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That Petrol Emotion’s last gig in England was truly outstanding (and very sad), and Supergrass at the Ally Pally this year. Cannot believe how tight they sounded. Awesome.
Guns'n'Roses Wembley 1991 might have been the best gig i've ever been to.
Bruce Springsteen - saw him 5 times in the late 80s - played for the best part of 4 hours each time - a true rock legend.
Dinosaur Jr as part of the Rollercoaster Tour - J Mascus is an amazing Guitarist.
The Men They Couldn't Hang are pretty special on a good day - seen them 25+ times now.
Chris Stapleton at C2C in 2019.
Luke Combs/Ashley McBryde - Shepherds Bush in 2018
I saw Metallica a couple of times in the early 90s - pretty amazing.
Slayer/Megadeth double headliner at the 'Clash of the Titans' tour in London 1991 - i was a bit Deaf for about a week after that one.
ZZ Top.
Just fantastic.
The House of Love, Newcastle Riverside, 1987
Then again a year or two back at Camden Roundhouse. Different, older, but still stunning.
I always enjoy The Wedding Present, especially to see what they're going to do for an encore.
Levellers always pretty good too.
Yeah, the Clash of the Titans tour.
Slayer, Megadeth, Testament, Suicidal Tendencies.
On the night I went Jeff Hannemans guitars packed up so it was Just Kerry King for most of Slayers set. Never heard Slayer sound...weak before.
Got to meet all of Suicidal Tendencies in the car park later, they came out to say hello. Pretty awesome experience for a 14 year old.
Got my Tour Shirt signed then ome scumbag robbed it off me when I put it down for 5 seconds.
Saw Kings of Leon at Manchester academy in 2003. They walked through the crowd onto stage ! Unbelievable gig and feel very lucky now to have seen them early on.
I was also at that FNM gig in Manchester. Did myself a right mischief when I decided to do a backward stage dive without looking and seeing that there was a big gap in the crowd and I ended up smacking the ground on my shoulder!
For me it is either Swans at the Mermaid in Birmingham ( it was so loud and the room so small that I actually felt physically sick) or Cardiacs at Edwards No8 also in Brum ( with classic line up) or the Pixies at Burberry’s in Brum( also a small venue which was totally overfilled resulting in absolute madness).
Another vote for Alabama 3 - They were playing the other stage at one of the muddy Glastonburys in the middle of the day. Probably the best set I'd ever seen there, so much energy.
Sigour Ross - Can't remember where exactly but a church in London. Brilliant acoustics and the perfect setting.
Radiohead - Again at a muddy Glastonbury, with the fireworks. Absolutely perfect.
That Petrol Emotion’s last gig
Saw them supporting iggy pop in Camden god knows when maybe 30yrs ago, fabulous gig 👍
Back in the day the cramps, ramones both in Hammersmith in the 80s, Then the velvet underground in the early 90s, the sonics in the noughties, more recently the Limananas and the oh sees, all fantastic live.
The Pogues Aldershot 1989
Faithless Brixton Academy 2002
The Cure Isle of Wight 2016
The Smiths Reading Uni 1984
Nirvana Reading TUC Club (Reading Festival warm up) 1991.
Not my favourite gig ever for various reasons but it was a great gig. Best gig attended is a different question maybe for another thread. However The Sadies are the best live band in the world without doubt Honestly check them out and be amazed by the Dallas brothers.
Peter Gabriel at the Globen in Stockholm, 2003 - immersed from start to finish - a true spectacle.
Jamie Cullum at the Jazz Middelheim festival in Antwerp, 2011 - energy and talent in spades.
Saw Springsteen twice, Tunnel of Love tour with the E Street band, and the Human Touch tour. Preferred to see him with the E Street band.
Contentious one here U2 on the Zooropa tour, once in Wembley where Bono managed to ruin the night with a live link to Sarajevo, the band and show was mind blowing, but that section just ruined the show. Saw them a week or so later in Cork and they were awesome, dropped the link and just played their arses off.
Then the velvet underground in the early 90s
I saw them at Wembley Arena in the early '90s.
They nearly made my "worst live band" list, but it was more the whole experience was just wrong.
- Sterile atmosphere
- Sitting drinking warm Carling from a plastic cup
- Band reformed for tax reasons (or whatever)
- Certain members clearly didn't want to be there
It was my textbook "don't meet your heroes" moment. because I worshipped them at that point.
Thin Lizzy. Reading 1976 or Hammersmith 1978.
Oh and Salvo normally knock the ball out of the park too.
Fuel Cafe gig with Sikkapillu was a memorable night… 🙂
WTF? Have we met? I just fell off my chair at that one....
Dunno about best but Flaming Lips do a great show, as has been mentioned a couple of times already.
Favourite gig of recent years would be Pictish Trail in the pissing rain at 1am @ Greenman
Have seen LCD 3 times, always great, this would have been special though
Oh, and wish I'd seen Prince
The Damned a few years ago in Cardiff, Paul back on bass and they were just immense.
