Best & Worst live gigs you've been to.

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It seems there's quite a few good music fans on here, but I don't think anyone's asked about live gigs. In my view, you can't beat them and that's something that all the technology in the world won't take away; but like everything else, there's some amazing ones and the odd rubbish one too. So, what's the best gig you've had the pleasure of attending, and what's the worst?

Best - U2 360 Tour at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, 2009. I had been waiting 20 odd years for this having missed out on seeing them when they played Cardiff previously. It was also the final night of the European leg of the tour so that made it that little bit more special. The stage set up was fantastic, I've never seen anything like it, the atmosphere was a joyful one, and only Bono could get 75'000 people to sing Stand By Me

Worst - The Stereophonics first gig at the Millennium Stadium, I think it was 2002 to support their fourth album. What I didn't know at the time is that Stuart Cable was kicked out of the band just afterwards, but I think things couldn't have been going well before this gig. They played every song in strict chronological album order which doesn't make a very good set list. I was really disappointed, cause I'd seen The 'Phonics previously and they were very different. The Black Crowes supported them, and blew them off the stage. You know it's a poor gig when the support act are much better. What also didn't help the band was that there were two big fights in the crowd near us.

Best gigs I've ever been to are U2 in Croke park in 2009 or Oxygen in 2008.never been to a bad gig.

I don't think you can pick a good or bad gig - it's just luck really. Sometimes gigs can be bad through no fault of the artists themselves - like weather, venue, crowd, timing etc. You've been very lucky so far.

Also a gig can be made brilliant by other external factors.

i.e Tim Minchin in Manchester, because as we left there was a massively heavy snowfall that there was no hint of before the show.

Or the Manics in Cardiff, where they cancelled about an hour before the show because JDB was ill, and we didn't find out until we got to the door - it turned out to be one of the best nights out I've ever had, in Metros club in Cardiff. So that was one of the best "gigs" I've ever been to

I know he's not a musicean but Michael mc intyre is the best live comedian in the history of comedy.

My best gig I have been too was Robbie Williams at Milton Keynes Bowl, singing Angels *cries every time* a close second was Take That Progress tour this year in Cardiff Millennium Stadium. Great atmosphere.
The worst one was this guy, he was a rapper but I cannot remember his name only his first name (Mark) not very helpful sorry, but he was awful, some were even booing him. I think he went off stage and never came back lol

No1yankee wrote:I know he's not a musicean but Michael mc intyre is the best live comedian in the history of comedy.

One of the worst gigs was RHCP's headlining at leeds a few years back. Not long before they split for a while. they didn't seem interested.

Foo Fighters with half of Led Zep at Wembley probably the best. Though Muse gigs always push it close.

I've also been personally lucky with pete doherty gigs, he has always turned up and performed excellant.

Best: Without question, Metallica in Nimes 2009. I wanted to get my mug on the DVD but never managed it

The Australian Pink Floyd- I really liked it my wife wasn't impressed at all

Best gig - Oasis - Be Here Now tour at Wembley and Rolling Stones - Bridges To Babylon Tour at Wembley Stadium. Both absolutely awesome!

Honourable mention to Live 8. Some great acts, some not!

Worst - REM at Earls Court. Very flat, didn't get the crowd going at all. Also chaperoning my 3 younger sisters-in-law to see Blue. Enough said!

I now want to add RHCP, saw them at the MEN on their current tour and thought they were awesome

I saw Angels and Airwaves Saturday gone at the Empire in Shepherds Bush, it was epic, Tom DeLonge has been a hero of mine since a teenager so was awesome to see him play live, and seeing Blink 182 in June as well!

Best gigs is most probably seeing the Foo Fighters play an acoustic set in 2006 at the Ipswich Regent before they embarked on an arena tour, such am amazing experience to see one of the biggest bands in the world play to 1500 or so people, this was also 4 days before seeing them play to 80K people in Hyde Park so was a good contrast.

The Gaslight Anthem at oxegen 09. Only went because me and a mate heard Bruce Springsteen might be making an appearance as he had been on stage with them at Hyde Park and was playing Dublin that night. He never appeared but the band were unbelievable and have been to see them since.

