Best Live gig you've been to

[robbied69]

Inme at the Highbury Garage were pretty decent.

But Oasis in the Astoria back in May really blew me away.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

Pogues/Men they Couldn't Hang, St patricks night, early eighties somewhere in London.
First Ramones gig I went to, Top Rank Suite, 1981? Went on to see them about 13 times.
First Clash gig, Brighton Center, 1983?,
Willard Grant Conspiracy, Polish Club, Bristol, 2003.

Going to a gig is still my idea of a best night out.Wish I still lived in Brighton cos you guys are spoilt for choice.

 

[blueandwhitearmy]

Morrissey at the Brighton Centre 2004
Paul Weller at the Brighton Centre 2005
The Ordinary Boys at Brighton Dome 2005 (with The Cribs on support)

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

The Clash at Sussex Uni in 1977 - supported by Buzzcocks, Slits and Subway Sect. Liverpool won the European Cup that night and we watched the game in the Uni bar. Gatecrashed the post-gig party and spent some time chatting to Mick Jones and Joey Ramone (RIP), Great night.

There were a number of Can gigs that were great in the mid-70s but the one at Croydon Greyhound in 1977 was fantastic - they were on fire that night.

Other great nights were Gang of Four at Leeds Uni in 1980 and Bob Marley at the Brighton Centre in 1981.

Kraftwerk at Brixton Academy last year was pretty good too.

That must have been some night at Sussex University. I was too young to see the Clash until the early 80's but when I did at the Brighton Centre in 1982 they completely blew me away. I've never seen a better live performance than that. U2 at the Top Rank in the same year came close but coulcn't quite reach the heights the Clash did that night.

Still can't believe Joe Strummer's dead. RIP

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Underworld live at Glastonbury. Forget which year, unfortunately, but think it was 1999. They were unbelievable

 

[CHAPPERS]

Strange bounce.

You can add Polysics at the Concorde earlier this year to my list. f***ing ACE it was.

 

[Trufflehound]

Indeed, unusual bounce, but...

Best gig ever: Gang of Four - Hammersmith Palais 1981

Worthy runners-up mentions to:
Gang of Four - Amsterdam Melkweg 2005
Chk! Chk! Chk! - Pukkelpop 2005
The Polyphonic Spree - Pukkelpop 2005
U2 - Lyceum 81 (three times), and Hammersmith Palais 81
The Clash RAR gig at the Rainbow 1979
The Members (several times) 1979/1980, includng supporting the Clash at the above.
The Who - Wembley Stadium 1979
The Banshees - the Rainbow 1979
The Pogues - Brixton Academy, Paddy's Day 87(?)
The Ramones (about 8 times) -1978-1986
Sonic Youth - Mean Fiddler 1987, Pukkelpop 1991 & 1996, etc.
Stiff Little Fingers - Electric Ballroom 1979 (was televised by the South Bank Show)
Chemical Brothers - Werchter 98(?)
Underworld - Werchter 99
The Wedding Present - Hammersmith Clarendon 87
The Birthday Party - Hammersmith Palais 82
B-52's - Lyceum 79 (first ever gig in Europe)
The Aloof - Pukkelpop 96
Echo & the Bunnymen - Hammersmith 1980(?)

And loads more...

Best combined line-ups:
U2 supporting Talking Heads - Hammersmith 1980
The Beat, supporting Teardrop Explodes, supporting Human League (Lyceum 1979)

And how about this for a single stage one-day line-up: Nirvana supporting Ride, supporting House of Love, supporting Sonic Youth, supporting Frank Black, supporting The Pogues, supporting The Ramones (Pukkelpop 1991)

 

[Dave the OAP]

Genesis - Nebworth

10cc Dome 1976,1977,1978
Led Zepp - Sussex Uni 1974(ish)
Wishbone Ash - too many to say
Krafwerk 1978 Dome
Thin Lizzy Brighton Centre (?)
Queen ditto
Slade - Bristol Apollo 1973
many many others

Best of all - Lynard Skynard - hammersmith 1977

worst - Tangerine Dream Dome ...absolutely f***ing awful

 

[Trufflehound]

Genesis - Nebworth

Was that 1978? If so, I was there. Weren't Jefferson Starship shit?