Metallica at the Lyceum on the Ride the Lightening tour. One London date and it went off.
Faith No More at the Brixton Academy
In Living Colour at the Marquee
Hoodoo Gurus in Dublin.
I saw the Damned in a Brummy club. They were dreadful, but nowhere near as bad as the audience who gobbed at them, and threw beer or whatever was in their glasses at them. I was amazed they stayed on stage as long as they did.
Vampire Weekend in the little side room at the (old) Academy in Brum.
Probably a hundred people there, was fab.
That sounds like I'm a proper gig go'er'er (I'm not).
After wanting to see them for so long, The Twang on their last night in Brum last Xmas.
They 110% lived up to my expectation.
But the above pails against how much I'm hoping to see Glasvegas in Brum next April.
A band I have followed for 10 years but they rarely play anywhere in the Midlands. 🙁
Queen at Maine Road just after Live Aid with full Mexican Waves and Radio GaGa crowd action. I have been to hundreds of gigs and festivals in my lifetime but that is the single one I will always remember.
This was my first proper gig @johndoh. Aged 12. Mum and dad took me and managed to wangle seats in the executive box (long story, not because my dad is called Roger Taylor (true)). Remember saying Status Quo were too loud as the support act. Very memorable though.
Foo Fighters (Burning Bridges tour is my fav so far)
Muse (wow Bellamy can hit those notes)
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes
Zutons at Westonbirt
Oasis - Knebworth, incredible day!
Royal Blood
Faithless at v99
Correction to comments on the Damned, I'm confusing two concerts, the audience wasn't that bad by the standards of the time and it wasn't a club it was proper venue. Now who was it who got drowned in gob etc.?
The Pixies Doolittle tour who played the Venue Aberdeen - was my first proper gig and eveything about the night was amazing.
Gill Scott-heron at a nightclub in aberdeen early 90's, a mate bought the tickets and i knew not much about him but it was incredible.Gill was just sublime and it opened my eyes to another world of music.
Blondie in the music hall in sunny aberdeen again - went with my pals as we were kicking our heels that night and wasnt expecting much but she blew me away.
Smashing pumpkins at Wembley Arena a couple of years ago - went with my laddie on his first proper gig after a very difficult period and it was very memorable.
Never seen a bad Weller or Prince gig.
Standout was probably Paul Weller Crystal Palace in 97 I think.
Honestly, it’s almost impossible to give any sort of meaningful answer, what with so many bands and artists over nearly fifty years of gig going!
Having seen the likes of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, all in the 70-80’s, with many, many more since, it’s easier to list the bad ones, which I already have!
Then there’s the likes of Emmylou Harris, one of the finest singers of her generation, who I’ve been lucky enough to see a few times, and who I managed to grab a couple of photos of at Bristol Hippodrome with my first digital camera, from about halfway back in the stalls, and I think it’s one of my best photos...
Possibly some of the best over the shortest period of time was the IoW Festival several years ago, where I pretty much spent three days right at the front of the main stage, and saw a whole load of artists who were clearly having a great time, with no pressure to promote their latest album, just have fun and entertain. James were fantastic, never a band that interested me that much, but they played their socks off, and I never realised just how many of their songs I knew.
Blur, who I’d never seen, but wanted to, but didn’t expect much, put on one of the best performances I’ve seen, Damon worked his ass off, hardly kept still, they brought on Phil Daniels to do Parklife, and it was as good as I could have possibly wanted.
Then there was The Prodigy, Counting Crows, Suzanne Vega, Ian Anderson’s Jethro Tull, Fleetwood Mac, the full Rumours lineup...
Fantastic weekend
Possibly the best has to be Kate Bush, though. What to say, a theatrical performance that was 18 months in preparation, and of extraordinary imagination, and never to be repeated; I still find it hard to believe I was actually there, but I do have some photos to prove it, from front row centre seats! Not of the performances, but during one of the full band encores...
But there are so many others as well, Arcade Fire at Ally Pally, Metric a number of times, Wolf Parade, Laura Marling, Elbow, Besnard Lakes, King Crimson on their 50th Anniversary tour at the RAH...
Pogues late 80s at Manchester Apollo
Waterboys early 90s various locations
Manics at Sheff Uni 93. Stunning
Hothouse Flowers late 80s in Manchester
The Killers, Millennium Stadium supporting U2 in 2004/5.??. Incredible
All were amazing for different reasons but wow!
Gill Scott-heron at a nightclub in aberdeen early 90’s, a mate bought the tickets and i knew not much about him but it was incredible.
I saw him twice then (about 2-3 years apart). First gig was phenomenal, second was like deja-vu... and I couldn’t shake that feeling.
Then the velvet underground in the early 90s
I saw them at Wembley Arena in the early ’90s.
They nearly made my “worst live band” list, but it was more the whole experience was just wrong.