I have no doubt that Bruce playing in Dublin on 17 July will overtake them but.

Best - Ocean Colour Scene in Manchester Apollo 01 (I think) and in Liverpool Phil (Acoustic) few years later (Been to see em so many times I forget though, never been to a bad one really). and KoRn in Manc 2010(ish) was great fun. Foos at Milton Keynes would have been great if it wasn't for the people around us being idiots. It's usually a crowd that ruins a gig experience for me.

Worst - Oasis in the city of Manchester stadium, liam sounded like he had just had his teeth out at times. Only worse one I can think of was Oasis at V when they called it a day, I was working the main stage as a steward, was horrible. Elbow supporting U2 wasn't great either. Might have been cos I was working, and it was raining and U2 were also playing :P

Don't get me wrong I like oasis so I was gutted they were so bad lol

Best- Coldplay at the etihad stadium, Manchester last Saturday. Superb concert. No gimmicky dancers or acrobats on stage, just great crowd interaction with the wristbands and giant balloons. I know they're not everyones cup of tea but Chris Martin & co know how to write anthemic songs and play a live stadium gig.

I'd like to add Nightwish, Tenacious D, Black Label Society, Ugly Kid Joe and Shinedown at Download this year. Would have included Megadeth, but their performance was hampered by sound issues (even so they went down a storm).

Saw Blink-182 last week at the LG in Brum and they were awesome!!

Travis Barker is a machine, def in the top 3 drummers in the world with Joey from Slipknot and Lars from Metallica.

Nice treat was seeing Twin Atlantic support, very good band, so good tickets booked to see them play the UEA in Norwich later this fall

Best - Bruce Springsteen at "London Calling..." in Hyde Park! Words cannot describe the awesome!

Worst - Anyone since! lol!

Scott, I seen Bruce on Tuesday night and can safely say it was the best thing I've ever seen. Serious man crush on him. He really played on the whole getting cut short in London last week thing too!

The Boss wrote:Scott, I seen Bruce on Tuesday night and can safely say it was the best thing I've ever seen. Serious man crush on him. He really played on the whole getting cut short in London last week thing too!

Yeah - i read that, didnt they get cut short during Twist & Shout? Steve Van Zandt was slating to police on Twitter after it, I saw them recently at the Etihad in Manchester, and again it was mindblowing, but i think Hyde Park just about edges it...probably due to Clarence being there, but Jake did a great job at Manchester. Did they do the Memorial thing for Clarence during 10th Avenue? Very Poignant!

Yeah so he started the set saying, "Before we were so rudely interrupted," and launched into twist and shout and I fought the law! Aye theyy did the memorial during 10th Avenue freeze out. Exceptional!

I've enjoyed every live gig I've been to, the worst is probably Billy Bragg at BarFly but it was by no means bad.

Best-

3) The Killers, Hard Rock Calling, Hyde Park, London 2009. I love them and Brandon is a fantastic lead man. The Kooks opened and they were solid too

2) Carlos Santana, a vineyard in NSW, Australia. 2008. Magnificent, still has it in spades, the energy and love of music he exuded during a long long set was breath-taking. Into the Night and Oyo Como Va both wonderful wonderful tunes live

1) Frank Turner, Wembley Arena, 2012. Didn't know him before this gig which was for mate's birthday. Now I do. One of the best live atmosphere's I've been at and blew up every expectation I had. Flawless, invigorating performance.

Worst were all this weekend. George Michael tribute, UB40 tribute and Elvis tribute all at the Bedford River Festival. The Queen tribute act were brilliant.

