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

[Augmented]

So who did you go to see that turned out to be awesome but you still really haven't turned into a fan?

This has only really happened at festivals for me, as most artists I go and see I am already a big fan of, and the surprise support acts have always become firm favourites (Mew, Ether and Interpol come to mind).

Last years ATP (this year's best were all already favourites ) left me with three of my most memorable performances:

• John Frusciante Performing a solo acoustic set which was all new to me; the atmosphere was stunning. He was pretty nervous, just alone with a guitar on stage, but everyone was incredibly supportive and there was a genuinely electric feeling running through the crowd - thanks in large to some rather fervent fans - and that made all the difference. Leave and go catch PJ Harvey playing solo for the first time in many years instead?! Pffft! [Though I did manage to see most of it]. The greater the reaction from the audience, the better and more enthusiastically he played.
  
  Felt like it actually made a difference to be there, rather than the typically passive environment of much live music. Didn't matter if he screwed up or you weren't familiar with the tunes, it was simply about the moment (I went and hugged a few trees afterwards). Video of Carvel on the night
  
  Watching him later, now on a high, jamming impromptu blues on stage with Sean Lennon and Vincent Gallo during the very last performance of the weekend (while the horrendously pretentious Yoko Ono left the stage) was equally brilliant. Video of the jam, including Yoko's 'performance art' - ffwd to about 10mins in .
  
  Haven't actually got round to listening to any of his solo stuff, and don't know if I want to potentially spoil that memory by seeing him again in a different situation.
  
  
• Peaches Wow, quite a performance. From faking a headplant on the stage and spitting out blood, to crowd surfing in a tiny silver jumpsuit, to wondering what everyone was looking at when you realise Peaches, having disappeared into the darkness, lands a couple of feet from you in the crowd. Unlikely to feature in my playlist though.
  
  
• Afrirampo - The sight of two diminutive and crackers Japanese ladies bounding about the stage like a pair of children with ADD, yelping out phrases you're oblivious to the meaning of while delivering a peculiar mix of noise-rock and bubblegum-pop was memorably excellent stuff.

 

[Garp]

Kendal Payne - Obscure artists most folks won't have heard (might know "supermodels" that was the theme to the TV series Popular. She's a gutsy girl. Turns up at Shephards Bush Empire and does her whole set solo, just her and an acoustic guitar.. and she is just amazing. Even when her style of music has been so different from what they've come to see she somehow manages to win the crowd over through a mix of good songwriting, sassy performances and sheer talent.

 

[TommoUK]

The Flaming Lips
The entire audio and visual performance was fantastic. The strobe suit, the hundreds of balloons, the giant inflatable wayne-sphere... And incredible songs everyone there knew. Great experience, the best gig I have been to. The Go! Team were supporting, and as Carzy mentioned earlier I think it was, they are fantastic live and had everyone dancing

The Arcade Fire
First saw these at Manchester Academy, and it was a brilliant gig. The variety of instruments, externded version of a song or two, the sheer energy. Like with the lips, most of the people there were pretty big fans and were singing along a lot - pretty small venue too so there was a great atmosphere.

 

[Flibster]

Queen in Hyde Park - I know, it wasn't Freddie and for even mentioning this I expect I will get flamed but please bear in mind that I'm not old enough to have seen Queen with Freddie and this was the closest I could get to that...

Got the DVD of the show here.

I was very pleasently surprised. Paul Rogers did a very very good job.

However the version of Bohemian Rhapsody was superb...Freddie and Paul both singing.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[ElvisFan]

but caught the end of PJ Harvey (unfortunately!).

Heathen!

 

[Jet]

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Spoon

Both were fantastic and sounded almost like the CD's and then some which I like in a live act. There's nothing worse than the bass drowning out the vocals.

OkGo

Purely for the fun factor.

 

[elroberto]

Super Furry Animals at the Afan Lido a few months back. Brilliant gig. GLC were fantastic too.

Razorlight at Carling weekend Reading 04

Arctic Monkeys at the Newport Centre

Art Brut, Cardiff Barfly, Tiny venue, terrific night

 

[poosemon]

download festival 2005, that was amazing, lots of amazing performances.....
favourites had to be..(in no particular order)

Shadows Fall
Killswitch Engadge
In Flames
Lamb Of God
Slayer
Slipknot
Trivium

and from taste of chaos tour 2005 the used really surprised me, i thought they were the best act of the night

Bring on Unholy Alliance Tour

 

[Alchemy]

Yngwie Malmsteen - His stage presence is sencond to none.

 

[Spuderoony]

Rise Against, With Honor, and Kanye West all stick in my mind from recent gigs. Wildly different, but loved each one.

 

[MikeTimbers]

The Undertones at the Rainbow in Tottenham in 1979 (I think). They ran out of songs and did a 30-minute Elvis Presley medley for their encore. Unbelievable.

