If you have not been able to see Frank Zappa and any of the 'Mothers" in concert you know there is no competition. Maybe more flame throwers or costumes or other nonsense but when the music starts there is no competition from any 'pop stars'.
is this the greatest live band of all time?
l know everybody has there own opinion however you be the judge?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyEbr6HvWy0
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Bill Graham did a great thing in his San Francisco Fillmore Auditorium: he brought in many of the old blues guys that guitarists like Clapton, SRV, Peter Green, and Mike Bloomfield were copying. Seeing Albert King live really changed my perspective. In the mid-80's I was fortunate enough to see Big Joe Turner backed by The Blasters in a small club in L.A. I wouldn't even consider trading that night of music for the two times I saw Hendrix, and Cream. I sure wish I had been able to catch Howlin' Wolf live, though. |
I'm a 67 years old guy and pretty much I've seem live so many bands, from the big, big names to run of the mill, etc. Last time I went to a concert was 10 years ago to take my daughter (13 at the time to see a band that I never heard of but she was almost in tears 'cause she thought I wouldn't let her go see them. So I took her to "Revolution Live" in Fort Lauderdale to see the concert. The name of the band was "Escape the fate ". All I'm going to say is that no matter how many fantastic concerts I saw in my youth, and thereafter; Escape the fate was so energetic, raw, and emotional that I thought I was reliving the emotions of surprise, and the youthful feelings that I experienced when as a teen/young adult at the time the British invasion took over. Yeah, that concert was that good. You could actually dance the night away. I can only remember one other time that I was so shocked at a concert: I went to see Black Sabbath at the Spectrum in Philly. I didn't even realized that there was an opening act, by the time they were done I had completely forgotten about Black Sabbath. At the end of the concert I asked Mike my buddy I went with to the concert who those guys that opened for Black Sabbath were, he said: VAN HALEN. That was the first time I ever heard or saw them. They just had come out with their first album. Men let me tell you after Van Helen got into it I couldn't care less if Black Sabbath was going to play. |
There are many great concerts mentioned and good choices. I saw the Beatles at Shea in 65. Couldn't hear them very well with all of the screaming girls, but as an 11 year old kid it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I was sitting in the fourth box behind home plate with my friend, his parents and his older sister. Could not have been in better seats, except for the three boxes in front of us. It was crazy. Teenage girls were climbing over me to go on to the field. the police were carrying girls two at a time, one under each arm to remove them from the field. |
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Exodus (Live At The Rainbow 4th June 1977 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43cfPgZ8cU8 |
Please remember that Michael Jackson bought the rights to he Beatles catalogue in order to suppress the distribution o further hi sown career. IMHO.I never owned a Beatles album, but just bought Abby Road at a flea market. It is a terrible recording. Pop music is the worst homogenater of musical taste, surpassing country, because at least country musicians tells stories about their audience. I Am The Walrus! Please! |
No. This is the GREATEST band of all time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=416o9b_pjQk Made hunkering in your fallout shelter a pleasure! |
No argument with The Who, Floyd, the Stones on this list; amazing bands that had to be experienced live. But like Moon, Bonham with Zeppelin...and Pearl with Rush...have to be included amongst the greatest drummers of all time, and mesmerized their fans. And Queen’s performance at Live Aid will always be considered amongst the best. |
This isn’t really fair. To determine the best live band of all time you need to consider the live bands of the fourth century, The time of Jesus, and 600 BC. There are not many old hipsters left who saw the best bands from when Jesus was around. (*I just hate the phrase “of all time.” Meaningless bloviation if you ask me.) |
Good one, @iloveromy! I saw both versions, with Cooder in the Little Village group (with Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner) on a sound stage in Burbank, the version with Landreth at The Roxy Theater on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. The above and the following are impossible to rate as absolute "best", but all great: The Dave Edmunds Band at a big club in NYC (the name of which I don’t recall) in 1982. 