Best Live Concert

[GGT]

Best you have personally seen.

For me it was Elton John debuting his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, when he toured the US. I was still in high school but made plans to see the concert in Bloomington, IN with my future brother-in-law. I don't think I will ever be as blown away as I was back then.

I can't find a youtube of it, but he rose from below the floor, surrounded by dry ice smoke, playing his grand piano as a funeral for a friend.....and it took my breath away.

[Draco]

^^That sounds pretty cool.

I've only ever been to three live concerts. Ten minutes at a Pet Shop Boys one (it was free because it was in an open area), only because I was supposed to meet someone there. And then there was Cold Play, which was alright. So my best live concert would have to be the Prodigy, 2 years ago. They were great, and I made the terrible mistake of standing as close as I could to the stage, so as soon as they came on it was crazy! My glasses were partly knocked off and even then I couldn't bring my hand up to rearrange them! But one of the guys smashed his guitar, which was interesting to see.

I was supposed to see Kings of Leon in 2 weeks but one of their memebers injured his arm, so it was changed to November

[GGT]

Only three live concerts? That makes me sorta sad, because there is nothing quite like a live concert.

Edit

My brother-in-law saw Bruce Springsteen live and said it was the best concert ever. He sang non-stop for hours. That's not necessarily what concert goers are looking for these days, I suppose.

What are today's concert goers looking for?

[Draco]

Only three live concerts? That makes me sorta sad, because there is nothing quite like a live concert.

I blame my boring friends who have the money, but are too scared to 'waste' the money on something that they'll enjoy.

My brother-in-law saw Bruce Springsteen live and said it was the best concert ever. He sang non-stop for hours. That's not necessarily what concert goers are looking for these days, I suppose.

What are today's concert goers looking for?

I'd like to see him live, he's got some nice songs.
But today's concert goers, I'd say that they still want the same thing, non-stop singing, their best songs and such.

[GGT]

That also makes me a tad sad, Draco. When we bought tickets to a live concert, there was still the element of surprise. Songs and albums didn't make their way across the world like they do now. Whether it's youtube or something else on the web. We could still be surprised "back then", and the whole world wasn't watching.


edit

One of my favorite groups was Steely Dan, but they were a studio group and didn't do concerts. Well, they did, but I was too young and their window was too small. That made them more favorite, in a weird way, special.

In 1993, the group resumed playing live concerts; the early 21st century saw Steely Dan release two albums of new material, the first of which earned a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. They have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001.[10][11][12]

I don't know any Steely Dan fan that ever saw them perform live.

[Draco]

That also makes me a tad sad, Draco. When we bought tickets to a live concert, there was still the element of surprise. Songs and albums didn't make their way across the world like they do now. Whether it's youtube or something else on the web. We could still be surprised "back then", and the whole world wasn't watching.

It's strange reading that since I didn't even consider that you would have gone to concerts in a different time, but assumed it was all the same as today.
But for the Prodigy, I remember that I didn't hear any of their songs from their latest album at the time (I guess I was content with their older music) so when they did play a few of those songs, it was fun thinking "Why haven't I heard this before?"

Actually these days, at least in Australia, music festivals have become a big hit. I know they've been around for a while, but these days there's always one around the corner. I haven't been to any of these although I really want to.

[GGT]

I should probably post this in the CC musical thread, but what the hell. Anyone else notice who the bass guitar looks like?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgYuLsudaJQ

[GGT]

It's strange reading that since I didn't even consider that you would have gone to concerts in a different time, but assumed it was all the same as today.

Oh no, it was not always as it is today. Hearing music for the first time, in a crowd....has a special flavor. Gosh, I'm starting to remember my musical past in concerts, and it's very grand.

[Draco]

Oh no, it was not always as it is today. Hearing music for the first time, in a crowd....has a special flavor. Gosh, I'm starting to remember my musical past in concerts, and it's very grand.

Yeah rub it in

[GGT]

Earl Klugh, Joe Sample, Karla Bonoff, artists I would never have known without first having heard live artists in concert.

[Draco]

Earl Klugh, Joe Sample, Karla Bonoff, artists I would never have known without first having heard live artists in concert.

Never heard any of them

[GGT]

Yeah rub it in

Lucky you, to be able to click on one thing.......and find a whole new world!

Do you like jazz but don't think Miles Davis is your cup of tea? Then how about this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXmLU...eature=related

Or maybe you would like Esperanza Spalding http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15M62OtLrBQ

[GGT]

Never heard any of them

Really? Ever heard of Linda Ronstadt sining Blue Bayou?


