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Best and Worst Live Bands

With all due respect:
Best and Worst in one band- Rush

They are the best, as they are able to play their complicated and very challenging songs live, and most importantly "just like the record." So some degree I suppose this is the goal, but also, could be a requirement in ways. These guys play infinitely better on their worst and most "off" days than most bands play on their best days.

They are the worst, as they are the band LEAST likely that I've ever seen to do something different than what is on the record, and at some point do you ask yourself "why not just stay home and listen to the record" or "why did I pay $120 to listen to an 80,000 watt stereo with 3,000 of my new best friends"?

Worst and Best.

Oh wait, here's another worst- The Melvins. It sounded like one continuous slow/mid-tempo e minor song for a whole hour. And then the show was over. I tried to like it. I stayed for the whole thing. I tried. No dice.
 
The best, even after all these years, was one of the first I went to see on my own. Daisy Chainsaw, over a dozen years ago. There have been hundreds of others I've seen since then that put on great shows, but nothing has yet matched or exceeded Daisy Chainsaw's performance.

The worst is hard to think of, because I tend to block them from memory. But I do recall that Shudder to Think was one of the support bands at the Daisy Chainsaw show and they were totally awful.
 
Best:

Too many to choose from;
Sunn O))) - overwhelming sound, atmosphere and experience. Time meant nothing inside that blanket of noise and evil.
The Necks - those guys take you to another world. Two songs that could have lasted forever... really outstanding music live.
A Hawk And A Hacksaw - seen them three times now, every single time blows my mind.
Faust - Saw the "new" Faust last year, absolutely insane. Chainsaws, sheets of metal, grass, polystyrene, power drills, an interlude where Jean-Hervé Péron ironed an audience member's shirt as the band grooved behind him... utter insanity.
Muse - Much bigger, more mainstream venue and audience than I'm used to, but completely mind-blowing performances.
Kraftwerk - Amazing atmosphere, sound and stunning visuals. Loved every second of them.
Iron & Wine - Utterly wonderful. Beautiful singing, grooving band and an absolutely joyful experience.

Worst:

Hard to say, I've pretty much never experienced a bad gig night. Portishead may qualify, despite how awesome the night was and how really great they were - the venue (Carling Academy in Bristol) screwed up the sound something rotten, and Beth's vocals were lost almost completely.
Maher Shalal Hash Baz are the only (non-supporting/local) band I wasn't really into at all - large japanese ensemble playing tiny tiny little songette fragments, some lasting only a few bars. It was extremely ramshackle and quirky, and whilst it sounds like a really awesome experience and i did get what they were all about, it never really clicked with me for some reason.
 
BEST:

3 (for the first band on the Prog Nation tour, I didn't expect much, but holy **** they were excellent)
3 Inches of Blood
Killswitch Engage (look like they're having fun, guitarist is hilarious)
John Butler trio

WORST:

Poison the Well
Throwdown
Dream Theater (Portnoy spitting, enough said)
 
The best and worst huh...

The best small venue(small small) band goes to Lighting Bolt 3000+ watts of sheer bass and a drummer who's louder without any P.A. assistance

The best larger probably Tool

Worst by far System of a Down. I'd say from steal this album and back were the best years to see them, after they all want to be done with the gig from the second they start it because Daron runs the show...poorly.
 
Best
The Fall of Troy (on their last tour with Tim Ward)
Tera Melos (With their old drummer)
The Bled
Of Machines (Crazy good singer)
Fear Before (One of the wierdest things I've ever seen)
Green Day (don't want to say it, but that was one of most fun few music-related hours of my life. Mike Dirnt Rules)

Worst
Deftones
Heavy Heavy Low Low
Alesana
90% of local bands (But every so often you see great one, so keep going to shows.)
 
Best live band is Rush! I saw them twice on the Snakes and Arrows tour. Great show, awesome lights, big screen animations, comedy, great sound, and stage presence. Here are a couple of pics from one of the shows at Riverbend in Cincinnati.

HPIM7430.jpg

HPIM7410.jpg


The worst live band I have seen recently is The Devil Wears Prada. They jumped around the stage like a bunch of baboons on acid and sounded like crap. They need to focus on what they sound like instead of what they look like.
 
Best
Nine Inch Nails 05' in Hammerstein
Dir en Grey
Dimmu Borgir

Worst
Fair to Midland (The guy was ripping his hair out on stage?)
Peaches (Yeah Idk, just dont see them)
Queens of the Stoneage. (Without Dave, its pretty boring)
 
Best:

Bill Evans. I had the privalidge to see them Perform the Soulgrass stuff in Germany for near to 10euros in a small town hall. Has to be the best display of musicianship I've ever seen!

Danko Jones. seen them a couple times and were always great, from small gigs in bars to larger venues and always with good showmanship.

Queens of the Stoneage. Best show I saw was when "Songs for the def" came out. Thair last show I was rather disapointed with though. The sound was bad and the new songs arn't as great and without Nick it's just not the same.

Brant Bjork and the Bros. Saw them in a small venue and was just awesome.

Mark Lanegan: Great show and atmosphere

Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Awesome show! Nice visual effects and I just love the music. Even if I like the old stuff more than the most recent album I was still a great show!

STOMP: I was blown away by the show! Was even better than I had expected with humor and original ideas.

Truck Fighters: I liked them live more than on CD to be honest so I'm adding them to the list

The concerts after the final exams at my brothers Jazz/Pop collage are also always some of the greatest musicians I've seen.


Worst:
Sadly most local bands, but not all of them.

The sound was pretty bad at the last QOTSA I saw, so I guess that. Otherwise all shows I've seen have been great :hyper:
 
3 bands that changed my world. On shows i was dragged to.
1st Bruce hornsby at the further festival blew my effin mind.
2nd. U2 a buddy had a xtra ticket, i didnt even want to go......WOW what a show.
3rd. NIN, My wife dragged me to that show. And they tore it up!
 
Best

Nine Inch Nails
Friendly Fires (bassist is lead singer, they have some other dude play during the show he's far from amazing but the basslines are sweet.)

Worst.

Lots and lots and lots of bad bad bad bad bad bad bad local acts.

I litterally scour to find the worst that is available. I revel in bad performance. One sticks out in my mind as the worst. I wont name names but a drummer buddy was hired up by a larger act out of the states and their opening act from the area didn't have drums or something(?) so their manager asked if they could use his. Last time he did that. Chick singer got in a fight with the guitard on stage and took his guitar and smashed it into the kick. Got a nice big crack in it.

She then ran off bawling. They had to front up a big cheque to replace that kit too.
 
Best live band is Rush! I saw them twice on the Snakes and Arrows tour. Great show, awesome lights, big screen animations, comedy, great sound, and stage presence. Here are a couple of pics from one of the shows at Riverbend in Cincinnati.

HPIM7430.jpg

HPIM7410.jpg


The worst live band I have seen recently is The Devil Wears Prada. They jumped around the stage like a bunch of baboons on acid and sounded like crap. They need to focus on what they sound like instead of what they look like.

I was at that rush show:hyper: Just didnt mention them cause it was the 13th time i had seen them;) But it was a great show!