[Closed] Bands or artists who make good albums/singles but are even better live.

Bruce Springsteen.

Not my cup of tea on record, amazing live.

Prodigy.

Hundred Reasons- never made a really great album, always had some brilliant tracks and too many not brilliant tracks, but live they were pretty much perfect.

REM

Joe Bonamassa.

Groove Armada!

Absolutely unbelievable Live 😉

Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Bright Eyes have blown my tiny mind many times.

Mercury Rev - Easily the most incredible gig I've seen.

+1 for Kenickie. Saw them on a very damp Glastonbury in 98. The definite highlight for me.

Wanadies the previous year were very enthusiastic and involving, even though they opened the other stage on the Friday morning.

Muse also. One of the best live bands I've seen, although I am talking a couple of albums back.

Prodigy.....best gig I've ever been to, closely followed by Ride and the Charlatans.

Good shout on Wannadies, never really took to their recordings, but I went to see them at Bristol Uni with a mate, and they were excellent.
Similar to Springsteen, I went to see the Hold Steady also at Bristol Uni; liked their albums, but live they were incredible, absolutely electrifying, so much energy put into the performance.

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Arcade Fire without a doubt.
Regine Chassagne is a multi instrumentalist so one song she's playing the drums then it's all change for the next song where she'll play piano, then on to the guitar.
I just found myself watching them all in awe as they switched instruments.
Sound amazing too.

Carter USM, it's like punk never happened

Going to see them for yet another Last Ever Gig?

Interpol were the opposite for me. Good album but gash live.

I was pretty blown away by sneaker pimps on their bloodsport tour. Absolutely amazing.

Others
- prodigy (at Mayfair, Newcastle)
- the killers (at alley cats, reading)
- radiohead (v festival)

I also loved kenikie .......
I'll nominate Big Country, they were truly immense once upon a time.(r.i.p. S.A).
More recently Doves & !!! .

Groove Armada!
Absolutely unbelievable Live

Hell yes!

Richard Thompson. Go see him if you get a chance, either electric with his band or solo acoustic. You will be blown away - first timers can't believe what they've been missing.

Them Crooked Vultures.

Far superior live than in the studio. And the studio album is phenominal.

Northwind; not quite, got tickets for the Shepards Bush night. I might hang around in town to see if I can get in the Acadamy on the Saturday via a tout. I like that the audience are the same people I danced with in the 90's.......just balder and fatter and everybody sings every bloody word

P J Harvey live - knocks spots off her already awesome recordings.

Neurosis
Clutch
Iron Maiden
etc etc

I kind of missed Carter first time round- I saw them on the World Without Dave tour after their appeal had become more selective (love that album but I asked Les if they'd play And God Created Brixton and he told me to **** off 😉 ) So I'm at the young end of the belly curve.

!!! (Chk chk chk) - love their albums, but live they take it to a different dimension. I danced til I melted. The singer got his willy out too.

Hundred in the Hands - recorded stuff is ok as the songs are good, but you hardly notice the guitar playing. Live, the guitarist fella is cranked up and rocks out. didn't realise it was the same band.

Sleigh Bells - just incredible live. The albums are a bit hit & miss

Amazing Snakeheads - see em in a small venue. Don't look em in the eye though, they are effing scary.

and best of all:
La Shark - hardly known indie band, few wobbly releases behind them, quirky pop songs... live the singer is an absolute mental case, throwing himself around on the stage, dance floor, amongst the crowd... Absolute nutter. Brilliant.

probably could spend all day typing on this subject!

Black Rebel Motorcycle club: poorly produced recordings, very good live.

The Levellers.....

My band!

[url=www.facebook.com/TheDraynes]The Draynes.[/url]

A few years ago now I saw Mansun at Gloucester Leisure Centre, they completely rocked the place, Kasabian supported Oasis a couple of years ago at Wembley, easily outperformed the headline act

And

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/End of thread

Yep, that shit will certainly kill it 🙁

It was actually a serious post, their albums are decent but nothing to write home about, live however they are absolutely devastating. Saw them in Brum a few years back and was a cracking night out.

I will admit that the coach-load of dudes that turned up in leather trousers and matching 'German metal brothers' teeshirts was a tad disconcerting.

Each to their own... each to their own 🙂 But that 13 year old fantasy sleeve art is enough for me.

I have to admit that the sheer silliness is a fairly large part of the appeal.

