Best band(s) you have seen live and why?

Does exactly what it says on the tin. Some of the nonsense contained herein may be very loosely related to The Sisters of Mercy, but I wouldn't bet your PayPal account on it. In keeping with the internet's general theme nothing written here should be taken as Gospel: over three quarters of it is utter gibberish, and most of the forum's denizens haven't spoken to another human being face-to-face for decades. Don't worry your pretty little heads about it. Above all else, remember this: You don't have to stay forever. I will understand.
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Silver_Owl
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Thought I would flip the previous thread on it's head.

Mine....
Sisters; Leamington Spa. Rain from Heaven.
Kikagaku Moyo; Hare & Hounds, Bham. A sitar through a distorted Wah-Wah.
Moon Duo; As above. A religious experience.
A Place To Bury Strangers; A small pub in Bham. Interactive, real, ear-bleedingly loud.
Telescopes; small venue again. Intense, angry, frightening.
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elamanamou
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Difficult to decide. The m*****n - Leicester 2017? Great gig.

The m*****n - Birmingham 2020 - Great laughs and Hussey and the band were on great form "Marian"

That Guitarist - Bristol 2019 - WH in a terrible mood, but made it so funny, We all sang "Happy Birthday" to my friend then the mood rapidly went down hill after.

Difficult Again - Sisters Astoria 2001. Great Vocals and the crowd rocked!

Sisters - Leeds 2003 - The last time I saw guitarist Chris Starling in the band and I saw good friends.

Sisters - Manchester, Leeds and Nottingham 2020- Never laughed so much and the new release of songs. I liked "Black Sail"
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Pista
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The Stray Cats. Worthing 1989.
Absurdly good show. Very tight & Brian Setzer is still the best guitar player I have ever seen.

The Cure. Wembley 1989.
Last night of 3 on The Prayer Tour. Didn't want it to end (& it nearly didn't). I've never seen a bad The Cure show but this was out of this world. Missed all the trains (including the tubes) back home & had to walk across London in the middle of the night to Victoria with a load of friends from Worthing

The Sisters. Brighton 1984.
Life changing gig for me. Felt like I held my breath for the duration.

Roger Waters. Budapest 2011.
Visually this was the most spectacular thing I have ever seen. I was driving that night, so I couldn't even have a pint. But some of the lighting/ projection effects, coupled with the music, really made you feel like you'd been guzzling mushroom tea all afternoon.
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czuczu
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Faith No More's comeback show at Brixton 2009. Came out to a Peaches and Herb cover and then went straight into The Real Thing - the surge in the crowd was just overwhelming, all the space and oxygen was just crushed long before the first riff came in. Haven't experienced that since.

Curve, last night of the Doppelganger tour at T&C. You could still lean on the stage, was a proper party with crew stagediving and Toni in a tutu.

Bowie at Hammersmith 2002. Queued overnight. Worth it.

Prince at MSG 2004, front and centre (sat in front of Puff Daddy! :D ), came away with a drum stick and tambourine.
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Swinnow
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Thin Lizzy - Liverpool Empire '78 - '81, saw them there several times, always lively and a brilliant atmosphere there with all the scouse 'plastic paddies' giving it loads.

The m*****n - Leeds Poly '86, when we realised that this was real and that they actually were the classic British rock band that had previously almost emerged.

The Cure - Bradford St George's Hall '92, the only time I saw them in a small venue. This was a warm up before a series of mega gigs. They blew the place apart and 'friends' on their crew got us backstage for drinkies.

Black Crowes - Bradford St George's Hall '92, same venue, bluesy, funky, beautiful girls properly dancing. Just brilliant, strange smell and green smoke everywhere :lol:

U2 - Roundhay Park '93, Zoo TV came to Leeds and changed the way these enormous open air gigs were performed. A true spectacle.

Primal Scream / Dust Brothers - Leeds T&C '92, a sign of times a changing.
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ROBBIE
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Pink Floyd - Tampa 1994. I was on holiday there with my brother who is a massive fan. Heard a advert on car radio so we rang for tickets. It was a nightmare with an English credit card but we eventually got it sorted. Panicked that tickets would not at venue but they were. Right up on the top row of the stadium. Stunning view and gig.

U2 Dortmund 1988. Right down the front and they opened with Bullet the Blue Sky. Crowd went mental. I was right next to the girl who Bono pulled out of the crowd for a dance during Bad.