Karla Bonoff is mostly a writer, but her voice is so sweet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C96oDES_Tpw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EfHZtCKJGY

I was fortunate enough to see her sing with James Taylor. He sang the harmony. Quite lovely.

[Draco]

Lucky you, to be able to click on one thing.......and find a whole new world!

Reminds me of something..once whilst at work, a couple, probably in their late 50s, were passing through my register, and the husband was talking about 'Neil Diamond' and I told him that I didn't know who he was. He was very surprised that I didn't know so he said "When you can, find one of his records, he's worth it." And I was about to say how I'll find him on youtube, but figured that he might not know what it is since he used the word 'record' hehe
Anyway I listened to a few of his songs, and I don't like them, not my type.

Do you like jazz but don't think Miles Davis is your cup of tea? Then how about this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXmLU...eature=related

Nah not my type of music. Some jazz is alright, although I'm not too interested in it to be able to list some artists. I do like that song 'Baker street' though with the saxaphone.

Or maybe you would like Esperanza Spalding http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15M62OtLrBQ

The girl is incredible, but again not my type.

[Draco]

Really? Ever heard of Linda Ronstadt sining Blue Bayou?

Nope. The name isn't even remotely familiar
Just found her on youtube though..not my thing

Since we're on the topic of older music, I do like these guys:
Oh and Pink Floyd, I'm sure you know of them

[Timbuk2]

Big fan of jazz. Try to see as much live as I can. There's a lovely pub down by the Thames in Kingston that has hosted live jazz on sunday nights for decades. It's become a regular thing with me and the lady, we go as often as we can.

Many regulars play, many well known names, and many up and coming kids. It's great.

Have booked to go see Jools Holland live at Hampton Court Palace in June. Not sure if you've heard of Jools, he's a very talented jazz/blues musician over here and hosts his own music TV shows.






... and a much more bluesy one ...

Or maybe you would like Esperanza Spalding http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15M62OtLrBQ

Wow - she's astonishing!

Will get an album off Amazon.

[GGT]

yes I know Pink Floyd

I like that Jools Holland. Reminds me of New Orleans jazz, happy and festive

another favorite is Norah Jones, long before I knew she was Quincy Jones's daughter. Also, her videos are really crappy.

[termite]

It is too hard to choose a best...

I mean there is so many kinds of best -

Best Blues Performance - Dave Hole at Westdale Rock Festival 2007

Best theatrics on stage - Iron Maiden at Burswood Dome 2008

Best Band with a message - Simple Minds at the Perth Ent Cent 1989

Sexiest Performance - P!ink at the Dome 2009. She did a cover of Divinyls "Touch Myself" on a giant sofa full of groping hands...

Best Multi Act - Australian Made Tour January 1987 featuring The Saints, INXS, Mental as Anything, Divinyls, I'm Talking, The Triffids, , Models, Jimmy Barnes at Subiaco Oval.

Best Rock Show - AC/DC 1988 & 1991 at the Ent Cent and 2010 at Subiaco Oval. Those guys still put on an amazing show that is so much more than just playing their music - they have cannons FFS!

Best No-Frills Performance - Pearl Jam at Members Equity Stadium 2009, these guys wore flannel shirts, had limited lighting and certainly no cannons but they fucking rocked.

Best Light Show - Pink Floyd at East Fremantle Oval Feb 1988 (a lot of marijana smoke hung in the air and made the laser show a more surreal appearance)

Best Festival - The Big Day Out at Claremont Show-grounds February 2004 featuring Metallica, The Strokes, The Dandy Warhols, The Mars Volta, The Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon, Muse, Lostprophets, Basement Jaxx, Aphex Twin, Luke Vibert, Black Eyed Peas, Peaches, The Datsuns, Something for Kate, Gerling, MC Trey, The Darkness, Thursday, Pnau, Salmonella Dub, King Kapisi, Scribe and P-Money, Hoodoo Gurus, Skulker, The Sleepy Jackson, Magic Dirt, Jet & more... It was truly a BIG DAY OUT!

Best Pub Gig - Weddings, Parties Anything @ Judds Bar (Kalgoorlie Hotel) 1998 - these guys were the ultimate up close and sweaty performers yet they performed mostly folk inspired tunes with a (then) modern flavour.

If I absolutely had to choose the Best it would probably be Pink Floyd - it was my first real concert and it opened my eyes and ears and got me going to more concerts.

