Great live voices

barnstorm

Just watching Katie Pruitt's Tiny Desk set, and while her music isn't entirely my thing she's got a pretty impressive voice.

I guess part of it is whether you choose songs that are comfortably in your range and whether you're four months into a five month world tour, but lots of 'big voices' I've heard live over the years have been a bit disappointing.

Any singers that stand out to you for nailing it when they perform live?

fob

I remember hearing Bjork, back when she was just becoming uber-famous, and had been warned that she was awful live. Not that night - her voice was spine-tingling.

Gassage

Glenn Tilbrook

Lindsey Buckingham

Neil Finn.

All captivating.

stickyfiddle

Bono
Bruce Springsteen
Jonsi from Sigur Ros 
Chris Cornell

EricTheWeary

Robert Cray. I saw him a few years ago and I got what put him apart from all the other ( relatively) modern blues guitar slingers. 

Other one that comes to mind was that chap touring with the aged Ritchie Blackmore in Rainbow. Bit of weird pronunciation at times but I was impressed by how he carried off such a demanding back catalogue. Staying with the Purple family tree I was quite bowled over by Glenn Hughes a few years ago. 

Alfie Boe. He’s a very good singer. Still slightly embarrassing that I went but great voice. 

Probably some others, I might pop back to this. 

barnstorm

Springsteen's a good one – he's been A+ at every gig I've been to.

I remember seeing Neko Case supporting Jakob Dylan and struggling to accept initially that the sound was coming out of her gob and not out of a CD player. Didn't look like she was having to work at all.

barnstorm

EricTheWeary said:

Robert Cray. I saw him a few years ago and I got what put him apart from all the other ( relatively) modern blues guitar slingers. 

Taj Mahal also had a monster voice when I saw him, doing stuff like That's How Strong My Love Is as well as his own material, though age has caught up with him a bit now.

mrkb

Jay Buchanan - Rival Sons

RickLucas

John Fogerty

GavRichList

Sharon Van Etten

Jimbro66

Bonnie Raitt when I saw her at Hammersmith Apollo. Her voice filled every inch of the auditorium in a way I’ve not heard before or since. Incredible singer.

Jonathangus

Danny Bowes.
Floor Jansen.

thecolourbox

Laura Marling for me. Sometimes prefer her voice live than on record to be honest.

richardhomer

Peter Gabriel 
Paul Buchanan (the Blue Nile)

stickyfiddle

Not to he filed under “super cool” but John Denver was phenomenal. Absolutely astonishing voice and effortlessly capable live. 

Going to see him with my parents was one of the first things that started me on my love for guitars - I would’ve been about 8, front row of the RAH, right in front of his touring guy playing (I think) a sunburst Strat

horse

Coverdale

lustycourtier

James Dean Bradfield. 

bloodandtears

Mickey Thomas - Starship.. aged 70

EricTheWeary

barnstorm said:

EricTheWeary said:

Robert Cray. I saw him a few years ago and I got what put him apart from all the other ( relatively) modern blues guitar slingers. 

Taj Mahal also had a monster voice when I saw him, doing stuff like That's How Strong My Love Is as well as his own material, though age has caught up with him a bit now.

In recent years I’ve grown to dislike the X Factor type singing where you ignore the melody and shove a long note at the end. Robert sings melodies effortlessly and the timbre of his vocal is nice and rich. Probably the only gig I’ve ever dragged MrsTheWeary along to where she came out impressed ( very much including gigs I've played).

vasselmeyer

Not everyone's cup of tea, but Bryan Adams nails it every time with his vocals. His mic technique is also outstanding. He's still singing everything in the original key despite some of the stuff he plays being recorded nearly forty years ago.

tekbow

Well, maybe not best, but Hardest working...?

Singing Painkiller every night on tour could not be good for you.

But he fuckin' does cuz that's what Metal Gods do.