Ableton Forum

Given my love of electronic and alternative songwriters - I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that my favourite live experience is a toss-up between U2's Joshua Tree tour (80's) at London Wembley Statium and AC/DC in the same venue a couple of years back.......

How about you?

i measure how good a gig is by the visceral, thrilling effect and excitement that the music/performance has on me at the time. i've been to hundreds over the years and there are a few that still stand out :

butthole surfers at reading rock festival in 89
david byrne at the forum, especially when he did 'once in a lifetime'
melt banana at the garage about 5/6 years ago
nomeansno at tufnell park, probably about 1990
mercury rev somewhere in harlseden when they were touring their first album 'yerself is steam'

many others come pretty close but i think these are my top 5

Loveparade 1999 - DJ Hell @ Siegessäule

Dont know if its count as a "Gig". But it was the best allround setting in my mind.

Pat Martino at a small club here in town back in 2011. Him plus drummer and an organist doing double duty on keys and bass with his feet. Total face melter.

@slatepipe - good list

Saw Mr Byrne at Bristol Colston Hall 5 or so years ago - legend.

Have also seen M Rev - what happened to them? I have All is Dream - fabulous and rediculously underrated album.

Probably because it was my first festival and made me want to make music for a living. Ultra 2009.

Also I was younger, and naive, and sober.

Sigh, sometimes I wish I had that derpy innocence back so I could enjoy a show like that again. Crowded, silly, and with bad taste.

Foetus

at the Roxy in l.a. 1986, which is damn early for industrial.

The curtain lifted revealing Thirlwell and 8 freshly slaughtered pigs heads swinging from wires.
It was pretty intoxicating hearing his noise back then.

Megadog Midi Circus, Bristol Anson Rooms, early nineties. Eat Static, Aphex and Orbital.

At least, I think Orbital played but I can't remember as I got myself so messed up during Aphex's set. It was back when he was doing industrial noise type stuff, from inside a nest of wires and dusty drum machine boxes and whatnot.

Still, what a lineup, they should do that tour again.

In terms of gigs of legendary status (in my mind) :
1. Led Zeppelin back in the 70's Mind blowing. 2. Neil Young and Crazy Horse 1980, Sydney...probably one of the artists I love the most. Memorable experience.

BUT I am happy to report that I have just been blown away by another hero on Sunday at the local Blues and Roots festival...SANTANA!!! And his band...O M G
Such a smokin' band. Absolutely thrilling. Best musical experience I have had for a long time.

And Carlos Santana...what can you say. A childhood hero for a young would be guitarist. And He was such a gracious and humble man. He looked around the beautiful park, surrounded by 100 year old fig trees framed in the setting sun, raised his arms out and said in a soft voice... " How can you stand it? All this beauty! And then started playing this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACdwCIld3kE a live clip to share how it felt. (watch it all the way...it just builds and builds and gets better and better)

What a perfect moment...what a perfect show!

If there is a better guitarist on this planet, I haven't heard them.

earthloop wrote:If there is a better guitarist on this planet, I haven't heard them.

Pat Martino is still alive so there's still time for you.

stringtapper wrote:

earthloop wrote:If there is a better guitarist on this planet, I haven't heard them.

Pat Martino is still alive so there's still time for you.

Ah, well there you go. I haven't heard his work...I will go check him out straight away. But I was speaking emotionally, of course!


edit...o.k. Yeah he is good, ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyqJwJzGB0g ) but I just can't get emotionally involved with that style. I was once well into jazz...Joe Pass etc etc then fusion in the 70's, but my heart has always been in the other camp...you know, music that rocks out a bit more.

P.S. Then again, there is always Django

knotkranky wrote:Foetus

at the Roxy in l.a. 1986, which is damn early for industrial.

The curtain lifted revealing Thirlwell and 8 freshly slaughtered pigs heads swinging from wires.
It was pretty intoxicating hearing his noise back then.

never seen him, though i'd love to, especially that period. 'nail' and 'bedrock' kind of era i'd reckon?

Whistlers wrote:@slatepipe - good list

Saw Mr Byrne at Bristol Colston Hall 5 or so years ago - legend.

Have also seen M Rev - what happened to them? I have All is Dream - fabulous and rediculously underrated album.

cheers

yeah i love yerself is steam, and after that i'd go for deserter's songs. very different albums though. i got all is dream but they kind of disappeared off my radar after that

david byrne left me gasping for breath

earthloop wrote: But I was speaking emotionally, of course! ]

There is no room for emotion in music. Shun!

Sublime at the first Vans Warped Tour in 95. we had never hear of them... and were amazed.