Good live bands

[Falseprophet]

In a good year I get out to a few shows. These are the ones that have most impressed me in the last five years or so:

Abney Park
Amanda Palmer--although her opening acts on this tour are...questionable.
Apocalyptica
Emilie Autumn. But I haven't really seen the show for her new album, so I have no idea if it's up to her usual calibre.
Gotye
Jonathan Coulton
Muse
Ozzy Osbourne
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Rush
The Tea Party [www.teaparty.com]
Tool
Trans-Siberian Orchestra--but you'll probably have to wait until next Christmas
VNV Nation
Voltaire

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

Oh Lord, Iron Maiden. Their live show is incredible. Rather than simply seeing a band play, they actually put on a show and I absolutely adore that.

I think that's a thing I generally love. If a band actually goes above and beyond playing music and really put on a show, then I like them live. Stone Sour were the same; they actually put on a performance as well as just playing music.

Other than that, Cancer Bats were incredible live, but that's more to do with the fact that they played in a tiny club and everyone was all throwing themselves round together. It's a wonderful atmosphere, and one that the band happily contribute to.

 

[Naeras]

Flogging Molly.

I've never in my entire life see a moshpit of ~100 people suddenly switch from knocking each others senseless to linedancing. And then back to running into each others again when the music switched back from irish folk to punk again.

 

[Knusper]

I've seen Slipknot and Motorhead and they were awesome and they were great in getting the crowd going. I'm seeing Rush in London in the spring for a different kind of gig, but I understand they put on quite a performance.

 

[Scarecrow]

For me, it would be my favorite live band.

My Chemical Romance.

The amount of energy the band has, and the amount of energy their fans have...it's amazing.


This is the show I saw them at, by the way.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Oh Lord, Iron Maiden. Their live show is incredible. Rather than simply seeing a band play, they actually put on a show and I absolutely adore that.

I think that's a thing I generally love. If a band actually goes above and beyond playing music and really put on a show, then I like them live. Stone Sour were the same; they actually put on a performance as well as just playing music.

Other than that, Cancer Bats were incredible live, but that's more to do with the fact that they played in a tiny club and everyone was all throwing themselves round together. It's a wonderful atmosphere, and one that the band happily contribute to.

Annoyingly I've never seen Maiden (should change next year, roll on Download 2013), I'm not sure why not yet. But Stone Sour were amazing when I saw them, and so were Cancer Bats! I'd say exactly the same; it was a tiny, sweaty club and it was pretty mental.

Of all the bands I've seen, Slipknot, Skindred, The Prodigy and Gallows were the best bands I've seen. Slipknot was Sonisphere UK 2011, it was massive, and the whole Paul Gray thing made it pretty emotional. Skindred are always loads of fun, and The Prodigy are just a bit mental, and everyone there is off their faces. Gallows were crazy when I saw them, it was before Frank left and he was hanging from the ceiling and stuff.

 

[Nouw]

I'm going to mention a band I haven't seen live and never will be able to experience their full awesome.

The Beastie Boys. I've seen so much footage of their live shows, Glasgow to Amsterdam, on Youtube and it really saddens me that I'll never be able to attend one of their performances. I thought their studio versions were great but I was blown away the first time I 'saw' them live. Keep on 'illin MCA.

Spoiler: An excerpt

hear about bands you been to see in the flesh

in the flesh

in the flesh

In the flesh?

BWWAAAAAAA

"So ya', thought 'ya, might like to...
go to the show."

Badadadadaaa

"To feel, the warm thrill of confusion,
that space cadet glow,"

Oooooooo

"Tell me is something eluding something you sunshine,
is this not what you expected to see?

If you wanna find out what's behind these cold eyes,
you'll just have to claw your way through this disguise!"

Roger Waters, The Wall Live, was amazing. It had props, stage effects, an actual wall plus the music itself! I feel incredibly privileged to experience one of Pink Floyd's greatest albums. Note: experience. It was just as visual orientated as it was audio.

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

Oh Lord, Iron Maiden. Their live show is incredible. Rather than simply seeing a band play, they actually put on a show and I absolutely adore that.

