[Music] Best LIVE band?

[Daffy Duck]

The Eagles at Wembley Stadium (the old one) on their Hell Freezes Over comeback tour in 1994.

They were amazing. Even better live than recorded.

 

[Icy Gull]

If it sounds the same as the studio recording, and the personalities are as boring as Chris Martin, you might as well stay at home, turn the volume up, and listen to the studio recording whilst looking at a picture of Chris Martin. The only benefit of going to the gig I can think of for someone into Cold Play, is finally meeting other people that are into Cold Play.

I said “as good as the studio recording” My point is that they take the studio recordings to another level which is why I enjoy watching them live. I know I am banging my head against a closed door to most on here but I don’t care. I bloody love watching their live performances

https://youtu.be/t5XPKi9w2ok

 

[Seagull58]

The best live band for the past 50 years give or take - at their very best when Clarence was still alive but just wow - every time!

Agreed. Saw them at the NEC in the early 80's. 3 1/2 hours, no support act ust a short break in the middle. He ran out of his own songs to play towards the end of the gig and played 50's rock and roll numbers.. Unsurpassed as a live act (except for the girls at the banana bar in Amsterdam).

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Impossible to find any consensus here, which is great. The wider the church, the more bands will find the support the need to go on and be creative.

The OP asked for "Best LIVE band" - so I've taken LIVE to mean three things: performance quality, degree of engagement, memorability.

I have a long list of live gigs to chose from big venue bands such as Genesis and Thin Lizzy (superb btw) to a Belgian brand called Trio Dhoore who played the hurdy gurdy in a village hall. I've ended up with two quite odd ones, but applying my criteria strictly they are:

Bear's Den at The Roundhouse (no seats) around 2015. Totally transpoorted by the performance, the initmate nature of it and the way we all felt we were experiencing something together. I went with my daughter (then in her early 20s) but had to leave before the encore (last train). She sent me a video of them leaving the stage to play a live acoustic set in the midst of the audience. God I wish I'd stayed.

Gruff Rhys at St George's Chruch Kemptown in 2011. Astonishing set. What a performer and delivered with such verve and skill. Just wow.

Honourable mention: Lindsey Webster at the Bearsville Theater, Woodstock in 2015 but that was probably because of the amount of weed being smoked by the audience, the fact that we were in Woodstock and did I mention the weed?

Worst live "band" was Paul Young, supporting Genesis (who weren't great - Invisible Touch tour) in 1987. Poor man's voice had long gone and he got massively heckled when he was singing "Every time I go away" as 100,000 people joined in on the bold part.

 

[Icy Gull]

The Eagles at Wembley Stadium (the old one) on their Hell Freezes Over comeback tour in 1994.

They were amazing. Even better live than recorded.

I saw them from row six at Wembley Arena (?), big venue anyway, long time ago, mid to late Seventies Hotel California Tour. They were brilliant

 

[Seagull58]

Delving back into pre-history and ignoring the OPs rule that they must be still performing; I give you Bob Marley at the New Bingley Hall, Stafford in '78. Not only could he sing and play but he could juggle a coin on his feet, knees and shoulders whilst smoking a massive joint and intermittently singing.
A big shout for The Undertones at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester in 82 (I think). Great energy and sound.

 

[Norman Potting]

For those of an acoustic bent Show of Hands either as duo, trio or four piece - great musicians and songs.

...Nothing yet from HWT unless I have missed it ?

 

[Iron Butterfly]

Yes, you're right - it was about 40 years ago!

 

[Seagull58]

Yes, you're right - it was about 40 years ago!

Did you ever see Iron Butterfly live? My sister's first husband was a drummer who wrote a couple o songs for them and. I think, played with them at a few gigs.

 

[Icy Gull]

Did you ever see Iron Butterfly live? My sister's first husband was a drummer who wrote a couple o songs for them and. I think, played with them at a few gigs.

I loved this drum solo, not that difficult I don’t think and I used to try and do it on my thighs

https://youtu.be/lSttPLaTx_M

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Best live band still around and touring new music? Radiohead. Obviously.

I'm going to stick up for [MENTION=19]Icy Gull[/MENTION] here. I saw Coldplay at Glastonbury just before they released their debut album and again at Alexandra Palace when they were touring their second. Both times they were decent but particularly the second.

They quickly went to shit from the third album on but they were ok back in the early days. If you still like the music they make now then I imagine their live shows are still equally impressive.

 

[boik]

Still around and playing live?