Ooh, Rusty Spanner - are they still around? Great band. I once did the disco for one of their gigs!
Also, +1 for Richard Thompson. at least 3 of my top 10 gigs featured him.
Christy Moore
World Party

I'll nominate Big Country, they were truly immense once upon a time.(r.i.p. S.A).

This^^

Hot Chip. Saw them at a festival when they were fresh on the scene and thought they were brilliant. I rushed out and bought the album when it came out and probably listened to it only once or twice.

Hah, I did exactly the same stilltortoise.

Oh lord, bleeding loads of 'em.

Anything involving Jack White for a start, he likes to improvise on stage, and much I enjoyed the Raconteurs on album, those songs really improved given space to breathe on stage.

+1 for BRMC

The Datsuns - came across on album as a bit of a lame Ramones parody. Live, they were like a Ramones parody that tore the roof off.

Black Keys - dunno what they're like these days with backing musicians and bigger stages, but a few years back when there was just the two of 'em, my lord, they were good.

While I did enjoy Carter USM "back in the day", I liked the albums and the live shows, not sure they surpassed the records particularly on stage (was when there was just the two on stage with the drum machine, maybe they loosened up when they had live drums?).

Jane's Addiction. Managed a couple of great albums but nothing that came anywhere close to the awesomeness of their live performances, used to be regularly name-checked by all sorts of people when "best live band" straw polls were conducted. Sadly, these days Perry's voice is gone, Dave Navarro seems bored at most shows and they really aren't the force they were, but never mind.

Chilli Peppers - I reckon they've been all round on this one. Early career, they never really nailed it in the studio imo, but their live shows were truly exciting. In later years, they seem to have got to grips with the recording studio much better, but last time I saw them live I was bored and wanted to leave before the end (which is unusual for me).

Beck (going back a few years now, dunno what he's like these days).

Pearl Jam? (Not seen em myself, but it seems to be received wisdom that they are awesome live).

Placebo - never really liked them until I saw them at a festival.

Surprised at the number of mentions of the Prodigy - I didn't really rate them at all live, but it was a festival show I caught - maybe they're better with their own crowd?

Funny, I saw BRMC on a NME tour (maybe their first time over here?) and god they were like dull Jesus & Mary Chain copyists. The album was great though! Maybe they're better now 🙂

LCD Soundsystem were utterly amazing live. But their recorded stuff is brilliant too, so not sure if they count.

Ian Dury & the Blockheads

Got to agree with DezB, [i]vis[/i] Manowar, that sleeve is pure Gorgonzola! I really like heavy rock, and metal, but the more... [i]theatrical[/i] end of things leaves me a bit meh.
Faith No More, Soundgarden, Mastodon, Early Man, Metallica, (around the Black Album, ...[i]And Justice For All[/i], that sort of period).
Certainly agree about Richard Thompson, I was never a fan of his solo recordings, I just couldn't get to grips with his voice, but I've come to appreciate him more as time's gone on, and I saw him live in Bath a year or so back, and he was outstanding, superb performance, warm, funny, a really nice bloke.
Actually, it's always been the same with Billy Bragg, but I went to see him in Frome early in the year, and he was incredible, had a good band too.

The Who
Beastie Boys
Orbital
Have never seen them live, however have a concert cd of Linkin Park. They sound like they would be good.

U2 - do a good show.
Airbourne are hilarious.
Saw We are Scientists recently and they were excellent.
The Charlatans are always good.

clutch

Showing my age but Thin Lizzy at Southampton Gaumont ( now the Mayflower) in 1979 - the Live and Dangerous Tour I think - was the best gig I ever went to, closely followed by Jethro Tull at the same venue in 1977

for sheer showmanship Phil Lynott took some beating in my opinion

Mackem - Member

Saw We are Scientists recently and they were excellent.

I like We Are Scientists but live they do seem to be a comedy act that happens to play songs. (Closing Time works great in VAST...)

Surprised the flaming lips haven't popped up yet

jimw - Member
Showing my age but Thin Lizzy at Southampton Gaumont ( now the Mayflower) in 1979 - the Live and Dangerous Tour I think - was the best gig I ever went to, closely followed by Jethro Tull at the same venue in 1977

skinnysteel - Member
Ian Dury & the Blockheads

edlong - Member

Pearl Jam? (Not seen em myself, but it seems to be received wisdom that they are awesome live).