I think that's a thing I generally love. If a band actually goes above and beyond playing music and really put on a show, then I like them live. Stone Sour were the same; they actually put on a performance as well as just playing music.

Other than that, Cancer Bats were incredible live, but that's more to do with the fact that they played in a tiny club and everyone was all throwing themselves round together. It's a wonderful atmosphere, and one that the band happily contribute to.

Annoyingly I've never seen Maiden (should change next year, roll on Download 2013), I'm not sure why not yet. But Stone Sour were amazing when I saw them, and so were Cancer Bats! I'd say exactly the same; it was a tiny, sweaty club and it was pretty mental.

Of all the bands I've seen, Slipknot, Skindred, The Prodigy and Gallows were the best bands I've seen. Slipknot was Sonisphere UK 2011, it was massive, and the whole Paul Gray thing made it pretty emotional. Skindred are always loads of fun, and The Prodigy are just a bit mental, and everyone there is off their faces. Gallows were crazy when I saw them, it was before Frank left and he was hanging from the ceiling and stuff.

Quick question, but when you saw Stone Sour did they start their set by coming out to a metal'd-up version of Duel of the Fates from The Phantom Menace? They did for the show I saw (when they were dual-headlining with Avenged Sevenfold for the Nightmare tour) and that intro completely sold it for me.

Also, I'd love to see Gallows live, even now with Wade, especially if I got to see them in a club like Cancer Bats. Similar situation and otherwise ridiculously good live show was Pulled Apart by Horses, back when their first album was just out. The only thing that would stop it being on my best gigs of all time list was that I'm not sold on their music (I was brought along by a friend, although I did enjoy myself) and the sheer volume of injuries both me and my mate sustained that night. Their singer got a little bit too into the circle pits, and turned out to be a puncher.

 

[Myndnix]

From what I've heard, there's no such thing as a good live band.
Live versions of songs always sound 'off' in ways I can't quite put my finger on- and I hate the sound of the audience at the beginning and end of every damn song.

EDIT: In regards to actually being their at a concert- never have been, never will be. I cannot comprehend the idea of a live concert being enjoyable in any way. It baffles me every time my sister goes to one.

 

[necromanzer52]

<-------- Oh, I wonder who I'll pick.

Yeah, the who were amazing live. I generally prefer the live versions of songs over the album versions. For instance:

Spoiler

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Quick question, but when you saw Stone Sour did they start their set by coming out to a metal'd-up version of Duel of the Fates from The Phantom Menace? They did for the show I saw (when they were dual-headlining with Avenged Sevenfold for the Nightmare tour) and that intro completely sold it for me.

Also, I'd love to see Gallows live, even now with Wade, especially if I got to see them in a club like Cancer Bats. Similar situation and otherwise ridiculously good live show was Pulled Apart by Horses, back when their first album was just out. The only thing that would stop it being on my best gigs of all time list was that I'm not sold on their music (I was brought along by a friend, although I did enjoy myself) and the sheer volume of injuries both me and my mate sustained that night. Their singer got a little bit too into the circle pits, and turned out to be a puncher.

Yeah they did! I saw them on that tour, in Birmingham.

Gallows were really good in a tiny sweaty room, but they were also really good at Sonisphere. They had the biggest circle pit I've ever seen!

 

[Yopaz]

Rise Against are fan-fucking-tastic live. One of the greatest shows I've ever seen. Just make sure you're outdoors though, people will throw stuff and people will crowd surf. Also, it shows you how good a band they are when it starts pouring rain and nobody cares.

They are phenomenal! I have had the xhance to see them twice and they were awesome both times, got a high five fromTim after the first show, best day ever.

Now Rhousand Foot Krutch is another great live band, sadly I haven't had the chance to see them myself, but I got their live DVD and it actually sounds better than their studio stuff. Billy Talent were pretty hilarious and I laughed a lot when I saw them live, but they're not as good as the Rise Against or TFK.

 

[Professor Lupin Madblood]

Saxon. Specifically, lead singer Biff Byford.