Van Halen - Leicester de Montfort 1980 I was overawed with the size of the light show which seemed to stretch to half way back of the venue. What a gig and what an awesome sight to see Eddie play. (Saw Rush the next night - good but not quite on the same scale)

TSOM - Melbourne 2019. Half way around the world to see a band! The best sound I have heard at a TSOM gig ever. Great fans and a great city.
"Genevieve, I think you're lovely But Genevieve, it's time” TSOM 2020
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czuczu
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Swinnow wrote: 07 May 2021, 15:33 The Cure - Bradford St George's Hall '92, the only time I saw them in a small venue. This was a warm up before a series of mega gigs. They blew the place apart and 'friends' on their crew got us backstage for drinkies.
I managed 4 of those warm ups - Liverpool, Notts, Cambridge & Kilburn. That was an absolute belting couple of weeks, with some spectacular shenanigans between shows too :twisted:
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iesus
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Pink Floyd 1989 Athens. No words to describe that. If you've been in that tour you know what it was like. I think there is an official video from the Venice concert at this tour.

Iron Maiden 1988 seventh son tour Athens :bat: :bat:
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sultan2075
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Not even a question for me: Einstürzende Neubauten, Bremen, 2018. Everything just kind of lined up for my wife and I to be able to spend a few days in Bremen before and after the show, so the entire trip was great, but seeing Neubauten live was simply wonderful. We had tickets to see them in Luxembourg in 2020 (planning to stop there on the way to visit her father), which are now tickets to (hopefully) see them in Luxembourg in 2022, if things have gotten back to normal by then.
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Big Si
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So many Bands and so many Gigs, but the ones that have really stood out for me are (in Date Order) -

Blood Ceremony (supporting Electric Wizard) at Ivory Blacks, Glasgow, September 2009 - Always a wonderful surprise when an unknown (to me) Support Band blows the Headline Act off the Stage. They Sold Out their CDs/Vinyl so I bought a Shirt at the end of their Set.

Grand Magus at The Cathouse, Glasgow, February 2013 - My 1st time and i've seen them many times since. Their Intro was the Theme to Conan the Barbarian so I knew it was going to be a great Gig 8)

Grinderman at The Barras, May 2016 - Mr Cave finally got out from behind his Piano and started prowling Stages again

Kraftwerk at Queen Elizabeths Hall, Antwerp, May 2017 - Finally got to see "Ralf, Cuthbert, Dibble & Gruber" who performed Radioactivity and other Hits, with mybelgiannemesis, General Zed and Radiojamaica :D
Wyrd bið ful aræd...

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LyanvisAberrant
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Physics house band - Bristol 2019.
I walked from Bournemouth to Bristol for this one. Probably the most silly decision I have ever made, but I got up and made it.
The gig was incredible. Loud as you could imagine and the tightest performance I've ever seen.
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SmileySister
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Fields of the Nephilim - I've loved every gig I've been to and the atmosphere is always brilliant
The Sisters of Mercy - because I love them and he could fart on stage for an hour and I'd still be happy
The Chameleons - because they're brilliant every time

I'll leave it there otherwise I'll be here all night
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eastmidswhizzkid
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Best Gig Ever -The Butthole Surfers at Rescue Rooms Notts. was meant to be Rock City but there was some logistical problem with the venue. Recue Rooms is really sma;; and intimate. we were on the Hells Angels guest list and were treated like royalty. 5 tabs of window-pane LSD and it was a roller-coaster ride. cant see the buttholes and not take acid.. it was awesome. 8)
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Silver_Owl
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eastmidswhizzkid wrote: 09 May 2021, 20:54 Best Gig Ever -The Butthole Surfers at Rescue Rooms Notts. was meant to be Rock City but there was some logistical problem with the venue. Recue Rooms is really sma;; and intimate. we were on the Hells Angels guest list and were treated like royalty. 5 tabs of window-pane LSD and it was a roller-coaster ride. cant see the buttholes and not take acid.. it was awesome. 8)
Sounds amazing and terrifying in equal measures. :lol:

I saw Swans at The Rescue rooms. That would rank up there with the best. Damn intense.
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mh
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Peter Hook and the Light doing Movement and Power, Corruption & Lies in Dublin. This was the show he subsequently released, so if you buy it or stream it, this was the one. What's obviously missing from the professional recording is me shouting "HOOOOKKKYYYYY!!!!!!" constantly throughout it, of course.
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Silver_Owl
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mh wrote: 10 May 2021, 14:46 Peter Hook and the Light doing Movement and Power, Corruption & Lies in Dublin. This was the show he subsequently released, so if you buy it or stream it, this was the one. What's obviously missing from the professional recording is me shouting "HOOOOKKKYYYYY!!!!!!" constantly throughout it, of course.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I've seen them a few times - including this set (in Leamington) and they've never disappointed.
We forgive as we forget
As the day is long.
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