The best live concert moment

[RainbowStorm]

I've been at many concerts in the past. I've watched artists like Aerosmith, Dixie Chicks, Mark Knopfler, Europe, Scorpions just to mention a few big names. I've also been at a lot of festivals. However, it's interesting when I think back and realise my best live concert moment happened at a local club by an unknown 80's cover band...! I've felt the vibe on many occasions, but nothing like the vibe on that concert. The main vocalist was singing so damn good (better than the original...whoops) that it's hard to describe and the guitarist had a truly amazing guitar sound...!

What's your best live concert moment?

[macr0w]

Back in "89" when the Who did their first "reunion" tour, we were at Carter-Finley stadium in Raleigh with 80,000 people. And they played "Love Rain On Me" and it started to rain just lightly and stopped shortly there after. They sounded so good and the rain on that song was incredible. Definately a highlight in my concert going.

[RainbowStorm]

Originally Posted by macr0w

Back in "89" when the Who did their first "reunion" tour, we were at Carter-Finley stadium in Raleigh with 80,000 people. And they played "Love Rain On Me" and it started to rain just lightly and stopped shortly there after. They sounded so good and the rain on that song was incredible. Definately a highlight in my concert going.

Amazing...!!

[Jim Williams]

Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Hollywood Bowl in Oct. 68.

Seeing 200 hippies on acid jump into the reflecting pool in front of the stage all swimming around was very strange. They filled in the pool after that show.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[allencollins]

Metallica at the Channel in Boston in 84

[digibird]

Originally Posted by macr0w

And they played "Love Rain On Me"

Although the lyrics do speak of "rain" throughout the song, the song title is "Love, Reign O'er Me". Not to detract from your concert moment, just sayin'.

[TinderArts]

Peter Gabriel Secuirity tour at the Warner Theater in DC. It was an absolutely magic show. Six encores. I believe David Tickle was mixing.

[coosticks]

A carpet of lasers across the sky in a field near Vienna (High Hopes) - Pink Floyd division bell tour '95

[RobMacki]

There are a few:
In no particular order:

Randy Sparks and John Denver in my mom and dad's living room circa '64.

Queen circa '77 on the We Will Rock You Tour at the L.A. Forum when they began "We Will Rock You"

Van Halen circa '76 on their first Album tour in Medford OR leaning against center stage while Eddie played Eruption.

And last fall at the Montery Jazz Festival, sitting on the stage in front of the mains while Pat Metheny had sound check.

Watching my 3 year old singing sitting at the piano and play single notes and matching pitch.

[coosticks]

David Grey @ Montreux Jazz festival 3 or 4 years ago (I think); incredible sound in the Miles Davis auditorium (small venue, I think they'd just installed new arrays)

Oh, and Queen, Wembley Stadium 1986.....

[Fruition2k]

So far out of almost every major tour since 1998 that came to South Florida,
Eric Clapton on 3-18-01 was by far the best sounding, performance, and
production I've ever witnessed.

Line up on that night was:
Eric Clapton, Andy Fairweather Low (guitar and vocals), Steve Gadd (drums), Nathan East (bass guitar), David Sancious (keyboard and vocals),
Billy Preston (Keyboards & B3). Opening act was Doyle Bramhall.

Here's one of the shots from that night, and being that I work at that arena for 8 years now I also get the direct feed and listened to the show in the control room which was a mind blower.

Also in attendance that night was the his late friend and legend Tom Dowd.

The highlight was watching Steve Gadd, I'm still mystified on how anyone can
play that long, be so in the groove non stop..That show was also rare in that
they had time to improvise breaking off and playing for bit..like a slightly organized
jam session.

Few other shows that were truly inspiring was U2, Yes, and Phil Collins.

[True North]

I have a few shows, not in a any order;

1) Al Di Meola - The first was going to see Airto Moreira and Al Di Meola in 87' at Convocation Hall in Toronto. They also played with a Piano player whose name escapes me now. At that time I had just started to listen to some of the jazz fusion greats. The concert was my first 'jazz' concert and it is memory that will stick with me for quite some time. The concert was all acoustic, so Al played only acoustic guitar and there was of course piano and percussion. I remember that Airto did a percussion solo that crescendoes with, of all things, a china type. The whole performance was so inspiring and intense that I was teary eyed.