Apparently all of these are the best in Europe and the George Michael one was apparently the best in the World.

worst - Blink 182. after they had cancelled when I had originally got tickets imagine my excitement when I heard they would be touring a couple of years later and I had standing tickets at the MEN. Absolute garbage. They were on for about an hour and were outperformed by their support, Motion City Soundtrack


best - Thrice opening Leeds festival - great start to a great weekend

Avenged Sevenfold - Seen them a few times, amazing band

my favourite overall though is Alkaline Trio. Bunked off college to get the train into Manchester, so worth it. Supported by Face to face who are also a quiality punk rock band, but Trio were genius best performance of the three times I've seen them

Best - This is very tough. It would be a toss-up between Robert Plant at Cropredy where he managed to keep the audience in the palm of his hand without playing a single Led Zep song and one of any number of Marillion shows. The Xmas show in 2005 was hard to beat though; Marillion's best ever set list.

Worst - I play in a function band and, as part of it, we sometimes have to go to weird and wonderful things to promote our services. One of them was the National Tribute Awards quite recently. Every act mimed. Badly. Never seen anything quite like it. Spent most of the evening at the bar chatting to 'Del-Boy' and 'Uncle Albert' as promotional opportunities were thin on the ground to say the least...

Ta,

Jim

Did Plant play anything from Raising Sand?

No, it was way before that, in 2000. He was touring the songs that went onto the Dreamland album (before it was released) with Priory of Brion. Mainly folk covers. I think he played 'If I Were a Carpenter' from one of his solo albums, but that was a cover too if my memory's working this morning...

gazzyD wrote:worst - Blink 182. after they had cancelled when I had originally got tickets imagine my excitement when I heard they would be touring a couple of years later and I had standing tickets at the MEN. Absolute garbage. They were on for about an hour and were outperformed by their support, Motion City Soundtrack


best - Thrice opening Leeds festival - great start to a great weekend

Avenged Sevenfold - Seen them a few times, amazing band

my favourite overall though is Alkaline Trio. Bunked off college to get the train into Manchester, so worth it. Supported by Face to face who are also a quiality punk rock band, but Trio were genius best performance of the three times I've seen them

Gazzy which tour did you see blink on, I went a few months back and they've probably sounded at their best since they reformed in 2009 on this UK Tour. I'm hoping it wasn't this year as Motion City Soundtrack were not on the tour...

Nah mate it was a while ago.

It was after the self titled album, decent album but they weren't great live touring it


I'm gutted I missed them this year because twin Atlantic were supporting them

James_182 wrote:Saw Blink-182 last week at the LG in Brum and they were awesome!!

Travis Barker is a machine, def in the top 3 drummers in the world with Joey from Slipknot and Lars from Metallica.

Nice treat was seeing Twin Atlantic support, very good band, so good tickets booked to see them play the UEA in Norwich later this fall

are you sure you dont want to add Ringo Starr in there too Lars is an terrible drummer and this coming from a Metallica fan

I caught them on this year's UK tour but didn't get to see Twin Atlantic as they were only doing selected dates, So I was stuck with The Blackout thankfully though I managed to almost miss them, walking in when they were finishing up on thier last song.

Self-Titled was probably my fav record of all the albums they have put out altogether. I'm sad to hear that they sucked when you saw them as in around '04 when they were on the verge of breaking up they actually did sound at their best from the clips/live shows I've seen since then. So maybe it was just a one-off bad performance from them on that tour.

Tom can be hit and miss with his vocals for sure.

In some early Angels and Airwaves concerts his voice seemed shot.

When on form though, he has such a unique individual sound.

Best was ACDC at the Ethiad stadium in Melbourne.

Worst was Dave Dee Dosy And Beaky in Blackpool in 92 or 93...

Best was either Stereophonics, Feeder & Ocean Colour Scene in the Millennium Stadium, or Queens of the Stone Age at Bristol Academy, or System of a Down in Download. (Also loved seeing Rasmus in Reading as I got to see them bottled off within 2 songs, very funny).

Worst was either Amy Winehouse at Glastonbury coz she could barely stand up and her voice kept fading out, or (suprisingly) Bob Dylan in the Cardiff CIA - I knew he was meant to be poor live, but they hadn't turned his mike up properly, the lead guitar drowned everything and he kept (as he always does) changing his songs and rolling them into each other soflty so they seemed to just constantly drone on. (and I really like Dylan)