[Fingers of a Martyr]

Who's the best Artist/Band you've seen live?

I saw Queens of the Stone age about 2 years ago and they were simply amazing. Also saw Motorhead a while back but they were pretty shit as far as i remember...

Got tickets for Kylie's World Tour  and Funeral for a Friend :D  and hopefully getting some for Kasabian as well :D

[Carnage]

Deftones at Brixton Academy a while ago. Pretty Intense.

Pixies, same venue on a free vip pass last year was pretty sweet.

Prodigy at 'V' 96 was damn good as well.

[account_inactive]

Some obscure band called Monkey Land @ Wigan Pier. Twas the first live band that I'd seen and the manc scene was just kicking off.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Radiohead and PJ Harvey both at Glasters...I'm getting Deja Vu on this thread... :wink:

[fatneck]

Going to see the Futureheads soon, just got the album, is wicked. Best band I ever saw? Oasis at Earls Court back in '96 (could be wrong about the date though :roll:) AWESOME!!!

[SA Chris]

http://ukbouldering.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=3822 but it got ignored  :cry:

Best ever will require some thought though.

[Johnny Brown]

First time I saw Spiritualized was pretty amazing, small venue just before they got big. Apparently Coefield was there too but wouldn't have known him from Adam.

Despite a shit venue though, its pretty hard to top The Stone Roses.

[cofe]

First time I saw Spiritualized was pretty amazing, small venue just before they got big. Apparently Coefield was there too but wouldn't have known him from Adam..

damn straight it was fucking amazing - just intense noise and light for deuce hours. i'll sell you the playlist adam...

saw ben folds five at leadmill back in like 96 - crazy. me mate spaniard ended up on stage n shit then they came out after gig and chatted to people and signed everything. my school bus pass had 'let the man on' daubed on it.

also ozomatli at glasto in 2000. mega.

every manics gig i went to. especially when they did yes.

sorry FOAM, thats more than 1...

[Moo]

I saw iron maiden playing their dance of death tour, amazing stage show style deal really good.

[Graeme]

Therapy at the Manchester Apollo back in '96 was an awesome gig.

[webbo]

the clash at the queens hall in 1978 was memorable.or was it at leeds uni.

[chris]

iron maiden without a doubt, a real live one in about '95, totally amazing, MEN arena, top gigg, the best light show ever!

[rowena]

Without thinking too much probably Underworld at T in the Park a couple of years ago.  Unfortuately my festival memories are a bit hazy now...

Got Australian Pink Floyd, Mylo and Kings of Leon coming up - yippee!

[moose]

Mogwai headlining the final day on t'other stage at glasto (1998?)  - at the front, bobbing up and down in waves of people, almost reduced to tears by helicon 1.

Triple headline of Fly Pan Am, Sigur Ros and Godspeed You Black Emperor at Planet K (Manchester) .  Though pretty much any time I've seen GSYBE would do.

British Sea Power about 18 months ago in Newcastle - went not having heard a song ... left in a state of happy bewilderment (last time I saw them they were a bit crap though frankly).

Most disappointing gigs - probably Belle and Sebastian ones - holiday camp goings on and a complete neglect of the best of their back catalogue in favour of the light dippy shite... still good, just a wasted opportunity.

[Rancid]

rancid in manchester 2003, afi in manchester 2003 and dillinger escape plan in 2004 were all amazing in different ways.

going to see soad in june i have high expectations for the gig hope it delivers....

[Falling Down]

Probably the best ever is tie between NoMeansNo in 87'ish and Husker Du on their last tour in 1986  they played Warehouse all the way through straight and then most of New Day Rising - f*ckin class.

Sun Ra at the Manchester Free Trade Hall - amazing - needless to say I was there on my tod 'cos I was only 20 and all my mates were like 'who?'.

Happy Mondays on the Bummed tour at Sheffield Uni.

Recently Jack Rose and Glenn Jones were simply fantastic twiddling their steel string guitar magic.

Psychic TV at the Leadmill in 88 was quite good too - Genesis P Orridge was riding my skateboard stark naked.

