Best Ever Live Musical Performance

[StonehamPark]

Which band have you seen give an amazing performance and blow your mind away.

One insanely amazing performance I've witnessed was Incubus.
Purely mesmerizing.

How about yous?

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Van Morrison on particularly good form at the Portsmouth (yes, sorry, portsmouth) Guildhall about 10 years ago.
The Allman Brothers Band at the first Knebworth festival in 1973 or 74 - something like that.
And a Jazz Fusion legend - Joe Zawinul - who died a couple of years ago - a few months before he died, at the jazzCafe in Camden..... that one probably won't mean much to many people. He was a founder member of Weather Report, played with Miles Davis and was great at identifying and nurturing young talent.

 

[Eggmundo]

Jazz Fusion legend - Joe Zawinul - who died a couple of years ago - a few months before he died, at the jazzCafe in Camden.....

I saw him at the Dome in Brighton about 5? years ago, he had Billy Cobham with him. He was J A Z Z rolled up into a jazz hat and tucked in a pair of jazz pants.

Heavy weather man.

But for live performance it's got to be Roger Waters...DSOTM at earls court. WOW

 

[Seagull58]

Springsteen at the NEC about 30 years ago. Played for 3 1/2 hours with a 15 minute break and ended up playing early rock and roll numbers because he'd played all his catalogue.
Unknown young band called Lynyrd Skynyrd supporting Golden Earring at the Brighton Dome around '74/75 weren't too shabby either. Wonder if they ever made it big?

 

[Poyetry In Motion]

Freddy Mercury and Queen - Live Aid 1985
Arguably, one of the best musical showmen, really getting the crowd onside. Awesome performance and sadly missed

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I would have to say Queen - Live Magic Wembley '86. I wasn't particularly a Queen fan before I went, but I was blown away at the performance. Superb.

As as side note, the best sound quality I ever heard at a gig was a surpsiring one, Ultravox at the Brighton Centre - absolutely crystal clear sound, I would guess one of the first bands at the time to use wireless amps.

 

[Paskman]

Queen at the NEC 1981 - brilliant !!!

 

[FamilyGuy]

The Who at Dunstable Civic Hall in 1969 - Pete Townsend said they were awful, I thought they were incredible!

 

[tinx]

Spiritualized at the Royal Albert Hall, performing with a massive gospel choir and a string orchestra. Absolutely stunning performance.

 

[Marxo]

I've seen quite a few bigger names but the best concert for me was Madness here in Ghent july 2010, strangely enough at a the jazz festival. They were on top form and the crowd were really up for it. Another thing about Madness is that their live performances of their hits are just like you want to hear them and not messed around like some artists/bands do.

 

[halbpro]

Probably my favourite gig was in Hastings, at a tiny venue called Heroes (it's called something else now, I refer to it as Fake Heroes). It was the CD release show for a band called Fleeing From Finales, which I'd be amazed if any of you have ever heard of, and I had some how ended up running the sound. I was only supposed to be lending stuff out, but the sound guy they had was a complete tit (I can't help but feel he'll some how pop up on here now) and I ended up getting a bit drunk because I was pissed off but then sorting it all out.

That may sound shit, but there were two things that made it special. One was the fact the venue was beyond sold out, we were quite clearly far beyond capacity. The bouncer had started turning people away, but in a 300 person venue we were probably 100 people over the fire capacity. It was the most jammed I've seen any venue ever, it was absolutely insane.

The second was that the PA amp we'd be given was shit, it had been made by someone's Dad. This wasn't my choice, but whatever. Anyway, because the wiring was a bit funky we blew the fuse on it, halfway through the headline set. It took us a few minutes to sort things out, but what happened (and was brilliant) was the band continued on their own amps, and the singer got the crowd singing along to every word with him. They knew every song and the gig managed to keep going until everything was fixed.

It wasn't a huge thing at Wembley or anything of the sort, but it felt very, very special to me.

 

[daveinprague]

Bob Marley @ Brighton center 1980 (Both nights)

Think Bob may have been partaking before the gig on the 2nd night, as he danced onto the stage, tripped and fell into the drum kit...

 

[Razzoo]

I saw Arthur Lee and Love (Baby Lemonade) perform Forever Changes with Strings and Brass in Newcastle. That was a very memorable show. He still had a great voice. I also saw him just with the band in Leeds Irish centre, from the opening song (Seven and seven is) to the last they were magnificent. I'm so glad I saw him perform. In my eyes he's a legend, and he seemed to be loving playing. (I don't think he was long out of the jail at the time and he just looked so glad to be playing his great songs to an appreciative audience.

 

[Bognor Bystander]

ELO part II and the Moscow Symphony Orchestra at the Brighton Centre in the early 90's was immense ... Stevie Wonder also one of my top gigs ever also at the BC.

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

I saw Arthur Lee and Love (Baby Lemonade) perform Forever Changes with Strings and Brass in Newcastle. That was a very memorable show. He still had a great voice. I also saw him just with the band in Leeds Irish centre, from the opening song (Seven and seven is) to the last they were magnificent. I'm so glad I saw him perform. In my eyes he's a legend, and he seemed to be loving playing. (I don't think he was long out of the jail at the time and he just looked so glad to be playing his great songs to an appreciative audience.

I was lucky enough to see Love at The Dome not long before he died, also I've never been let down at any one of the umpteen times i've seen Sparks (can't wait til Oct) Charlatans always put on a good show but I suppose the best night for me was The Stone Roses at The Brighton Centre, i'm not bothered that Ian Brown's a c**t or that he can't sing, it was just all round a memorable night, oh and so was Black Grape at the Event...

 

[Tooting Gull]

Have to say, went to see the Happy Mondays in Sheffield this month and it was bloody great. A lot of 40-somethings embarrassing themselves. Marvellous scenes. Is there anyone else in the world who has become such a legend from doing some stupid dancing for two songs in a 16-song set?

 

[Superphil]

the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert, in particualr the last act, did it for me.

 

[Driver8]

the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert, in particualr the last act, did it for me.

Top of my list as well.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Alice Cooper at the Brighton Centre believe it or not about 5 years ago. AMAZING.

 

[albion534]

Muse with their opening song uprising at wembley a few years ago set the tone for an amazing night