The Banshees. The best live act I've ever seen. Consistently brilliant but I'd single out their gig at St. James's Church in 1985. Seeing the greatest Goth band playing in a church was just eerie!

 

[Sol]

Black Keys at the Garage a year or two ago, liked them a little before that gig and a lot afterwards.

Eels various in Glasgow, you get a different show and style everytime = better than just churning out the album versions of each song. Seeing them again at the ABC in a couple of weeks.

Gig on the Green with those bands mentioned before was good but I thought Foos were one of the worst there, seen them twice live before that and were much better. Probably didn't like them because the one by one album is total and utter crap imo and there were two many ***** in the crowd. Thought PJ Harvey and Queens were particularly good, Chilis were good but was pretty knackered by then.

Interpol at the Carling Academy in 2005 were pretty damn good too.

The Kills at Aberdeen Lemon Tree in 2002? Really amazing atmosphere and really great sound for such a traditionally crap venue for sound quality. Next time they played there they were rubbish and the third time they were great again even though didn't think much of the second album.

The datsuns at t in the park and in glasgow around 2004 were pretty good. Super cheesy AC/DC rip offs but they are really good live. First album ain't bad, second ones rubbish.

 

[Kelpie]

Pantera - Vulgar display of power tour

Suicidal Tendencies - Think it was their last ever Uk gig (Glasgow Barrowlands)

Cocteau Twins - End of the night at T in the Park quite a few years back now.

Favourite gig ever had to be Pavement at the Barrowlands again, with Mercury Rev as support. Hadn't a clue who Mercury Rev were at the the time, my ears will never be the same again. Best soundscape ever during Mercury Rev's performance, audio coming from all over the shop. Pavement were every bit as good as I had expected. Chuffed I got to see them in the flesh before they called it quits with the music industry.

 

[dbmzk1]

So many, hmm hard one. I guess I will have to list a few really!

Rammstein- Manchester MEN 2005 and Birmingham NEC 2005

The music is great, they put on a fantastic show and the atmosphere was awesome. I don't really know what my top gig is, but I do know Rammstein would be very close to the top. I was just stunned.

Soil - Manchester Academy 2006

Supported by American Head Charge, who split a few days later and Panic Cell in a small few hundred person venue, this was a fantastic show. Soils new singer had a lot to live up to and he performed with such enthusiasm and energy it blew me away.

Slipknot and Slayer - Manchester MEN 2004

This would have been about the millionth time I had seen Slipknot and they were good but bored me. Slayer though (who were on first for some strange reason) took my breath away. I had seen them before but they put on such an awesome show I came away shaking!

Red Hot Chili Peppers - City of Manchester Stadium 2004

The first ever gig at the new City of Manchester stadium. The Chilis are known for having an impressive energy and they certainly lived up to their reputation. Apart from the totally depressing support acts James Brown and Chicks on Speed it was an amazing experience.

Green Day - Manchester MEN 2005

Ok I know the new stuff is not a patch on what they used to be and they now appeal to the younger more emo audience, but they put on a fantastic show full of energy and you could tell they were enjoying it.

Meat Loaf - Manchester MEN 2003

Not something I would listen to every day, but he was simply awesome. Considering his age and the fact he is not exactly as healthy as one would like, he put on a show with such power and passion that it simple took my breath away. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was, which made it even better. One I will never forget.

Black Sabbath - Download Festival Donington Park 2005

While both Downloads I have been too in 2004 and 2005 (god damn it I couldnt go this year arrghhhhh) were out of this world, its Sabbaths show that sticks in my mind more than the rest. After seing Ozzy walking around like a snail on telly I wasn't really expecting the show that they put on, with more energy and enthusiasm than you can imagine.

 

[One More Solo]

Radiohead - Manchester 2003
Muse - Manchester 2003
The Go! Team - Birmingham 2006
The Flaming Lips - ""

 

[Space Cowboy]

Quantic Soul Orchestra, 2004 sometime, Jazz Café - London

You can't not dance.

 

[Chronos-X]

Muse - Glastonbury 2004
Manic Street Preachers - Move 2003
Guns n Roses - Hammersmith Apollo last week

 

[sinister_stu]

Muse - Glastonbury 2004

I was there... didn't really like Muse until I saw them at Glastonbury that year.

 

[Psymonkee]

Only been to 2 gigs

Iron Maiden, Dec 8th 2003 - First gig, absolutely awesome experience. Played some of the Dance of Death stuff and plenty of the classics

The Offspring, Mar 13th 2004 - Got tickets after a friend talked me into it. Have been a fan of their stuff and whilst they where certainly very good and lots of energy. Sadly there was no interaction with the fans at all - straight through the entire 22 song set in 60 minutes and off they went Also no drummer which just seemed wierd :/


However I did just get more tickets to see Maiden this December at the SECC :>

 

[Roberta]

Tom Petty in about 1990. So laid back yet totally controlled the audience.

Goldfrapp last feb. Alison Goldfrapp has the most perfect voice imagineable.