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

My stand out gig was The Ramones, Talking Heads and The Saints at the Roundhouse in 1977 (I think).

Other higlights include:

Little Bob Storey supported by the Jam at Crawley College (only about 20 people saw the Jam)
Dylan and others at Blackbushe airport
Buzzcocks and Slits at the Top rank
Talking Heads / supported by Dire Straits - Top rank
Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore at the Richmond
Fats Domino, Dr John and Neville Bros on a steamboat on the Mississippi, New orleans
Joe Ely (plus Joe Strummer) at the Venue, Victoria

Saw some great shows at the Hammersmith Odeon and/or Victoria Apollo (memory fading) in the mid to late 70's also - The Who Christmas show, Cockney Rebel (!), Queen, Sensational Alex Harvey Band...

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Nitin Sawhney at the Manchester Academy a couple of years back. Mindblowing perfromance.

Have seen Nitin a few times live, fantastic performance every time. One thing, though, he never varied the set and you always wanted him to do something new. Was a shame. But outstanding stuff all the same.

Talvin Singh, on the otherhand, christ he's boring. I fell asleep during a gig of his at the Union Chapel in Islington. Started snoring too

 

[DIFFBROOK]

Mine were in no particular order

Boomtown Rats - Top Rank Suite Brighton 1982

Squeeze - Top Rank Suite 1987 (hence username)

Undertones - Top Rank Suite 1983 and at concorde 2 in 2004 (reminded me how great they were)



The Jam - Brighton Centre 1982 (final gig)

Big Country Top Rank Suite 1983 ( They were great anytime anyplace)

Live Aid Wembley Stadium 1985

 

[Dave the OAP]

Was that 1978? If so, I was there. Weren't Jefferson Starship shit?

Oh yes..

At one point we fell about laughing at them....

 

[Gwylan]

My stand out gig was The Ramones, Talking Heads and The Saints at the Roundhouse in 1977 (I think).

I was there - that was a great gig. The Saints were greatly underrated. A very hot and sweaty night.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Sensational Alex Harvey Band...

...still the best version of Delilah ever recorded...FACT

 

[Stinky Kat]

I was there - that was a great gig. The Saints were greatly underrated. A very hot and sweaty night.

Saints - top band - this perfect day in my top 10 singles

 

[perseus]

Over 200 bands, mostly seventies (but missed the very big names, except Dylan and the Pink Floyd):

Crazy World of Arthur Brown (Worthing)
Albert King (Guildhall, Portsmouth)
Champion Jack Dupree (Guildhall, Portsmouth)

Others have said that the Alex Harvey Band, the Animals and her Who were excellent.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Others have said that the Alex Harvey Band, the Animals and her Who were excellent.

You mean the "Sensational" Alex Harvey Band

 

[sully]

In no particular order:

Elvis Costello, Brighton Top rank, 1978

Wasn't that the hottest gig ever? I nearly melted. Costello was fantastic.

My best ever, though, was Six of the Best (Genesis with Peter Gabriel) at Milton Keynes Bowl, 1981

Other fantastic stand-out gigs of the hundreds I've been to are:

Queen at Knebworth
Queen at the Brighton Centre
Rush
Thin Lizzy
Pretenders / UB40
The Who
Rolling Stones
Wings
ABBA (honestly!)
Pink Floyd (The Wall)

Best gig week was Peter Gabriel at Earls Court followed by Genesis at Wembley a couple of days later.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Thin Lizzy x 3 - Brighton Centre
Spandau Ballet - Brighton Centre
Jean Michel Jarre - Docklands
Bruce Springsteen - Wembley Stadium
Russell Watson - Brighton Centre