2) Pat Metheney - Same year, I also went to see Pat Metheney in Toronto at the old Ontario Place Auditorium (the stage used to spin in circles - seriously!!). Once again I was absolutely blown away with the level of performance. Not so much the technique but just the sheer inspriation of it all, melodically, rhytmically and texturally the whole night was so densely rich in a musical sense that it has stayed with me as one of my favourite performances.

3) The Scorpions - this is obviously on the other end of the spectrum from my previous two examples and obviously the things I took away from the experience were different. I had been to a boatload of rock shows previously but there was no rock band that I had seen that put as much energy into a show as these guys. They were all over the stage, climbing on stuff, moving around, throwing guitars in the air - it really was an unbeleivable rock show - I thin it was the Rock you Like a Hurrican tour. They weren't even a favourite band of mine but I was blown away by the performance.

[ersheff]

Gee... Although I may not say it was the BEST concert I ever went to, I would say that the Mars Volta show at last year's Bonnaroo was the most enjoyable concert experience I've ever had. They started a half an hour late (and it was a MIDNIGHT show), but that was the first standing room only concert that I've been to where I genuinely wanted the band to come out and play for another hour or so when they were done. And they played a full show for sure. Usually I'm about ready to leave by that point.
OK, now that I've thrown some variety into this thread...

[ArcCirDude]

My first ever concert: Maynard Ferguson Big Band in '76 in support of the Conquistador album. Some guy named Peter Erskine on drums...

Miles Davis in '85... He was really on that night. And again in '88. I happened to be walking up to the theater when his limo pulled up. He got out right in front of me. What does one say in a situation like that? Absolutely nothing.... From behind I heard someone exclaim, "Hey look! It's James Brown!"

Pat Metheny Group in '87 and last July. They just keep getting better.

Jon Anderson on his "Animation" tour. (Set/setting thing...)

Pink Floyd in '87 was good but hampered by the fact that MOM(!!!) was sitting next to me. "Honey, is that POT they are passing around?"

Worst concert I've ever seen: The Village People...from behind...'cause I was hired to play trumpet... yikes... (Who's the slut now?)

[SnakeCained]

Originally Posted by ArcCirDude

Pink Floyd in '87 was good but hampered by the fact that MOM(!!!) was sitting next to me. "Honey, is that POT they are passing around?"

Worst concert I've ever seen: The Village People...from behind...'cause I was hired to play trumpet... yikes... (Who's the slut now?)

Well a great momment was seeing Floyd at Earls court, which had a strict no smoknig policy, after a while a tough looking guy in front of me lights up and a steward come over to tell him to put it out. He tells him to "F**K OFF!" and the steward scuttles away and the whole of our section, about a hundered people all instanly light up. and you can see it on the PULSE video (we're up left of stage about the third song)

What did you wear while blowing with the Village People?

[ArcCirDude]

I was dressed as the village idiot....

[Cornvalley]

Band of Gypsys 69-70 New Years Eve at the Fillmore East.
sitting 6th row and feeling the bass waves lifting me up off the seat.
Being older has had it's moments I guess

[ArcCirDude]

I remember when I was 7 being glued to the TV in January, 1973 watching "Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii" broadcast live via satellite. I remember how fascinated I was that ladies wanted his sweaty towels....

[kats]

My first concert, front row Cheap Trick when Rick Nelson threw me his bowtie

One of the most energetic concerts I saw was The Police touring zenyata mondata - shit lights, shit sound system - but they kicked ass.

One of the most moving was seeing Carlos Montoya and having the privilage to meet him after the show - he died 6 months later.

Funniest was watching Quiet Riot follow Whitesnake doing the early 80's "we're from LA, colorfull and happy schtick" and getting boo'd.

Oh yeah, partying with Def Leppard in the early eighties after a show in the arena. The drummer (forgot his name now) goes to set up the kit and play in a drunken stupor and gets us all kicked out of the place.

I gotto mention Buddy Guy - man he can sing the blues. I saw him in a very small venue years ago - it was so raw, so blues, so real. I really can't put it into words. It sure gave me some perspective growing up a fan of the British version of it.

[neopotato]

I saw Prince play in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia about 2 years ago. He played on his normal tour, playing all his old stuff, then took his band out after that show and played two 40 minute sets of blues and R&B covers in this tiny venue that never has big bands, or big local bands even. It was $50 entry, but he is the man, he can rip on all the instruments, and sings like a bird. His stage persona is incrediable, all after playing one show already. There was 200 people in the club at the most.

