is this the greatest live band of all time?

Not a band, but when I saw Jerry Lee Lewis I realised I was watching the greatest showman on earth, and possibly the greatest that has ever lived.

I saw Joe Cocker three times spanning the late 70’s to the early 80’s, and to to say he was inconsistent is a wild understatement. One absolute dud, one OK performance and one which ranks up there with anything I have ever witnessed.
                 
Everything meshed together in a perfect synchronicity which left me with tears streaming down my cheeks.

In retrospect, I think his alcohol and pharmaceutical consumption played a major part in the standards of his performances during this period.

Duds - T-Rex: couldn’t play live if their lives depended on it (who is that stupid little git struggling with the mike trying to sing?).
The Ramones circa ‘89 going through the motions with about as much enthusiasm as a nun at a rave (although our over-zealous local narcotics law enforcement agency may have had a hand in the outcome].
Chuck Berry circa ‘85 - well his ding a ling wasn’t on fire, that’s for sure. Seems that I’m Chuck Berry‘ is all he needed to say and do, because the crowd cheered anything he did no matter how half arsed it was. It ended up more like a dreary family sing a long than a performance.

+1 Ween - they are actually great musicians and you really get to appreciate that when you see them live.