ASP
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, every single time. He has walked across the audience and the seats to hold hands with me and sing together, he has chased me through the audience onto the stage, and every time he comes on the stage it’s like someone has released an exotic panther from a crate or something. It’s like going to church with the devil himself preaching.
Power Trip, with Riley on vocals when they played Bloodstock early Sunday morning, way before lunch. Was a fan of their Nightmare Logic album so I was going whatever was happening, but as they played their set the crowd just kept growing, and would rival a lot of early evening bands. For the last day of the festival, in the morning.
They gave everything for the performance and when I met them afterwards they were just completely wasted having flown over and more or less gone straight on stage.
You can watch the show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPRBpKybx_U&pp=
Beck. He did a solo acoustic portion in the middle of the set, which is pretty normal. But while he was playing solo they brought out a massive dinner table ala the last supper behind him. They went all out, bringing platters of food and drinks and everything. His band came back out and sat at the table. And then they played the table…
The food was fake. It was shakers and noise makers and percussion instruments. The glasses were tuned crystal. The dinner was his backing band. It was amazing.
Anyone else see this tour? It was right after Guero.
Edit: typo
Van Halen 1984 tour (the final with David Lee Roth) in the Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood Florida.
Maybe they knew it was over, but they didn’t leave anything undone. It was a smaller venue, and they just fucking killed it. Here’s the setlist:
- On Fire
- Hot for Teacher
- Drum Solo - Alex playing upside down on gimbal
- Unchained
- Runnin’ With the Devil
- Little Guitars
- Cathedral
- House of Pain
- Bass Solo
- Jamie’s Cryin’
- I’ll Wait
- Everybody Wants Some!!
- Girl Gone Bad
- 1984
- Jump
- Guitar Solo
- Oh, Pretty Woman
- Panama
- You Really Got Me
- Ain’t Talkin’ 'bout Love
- Happy Trails
The Tallest Man on Earth. Sounded like he left his heart on the stage for the songs he performed.
Covering “Come In From The Cold” shortly after lockdowns blew me away and introduced me to Joni Mitchell, somewhat embarrassing to admit for a forty year old music snob. https://www.youtube.com/live/37uYSek4r-0
That’s awesome! Didn’t know those videos existed, thanks for sharing.
Three words: “Weird Al” Yankovic
He and the same guys in his band have been touring together for 40+ years, and the experience shows.
It’s one of the hardest rocking shows out there. Yes, I’m serious.
I won front row tickets to his show and it was lovely! My mother got the signed tshirt and ticket stub framed for me, its in my dining room wall!
Pop Will Eat Itself in the early 90’s.
Amazing fun shows with tons of energy from the band and the audience.
the early ’90s*
Half the bands mentioned in this post are from the 90s - or had their haydays in the 90s.
Almost all of them. Live music is one of the greatest things to experience.
Tool, always. Propagandhi were also great.
Barenaked Ladies. Didn’t want to go, went anyway, loved every minute of it
Absolutely. I saw them live a million times in the 90s. I got pelted with Kraft Dinner more times than I can count.
I saw Stephen Page live as part of some group doing a Christmas concert. His vocals absolutely stood out from the others and was just so powerful. I wish he was still with the Barenaked Ladies, but I’ve still enjoyed a lot of their work without him.
Mushroomhead at a small venue were amazing, I’ve been to the venue so many times and never seen anyone do anything interesting but they were there were impressive lighting and water on the drums that was flying everywhere catching the light. Was great.
Sub Focus and Chase & Status in a tiny little venue (Chinese Laundry in Sydney) that was like a little grotto. Ceiling so low I couldn’t even stretch my arms up straight with sweet raining on everyone. Amazing.
Die Antwoord with a load of acid in my system was pretty intense.
Finally the entire Shambhala festival in Canada. The DJ playing obviously increases enjoyment but the stages are so fucking mind blowing that it is without a doubt the best live music experience I have had!
I still like Die Antwoord even though they’ve become Wildly Problematic. Those videos are an absolute mind bending experience.
I liked their early stuff and this was probably about 9 or 10 years ago now that I saw them when they were on the dog mask kick. Since then I haven’t followed them or know anything about them so not sure what is problematic. Any more info?
Their adopted son claims they abused him. It honestly sounds a touch suspect, and they claim he’s an addict and trying to extort money, but the South African CPS actually paid them a visit regarding their other kids. And an artist named Danny Brown claims that Ninja sexually pawed him at a night club, and another girlfriend of Ninja claimed he abused her too.
Ninja and Yo-Landi are definitely sketchy, apparently South Africans don’t really like them at all, but I think some of this is untrue.
God Speed You! Black Emperor.
Not a band, but Patti Smith, with Philip Glass.
…i’ve seen some pretty epic shows by some pretty epic bands, but the last time i saw muse play, i did not expect to see a F*CKING HUNDRED-FOOT MECHA lunge out from the stage…
whoa…
…the craziest part was that it wasn’t there throughout the entire show: during that particular set, it loomed up from nowhere behind the stage and then lurched out over the crowd, or at least those of us who had pushed up front on the floor…