It was weird, we me and a mate were on our way home from a bar at around midnight and there is a sign out the fron that says "PRINCE live tonite - After Party" and we asked the guy on the door, as we were sceptical, and he's like yep, he's playing.

Best muso i have seen live. James Morrision also comes vclose. I went to a masterclass he had with his band. He's a cool dude

[canopener]

Blues: Mid -late 60's...Paul Butterfield Blues Band at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach. I was just saucer eyed. Mike Bloomfield. I really didn't know a guy could play like that at the time...

Jazz: Early 70's... Tony Williams Life Time at Shelly's Manhole. I sat about 6 feet away from him. There was maybe 15 people in the room. Saucer eyed again. He broke a couple of 2b's in half. I would have killed to see him with Miles, Herbie, Ron Carter and Wayne Shorter. Oh, and Bill Evans, same venue, about the same amout of people. He had Paul Motian and Eddie Gomez. I was studying bass and thought, well f**k, why bother (sort of). And... the original Weather Report at the Lighthouse

Sorry to go on but I played in a band that split sets with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band and the Basie band at the North Sea Jazz Festival in '76. The Basie band absolutely blew my socks off.

Rock: early 70's... Cream in Santa Barbara. "cross roads" and the whole thing. God, those fukkers played great!

Worst rock concert: Jimi Hendrix at some place in Santa Barbara. After having worn out the records I really had high expectations. He played like a dead dog smacked out fool then lit his guitar on fire. Ridiculous. What a disappointment. I think he fell off the twig not to long after that.

Jeez, I really am getting old...

[mejon]

The US festival in 1982 was quite a moment. My first concert. The Police, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Oingo Boingo, B-52s, Gang Of Four, and The English Beat. Very overwhelming for a 15 year old!

This thread made me google the festival, and I came across this site: http://www.usfestivals.com/

Quite a flashback for anyone that attended. Here are a few shots borrowed from the site:





bye!

Jon

[Matt Grondin]

Seeing as my family owns a rock club and I've been around music since I was little, I really can't pick one moment. One that immediately comes to mind was when Blues Traveler played... they always step it up live. Soulive was also stellar. Anytime Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, or Derek Trucks are playing, except for the current lineup of the Allman Brothers, which is just not the same without Dickey Betts.... again, too many to name.

[macr0w]

I saw George Clinton back when the "P-Funk All Stars" first got together. They played at a little club here in Charlotte and they played for allmost 7 hours with out even stopping the drum beat. No breaks, no intermission, no nothing. Just jamming their asses off. They started at 9:00 pm on the dot and only stopped at 3:45 am because the club made them. I guess the club owner was getting sleepy. That was the first band I ever saw that outplayed the crowd.

[rashadrm@hotmai]

1977, parliament funkadelic at madison square garden (at the time the only competition was Kiss as far as over the top presentation)you had to be on something to keep up with any of these bands and they were the ones doing all the work!

prince lovesexy tour madison square garden, cant remember the year.

the jacksons (about 1979) can you feel it tour at madison square garden

tribute to eubie blake at carnigie hall (late 70's) sonically one of the best shows ever

al jareau at radio city music hall (late 70's) incredible

Stevie Wonder tropicana concert series at radio city music hall (he introduced take 6 on that tour) legendary....

luther vandross at madison square garden (80's), elegant, his gift was unique

[themaidsroom]

joni mitchell - fez - nyc - 1995
stevie wonder - the armory - nyc - 1998
the style council - the savoy ballroom - nyc - 1984
the english beat - the ontario theater - dc - 1982
jeff buckley - sine - nyc 1992-1996
tom waits - st. james theater - nyc - 1987
beth orton - club soda - montreal - 2006
sonny rollins - carnegie hall - nyc - 1988
steel pulse - the old post office - dc - 1982
joan as police woman - the living room - 2006
rufus and martha wainwright - all over - 1996 - 2006
royal trux - the knitting factory - nyc - 2000
katell keineg - fez - nyc - 1997
heart - the capitol center - largo, md. 1980
new order - the ontario theater - dc - 1983
the innocence mission - fez - nyc - 1996
toure kunda - someplace in paris - 1985
fela - the ritz - nyc - 1987 ?
elvis costello - solo - cirque d'hiver - paris - 1984

[dbbubba]

Look at macr0w's pic....

