Live acts: which ones consistantly scale the heights of genius?

mike_l

Skid Row were always top notch. I saw them 3 times in the early-mid 90's (twice at Donington) and they were tighter than a nun's fanny.
Seb Bach was a top frontman back then too. I haven't seen him/them for a long time, but they were very, very good.

Queensryche (before Geoff Tate went mental in the face) were awesomes. I did see them on the Mindcrime 1&2 tour. Utterly brilliant.
Tonight I'll be seeing what they're like with Todd LaTorre on vocals and Parker Lundgren as the guitar foil to Michael Wilton. I've heard they're excellent (mostly from long-time QR fans though).

FelineGuitars

mike_l said:

Queensryche (before Geoff Tate went mental in the face) were awesomes. I did see them on the Mindcrime 1&2 tour. Utterly brilliant.
Tonight I'll be seeing what they're like with Todd LaTorre on vocals and Parker Lundgren as the guitar foil to Michael Wilton. I've heard they're excellent (mostly from long-time QR fans though).

Queensryche , and Crimson Glory (seing QR tomorrow (Sunday)

Queen were always top notch
Sad Cafe - particularly when Ashley Mulford was in the lineup (and Paul Young was still alive)

Y&T - always a pleasure

Accept with the new lineup/singer...guitarist Wolf Hoffman always impresses with his playing.

Gassage

RocknRollDave said:

You may not like their music, but Status Quo are a very reliable live act.

I went to the Quo's Christmas Eve show in 1990 at the NEC. It was utterly brilliant- perfect for the festive mood- they finished with a medly of Wizzard and Slades Xmas songs.

Absolutely great fun.

mike_l

FelineGuitars said:

mike_l said:

Queensryche (before Geoff Tate went mental in the face) were awesomes. I did see them on the Mindcrime 1&2 tour. Utterly brilliant.
Tonight I'll be seeing what they're like with Todd LaTorre on vocals and Parker Lundgren as the guitar foil to Michael Wilton. I've heard they're excellent (mostly from long-time QR fans though).

Queensryche , and Crimson Glory (seing QR tomorrow (Sunday)

Queen were always top notch
Sad Cafe - particularly when Ashley Mulford was in the lineup (and Paul Young was still alive)

Y&T - always a pleasure

Accept with the new lineup/singer...guitarist Wolf Hoffman always impresses with his playing.

I won't post any spoilers on the set list then.

FelineGuitars

mike_l said:

FelineGuitars said:

mike_l said:

Queensryche (before Geoff Tate went mental in the face) were awesomes. I did see them on the Mindcrime 1&2 tour. Utterly brilliant.
Tonight I'll be seeing what they're like with Todd LaTorre on vocals and Parker Lundgren as the guitar foil to Michael Wilton. I've heard they're excellent (mostly from long-time QR fans though).

Queensryche , and Crimson Glory (seing QR tomorrow (Sunday)

Queen were always top notch
Sad Cafe - particularly when Ashley Mulford was in the lineup (and Paul Young was still alive)

Y&T - always a pleasure

Accept with the new lineup/singer...guitarist Wolf Hoffman always impresses with his playing.

I won't post any spoilers on the set list then.

It's ok - already seen it and pleased to hear some more Empire tunes - although thy ought to do more rage For Order especially with being it's 30th anniversary (saw them playing it in 1986 - supporting Bon jovi)

bluechargeboy

Good to see Devin getting the praise he deserves in this thread. Got my tickets booked to see him next March.

@Bucket that Death of Music vid is amazing. I felt a similar rush the first time I saw him play Deadhead live, and Deep Peace...

I wish I had gone to the Retinal Circus, now that was a show!

mike_l

FelineGuitars said:

mike_l said:

FelineGuitars said:

mike_l said:

Queensryche (before Geoff Tate went mental in the face) were awesomes. I did see them on the Mindcrime 1&2 tour. Utterly brilliant.
Tonight I'll be seeing what they're like with Todd LaTorre on vocals and Parker Lundgren as the guitar foil to Michael Wilton. I've heard they're excellent (mostly from long-time QR fans though).

