Top Three Best Musical Acts You've Seen Live

[joshua dread]

Youtube and videos don't count!
You must have seen them live!
No holds barred on genres anything goes!
Who/Where/When/Why ?

Rage Against The Machine @ Coachella in Indio California in 2007
Wicked sound, great energy 60 000 plus people, Effin awesome!

Daft Punk @ Aerohall in Toronto in 2007
Oh My God .... I love pyramids!!!

Snapcase @ the opera house in Toronto 2001
Hardcore punk rocks my socks !!!

P.P.S. The Roots were so close to being on my list

[Muffinman]

My three favourite bands



Epica (Dutch symphonic metal)
Toronto (Also at The Opera House) 2006
It was basically the first concert I had seen of a band that I actually wanted to see, and where I knew EVERY SINGLE song, and subconsciously every word to every song (not well enough to sing along, but well enough to know the words as they're coming.) I knew every single song, and it was one of my absolute favourite bands in the whole world. They were opening for another metal band, for which I don't particularly care (Kamelot). Kamelot's sound crew was sadly terrible, the mic screeched all night and you could see his frustration and the sound was just NOISEY. You know the different between a recording and a live performance, especially for a metal show. Every song can sound exactly the same (especially if you're not as familiar with the music). Epica, however, sounded immaculate. Better than their recordings. Impeccable. It was super moving.
(Footbag video featuring Epica: http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/12610)

Swollen Members (Canadian hip hop)
Toronto (Some club on College) 2006
Again, one of my favourite groups. Again, I knew all their songs. They have a really, really down to earth vibe. Tons of people got on stage with them and just danced. They smoked up on stage. It was so mellow. But also so bouncy and groovin'. It wasn't great sound, because it was a small venue, but the vibe definitely made up for it. They are so ridiculously cool and invited everyone to party with them afterwards. It was great.
(Footbag video featuring Swollen Members: http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/12699)

Nightwish (Finnish symphonic metal)
Winnipeg (The Garrick?) 2008
My absolute favourite band of all time. I never got to see them with the original vocalist, Tarja, which is so, so, sad. But their new album with the new vocalist Annette is very, very good. I had watched videos on YouTube of her covering the older Nightwish songs, and I was really disappointed, and not holding my breath. I think they have practiced with her a lot though, because she did very well overall. They played my favourite song, "Nemo", which was sung by Tarja -- Annette pulled it off really well, and I was really impressed, and it was incredible seeing my favourite song performed live. The sound was good. I didn't have the same vibe as with Epica where it was PERFECT, but maybe I was more taken aback by the fact that I was actually seeing Nightwish. Marco's performance of The Islander was soooooo good too. My only complaint is that Tuomas, the composer, doesn't get enough credit on stage. He just stands there behind his keyboards... kinda part of the background like a drummer (which is also sad). He is so incredible. Oh no, wait, one other complaint -- Annette is way too poppy for the band She sings great and all, and the new songs are good, but her stage presence is that of a cute pop singer. She doesn't pull off metal at all Of course that's not to say that it wasn't the best concert of my entire life and will probably remain so forever (unless Tarja does a reunion tour)
(Footbag video featuring Nightwish: http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/7347)

[Asmus]

Albertslund Terror Korps (Danish Ghetto Tech Aka Perker Tech!)
Roskilde Festival, Denmark 2008
Too the left of me was anarchists with masks wanting to fight and to the right was a couple having sex.
I went crazy and lost my shirt and sunglasses during the show.
My friend almost fell and got stomped to death.
The music is crazy and their stage show is even more sick!
I knew all their songs.
Here is a footbag video including some of the concert:
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/showset/Footbag-Roskilde
www.myspace.com/albertslundterrorkorps


Dunno about the rest. Swollen Members and Chemical Brothers are definitely sick live.

[Jeremy]

Rage Against The Machine; Melbourne Big Day Out 2008.

This was fucking unreal. I had to line up and then stand in the mosh pit for 5 hours, having timed my toilet breaks so that I didn't need to go at all. We stood basically still through Silverchair, Hilltop Hoods, Bjork and I forget who else, then this big break and then Tom, Zach, Brad and Tim came on stage and it was probably the best time of my life. No drugs or alcohol involved at all. It was incredible.


True Live; Republic Bar, last day of Australian Footbag Championships 2007

God these guys are so cool. They not only have amazing style, but really really good passion and energy, and they're so well named. Of course this particular night (7th of January 2007) was particularly special because it was the last night of Aus Champs that I organised and many of my footbag friends were there, as well as my favourite Aussie band.

Tom Ward; Hobart Eistedfords 2006. My friend Tom, who is one of the best classical guitar players in the world these days (and was then too, but nobody knew it), came down to Hobart improptually to compete in the open Eistedfords (he seriously made his decision to compete that day) and absolutely blew the competition away, and ended up winning first prize in that event, and then first prize in the bigger main event a week later. He's the most incredibly guitar play you could ever meet and I could watch him play all the time. Also the coolest thing was that he shouted me for dinner and free drinks all night. He won a few grand both times and has a $30,000 USD guitar...

[Frank_Sinatra]

#3: Heiruspecs

First of all its tough to decide who gets the third slot. So, I saw the Heiruspecs for the first time in 2003, in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota, at a concert one of my roommates put together. Felix's freestyle at the end of the night really stands out as a moment where the whole crowd just went nuts. Even the most reserved, serious, non-rhythmic person in the audience (probably me) was totally into it. And shaking that ass. I got really into hip hop for the next two or three years, started being less into it because the live experience usually isn't so great. Since then I've seen the Heiruspecs probably six more times.

