TheGuy

Just saw Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers the other night and after all these years he still knows how to bring it.

But the best would have to be Springsteen, back in the day (The River Tour) 4 1/2 hour shows that would just wear you down.

sauce07

Saw Tom Petty a couple weeks ago and it was an amazing show. I've seen him a few times but this was the best. Steve Winwood was the opener and came out to play Gimme Some Lovin with the Heartbreakers, great stuff.

Other Great Live Bands I've Seen:

Phish - How has nobody listed this, I know it is Jam music but the tension and release their jams create combined with the light show that acts as a fifth member is just an amazing experience.

The Flaming Lips - Yes Wayne doesn't sound as good, yes it is the same set you saw last time but who cares when you have a ufo, confetti, smoke, a mini-talking nun and before I forget Tits.

Umphrey's McGee
Raconteurs
Rush
Jimmy Buffett
Van Halen
Keller Williams
Bob Dylan
Primus (anything Claypool)

pjflyer

I saw the Wacos last week with Chris Mills. Great show. Probably the 10th time I've seen them and I've never seen a bad show.

cungar

Yeah I must see DJ Yoda, Tom Stephen and Erick Morillo (am I the only one whose never heard of these people?). Far better live acts than Bruce Springsteen and the E Strret Band who didn't even make this useless list.

The Bus

Wow, some of you people get defensive. It's a UK magazine and the list is six years old, get a fucking grip on yourself.

I went to see NIN along with QotSA and (the actual band I wanted to see) DFA1979. NIN didn't disappoint. Sigur Rós, however, wasn't as good. It was actually a bit ethereal, which isn't something I look for in a concert usually.

cdollaz

I think you answered your own question.

Decker

The best single concert moment I ever had (and I've posted here in another thread a couple of years ago) was 1989 at the Forum in LA. Petty & The Heartbreakers on the Full Moon Fever tour. Great show, despite my lousy seats. For the encore, someone strolls out and the crowd goes nuts. I look again -- it's Bob Dylan. They play two songs including Rainy Day Woman #35 (Everybody Must Get Stoned). We're extatic. Then another guy stolls out and everyone really freaks. I break out the binocs. It's Bruce. The three of them play two songs including CCR's "Traveling Band". We're in heaven as we leave. It was such an awesome surprise.

orangecrush

My mom and sister went to that show together. As my sister remebers it, all of the old people were sitting for Guns and all of the kids were sitting for the Stones.

Gdrlv

I listed Phish in my response on page 2. The band has provided me with some truly transcendent moments and some of the most fun I've had at concerts. I can see how they're not everyone's cup of tea, as you've got to be patient to really appreciate what they're doing.

cerial442

Gwar

CreatureX

Pearl Jam are so amazing live! Beck rocks live as well!

The Black

And, how was your GB experience?

rw2516

Led Zeppelin
In their prime-Ted Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult, ZZ Top. I saw ZZ Top three times in 74/75. No beards, fancy suits or fancy stage. Just three guys in bluejeans burning the fuckin' house to the ground.

Pleasant suprises: The Kinks, Stray Cats and Aldo Nova. Nova's stuff sounds dated now but he cooked on the guitar.

Also The Eagles when they were young. The shows were energetic, rocked, and the sound was perfect.

Decker

Sounds like a Great White show.

Did you actually see Zep live? If so, I'm sooooooooo jealous. I watch those DVDs and am in total awe of them as a live act. Must have been cool.

rw2516

Twice. April 15, 1977, Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis. July 24, 1977. Oakland Colesium. The Oakland show turned out to be the last they would ever do in the U.S. Still have my untorn ticket. Bill Graham Presents Day On The Green No. 7. starring Led Zeppelin. General Admission. Price: 9.95.

One of the times I saw ZZ Top, KISS was the opening act. Other big names I saw as opening acts, Rush for Ted Nugent(early '76), Aerosmith for Lynard Skynard('74), Mellencamp for the Kinks(1980), pre-Steve Perry Journey for pre-Tommy Shaw Styx('74), Bob Seger for Blue Oyster Cult('76), Van Halen for Black Sabbath('78), T. Rex for Three Dog Night('73).