[Flixy]

Hard to say.. Daft Punk has great live shows, amazing lights as well. NOFX is probably one of the most fun bands to see live. N.E.R.D. was surprisingly good, too. Basement Jaxx vs. the Metropole Orchestra was very good, too. 65daysofstatic were very good live too. And I am forgetting a lot of amazing shows... Oh, and the shows I played myself were obviously the most fun for me

[oldmunchkin]

Robert Plant in Denver! It was a small venue, covered with a canvas like tent. As he started singing "Shine" the Moon was rising above the canvas of the tent. It was awesome!

Elton John was pretty amazing too. Once again, it was a small venue, the Roundhouse at the University of Wyoming. He played most of his hits (One noticeable omission was "The Bitch is Back", but considering it was a charity concert for the Mathew Shepard Foundation, I suppose it wouldn't have been appropriate.) He played for a solid 3 hours, with only small pauses to get a drink of water.

Of course, when GGT and I started going to concerts an expensive concert was maybe $50, now the cheap, nosebleed seats start at more than that. I think youth today miss out on a lot of fun because of that!

[Draco]

^^Wow $50, that's insane. I paid around $90 for the Prodigy, and $120 for Cold Play. Kings of Leon was $140.

[Lor]

My best concert was: Metallica @ London 02 Arena, March 28th 2009.

Setlist:

That Was Just Your Life
The End Of The Line
Harvester Of Sorrow
...And Justice for All
One
Broken, Beat And Scarred
My Apocalypse
Sad But True
The Outlaw Torn
The Judas Kiss
The Day That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Fight Fire With Fire
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
Overkill
Hit The Lights
Seek and Destroy







-------

Hypothetical situation:

If you had a chance to use a time machine to see one concert gig from the past, which one would it be and why?

I'd personally would love to go back to 1991, Russia to see the Monsters of Rock concert at Tushino Airfield and for two reasons: 1) Metallica are on fire but more importantly 2) Look at the crowd!

[oldmunchkin]

^^Wow $50, that's insane. I paid around $90 for the Prodigy, and $120 for Cold Play. Kings of Leon was $140.

$50 was the top of the line, high-dollar ticket. The average price for most of the concerts I saw in the 80's and early 90's was around $25 for floor tickets.

[Lor]

My Metallica ticket was $100 and that wasn't including travelling costs/food arrangements - you can't put a price tag on a superb night though. I queued up for 5 hours just to get a good standing spot and glad I did because I was on the rail and within 2.5m away from the band at times.

[termite]

^^Wow $50, that's insane. I paid around $90 for the Prodigy, and $120 for Cold Play. Kings of Leon was $140.

New Category: Best cheap concert - The Angels & Cheap Trick $9.96 (sponsored by 96FM in the late 80's) it was a damn good show and at the end the two bands got up and did Highway to Hell and the whole crowd was blown away by how well Robin Zander sang his bit (Doc Neeson raised his eyebrows and then gave a bow in Zanders direction). I was accustomed to Zanders ballads and pop music but the dude could belt out a Rock song like nobody else - what a shame he didn't record more of the heavy stuff.

[Draco]

^^Even crazier pricing!

If you had a chance to use a time machine to see one concert gig from the past, which one would it be and why?

I'd personally would love to go back to 1991, Russia to see the Monsters of Rock concert at Tushino Airfield and for two reasons: 1) Metallica are on fire but more importantly 2) Look at the crowd!

I think I'd join you on that one Lor I think some 500 000 people were there! Funny to see the police or whatever they are, trying to control the crowd.

$50 was the top of the line, high-dollar ticket. The average price for most of the concerts I saw in the 80's and early 90's was around $25 for floor tickets.

Wow, that's dirt cheap!

[Lor]

I think I'd join you on that one Lor I think some 500 000 people were there! Funny to see the police or whatever they are, trying to control the crowd.

They reckon it was more than 500,000 due to the fact it was free. They believe double that turned up and you can see how tough it must have been to police even with the army involved. However, having said that, what a gig! The atmosphere must have been electric. I still cannot find pro-shot footage of this gig, bootlegs are going around but as it's popular among the Metallica fans, they won't share .

I could convert the YT footage but it's not the same, the quality would disappear and spoil the whole point of having it.

[Draco]

^^They won't share? lol that's silly..as if it's some sort of sacred document.

[termite]

^^They won't share? lol that's silly..as if it's some sort of sacred document.

You don't know many metalheads do you?

[Lor]

Draco: The reason why some might not share is because if you start sharing they lose there exclusivity.

I think the one thing people forget about the entire Napster issue (Man that was handled badly!) is that the band have never ever stopped bootlegging nor video capture at their gigs. In fact, they've always expressed a like of fans getting together and exchanging various items they've collected.