Yeah, I made the decision that if I went to see them I’d regret it, it was at least 30 years too late by then. The footage I’ve seen has only reinforced that I was right!
ETA: Buzzcocks on Love Bites tour in late 78. Subway Sect support, my first gig. Loved it. Best introduction to the live experience.
WIN at some room in Aberdeen somewhere, 25 minutes and a Led Zep cover...
I saw Elvin Jones at Ronnie Scott’s in the mid 80’s, I had polyrhythms running round my head for days afterwards. Never carried a gig for as long before or since.
Dinosaur in Embra in ‘88 was really special (didn’t cut my hair for 6 months afterwards). J had blown his amps and a replacement only arrived in the nick of time so he sound checked on stage (Smoke on the water, Sweet home Alabama...). Lou kept battering out the Gigantic baseline. They did Barmy Army, Minor Threat and Sweet Child o Mine... I was on the merch table and had a brilliant elevated viewed just off stage...
Superwolf (Bonnie Prince Billy & Matt Sweeney) London ‘06 or ‘07. I see a darkness and idumea stick out. BPB toured with a Scottish folk band (whose name I forget) which was also a great gig (Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, folk actually shut up and listened!).
Gillian Welch, Hammersmith (‘09 or ‘10?). Missed them when they played Aberdeen (support for Mary Chapin Carpenter who’d I’d seen before, grudged £30 for a support slot 45 mins? when I knew I’d be walking out afterwards). My mates were complaining about folk around us making noise, I was so into it I didn’t notice... can’t believe how much space just two voices and two guitars can fill....
Mudhoney, Newcastle in 88 or 89 (first UK gig) supporting Sonic Youth on Daydream Nation tour even though I was on the merch table. Also caught the following Glasgow gigs (but the merch table was out of the concert hall...)
WTF? Have we met? I just fell off my chair at that one….
Ha ha, I know Dave and Myke. I kind of worked out who you were from FB and here. I'll add you on FB...
Best I have seen, and I loathe them nowadays is U2 at Valentino's Edinburgh. However if it were not for their customary brevity I would have put the support, Fire Engines above them. (Still love Fire Engines)
The most bizarre gig ever, we watched ... Animal House between the two acts. Somehow I knew it was all downhill from then.
Thin Lizzy, 1979, Gaumont Southampton
Jethro Tull 1977 Gaumont Southampton
Edited as I realised it was the Black Rose Tour for Thin Lizzie
@metalheart - forgot about Dinosaur Jnr in Edinburgh in 88 - I was at that too. Amazing!
Supergrass at the Ally Pally this year. Cannot believe how tight they sounded. Awesome.
Agreed
Oh yeah, forgot Young Fathers. 1st time in the tiny Green Door Store in Brighton was one of the best gigs of my life.. the intensity they brought to that place was unforgettable.
Oh I forgot The Charlatans at Manchester Arena in 2001/2? were amazing
The vertiginous perch that was supposed to be a seat less enjoyable
The Wonderstuff have always and continue to be, a class act live.
I once got dragged along to see The Saw Doctors in the early 90's, the songs are a bit shite but they were great fun live.
And just to piss off a few, PWEI...great live band.
The Levellers were always good.
The Pogues
anagallis_arvensis
Free MemberThe Wonderstuff have always and continue to be, a class act live.
Weirdly I'd never seen them til they played Camden Rocks last year- just pretty much staggered in at the end of the night not expecting an awful lot, but they ended up being one of the best bands of the weekend. Always a good sign if you can get people down into the pit who don't really know any of the songs. Had an absolute blast, also fell in love with the violinist a bit. Gutted at how many times I'd passed up on the chance to see them over the years
New Model Army are almost always excellent live
A different age ago but my favourite ever gig was back in the early 80s (84?) at Huddersfield Town Hall: Sisters Of Mercy, NMA & Skeletal Family.
Should’ve left early for the last bus home but somehow blagged a lift which meant I could watch the whole show.
NMA awesome as always back then, Stuart Morrow amazing on bass, Rob Heaton (RIP) unflappable on drums
also fell in love with the violinist a bit.
She is rather lovely!
I just wanted to add Ben Harper to the list, phenomenal performer.
Oh yeah, I forgot about Godspeed you black emperor. Hated sigor ros (the support) though...
Also Lampchop (they played as a five piece).
I saw Bob Dylan at the AECC in the ‘00s which was waaaaay better than I could ever have hoped for.
Also Bert Jansch
Have fond memories of Killdozer in Embra also...
Trio Bulkana in Princes St Gardens was also pretty special.
Having been to many concerts (not gigs, I'm too old) in the '80s with bands such as the Police, The Eagles etc, they who were amazing, for me the best band I've ever seen live has to be Stereophonics. They were superb, tight, not a bum note, played for ages, just brilliant.
Edit: Forgot to mention seeing Queen in '84, Knebworth, but Stereophonics even better.