enjoyabe for me was Fastway, a Motorhead spin off with 'Fast' Eddie Clark, at Manchester Apollo. I just wasn't into the music enough to enjoy it even though I was on the front row. My mate had his head stuck in a bass bin and only lasted 2 tracks before he decided his hearing was more important than his front row position and ventured back a bit.

I've seen Gary Moore a couple of times in the 80's and really enjoyed the show 90 - 120 minutes.

Best show - Queen at Maine Road, but that's 'cos I'm a huge fan.

Another superb performance, Pulp at V96?? in the mid nineties at Warrington, I like some crowd interaction, and Freddie and Jarvis are excellent at getting a crowd invlved.

Completely sublime gigs I've been to...

Davey Spillane at Queen's Hall, Edinburgh on St. Patrick's day.
John Zorn and Masada at Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, the first time I ever got free jazz.
Scottish Ensemble playing John Tavener's Depart in Peace and Tears of the Angels by candlelight in the Marryat Hall, Dundee.
Best Big Rock Gig was probably Tull at Wembley on their 20th anniversary tour.

Worst was without a doubt Capercaillie at Celtic Connections a few years ago, a great disappointment as I'd seen them at the end of the 80s and they were almost up with the first part of this list. But last time they had a drummer and percussionist as opposed to occasional bodhran and a sound man who thought floor shaking bass would complemet Karen Matheson's voice. D'oh!

Pete.

I've seen Tull a couple of times and I have to agree that they are very good live. My favourite Rock gig would be The Cure at the SECC during the Disintegration tour. My favourite Jazz gig was Michael Brecker at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow.
I have never been to a really lousy gig ( I only go to see bands that I like!), probably the worst rock gig was The Inspriral Carpets at the Barrowlands (it wasn't dreadful or anything, but I just didn't get into it). The worst Jazz gig was Nguyen Le at the Fruitmarket - high speed guitar shredding is impressive for a short while, but this was just relentless.

One of my most memorable and most enjoyable gigs was a very small students union gig when I was at college in 1976, with The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver. Intimate gig is an understatement. They were just perfect.

Best gig: Michael Franti and Spearhead at Manchester Academy 2 last December. Very uplifting and emotional. Not a dry eye in the house when the lights came on.

Runner Up: Saw Doctors last Thursday in Wrexham. Very up close and personal gig and it rocked. I couldn't speak the following day as I had been singing along so loudly. Hopefully a repeat performance this Friday in Warrington.

Worst gig: Lemonjelly at the same venue in Feb 2003. It was appauling. You couldn't even hear the music and it could have been any two jokers up on stage. Walked out after about 15 minutes.

Runner Up: Deep Purple at the MEN Arena a few years back. The gestapo wouldn't let anyone stand up. If you did you were asked to be seated. Oh yeah, even though they were VERY loud, the sound quality was really bad.

Regards

Mark ;0)

Very difficult to pick a truly "worst gig" as there have been quite a few (especially if you take support bands into account). Memorable ones include:
- Huggy Bear at the New Cross Venue. Felt compelled to shout abuse at them during the quiet bits
- The Glory Boys (I think that was their name). They were at some New Bands thing at the Marquee (I was there to see Teenage Fanclub who were playing later). Anyway, they were terrible retro metal, pulling all the wrong poses, but it turns out they were ahead of their time, witness The Darkness now.
- Silverfish - standard support act during very late 80s / early 90s. Always consistent in that they were always bad.
- Loud - another band that never got out of support band stage. Terrible metal, although my friends and I got quite familiar with their material and sometimes sang along to it, we saw them so many times.
- Screaming Trees - in fact, they were excellent, but as they only hit the stage at 11.30 I had to go after only 2 minutes to get my last train home.
Janes Addiction, Reading Festival, 2002 - Oh dear.

Best bands include:
Jane's Addiction - when they were touring Nothings Shocking and before Perry was off the smack.
Pearl Jam - ULU in the week they released '10'. Amazing gig but went downhill quickly after that. Much better than any of their records.
World Domination Enterprises - great, dirty slabs of noise. Chaotic. Dangerous. Great!
The Jesus Lizard - Highbury Garage. The ceiling got kicked in, the band kicked a member of the audience in, the audience kicked the mixing desk in, and a thoroughly good night was had by all.
Nine Inch Nails - supporting Guns and Roses at Wembley Stadium a long, long time ago. The audience booed them throughout, but they were great (£30 well spent even if GNR got most of the cash). Hung around to see what GNR were like out of morbid curiosity. Shit is the answer.
Jacob's Mouse - in a tent at Finsbury Park before it was even noon probably. Brilliant. They should have been massive, but only a handful of people ever bought their records.
Ministry - Brixton Academy, 1992ish. Relentless. Loud. No fans of George Bush Snr, or the Pope, judging by the number of cocks that both seemed to be fellating in the accompanying film show.
Cheers
Simon

There may have been bands with fancier light shows or more gadgets on stage but for sheer unadulterated energy and power (as well as a few good tunes) it was hard to beat The Who in the early seventies. The sight of Townshend's windmill arm and Daltrey's fringed jacket, golden curls and mike swinging round his head still get the hairs on the back of my neck tingling. And when they start "See me feel me..." it's just electric. Unbeatable in their day and not too bad for a bunch of middle aged rockers now.