John Zorn's Naked City.

Tool at Glastonbury in 92.

Henry Rollins on the End of Silence tour when he was massively depressed and angry after Joe Cole got shot - man that was good.

Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy tour at Manchester International.

Sonic Youth on the Daydream Nation tour with Mudhoney in Manchester - I think Fatboy was at that one too.

Bonnie Prince Billy is awesome live.

Coil at the Albert Hall

Pita at Sonar - total laptop metal overload - mental!

[Mr.Burns]

Millencolin and Anti Flag in Manchester a few years back was very cool and Green Day in June should will prob be up there with the best.

[Falling Down]

I saw a great band recently at ATP - Early Man - sort neo/proto metal.http://www.matadorrecords.com/early_man/index.html they should have an album out on Matador soon.

[tommytwotone]

saw ben folds five at leadmill back in like 96 - crazy. me mate spaniard ended up on stage n shit then they came out after gig and chatted to people and signed everything. my school bus pass had 'let the man on' daubed on it.

every manics gig i went to. especially when they did yes.

damn - I never saw BFF live and always regretted it, would have loved to have heard stuff off the first album done live.

with you on the manics thing - saw them at Reading '94 (without Richey) but the best had to be when they were touring 'Holy Bible'...what an amazing, scary gig that was.

my personal 'best ever' was The Twilight Singers at Nottingham Rescue Rooms, Feb 04. Greg Dulli's (ex-Afghan Whigs) new band, doing crazy heartbreak Springsteen rock coupled with enough soul covers to keep a Motown Revue in business.

[SA Chris]

Psychic TV at the Leadmill in 88 was quite good too - Genesis P Orridge was riding my skateboard stark naked.

I assume s/he was still male at this point?

[Falling Down]

Psychic TV at the Leadmill in 88 was quite good too - Genesis P Orridge was riding my skateboard stark naked.

I assume s/he was still male at this point?

Yeah the silly old f*cker looks like a right mess these days - I don't know why he thinks it's radical as some of the women in Glossop look scarier !

[fatboySlimfast]

Sonic Youth on the Daydream Nation tour with Mudhoney in Manchester - I think Fatboy was at that one too.

i was and i rate it as one of the best gigs ive ever been to, also

Misty n Roots-Glasto 1986/7? (never really rated bands at festivals, bit impersonal for me)
Jonathon Richmond-clapham grand 1996-very funny and cool
Dispoable heroes of hipetc- Sheff Lower Refectory-very good live
Swans-leeds 1986- the most terrifying experience Ive ever seen, complete sonic/visual overload, Michael Gira writhing on the floor masturbating while having my  hearing permanently damaged is hard to forget.

[Pantontino]

Here's my list trawled from the dusty cupboards of my memory:

UK Subs – small pub in Huddersfield 86/87
Butthole Surfers - Reading 88
Pixies - Manchester 88
Sonic Youth/Mudhoney - various gigs on Daydream Nation tour in 88 – followed entire tour, hitching around the country. (this it seems is where I first unknowingly met FBSF and Falling Down - or maybe we just staggered past each other unaware of how our paths might cross in later life)
Fugazi - Manc and Leeds D of York (2nd European tour I think) around 88/89
Bad Brains - Huddersfield and Manchester 89
Janes Addiction - Manc Apollo 89
Iggy Pop - Reading 89
House of Love – Huddersfield Poly 89
Snuff  - Duchess of York in Leeds 89 (also good at Astoria in London)
Henry Rollins - Duchess of York in Leeds 89/90
No Means No - Leeds Warehouse 89/90
Green Day - Huddersfield Topspot Snooker Club (first ever UK gig, early 90s)
Shudder to Think - various times at Duchess of York in Leeds in early 90s
Girls Against Boys - Duchess of York in Leeds early 90s
Super Furry Animals - Bangor Rugby Club around 97/8
Tindersticks - Manchester Uni 97/8
The last decent gig I went to was 100 Reasons in Bangor - surprisingly good.

