Best bands you've seen live (including bands at festivals)

[Iron Kat]

I've seen Muse, Trivium and Iron Maiden. Going to see Athlete in October for my birthday. Muse was definately the best. As the title says: which bands have you seen live?

Btw in the heading I meant 'best'. Obviously.

 

[CrazyHarij]

Ozzy this year, Opeth last year, both at festivals

 

[Dalamari]

My friend told me that the Flaming Lips was the best concert he's ever seen and would put up the Pepsi Challenge against any other live show

But as for me, the best live show I've seen is Eric Clapton

 

[DeusExMachina]

Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan.

 

[Pulse]

Machine Head, Mastodon, Dream Theater, Slayer, Porcupine Tree, Suicidal Tendencies and Turbo Negro would have to be the best I've seen thus far.

 

[knut]

Roger Waters performing a set of Floyd classics and then Dark Side of the Moon in it's complete, along with stunning visuals, lighting and effects.

Peter Gabriel for having such a cool and unique set to acompany his cool and unique sound. Seeing him again in two weeks.

The Australian Pink Floyd for being so note-for-note, spot on perfect.

Municipal Waste for being hella crazy and ridiculous fun.

Mastodon for more of the same, plus a top notch setlist.

These 5 stand out the most, but theres more. The Haunted have been stella all 3 times I've seen them, and Send More Paramedics are ALWAYS a sight to behold live, so those two are up there someplace.

 

[Absinthe]

I saw Nine Inch Nails with a few friends during the With Teeth tour. Trent and his band of merry men are always fascinating to see live.

 

[Shift]

Muse - Live at Wembely, was a nightmare getting to London for Manchester, and in the middle of my exams, but my god, the greatest few hours of my life, cant describe how ****ing epic it was, you just had to be there.

 

[Laivasse]

I've seen a bunch of metal bands through the years that most people here won't recognise, the best of whom were:

• Nile - great material, superb musicianship, usually a good sound, great stage presence, excellent implementation of samples and above average drumming (although it's the assertiveness of the drumming which has been their only live weak spot for a long time)
• Behemoth - slightly weak studio material which is so much better and more bludgeoning live, enthusiastic frontman and one of the best drummers around - plus his extensive use of triggers overcomes a lot of the muddy sound problems that scupper most metal bands in the live setting
• Revenge - simply the most charismatic and brutal drumming performance it is possible to witness on earth, making the material seem to brim over with hatred even more
• Slayer (Paul Bostaph on drums) - classic material, great atmos, great drum sound

 

[Evo]

1 - Nine Inch Nails - Carling Academy Birmingham - 2007 European Tour
2 - Lamb of God/Children of Bodom/In Flames/Slayer - CIA - 2007 Tour
3 - Iron Maiden - CIA - UK Tour 2007
4 - Rammstein
5 - Audioslave

Everyone else follows on

 

[Icarusintel]

The Damnwells and The Four Tops

The Temptations ain't got shit on The Four Tops.

 

[the show 1347]

U2 at the sydney cricket ground.Just awesome.

 

[Yorick]

Going to see Athlete in October for my birthday.

Son of a bitch. I didn't even know Athlete was still around. I loved their first two CD's. Do they have new stuff out? You'll have to let me know how the show is!

Anyway, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra puts on a hell of a show. Lasers, fire, etc.

I also saw Finch, Ratatat, and Junior Boys at a hole-in-the-wall in Florida. That was a pretty awesome show too.

I'm dying to see Blue October, Our Lady Peace, Bright Eyes, The Hush Sound, and A Perfect Circle. Elliott Smith would top that list if not for his death.

 

[McGooTheWise]

1. jackyl 3 times
2. Jimmy Van Zant Band
3. Rock Star Supernova (Pretty shitty, I must say...)
4. Sammy Hagar.

 

[Raxxman]

Audioslave
Pearl Jam
RHCP
The Darkness

 

[DreamThrall]

Best I've ever seen is the Flaming Lips, and I've probably been to 200+ shows.

Awesome shows (I did my best to put in order of preference):
-Flaming Lips (seen @ voodoo fest 2006)
-Coheed and Cambria, at least when they first started touring, pre-album release and their 1st album, seen several times around connecticut
-Jets to Brazil - seen in CT twice "Four Cornered NIght" era, and also seen in Dallas, TX on their last tour ("perfecting loneliness") before breaking up
-Belle and Sebastian (seen in Dallas, TX on "The Life Pursuit" tour)
-The New Pornographers (seen w/ Belle and Sebastian, "Twin Cinema" tour)
-The Decemberists (seen in Dallas, TX on "The Crane Wife" tour)
-Piebald - seen several times around CT & in Dallas, TX, most recently 2005-ish - my wife and I met them before the show and ate dinner a shitty pizza join with them, and then they wished us a happy anniversary in the middle of their show!
-Tilly and the Wall (seen in Baton Rouge, LA last year)
-Lions (seen in Shreveport, LA a few weeks ago)
-The Rentals (seen @ voodoo fest 2006)
-Reggie and the Full Effect - some dude came out in a bear costume during one song (seen 2001 or so)
-Saves the Day, before they all started getting really stoned (5+ years ago, "Through Being Cool" - era and previous) - seen several times around CT
Hot Rod Circuit - seen way too many times to count around CT, pre "Sorry About Tomorrow"
Thursday - also seen more times than I can count in the CT area, "Full Collapse" era. Saw them once in Shreveport, LA on one of their subsequent tours and wasn't impressed, but I suppose after you've seen them 30something times...

