What are the best live acts?



I’m not asking you to list your favorite concerts. I think that there is another thread for that. Rather, we shouldn’t judge pop bands solely on the basis of their recorded music. Some bands are simply better on stage than they are in the recording studio. I’ll cite the following for their consistent ability to put on a great live show.

1. The Cramps
2. The Ramones
3. Toots Hibbert (touring as Toots and the Maytals, even though Toots fired the original Maytals some time ago)
4. GWAR
5. The UK Subs (crap music, brilliant live show)
6. AC-DC (when Bon Scott was their front man)
7. The Meat Puppets
8. Tom Waits
9. The Anti-Nowhere League
10. Van Halen (w/ David Lee Roth: I hate their music, but I saw them twice, and had a rocking good time!)
11. Iggy Pop
12. Ted Nugent (This man is the redneck Iggy Pop)
13. Joe Ely
14. The Butthole Surfers
15. The Clash
16. The Mentors
17. Nig Heist
18. Emmy Lou Harris
tweakgeek

Showing 1 response by lugnut

Leon Russell rates as the top show I've ever seen.
Neil Young is always a delight with a new persona each time.
Frank Zapa was the most wonderful production.
Elvis was spell binding and I'm not a big fan.
Garth had the entire audience in his hand.

When I was about 13 my older brother took me to see The Rolling Stones on their first USA tour in Omaha. There were only about 250 people at the concert. They played perhaps four numbers and left in a huff. That turned me off to them forever although I could understand their anger. A couple of years ago while watching a history of rock 'n roll series on television I listened to a young Mick make insulting remarks about Omaha and vowing never to return. I wonder if he kept his promise.