Another show that was great, but the shitty sounding live album has diminished the memory, was the Paul McCartney and Wings Over America tour in '76.

B.A.

Wilco - Nels Cline is unbelievable on lead guitar. The current line-up has breathed new life into the entire catalog.

briank

for me, my favorite live shows have been (and I've seen many):

Pearl Jam
Bruce Springsteen
Radiohead
Tool
Rage Against The Machine
Phish
Nine Inch Nails
Primus

Match

Our Lady Peace

foofighters7

Foo Fighters

Tom Waits

Chris Cornell (only been to 2 but one was great, one was one of the best shows Ive ever been to)

chino77

wow really? i saw them in the early 2000's i forget what year. it was an amazing show. axl sounded great and had a ton of energy plus they went onstage on time. it was def. one of my favorite shows.

my vote goes to....

my morning jacket. i think i had a smile on my face the entire show. plus they did an encore with the chicago youth symphony orchestra. simply amazing. i actually put a vid up on youtube and a kid who was playing sent me a message. he said they were a great bunch of guys

other votes go to...
skinny puppy...the music isnt for everyone but they put on a hell of a theatrical show.
pigface...again the music isnt for everyone but i dont think i have ever had more fun seeing a band than when i saw them at the house of blues in the late 90's and then the early 00's at the vic. the 90's show they had at least 15 people on stage at one point and threw an inflatable raft into the crowd and the singer jumped in and was passed around while singing. not to mention being front row and looking up the hot singers skirt and not seeing any panties. i also got to sing along into the mike for a few songs. in early 00's they had 3 drummers for their encore...fuckin insane! great times.

ive been to over 100 shows and those are my standouts.

cdollaz

I thought G N' R was shit also. It seemed like there was a long-ass guitar solo after every song. Boring.

RandyC

1. Roger Waters
2. Pink Floyd
3. The Who
4. Alice Cooper
5. Elton John
6. Bruce Springsteen
7. Venice
8. Eagles
and surprisingly....
9. Tony Orlando and Dawn

cungar

Sorry but #9 is just not possible. Perhaps you had some good acid slipped in your drink. Certain things just couldn't happen. Like Dane Cook making a good movie.

G-Rex

I've seen many concerts over the years...and these are a few of my top picks:

TOOL
Nine Inch Nails
Jet
Smashing Pumpkins
Pigmy Love Circus
Dredg
A Perfect Circle

and any band Mike Patton is in.


Would love to see Radiohead and Jamiroquai.

tonyc3742

Shows I've seen that stand out in my memory as really exciting/rocking/etc, and not just because of the music, but because of the showmanship/energy/enthusiasm of the band...some of these are based on shows I've seen ten, twenty years ago, so they may not do the same now if they're even still extant.

Morrissey
GWAR
Alice Cooper
Dead Milkmen
Mojo Nixon (he forgot the next verse to a song and asked me what it was)
Bleu (opened for Toad the Wet Sprocket and was much better than I thought it'd be)
Suicidal Tendencies
Ministry
Misfits
The Dick Nixons--they pulled multiple people up from the audience to participate in the show, and just generally seemed to be having fun
Pop Will Eat Itself
Weird Al

Only 2 of those (Alice Cooper and Weird Al) have I only seen in a large venue, which is interesting. The smaller venues work for more of an intimate, involved feel.
Moby sucked, the only "concert" I paid for that i walked out of it.

Out of the Q list, there's maybe 2 bands I would make an effort to see.

Somehow I've never seen AC/DC or Iron Maiden or Anthrax or Priest or any of those, which is odd, I grew up on 80's metal (seen Ozzy multiple times though). I had tix to see one incarnation of Black Sabbath (Headless Cross), but it was cancelled; and I had tix to see Iron Maiden and Anthrax in 90 or 91, but Bruce got laryngitis and the show was cancelled.