Honorable mention:
-Better Than Ezra - fun to see once or twice, but they use the same gimmicks at every show. I got to play guitar for a song on stage with them back when they used to do that
-Tool (seen @ lollapolooza, pre-2000)
-Thrice

Boring:
The Anniversary
Kings of Leon

Horrible:
Midtown
Korn (seen @ lollapolozza pre-2000)
Pete Yorn
My Chemical Romance

 

[knut]

Seeing Jets to Brazil with Perfecting Loneliness material probably would of made me burst into tears, esp so near to break up.

Also, I saw Korn at Download 04 and I thought they were pretty good as a live band. Had the crowd moving from the front right to the back, lots of interaction, but fair enough.

 

[staticprimer]

The Mars Volta put on an awesome show when I saw them.

 

[VirusType2]

Believe it or not - Cypress Hill at Smoke fest

Also, Bob Marley's son, Ziggy Marley, is unbelievable live.

WAYYY too many drugs. I forget whatever else I did back in those days. Over a decade of blank. Bunch of upstart bands.

The Damnwells and The Four Tops

The Temptations ain't got shit on The Four Tops.

woa, wtf, what are you a fossil? ;P

I like them both, but you must be like 50+ years old to see them live.

 

[Danimal]

I saw Nine Inch Nails with a few friends during the With Teeth tour. Trent and his band of merry men are always fascinating to see live.

I saw them in Brisbane earlier this year (March I think), they do, indeed, put on an awesome show. (And I <3 my Art is Resistance shirt.)

 

[Icarusintel]

woa, wtf, what are you a fossil? ;P

I like them both, but you must be like 50+ years old to see them live.

Actually it was quite awesome because they were good tickets for free through my dad's work. As old as they are, they still put on a helluva show and sound divine.

Oh, and I forgot Death Cab For Cutie earlier. If they had only played Transatlanticism it would still have been one of the best concerts I've ever been too.

 

[soulslicer]

undeniably, though overstated countless times, MUSE

"its the only concert ive ever been to in my life anyway, along with the coldplay concert in my country"

i live in singapore btw, so we dont really get lots of bands coming here..

 

[DreamThrall]

Oh I forgot one - I saw The Weakerthans in Dallas, TX on the "Reconstruction Site" tour.. . AWESOME show, so much energy and emotion!

Seeing Jets to Brazil with Perfecting Loneliness material probably would of made me burst into tears, esp so near to break up.

It was indeed a very powerful show. I got all choked up when he played "Sea Anenome".. amazing performance. I had no idea they were about to break up though at the time... I'm not even sure they published anything saying they were going to, they just kinda disappeared off the face of the planet. Apparently Blake is a professor at some college now... how awesome would it be to have a class with him??

 

[Iron Kat]

Muse - Live at Wembely, was a nightmare getting to London for Manchester, and in the middle of my exams, but my god, the greatest few hours of my life, cant describe how ****ing epic it was, you just had to be there.

God, I so, so envy you, shift! I would have killed to be there. Must have have such an incredible night, what with My Chem and Biffy Clyro supporting as well! You are so lucky!!

 

[Iron Kat]

Son of a bitch. I didn't even know Athlete was still around. I loved their first two CD's. Do they have new stuff out? You'll have to let me know how the show is!

Yeah, they're releasing a new album. Not sure when it'll be out, and can't remember the name, but I'm sure it'll be really good. And, sure, I'll let you know how the concert was!!:thumbs:

 

[Muffin Man]

I saw Tool last night. Kicked the shit out of every other concert I've been to!

 

[Lucid]

I haven't been to many concerts, as I've only had a great job for about a year.

But of the few I've been to...

Fear Factory in NC was ****ing phenomenal with the pyrotechnics and just every body's performance was awesome.

Disturbed in Boston was a fantastic show too, the mosh pitting was nuts.

Finger Eleven, Chevelle, and Evanescence at the Dunkin Donuts Center was a great show as well, I was surprised with Evanescence in particular.
I'm not a fan of them too much but Amy Lee's performance was beautiful.
Finger Eleven, couldn't care less about... but the show was decent.
Chevelle was excellent, they played Closure as an opener and... holy hell, it was powerful.

Those are the highlights of my concert going for the past 2 years.

 

[MutantBeef]

I saw Joe Satriani last year for his Super Colossal tour. Joe is the man.

 

[qdog]

AC/DC, 4 years ago. Nothing like it!

 

[Kouler]

Undoubtedly, the two greatest live bands I've seen are Nine Inch Nails and Tool, both were ****ing incredible, beyond words.

Muse were also quite awesome, as well as Trivium.

 

[theotherguy]

The only band I've ever seen live was green day.

They were okay I guess.

I'm going to see the Smashing Pumpkins, 3-11, The Police and Incubus at a festival next month.

 

[Iron Kat]

I'm going to see HIM at the Apollo in December. I just hope they'll be better than they were at Give It A Name and Wembley. They only got a two K rating in Kerrang for both gigs. They've played teh Apollo before and got a good review; I just think they're better suited to small venues.

 

[knut]

I saw HIM a few years ago at Birmingham Academy because Viking Skull supported (who rocked) and I thought HIM were pretty dire.