And Also The Trees
VNV Nation
Assemblage 23
Lebanon Hanover

I think that just for the absolute joy of VNV live, it has to be them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht7zFlO9LvA

Wow, I'd forgotten about And Also The Trees. Saw them supporting the Cure in the early days.

 

[Baldseagull]

We can discuss their music until the cows come home but Chris Martin isn’t boring. I have seen a number of interviews with him and he is very amusing, self-deprecating and funny. His Carpool Karaoke is amusing, and he interviews well: the Graham Norton on with Hugh Grant and also the tale about going to see his daughter working in H&M is fun as is that outtake from Extras when he can’t stop laughing. I reckon he’d be ace down the pub.

James Blunt is quite funny on Twitter, doubt he has a lot of stage presence though.

 

[Baldseagull]

I said “as good as the studio recording” My point is that they take the studio recordings to another level which is why I enjoy watching them live. I know I am banging my head against a closed door to most on here but I don’t care. I bloody love watching their live performances

https://youtu.be/t5XPKi9w2ok

I guess you don't get actual fireworks and virtual dancers on the LP. Pretty easy to imagine CM shifting his weight from one foot to the other in a Dad dancing sort of way, without having to be there to see it though.

 

[DanR]

Ocean colour scene were great live.

 

[METALMICKY]

Far too subjective a question and like most people I will tend to go for my favourite artistes or musical genres. Probably a more pertinent question is whether you like the spectacle of stadium gigs or more intimate small theatre settings.

With my natural bias I would plum for Metallica and Iron Maiden. Both can fill arenas and stadiums alike and critically are still recording and performing new material. Maiden have always been a spectacle live wick with all the backdrops, pyrotechnics and of course the mascot Eddie. As for Metallica their indoor ' in the round ' stage production is a great experience. Saw them on Hardwired tour at the O2 and aside from great view the production was particularly innovative in terms of the mini screens hanging from the ceiling and the swarm of drones that flew out from the stage on one song.

Bands I can't believe I missed live would have to be The Stranglers (original line up), Thin Lizzy and The Cranberries. Currently pondering whether to go and see master guitarist Joe Satriani. I love my technical players but just worried that 2 hours of widdle widdle with no vocals might lack spectacle or energy.

 

[Albion in the north]

Because of my job I get to lots of gigs, and this is totally taste driven.
Might not be the best gig, but I went to see Placebo at the Ctr a couple of years ago and was blown away by them. The music isn’t really my thing, and I rarely stay to the end of shows but they were excellent. As the last song finished and punters started to file out, this heartbeat came over the PA and it was obvious there was more. People turned around and reappeared, and within 60 seconds the room was full again for the encore

Also saw Placebo live a good few years ago. Wasnt a great fan of them before but they were great live.

 

[Peteinblack]

Best I’ve seen were Hawkwind with Lemmy, New Order, and Jimmy Cliff.

My first ever gig was Hawkwind at Worthing Assembly Hall, although sadly, no Stacia!

And 'Space Ritual' remains my favourite live album; still listen to it regularly

 

[Peteinblack]

Far too subjective a question and like most people I will tend to go for my favourite artistes or musical genres. Probably a more pertinent question is whether you like the spectacle of stadium gigs or more intimate small theatre settings.

With my natural bias I would plum for Metallica and Iron Maiden. Both can fill arenas and stadiums alike and critically are still recording and performing new material. Maiden have always been a spectacle live wick with all the backdrops, pyrotechnics and of course the mascot Eddie. As for Metallica their indoor ' in the round ' stage production is a great experience. Saw them on Hardwired tour at the O2 and aside from great view the production was particularly innovative in terms of the mini screens hanging from the ceiling and the swarm of drones that flew out from the stage on one song.

Bands I can't believe I missed live would have to be The Stranglers (original line up), Thin Lizzy and The Cranberries. Currently pondering whether to go and see master guitarist Joe Satriani. I love my technical players but just worried that 2 hours of widdle widdle with no vocals might lack spectacle or energy.

Saw them about 18 times (and the latest Baz Warne version about 8 times - still excellent), the first time on the 'No More Heroes' tour when they played the Top Rank Suite. Often brilliant, with Hugh Cornwell's snarled vocals and dead-pan in-between song banter, Jean-Jacques Burnel's unmistakable bass sound and karate-kicks while playing, and the swirling arpeggio keyboard of the late Dave Greenfield.

 

[WATFORD zero]