This is how he sounded in 1979:

Skip to 24:00 to hear the best example of how he sounded in 2012, thirty-four years of sex, drugs, and heavy metal later:

The audio quality isn't the best, but I think it's pretty amazing how well he's held up. I mean, hell, not even Ozzy sounds that good.

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

Quick question, but when you saw Stone Sour did they start their set by coming out to a metal'd-up version of Duel of the Fates from The Phantom Menace? They did for the show I saw (when they were dual-headlining with Avenged Sevenfold for the Nightmare tour) and that intro completely sold it for me.

Also, I'd love to see Gallows live, even now with Wade, especially if I got to see them in a club like Cancer Bats. Similar situation and otherwise ridiculously good live show was Pulled Apart by Horses, back when their first album was just out. The only thing that would stop it being on my best gigs of all time list was that I'm not sold on their music (I was brought along by a friend, although I did enjoy myself) and the sheer volume of injuries both me and my mate sustained that night. Their singer got a little bit too into the circle pits, and turned out to be a puncher.

Yeah they did! I saw them on that tour, in Birmingham.

Gallows were really good in a tiny sweaty room, but they were also really good at Sonisphere. They had the biggest circle pit I've ever seen!

No way - we saw them at the same time! Birmingham NIA, ooh, 2010-ish, Hellyeah opened in support and Mike Portnoy drumming for Avenged?

 

[EvilMaggot]

Metallica... they were great live before they even made a studio album

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Quick question, but when you saw Stone Sour did they start their set by coming out to a metal'd-up version of Duel of the Fates from The Phantom Menace? They did for the show I saw (when they were dual-headlining with Avenged Sevenfold for the Nightmare tour) and that intro completely sold it for me.

Also, I'd love to see Gallows live, even now with Wade, especially if I got to see them in a club like Cancer Bats. Similar situation and otherwise ridiculously good live show was Pulled Apart by Horses, back when their first album was just out. The only thing that would stop it being on my best gigs of all time list was that I'm not sold on their music (I was brought along by a friend, although I did enjoy myself) and the sheer volume of injuries both me and my mate sustained that night. Their singer got a little bit too into the circle pits, and turned out to be a puncher.

Yeah they did! I saw them on that tour, in Birmingham.

Gallows were really good in a tiny sweaty room, but they were also really good at Sonisphere. They had the biggest circle pit I've ever seen!

No way - we saw them at the same time! Birmingham NIA, ooh, 2010-ish, Hellyeah opened in support and Mike Portnoy drumming for Avenged?

Yup, I've still got my ticket blu-tacked to my wall! Annoyingly I was seated though because my then-girlfriend didn't want to be in the standing area.

 

[In Search of Username]

Swans. Oh good lord Swans.

If you're okay with it being a pretty, um, intense experience.

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

Yup, I've still got my ticket blu-tacked to my wall! Annoyingly I was seated though because my then-girlfriend didn't want to be in the standing area.

I was standing in the middle for Avenged, then got near the front for Stone Sour. It was going great until a mosh pit formed right next to me during Made of Scars and then I had to get involved. Great night.

I find this kind of odd, in a cool way. I mean, all the people that use this site, what are the odds you'd find two people who went to the same show?

 

[ChippedShoulder]

The Red Hot Chili Peppers show was the best I've ever seen, Biffy Clyro were awesome, as were Metallica and Slipknot (why yes i did go to Sonisphere 2011)
Edit: Have to include Gallows, the circle pit ended with me being pushed to the front and getting high fived by Frank

 

[Xiroh86]

Dope, Anew Revolution, Flaw, Bad Religion, Rise Against, and Bobaflex are all fucking kick ass!

but one really stands out as a must see live act

Sinch - their fifth member plays this thing called a viditar. it just makes all their shows an experience. vid below to explain better. him playing it starts around 6:10
<youtube=bwk5BMUD9S0>

and here's the music video for their song "All That's Left Behind" it pretty closely captures what its like at one of their shows.
<youtube=HE914xmpZDA>