I saw them in 2010. I thought they were incredibly good live, but in some perverse way too good. There has to be an edge of uncertainty to a live show, it has to feel like you're watching a one of a kind performance. Pearl Jam are so practised and so capable that even when something unique happens it feels like they could replicate it again as many times as necessary if they wanted to.

The Hives (who were on the same bill as Pearl Jam in 2010) however are an almost definitive example of a band that are decent enough in the studio, but are truly great live.

Mogwai - seen them many times - always amazing

Townes Van Zandt (RIP) - sadly only got to see him once.

+1 for Orbital - saw them live for the first time about 4 years ago and was totally blown away.

More recently, I saw Drenge and they were amazing live. Pure energy on stage.

I also saw The Subways a few years back and was really impressed with their live show.

-1 for BMRC. I've liked their albums for a while but thought their live show was a bit dull tbh.

Ian Dury & the Blockheads

+1. Saw them a few years before he died. Very, very good indeed.

Another vote for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. What a line-up - so talented.

[i]Dury brought that extra... spark to the show, really lifted it.
He could be a real arse'ole off stage, apparently.[/i]

The bio-film with Andy Serkis is worth a watch.

sillyoldman - Member

Mogwai - seen them many times - always amazing

Big +1, incredible live. I love that they can take songs that I don't really rate, like Cody frinstance which bores me on record, and work it into a perfect setlist, the lulls just make the sonic beatings more beatey.

The Temperance Movement are brilliant live. Also The Union, and I was dragged along to an Airbourne concert that was unexpectedly really good.

james jones revue and alabama shakes. Records are ok, but live both are amazing.

Definitely looking forward to Carter at Brixton.
Can I also chip in with EMF?
Saw them supporting Carter a few years ago and they were awesome. Like they'd never been away.
Shame that the only song that anyone's ever heard is 'Unbelievable'.

Ben Howard. Truly amazing live, and on record.

Good call on the Prodigy too! They are a incredible band to watch and hear live! Saw them at Creamfields last year. Never been a fan at all, but seeing them live changed my opinion.

A few that I have seen that fit the OP:

Queen - just unbelievable
Alice In Chains
Pearl Jam
AC/DC
The Charlatans
Soundgarden

Too many others that have now become 'stadium bands' and are almost too good live now

Seen James 4 or 5 times in the past 25 years, still truly wonderful.
Saw Springsteen in 87 and I regularly tell my kids that the concert was considerably better than witnessing their births (almost as long at 5 hours as well)

+1 for Richard Thompson preferably just him & his acoustic guitar, just mind-blowing.
Also, have been very pleasantly surprised by The Proclaimers & Slade

Moderat

Not sure how Radiohead make this list - dreariest and most uninvolved band I've ever seen. The audience may as well not have been there.

Good ones...
The Black Crowes
Peter Gabriel
and I had great fun at an Embrace gig!

Killing Joke
Prodigy
Foo Fighters
Green Day
Kiss

peterfile - Member
Moderat

Ooh, you lucky git! Where'd you see them?

[i]and I had great fun at an Embrace gig![/i]
I did too, apart from the singing (read: football chants) along, which got on my nerves after about 10 seconds! (I went cos the ex-wife liked em ok!)

Leftfield, however this might be partly due to the fact i don't have a HiFi that does them justice at home.

Bizarely KT Tunstall who is pretty bland on record was very very good live, loads of interesting improvisation.

Ooh, you lucky git! Where'd you see them?

Glasgow! An xmas gift from mrs file.

They were incredible, better than I could have hoped (and I had my expectations set high!).

There's just something special about hearing them play their music in a big venue. For me, it's always been quite a private enjoyment, not very often you'd hear it out.

Ah, I'd love to see them. Not big tourers though eh?!

Sisters of mercy. Up there with nin.

I saw the blockheads last year and even without Ian they are still an awesome band 🙂

The Saw Doctors..

Love the albums, live they are even better.

A real fun gig

We went to see the Eagles History Tour last night. They certainly can play and still sing. A very enjoyable entertaining evening.

The Police were much better live.

Old Crow Medicine Show were great the 2 times I saw them in Manc, proper good time old timey hoe-down.

Records are just ok apart from OCMS.

Alabama 3
Violent Femmes played a stonking gig a few nights ago. Set pretty much made up from the first two albums. Wonderful stuff.

Sisters Of Mercy are brilliant.
NIN are off this planet when playing live.

All very good in no particular order skunk anansie, NIN, placebo, marylin manson, offspring, everlast, afro celt sound system, arid and strangely bryan adams