[moose]

Leeds - duchess of york, brings back memories... my first ever gig - S*M*A*S*H and Blessed Ethel double header... visceral.  Is it still open  - I've heard conflicting reports about it being shut down (most of the bands it would have hosted seem to play the Cockpit).  

Super Furry Animals 97/98 - I think I saw them in Middlesbrough on the same tour (perhaps '99) - really good, just caned it unrelentingly through their entire catalogue - no noodling.  Also appeared to be experimenting with a strange quadraohonic sound-system.

Green Day at Hudds Topspot!?  Fuck me... A mate's invited me there for a game of snooker tonight.  Might go just to drink in the history - surprised there isn't a plaque and hoody-clad accolytes.

[Johnny Brown]

Yeah the duchess shut down a few years back. think the only gig I went to there was Prodigal son.

House of Love – Huddersfield Poly 89

They've just reformed and are playing the leadmill in a couple of weeks - reckon its worth going? Still got that Shine on 7" somewhere.

[Pantontino]

I heard a track off the new album and it sounded good - not sure if they can come close to their glory days though? I was a bit 'altered' on the night in question, so they might have actually been shite.

[Pantontino]

Just googled this:

http://teachingtheindiekidstodanceagain.blogspot.com/2005/02/so-i-memorized-diamonds-in-your-eyes.html

[SA Chris]

They've just reformed and are playing the leadmill in a couple of weeks - reckon its worth going? Still got that Shine on 7" somewhere.

And I have the first two albums (both called the house of love?) on Cassette somewhere!!

In a garden in the house of love
sitting lonely on a plastic chair.

[Fingers of a Martyr]

bump

Went to see Boy Kill Boy at King Tuts last night. Nothing short of brilliant, wish the set had been a bit longer but still fucking awesome. The lead singer is scary though  :D

[Fiend]

Liveness....

P.J. Harvey @ some grotty club in Yeovil - well before she was famous (sorry but I have to say that), just after Dry came out, good gig.

Bolt Thrower @ the old Marquee, London - went on my own, between school and uni I think, was on a Saturday, my ears didn't stop fucking ringing until Wednesday!

Primus @ some place in Sydney - class, big event, Primus are fucking ace and Les Claypool was on top form with more weird bass instruments than you could shake a stick at.

Anthrax @ Rock City, Nottingham - can't remember much except they were good and the bassist was very entertaining.

Killing Joke @ Rock City, Nottingham - just after Pandemonium came out, played a good spectrum of all their stuff, Love Like Blood was great.

[foxgt]

AC/DC at wembly awsome
METALLICA at nec before they went all crap
PINK FLOYD  at earls court it was mind blowing
these are my top gigs great atmos and amazing show

[Nibile]

pj harvey in rome, 2004,
rage against the machine in rome, 2000,
red hot chili peppers in milan, 1992,
rollins band in milan, 1992,
skunk anansie in florence 200something,
beastie boys in milan 2005.

top.

[Houdini]

Buzzcocks (UEA Norwich) sometime around '90.  (Noteable as my first and last stage-dive - Got pushed off by a hideous fat roadie:  the crowd parted like Dead Sea and I ate the floor in a big way smashing my nose/specs and seeing many flashing colours...).

PJ Harvey (UEA) around the release of Rid of Me.  Blew my mind.  She's a genius and that's a fact.  Also Rob Ellis is one of the finest and most powerful drummers I've ever heard - truly amazing.

Napalm Death (Norwich Arts Centre) late 80's.  Man did they slay my swede.  They would take themselves hugely seriously, and would spend a good minute or two after each song re-tuning their instruments before launching off into a ferocious 9 or 29 second song.  Then stop and retune.  Awesome experience and ridiculously loud.  They were supported by the militant vegan group Extreme Noise Terror who were pretty fucking terrifying too!

The Wolfhounds (again @ the NAC) Memory hazy as to when.  Stunning stunning band.  Better than the Fall who I saw a week or so before.  Perhaps one of the best gigs ever, & in my opininion one of the best guitar bands the UK has produced (and that includes The Smiths).