100% high-octane rocket fuel Rock ’n’ Roll! Not far behind, NRBQ at The Roxy Theater in Hollywood, a couple of times. The most "fun" live band I’ve ever seen. Marshall Crenshaw at The Peppermint Lounge in NYC, 1982. Graham Maby (from Joe Jackson’s band) on Fender 6-string bass, 4-part harmonies! Rockpile at The Country Club in Reseda, CA, 1980. All American Rock ’n’ Roll at it’s finest, ironic considering all the members are from the UK. The Band at The Berkeley Community Theater, 1969. The finest live music making I’ve ever heard, on the level of a Jazz band. The Beat (U.S., not U.K.) at The Whiskey, the best Power Pop band I saw and heard live, including The Who. The Electric Flag at The Santa Clara County Folk-Rock Festival in 1968. Mike Bloomfield on guitar, the mighty Buddy Miles on drums (who made Keith Moon look like a wimp ;-), four saxes---two baritone, two bass! For singer/songwriters, the sublime Iris Dement, at The Troubadour in Santa Monica and The Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR. I want her music played at my funeral. ;-) Leonard Cohen’s live show was the "grandest" I’ve ever seen, pure class. By the way @allexandar, I saw The Beatles at The Cow Palace (S. San Francisco) in ’65, and they weren’t very good live. Honest! Better than The Stones, though, who absolutely reeked. The most over-rated band in the entire history of Rock ’n’ Roll! |
Some fab bands here 1/ Beatles, that ability to write so many different, complex sounds. Penny Lane as it’s so descriptive and truly evocative of their early life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-rB0pHI9fU 2/ Beachboys, you try to harmonise. Good vibrations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdt0SOqPJcg 3/ ABBA , those guys worked those girls in so many ways. Let’s go for where it all began, in 1974 Eurovision with Waterloo. |
Quit it already with the "Best" polls and lists. Especially in Music there is no "Best". These "Best" polls are nothing more for fodder from individuals who either do not play an instrument....are a critic professionally.......circling back to players.....have the wrong approach to actuallly playing and listening.....musicians true ones simply dont pay attention to "Best" opinions.....there is not an answer to it.... and of you subscribe to this thought you are stupid. |
Keeping this "short" Fleetwood Mac 75: first tour with Stevie. Return to Forever: Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Al Dimeleola, Chick Corea. PInned in my seat by these all stars. Perfect sound in 3000 seat venue Police 79: Bass that hurt you Yes: In the Round Roger Waters: Wall Tool: Lateralus. Best Sound EVER. I sat behind the mixing boards. |
I have seen very few live rock concerts, but in my youth I was dragged by my friends to see a band I had never heard of, King Crimson. That was a concert! (1970, original line-up for COTCK). Soon after that I saw Jethro Tull, and that was a close second. Saw Chuck Berry about 12 years ago at a local outdoor festival - lots of energy but oddly enough I don't remember much about the music. Wanted to see the original Who, but it never happened, but my hearing thanks me. |
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. |
Joe Cocker 1978 with 150 drunk sailors .he said it reminded him of playing pubs in England starting out. I was front row in a fold out chair. 3 hours of amazing rock and performance art. Plus not sure who his guitar player was but he was on point and in tune. Honorable mention Mothers Finest Citadel graduation concert. Where the plumbing never stood a chance. |
- I saw Pearl Jam open for U2 in Hawaii (2000's). That was good. - Pearl Jam in San Francisco was amazing (2000's). - Rush in Toronto and Vegas. Rush is always great. - Santana in Toronto (1990's) had me walking on air, so pumped up after that one. - Recently saw a 100 year old Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey in Vegas. It was shockingly great. |
@dwiphefl1128 I kind of want to hear a band that sounds better live than on their recordsI have seen many bands that fall into that category as I believe most musicians/artists are energized by a live audience. I heard two of your listed bands during the periods you list and both shows were outstanding:
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As far as live bands, I kind of want to hear a band that sounds better live than on their records. Five bands come to mind...I saw all five 3-4 times in the 70s and 80s. All produced a "big" soundstage type of sound where vocals and instruments were more substantial than on the their albums which is saying a lot as all the albums of these groups were always recognized as having great studio acoustics. * Early to mid Yes * Early to mid Genesis with Peter Gabriel * Steely Dan * Springsteen * Peter Gabriel after Genesis |
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I heard Santana at the Pavillion in Flushing Meadows the weekend before Woosdstock (1969). No one there had ever heard of them (headliner was Savoy Brown BB, 2nd act was Charlie Musselwhite's BB), but Santana opened, and tore the roof off the place...and this was an open air concert!! Every bit as good as their legendary set a week later. But the best live shows I caught were Talking Heads in 1980 with the "Remain In Light" band, and Little Feat in '76-77, both at the Orpheum in Boston. Absolutely masterful performances, full of improvisatory touches, but perfectly in control... |
To me, Phish is by far the best live band experience. Nothing even comes close. However I am too young to have seen the Dead in their early yrs (68'-72'). I have seen around 1000 live shows, and there are a few that really stick out. Phish New Years 95 Prince at The Fillmore in 2004 The Original Meters in 2005 Phil Lesh & Friends 1999 Zero 93-97 Almost every Phish Show... Pink Floyd Allman Bros Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeshi Moe. Tom Petty |