Best Fairly recent gig was Rammstein at Manchester Appollo a couple of years ago, i felt like a kid again and great sound.

quote:

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Originally posted by central:
Best Fairly recent gig was Rammstein at Manchester Appollo a couple of years ago, i felt like a kid again and great sound.

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Central!Rammstein? as good as jethro
tull
seem i haved missed something by not knowing
rammsteins music.
or is your comment only on their onstage performance?
O.J.

I am sure this was done not that long ago but best concert was Hawkwind in or around 1985 at the Hammersmith Palais - memory may not be up to scratch but I swear they were on stage for 2 1/2 hours. Many guest appearances throughout the evening. Marvellous stuff. Seeing them next Wednesday in Brigton.

Another hugely entertaining concert was Prince at Wembley Arena on his Lovesexy tour. What a showman. Quite a mean guitarist too.

Worst - AC/DC at Wembley Arena sometime in the mid eighties(?). They were going through the motions.

Cheers

Mike

Michael - I'll be there to see Hawkwind too. See you there.
Simon - Screaming Trees - I love them. I haven't seen them at all. At least two minutes was better than nothing, although I question the importance of getting the train that night! Personally I wouldn't have worried about that until afterwards. Fat bastard rock. Great great band. Was it Brixton?

quote:

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Originally posted by o.j.:

quote:

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Originally posted by central:
Best Fairly recent gig was Rammstein at Manchester Appollo a couple of years ago, i felt like a kid again and great sound.

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Central!Rammstein? as good as jethro
tull
seem i haved missed something by not knowing
rammsteins music.
or is your comment only on their onstage performance?
O.J.

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O.J, Tull and Rammstein have little in common, i relate to Tull in the Seventies recorded and live, i saw them in the eighties and it was frankly depressing they sounded like Dire Straits.
The reason that i made the feel like a kid remark is that Rammstein were awesome live,and i love there recordings and highly recomend them, best is the last one "Mutter".
They reminded me what was great about those Tull gigs, the band were fairly young and so was i, now i can't knock off 30 years but i can watch a young band and The German boys Rock.

All the best

quote:

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Originally posted by Rasher:
Michael - I'll be there to see Hawkwind too. See you there.

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Watch out for four late thirty somethings wearing lab coats!!!

Cheers

Mike

Going back a hell of a long way:

Worst imaginable rip-off in the history of the universe!: The 'Stones live at Longleat about 1964-5? Absolutely bløødy apalling! Pathetic would be a better description. Nearly two weeks wages for the short return coach trip and entry charge. 20 minutes weak and watery, out of tune, couldn't care a bollocks, shite! No wonder they went to live in France!

The Kinks were very a large and remarkable step up in sound quality (and live performace close to their records) over almost all the other 'name' bands I now vaguely remember from the mid 60's live at the popular local hall.

The Yardbirds really weren't bad live either.

I used to be a fan of Jethro Tull but never got to see them live. Or the Pretty Things! "Don't bring me down" was an all-time favorite. Such "dangerous" music compared with all the "frilly shirts" of the time. (you had to be there)

Nothing else has stuck in the memory. Apart from "the suits" fighting, in an inch of condensed sweat, on the concrete floor of the local hall, on big name occasions. Now that was memorable!

Nime

Rasher,
Tell me about it! I at least managed to see them at the Reading Festival a couple of years later. The time I only saw 2 minutes of them though was before they sold many records in UK, and they were playing somewhere like the Camden Barfly or some other small place (my memory fails me).
Simon

Casting our way back to the start of this thread my top three gigs were Solomon Burke, Blondie and Richard and Danny T. but I have to also cast a vote for Slade as they really were an incredible live band. There were actually some excellent albums too for those who never saw beyond Merry Christmas Everybody. I always wondered why Noddy Holder never went solo. What an incredible, unique voice?

Surprisingly, Blondie is still good live (at least they were a couple of years ago when my wife dragged me to a gig). Debbie may dance like a scary aunt at a wedding but she can still belt them out.

A trip to Concorde II last night in Brighton to see Hawkwind. A good show - not the best but certainly not bad. A rocking version of Brainstorm to close the evening - excellent.

Although a small venue it had a good atmosphere. Sadly I could not indulge in a few beers because I was on driving duty. Nonetheless a most enjoyable evening.

It's been a long while since I last saw a live band and I will be looking out for more to see now.

Cheers

Mike