Shellac (@ The Forum, London) when they toured At Action Park Supported by Brick Layer Cake (Shellac drummer Todd Trainers' band with Steve Albini on drums).  Great great gig from a band at the height of their powers.  Man they knew how to Rock!  Shame they went downhill after that 1st LP (not that their subsequent efforts were bad, mind).

British Murder Boys Surgeon on DX & Regis on assorted blackbox knob-twiddling (@ Tresor in Berlin, Loveparade weekend a few years back)  Huge huge industrial-based sound.  Ripped my head clean off and rammed it up my ass.  Twice.

Acid Mothers Temple (Molotov, Hamburg couple of years back) with Ruins in support.  Really trippy effect-laden modern progressive rock that took me to places I've never been before.  Great Japanese band that are extremely prolific and somewhat hard to keep up with.  The most interesting bunch of slitty-eyed yoghurt-weavers I've encountered.  A great band who put on a great show. 

And recently Battles (Thalia Theatre, Hamburg).  Never ever seen a band lay down such grooves.  And of course - their drummer - the octopus-armed John Stainer is ridiculously talented and an absolute joy to behold.

The band I would give my eye-teeth to have seen would have to be The Stranglers say, in '82.  Fucking outrageous they were!

[Monolith]

Here's my list trawled from the dusty cupboards of my memory:

UK Subs – small pub in Huddersfield 86/87
Butthole Surfers - Reading 88
Pixies - Manchester 88
Sonic Youth/Mudhoney - various gigs on Daydream Nation tour in 88 – followed entire tour, hitching around the country. (this it seems is where I first unknowingly met FBSF and Falling Down - or maybe we just staggered past each other unaware of how our paths might cross in later life)
Fugazi - Manc and Leeds D of York (2nd European tour I think) around 88/89
Bad Brains - Huddersfield and Manchester 89
Janes Addiction - Manc Apollo 89
Iggy Pop - Reading 89
House of Love – Huddersfield Poly 89
Snuff  - Duchess of York in Leeds 89 (also good at Astoria in London)
Henry Rollins - Duchess of York in Leeds 89/90
No Means No - Leeds Warehouse 89/90
Green Day - Huddersfield Topspot Snooker Club (first ever UK gig, early 90s)
Shudder to Think - various times at Duchess of York in Leeds in early 90s
Girls Against Boys - Duchess of York in Leeds early 90s
Super Furry Animals - Bangor Rugby Club around 97/8
Tindersticks - Manchester Uni 97/8
The last decent gig I went to was 100 Reasons in Bangor - surprisingly good.

&

Buzzcocks (UEA Norwich) sometime around '90.  (Noteable as my first and last stage-dive - Got pushed off by a hideous fat roadie:  the crowd parted like Dead Sea and I ate the floor in a big way smashing my nose/specs and seeing many flashing colours...).

PJ Harvey (UEA) around the release of Rid of Me.  Blew my mind.  She's a genius and that's a fact.  Also Rob Ellis is one of the finest and most powerful drummers I've ever heard - truly amazing.

Napalm Death (Norwich Arts Centre) late 80's.  Man did they slay my swede.  They would take themselves hugely seriously, and would spend a good minute or two after each song re-tuning their instruments before launching off into a ferocious 9 or 29 second song.  Then stop and retune.  Awesome experience and ridiculously loud.  They were supported by the militant vegan group Extreme Noise Terror who were pretty fucking terrifying too!

The Wolfhounds (again @ the NAC) Memory hazy as to when.  Stunning stunning band.  Better than the Fall who I saw a week or so before.  Perhaps one of the best gigs ever, & in my opininion one of the best guitar bands the UK has produced (and that includes The Smiths).

Shellac (@ The Forum, London) when they toured At Action Park Supported by Brick Layer Cake (Shellac drummer Todd Trainers' band with Steve Albini on drums).  Great great gig from a band at the height of their powers.  Man they knew how to Rock!  Shame they went downhill after that 1st LP (not that their subsequent efforts were bad, mind).