FRANK ZAPPA AND THE MOTHERS Dallas, TX 1974
band: FZ, George Duke, Bruce Fowler, Chester Thompson, Ralph Humphries, Ruth Underwood (pretty much the Roxie and Elsewhere lineup.)
I had just graduated from highschool which made the whole world mighty sweet, but they also played to half of Memorial Auditorium. The stage was set in the middle of the arena floor and they played to half of the seating. For 1974 it was stellar sounding. I can recall it being FZ's blue Tychobrae cabs and a Tychobrae console. The F.O.H. position was against the back wall of the arena floor, so I could look down and see what they had. I recall seeing Frank's Sculley 4 track running and recording it all.

V.S.O.P. TOUR UC Berkeley at the Hurst bandshell
band: Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams
The vibe was electric and while standing at my usual spot near the F.O.H. position I looked over to see Carlos Santana standing next to me. He was just walking throught the crowd and stopped right next to where I was standing... I was cool... didn't say a word. I also recall getting to peep into the Record Plant's recording truck. I asked, "Can I just look inside?" Interestingly enough the Shpere mic pre/EQ racked pair sitting right in front of me this very moment has QuadEight output trannys that probebly came from that same console!

LORD TRACY at the Stage Stop Fraser (Memphis), Tennessee June 12th 2004
This was the band that I toured with and recorded with for six yerars from 1986 until 1992. They were on MCA and only had one album release (CDs and an LP!) but they could rock better than any band I've ever seen or heard... plus they are my musical soulmates.
After THIRTEEN years everyone decided to play a few gigs again and the club where they spawned the whole thing was the perfect spot. It was a sold out crowd in a smallish, stinking, beer-joint/rock-n-roll club ( one of the best ever and I am an expert on this subject by default!) The stacks and racks were twenty year old JBLs and Crown, but they brought in a 40 channel Soundcraft M2 series. It was loud and I only run a 120 msec. and 224 msec. DDL on the vocals for FX, so.....
The crowd was half local and half 30 to 40-ish ex-fans who had treked to see them again. Everything kicked off and it was perfect. During about the third song the whole band, the crowd and myself experienced a transcendental moment. Suddenly everything was 1990. It was sppoky. Time is relevent!
The band played one of their best sets ever (same material and set list!)
It was like they had been playing night after night and they were still hungry.
One of the reasons that they still sounded so good was because they believed and lived what they played. Nothing was contrived. This is also why they only had one release on a major label! Pure fun rock-n-roll played for the hell of it is hard to market these days without a gimmick!

Danny Brown

[lane thaw]

It's funny best and worst were Jimi - Best was Band of Gypys Fillmore East NYE, loved most shows at the Fillmore - you guys remember the cartoons before the concerts , and worst was Jimi at the Garden - it was a circular stage, what greedy bastard came up with that idea - I think Cat Mother opened the show. But Jimi was getting pissed at the flashbulbs and the rotating stage and left after about 4 or 5 songs. Oops, read this wrong - best moment - hmmm - Joni singing "Case of you" can't remember the outside venue - or a young Jennifer Holiday on broadway singing "You're gonna love me" - not a dry eye in the house.

[Cojo]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Hollywood Bowl in Oct. 68.

Seeing 200 hippies on acid jump into the reflecting pool in front of the stage all swimming around was very strange. They filled in the pool after that show.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

That makes me envy you! I was born that year...

Peace, flower power and out!

/Cojo

[Gie-Sound]

* QOTSA with Dave Grohl on drums live in Amsterdam more than a month before the "Songs for the deaf" album came out. Dave was amazing, played all the fills without mistakes, even though they played a lot of the songs much faster than on record.

* Elvis Costello live at Paradiso april 15th 2002 doing "I want you" in a breath-takin' live-version. Even singing a part on the edge of the stage without a mic.

* Jeffrey Foucault (with Eric Heywood) live at Blue Highways festival 2006. His style reminded me of the "Ghost of Tom Joad" album by Bruce Springsteen. Here is a singer that took my breath away. This performance was more impressive (to me) than on his album. I was touched.
This weekend I played a few songs of the Blue Highways recording after a long day of recording in the studio. Just to relax and reset my mind... After a few minutes the control room was filled with people, all gathering in front of the speakers to listen. None of these people (rock-dudes ) had ever heard of Jeffrey Foucault, but they were all attracted by his touching performance.

....there must be more...