Queensryche , and Crimson Glory (seing QR tomorrow (Sunday)

Queen were always top notch
Sad Cafe - particularly when Ashley Mulford was in the lineup (and Paul Young was still alive)

Y&T - always a pleasure

Accept with the new lineup/singer...guitarist Wolf Hoffman always impresses with his playing.

I won't post any spoilers on the set list then.

It's ok - already seen it and pleased to hear some more Empire tunes - although thy ought to do more rage For Order especially with being it's 30th anniversary (saw them playing it in 1986 - supporting Bon jovi)

It's worth getting there in time for the support bands, Methodica's set was right along the post-metal, but prog-metal path, and Archer Nation were right out the early Metallica books.
Fantastic from both of them.

Alnico

Glad you enjoyed it Mike.

Ears still ringing ?

mike_l

Ears safe Mark, Was a really good gig. Muchos enjoymento. And beer. 3 fantastic bands, just a shame the sets were a little short. Mind they played rather than talked.
Also, the first band Methodica, were helping their crew with the gear breakdown. I've never seen that before. Was cool.

ennspek

Springsteen.

thomasross20

Devin is great - not seen him live. 

One of the coolest new live acts IMO is Halestorm.

Headphones

I'd offer Whitesnake.  Regardless of era, Coverdale has the ability to own any audience and for so long too.

Similarly Mr Blackmore's various bands.  All excellent and always keeps the audience guessing.

No one's mentioned Thunder yet?

Or Slade?

In a slightly diffrent vein, Al Murral and Jimmy Carr.  If you haven't witnessed these two you have truly missed the modern posessors of the art of performance.

bluechargeboy

thomasross20 said:

Devin is great - not seen him live. 

One of the coolest new live acts IMO is Halestorm.

@thomasross20 Devin is touring in March. Just Do It.

Bygone_Tones

Not sure about "scaling the heights of genius" but Ive been watching Noel Gallagher quite a bit on youtube lately. I havent really listened to any Oasis since 1997. Not to everyones taste on here I know but he is so much better since ditching Liam in my opinion:

thomasross20

Man, it's a weekday and I'm about 60 miles away. Will see..

bluechargeboy

thomasross20 said:

Man, it's a weekday and I'm about 60 miles away. Will see..

I'm 66.5 miles away on a weekday. It's worth it.

jamiexsilver

Agree with Pearl Jam.

Every time I've seen Melt Banana it ends with me picking my jaw back up off the floor, same with The Locust.

IvisonGuitars

RocknRollDave said:

You may not like their music, but Status Quo are a very reliable live act.

Absolutely @RocknRollDave, came here to post the very same.

Ian Hunter. The man is 77 and still plays with the passion and vigour of a 25 year old. His solo tour last year was probably the best I've ever seen him and watching him for 2 nights in 2009 at the Mott The Hoople reunion shows at Hammersmith, he was incredible.

I highly recommend catching his solo tour in November, the new record is meant to be excellent too.

Mkjackary

Another vote for muse, I barelyisten to their albums but you can always rely on them to give you an amazing live performance.

Metallica are pretty fun.

Airborne are awesome (climbing to the top of the stage's lighting rig at so I sonisphere was brilliant)

Devin Townsend is great, not in the same way as muse, but he sounds brilliant, and in between songs he is fucking great, really knows how to talk to a croud, at sonisphere they had some random bloke doing the changeovers and talking to the croud, then Devin played and after that all the way up to the headliners he took over announcing the bands because he was so good.

Whereas in between songs with muse you might get a "cheers" if you are lucky.

RocknRollDave

I saw Muse on the Absolution tour and thought they were boring as hell. No audience interaction save for a couple of 'Thank you's, which is unforgivable in a live band , IMO