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View Full Version : Which Live Performance would you have liked to be at ?



Togil
04-10-2008, 19:48
Just wondered which performances you have on record or that you've heard about you would most like to have been at ?

My top 3 would be

1. An early Elvis concert - when I listen to those live performances ( Blue Moon etc ) everything else somehow seems so pointless

2. 1969 Hyde Park Concert - I missed it because the car broke down on the way from Germany

3. Spencer Davis Group at the Marquee

greenhomeelectronics
04-10-2008, 20:05
David Byrne live at Union Chapel, London.
Any Slade concert ( saw them last year without Noddy Holder, still brilliant fun)
Big Country live at Barrowlands Ballroom, Glasgow

Dave.

The Grand Wazoo
05-10-2008, 00:19
Funny thing about live albums....I go to as many gigs as I possibly can, always have , always will. Live albums are (nearly) always such a let down though.

There are, of course many classic examples, much revered by the faithful...........but rarely listened to in reality (unless it's been given 'the treatment' in the studio afterwards. I say this as the owner of pretty much everything Frank Zappa recorded (perhaps one of the most prolific releasers of live rock albums ever).

Other than Zappa, I've been at quite few gigs that were recorded, & the releases are often not particularly adjacent to what I remember hearing................hhmmm

I'd have loved to have been at the early Whitesnake gig at the Hammersmith Odeon, (later released as one of the discs of 'Live, In the Heart of the City) where my mate Pete yelled out "Black Sabbath" at the top of his voice, and was forever trapped onto vinyl.

I'd also like to have been at the recording of "Kick out the Jams"- I don't suppose anyone who loves snotty rock & roll music would turn up the chance of that.


Dave...........with regard to Big Country.............


Big Country live at Barrowlands Ballroom, Glasgow

I never got into them, but I hope they were better at that recording than when I saw them.
They were supporting Alice Cooper in 1982 at the Brighton Centre. Apparently the first line-up did only 2 gigs & this was one of them.... I think the first, but I may be wrong. I have never, ever, ever seen anything so appalling on a big venue stage. After, perhaps 3 songs there were possibly as many people onstage as there were in the 'crowd'!!! This was a sold out 5000 seat venue.........I think it's safe to say the bar takings were pretty good that night!! I like to think I've given every new band I've seen a fair crack of the whip, & I stayed for the whole set.....I wish I hadn't.

I guess it was just too soon for them.

The bassist & drummer were in a different world to the rest of the band, possibly playing different songs, possibly not playing the same songs as each other, possibly not even playing songs at all.

The drummer was so obsessed with looking flash that he couldn't keep time - I don't mean dropping the odd beat - I mean playing 10 seconds behind everyone else & dropping totally spurious beats in where they weren't wanted. Talking of dropping things, one of the things he was doing that he apparently thought was more important than playing a decent rhythm was to throw a stick in the air & catch it......OFTEN. One problem - not only could he not play the drums, but he couldn't catch drumsticks!!! OOPS!! He ran out of sticks at one point & had to go scrabbling round the floor for them

I swear, when I'm lying on my deathbed, I'll lean over as the Last Rights are read & I'll say "Oy, Vicar did I ever tell you about when I saw a band called Big Country back in the 80's?"

I understand they were politely invited not to continue on the tour after the 2nd date. I never heard about them for a while after that & then they appeared on the charts & got fairly big. Needless to say the line-up featured a new drummer & bassist.

And Dave, you're right about Slade - I think I've seen them 4 or 5 times & they were brilliant every time - even when, again at Brighton, there was a power cut & they kept on playing with acoustic guitars & unmiked drums.

Beechwoods
05-10-2008, 06:35
I'm betraying my real passion here :)

- Pink Floyd, Games For May, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London 12/05/1967
- Pink Floyd, More Furious Madness..., Royal Festival Hall, London 14/04/1969

These two shows were cornerstones of the early Floyd's development. Games For May is particularly enigmatic because the PRS setlist exists, including improvisations and tracks that have never otherwise been heard... 'Tape Bubbles', anyone?!

Syd Barrett's gigs with 'Stars' at Cambridge Corn Exchange, February 1972 - just so I knew what it was like.

I'd have loved to have been at one of the very rare Boards Of Canada live performances; All Tomorrow's Parties April 2001, perhaps, which was bootlegged. I have copy...

A Soft Machine show from the septet phase, late 1969, with Robert Wyatt, Elton Dean, Marc Charig and Lyn Dobson all present. Absolutely awesome lineup.

Any Byrds show from 1971, the McGuinn, White, Battin, (Gene) Parsons lineup.