#2: Modest Mouse

I've seen MM twice, the first time was at the end of the Unlimited Sunshine Tour in the Twin Cities in 2002. The second was at the Q101 Block Party in Chicago in 2004. When I saw them in the Twin Cities I was in a long stretch of listening to The Moon and Antarctica at least once, every day, for months and months and months. So when Modest Mouse started playing 3rd Planet live... well, my heart felt good. The rest of that weekend turned out to be one of the most intense, extraordinary, and terrifying weekends of my life.

#1: Desmond Dekker

Only saw the King of Ska once, on a very limited worldwide tour (only six shows!), about a year before he died. This guy had the audience so excited and energetic that he could have commanded them to lick the bottom of his shoe and they would have lined up. He (and his band The Aces) played for hours and hours, and the crowd just wouldn't let them stop. At least three encores. I feel really lucky for being able to see (and feel) live performances of Shantytown, Isrealites, Get Up Edina, and You Can Get It If You Really Want. I wish I could have seen him again, but at least I got to see him once.

[pips]

Mindless Self Indulgence
They are weird and got the whole crowd hopping and going crazy. The only thing I didn't like was Steve spitting on people, but I wasn't one of them. Haha.

The Suicide Machines
They were at Warped Tour, and my friend and I came later and wanted to get more into the crowd to play around. Then for their next song the singer made the crowd split up into two and then just collide and bounce around. We got in the middle of the crowd. Also at Warped Tour, I got beat up moshing to From Autumn to Ashes. It was fun. Ha.

Ozzfest (couldn't choose one band)
Ozzy always puts on a good show for the ones I've seen. I don't know how he's got so much energy for concerts and then mopes around with a cane during his TV show. I always lose my voice for him. I also remember Slipknot and Manson and others putting on good shows.

I love concerts.

[dazza]

mars volta, dizzee rascal, public enemy

[professor]

Styx
-Been around so long and still rockin' it. So good.

Five Iron Frenzy
-Such a funny band with great music. My favorite band.

Trans Siberian Orchestra
-So good. Pyro techs ftw.

[bdams19]

summer sanitarium - metallica was awesome

gnarles barkeley / battles / some random chick - awesome

minus the bear - i dont know why but i am just writing awesome after each one.

[mc]

Tommy Emmanuel

Phish

Hawksley Workman

[The Rhino]

The Chariot. swinging the guitars all over thier heads and the vocalist (Josh Scogin) throwing the mic into the rafters and letting it dangle into the audience and the management shut the show down and said "you can't do that" and so josh said to the audience "ok, i guess i can't hang this mic on that thing, so where were we in the song... uh, lets start at dun dun dun, junjun, nananana jun, ok? one two three" and started the song right in the middle somewhere flawlessly. incredible.

the ditty bops. they opened for a band called nickel creek, and i totally thought the entire show would be dumb, cause i was invited to tag along with a friend, nickel creek is not my steez yo, but they were good too. but this band the ditty bops were really impressive, they were fun, talented, good stage prescence, unique. dope.

Haste the day.(old vocalist jimmy) flawless performance. speedy technical drums like clockwork. incredible breakdowns. lead guitar riffs and solo's. tight screamo vocals like no one else. so pimp. packed, packed house. totally squeezed up against the wall, couldnt move and so jam packed, so uncomfortable, but yet, this show goes down as one I will never forget.

[bdams19]

Oh man how the f could i forget the steve miller band, joe cocker, allman brothers. I love shows where its impossible to stop dancing.

[Dat]

Mono (the japanese band), san francisco - wall of sound

Sigur Ros, paramount theater in denver - religous experience

the One AM Radio, in some basement in berkeley - just felt happy to be alive

[SlashC]

Metric

Hawksley Workman

[BainbridgeShred]

#1: Desmond Dekker

Only saw the King of Ska once, on a very limited worldwide tour (only six shows!), about a year before he died. This guy had the audience so excited and energetic that he could have commanded them to lick the bottom of his shoe and they would have lined up. He (and his band The Aces) played for hours and hours, and the crowd just wouldn't let them stop. At least three encores. I feel really lucky for being able to see (and feel) live performances of Shantytown, Isrealites, Get Up Edina, and You Can Get It If You Really Want. I wish I could have seen him again, but at least I got to see him once.

I'm exceedingly jealous that you got to see the King of Ska and originator of the Reggae sound live. What I would give.



Name three?

1. Barrington Levy
2. Barrington Levy
3. Barrington Levy

[james_dean]

True Live - Aus champs 07

Must give a huge thankyou to Jeremy for introducing me to these guys. Had never heard them before but they were amazing... CD is OK but live they were just amazing. Also we got him to rap about hackysack

Daft Punk

Wow. Best night ever... after seeing them I was just shattered I hadn't bought a ticket to the second show as well. just amazing. Don't really listen to any of their albums anymore, just the live cd. mmmm...

Third is a tie between a lot... I'll say Big Day Out 07 because I saw so many of my favourite groups there. The Streets, Lily Allen (I can't help it ), Muse, The Killers, the first time I saw The Presets.... what a day. The Streets especially was awesome... love his stuff. I'd heard live he sucked but he must've been stoned at those concerts cause he was awesome. I really really want to see him again... in a proper concert instead of an hour set at a festival........

[pips]

What about The Living End? I am not sure which Big Day Out they were in, though. They are one of my favorite bands. I saw them in concert but can't say how much I enjoyed it considering I had stitches in my back and had to sit down. It was still a good show, but I could have had more fun.

[SnowBlindSloth]

Islands

Do Make Say Think

The Matches

[BainbridgeShred]

I really don't understand why people like "The Streets". If you can't flow over a beat I don't care if you have insightful stuff to say. Don't try rapping.

[james_dean]

I have different tastes to you... deal with it? I wouldn't expect a fan of rap to like the streets... it's different.

living end didn't play that year at BDO. on a side note I still hate myself for not going to BDO this year... RATM played