British Murder Boys Surgeon on DX & Regis on assorted blackbox knob-twiddling (@ Tresor in Berlin, Loveparade weekend a few years back)  Huge huge industrial-based sound.  Ripped my head clean off and rammed it up my ass.  Twice.

Acid Mothers Temple (Molotov, Hamburg couple of years back) with Ruins in support.  Really trippy effect-laden modern progressive rock that took me to places I've never been before.  Great Japanese band that are extremely prolific and somewhat hard to keep up with.  The most interesting bunch of slitty-eyed yoghurt-weavers I've encountered.  A great band who put on a great show. 

And recently Battles (Thalia Theatre, Hamburg).  Never ever seen a band lay down such grooves.  And of course - their drummer - the octopus-armed John Stainer is ridiculously talented and an absolute joy to behold.

The band I would give my eye-teeth to have seen would have to be The Stranglers say, in '82.  Fucking outrageous they were!

Are fantastic ticklists! For me, seeing Ian MacKaye play in The Evens in Brudenell Social CLub in Hyde Park, Leeds next door to my then house was amazing. It made up marginally for my missed first year opportunity to see Fugazin play in the Cockpit. Turns out, that was probably my last as well.

[vivahate]

Sunn0)))

was like nothing else, Earth were really good as well on the last Euro tour. DJ Shadow blew me away the first time i saw him, but was unimpressive at Creamfields this year.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Flaming Lips last night in Manchester. Awesome. I heard they put on a good show but previously had only caught a small amount at Glastonbury. On their own they are something else.

[dontfollowme]

I'm thinking about seeing the Flaming Lips tomorrow but they are playing in the NIA which I'm a bit unsure of as a venue. Last night I saw a band called Midlake who are from Texas that were very good with a guy called Fion Raegen supporting making for a great night.

[Pantontino]

I went to see Kate Rusby at Venue Cymru in Llandudno last weekend. The music was great, her voice was incredible and she was pretty funny in between the songs, but seated theatres just don't do it for me. No atmosphere and the seats were uncomfortable.

[butters]

There have been a few but the more memorable ones would include:

GYBE at Bradford - only time I have ever seen them and they were amazing to say the least.

The Fall at the boardwalk a couple of years ago - seen the Fall a few times sometimes good sometimes bad but this was the gig I will tell my grandkids about - MES was in a particularly psychotic mood that night and I was right at the front - I spent the entire gig thinking I could get twatted in the face here but wouldn't change a single minute of it - left the gig feeling so charged up it was untrue.

Mogwai at Leeds - the venue under the railway station - just before they released Happy songs for Happy People - amazing gig and probably their best gig I have attended but they are usually brilliant regardless.

Arab Strap at Sheffield a fair few years ago - can't tell you when but was one of my first gigs in Sheff and the sight of Aidan trying to drink his own weight in pish lager was a bit shocking to the young and innocent bluebrad at the time. Very shambolic gig that ended with Aidan surrounded by approx 18 empty pish lager cans but well worth it.

Sigur Ros at the Leadmill - just very very good.

The Polyphonic Spree at the Leadmill - got dragged there by a mate and was lucky enough to see them before they got huge - spent the entire gig grinning like a village idiot and no drugs were involved.

Alec Empire at Barfly - digital Hardcore at it's best - couldn't here for days afterwards.

bluebrad

[moose]

There have been a few but the more memorable ones would include:
GYBE at Bradford - only time I have ever seen them and they were amazing to say the least.
Mogwai at Leeds - the venue under the railway station - just before they released Happy songs for Happy People - amazing gig and probably their best gig I have attended but they are usually brilliant regardless.
bluebrad

I was probably at those too, was the GBYE gig in a theatre?  I remember being most upset at not being able to drink inside the auditorium!  A brilliant gig anyway, though my favourite GBYE one was at Manchester Planet K - supported by an Aegis Byritium era Sigur Ros and Fly Pan Am. 