I'd have also liked to have been at the Stonehenge Free Festival, 1984. Ozric Tentacles did a blinding set (and someone recorded it thankfully :))

John
05-10-2008, 07:03
I also love live music I used tp go go about 2 to 3 gigs every week for over 15years these days it is not as much I have to really want to see a band before I go however I often travel to Europe to see a band play I would of gone to Holland ths weekend if my back was not playing up
Here are a few I wish I was at
Jimi Hendrix: Live at Monterey: I think this is a moment of time when a Musician taps into the essence of the time
Frank Zappa Live at The Roxy Think I would of been laughing so much and enjoying some great music
UFO Strangers In The Night Seen the band a good few times but never got to see the mad axeman play Rock Bottom
Keith Jarrett The Koln Concert Just think live the music would of taken me on a personal trip
I been at a few live recordings
Dream Theater Live at the Marquee
Whitesnake Live at the Heart of the City
Berne Torme Live
I am sure there a few more

Togil
05-10-2008, 07:17
Syd Barrett's gigs with 'Stars' at Cambridge Corn Exchange, February 1972 - just so I knew what it was like.



By the way do you know whether Floyd ever played at the Trinity College May Ball ? I'm sure I remember the committee were hopeful.

Beechwoods
05-10-2008, 07:48
They played Homerton College, Cambridge on 22/05/1965, and again on 12/06/1968 (May Ball)

On the 12/06/1968 they also played Kings College, Cambridge May Ball. Fairport also played. Would have been a good night!

greenhomeelectronics
05-10-2008, 16:25
LOL Wazoo, sounds like Big country had some practising to do back then :-) I liked them back in the 80's when they were having a bit of chart success (chance, in a big country, look away, fields of fire etc.) but kind of forgot about them until a couple of years ago when I heard one of their live tracks. I came home and ordered an album called "without the aid of a safety net" straight away and I really, really liked it. They did an unplugged set followed by a session with the "loud guitars" as Start Adamson put it. Some really good tracks and a thoroughly enjoyable album. They actuallyy did a DVD and a 2 CD set of the same name recorded at the same gig, the DVD only had half the tracks on though.
I just thought of another one too - Pink Floyd live in Pompeii, or any other Floyd gig for that matter.
Dave.

Mike
05-10-2008, 16:39
I saw Big Country live a couple of times 'back in the day', including Knebworth once. I think that might have also have been Queen's last live performance.

My biggest regret is never seeing Pink Floyd. I even had the chance to see them at Earls Court (Pulse) but was 'busy'. :doh:

There will never be an opportunity to see them live now. :(:(:(

Covenant
12-11-2008, 20:30
Pink Floyd at New Bingley Hall sometime in the early 80,s. Wonderful.

niklasthedolphin
12-11-2008, 22:08
Doors
Louis Armstrong
Billie Holiday
Nina Simone
Django Reinhardt
Stones in the sixties
Paul McCartney & The Wings at the time of Band On The Run
Stevie Wonder at the time of "In The Key Of Life"

I could continue for a long time.......................

"dolph"

shane
13-11-2008, 12:38
IoW festival 1970. I wanted to go but it was in the middle of my A levels. As it turned out, I might as well have gone anyway...

Marco
13-11-2008, 12:48
LOL. But it hasn't stopped you becoming the good-looking successful fellow you are today :)

Or... ;)

Marco.

Togil
13-11-2008, 20:13
IoW festival 1970. I wanted to go but it was in the middle of my A levels. As it turned out, I might as well have gone anyway...

Although there were fine performances ( I enjoyed John Sebastian in lovely morning light and my usual favourites, Family ) the atmosphere wasn't always good , the organisers crying because they were losing money and the toilets were awful. The sound was often too quiet because of adverse wind. Jimi Hendrix appeared at something like 2am , I was so fed up by that stage that I left that morning.

PS Just read that Mitch Mitchell has died ...

aquapiranha
14-11-2008, 00:08
Lorrena Mckennet when she played the Alhambra. I have the DVD but it aint the same!

Marco
14-11-2008, 13:07
In 1970 I was in primary one and, if I recall correctly, Pinky & Perky were a particular favourite of mine.

Has anyone been to see them live? :eyebrows:

Marco.

Beechwoods
14-11-2008, 18:06
No but I have seen V/VM (http://brainwashed.com/vvm/artists/vvm.htm) and he was fantastic...

http://brainwashed.com/vvm/images/artists/hi/vvm.jpg

fraser.
26-12-2008, 23:25
The police back in the day
Any nirvana gig :)
The clash at the U.S. festival