The Leeds venue for the Mogwai gig was called the Cockpit, I agree it was a wonderful gig (though mowai are pretty reliable in that sense!).  Although for sheer emotional intensity I have even fonder memories of their headlining the second stage at Glasto in 98/98ish with an incredibly simple, stark, and beautifully resonant stage set.  They played in darkness in front of dimly luminescent screens with "mogwai guitars: left", "mogwai guitars: right" and "mogwai: barry" printed on in tiny letters, only fleetingly illuminated by patches of light generated by a mirror-ball with a single spot-light.  Perhaps it was hitting the cider bus too hard... but being in the front rows, carried by the crowds, there was this communal exhultation, Mogwai Fear Satan, I loved everyone and everything.... can't explain... words fail....

Other favourite gigs:

Delgados... any number of times in Manchester and Leeds.  Although a favourite was probably in Newcastle around before Hate LP (I think).  Probably the only one of their gigs I saw where neither of the two singers appeared to be sufferering from a morose, bibulous nervous breakdown.   

Hefner... any of their gigs in the top floor room of the Manchester student union.  The happiest, most frenetic live band I ever saw.  Full of joy to be there playing for you... buzzsaw guitars and a back catalogue of singles to die for.

Low in Manchester Uni, around the time of "things we lost in the fire".... a church-like atmosphere, but of worshipful respect rather than indifference.

British Sea Power before their first album had been released.  I had heard bugger-all about or by them... to say I was pleasantly surprised is a considerable understatement. The foliage... the costumes... goose braining the bassist.... the instantly appealing top-notch tunage.  They've let me down a bit since mind.

[butters]

I was probably at those too, was the GBYE gig in a theatre?  I remember being most upset at not being able to drink inside the auditorium!  A brilliant gig anyway, though my favourite GBYE one was at Manchester Planet K - supported by an Aegis Byritium era Sigur Ros and Fly Pan Am. 

Pretty sure it was in a theatre - was more put out that I didn't have any weed on me to smoke at the time as opposed to not having any beer to drink but a minor complaint really - only time I have seen GYBE and must admit to being a bit envious of you seeing GYBE and Sigur Ros and Fly Pan Am all in one go. 

The Leeds venue for the Mogwai gig was called the Cockpit, I agree it was a wonderful gig (though mowai are pretty reliable in that sense!).

Cheers for the name - couldn't remember it for love or money yesterday - thought it was a really good venue for a gig. As you say Mogwai are usually pretty reliable when it comes to gigs - seen them at least 6 times now and can't recall a bad one yet.

bluebrad

[andy_e]

I went to see two bands at the corporation last night. The On-the-door price was £3 more than the advance price, which i felt was a bit of a rip-off, the bands were too quiet and the bar was expensive. Good gig though.

Oh, and the trains seemed to be all ridiculously delayed 

[foxgt]

AC/DC live was great
PINK FLOYD great light show
METALLICA was cool (on the load tour) new stuff was naff old stuff was awsome
 

[chappers]

did you not write those exact three live reviews before on page 2?

back in the day:

Napalm death tonbridge wells forum, like paul said, ferocious live performance with loads of standing around tuning.

One minute silence again at the tonbridge wells forum, such an amazing venue for a band like this, supported by a group called stimulator who were really good too.

Machine head brixton academy, ive still not seen a band who are more ontop of their game as far as a live performance goes, and you could really tell that they were enjoying themselves.

pantera brixton again, first gig on british soil for a long time, amazing, shook hands with the now sadly missed dimebag darrol.

Judas priest london astoria, the night that i finished my a-level exams. with ripper owens on vocals. seen them later on with the halford, and went back stage because my friend is engaged to marry glen tipton's daughter. amazing.

ozzfest 98. - pantera, slayer, sabbath.

more recent:

tool on several occasions, lateralus tour was outstanding. twice this year too.

DOWN this band are trully amazing, if you are into stoner rock and dont know about this you need shooting. saw them this year at london astoria, two nights in a row. first night walk into the pub before the gig to get a pint, jimmy bower the drummer at the bar, after the gig, same pub, whole band less phill anselmo. amazing night, got pissed up with rock stars! "this one goes out to dimebag fuckin darrol...lifer"