I never used to really like the Manic Street Preachers, they just never really did it for me, which was always a bit odd I as I've always liked guitar based British indy type stuff.
Anyhoo, I've now seen them live on two occasions, both times reasonably unintentionally; once as the support act at a Bon Jovi gig (don't judge me), and the second time, this weekend, as one of the acts at a festival.
Well, dear reader, I am sold. They are, quite simply, a superb live act. Like properly, brilliantly, exquisitely good, and I'm becoming more in tune with their politics too, I suppose.
So, anyone else had their opinion of an act changed from seeing them live?
I went to see The Saw Doctors many years ago, really not my thing but a mate wanted to go, they were fantastic.
Oh and The Utah Saints... Bloody awesome
and yes I am still stuck in the early 90's
Touche Amore, really found them a bit overwrought and hard work on record, was prodded into going to see them on a whim and they were genuinely fantastic.
The way they connect with thier audience is something special, I see to be one of only a handful of people in the room who didn't know every word.
,
Why would you go and see a band you didn't like? 🤔
Happy Mondays. got dragged along by a mate, was never into the whole Madchester thing, but they were really good.
Why would you go and see a band you didn’t like?
Oof, well, off the top of my head, I dunno really, maybe because they were supporting another band that you'd gone to see, or they were playing at a festival that you were at..?
Yup, fair enough. Don't mind me.
Carry on. 👍
Had multiple mate whose musical opinions I respect tell me 'oh you have to see them live to get it'
...and, in this instance, they were entirely correct.
Inspiral Carpets at Reading Festival 1990. Was never into them but was blown away with their set!
REEF - saw them at a local festival a few weeks ago. Always dismissed them as a band who had their moment in the spotlight and never took much notice after that.
But they can really put on a cracking show. Well worth watching if you see them on a line-up anywhere.
Had multiple mate whose musical opinions I respect tell me ‘oh you have to see them live to get it’
…and, in this instance, they were entirely correct.
C'mon, don't leave us hanging, whowasit?
Why would you go and see a band you didn’t like?
went with my young teenaged daughter to see Asking Alexandria and Black Veiled Brides ( v emo) the music was still terrible but for both bands their musicianship and presence was really good, so a good night was had.
as an aside, we queued for a couple of hours afterwards to get the lead singer of BVB (doncha know) to sign an autograph and he was charming and kind to a somewhat starstuck teen.
Pink - Saw her at a festival (she was on before the headliners and I'd got into a really decent spot so wasn't moving). Bloody excellent.
Lilly allen - Got some free tickets at a small venue 5 minutes walk from home. Surprisingly good.
U2 at Wembley? Worst concert I've ever been to. Tickets were (again) free, but I still felt like demanding a refund.
Frank Turner. When one of his songs comes on the radio I nearly pull a muscle racing to switch it off. We saw him at Beautiful Days and he was just magnificent.
But in contradiction to the thread title, I still won't listen to him on the radio.
There have been a couple.
while I used to like Gary Numan, hes not someone I'd really say I listened to actively, until I bought a cheap ticket to see him at the QMU back in the early 2000's. it was such a great show, really added extra depth to the studio stuff.
I've seen him multiple times since then, each one has been superb.
wife took me to see Ritchie ramone. I'm not a fan of the ramones, but like the way ritchie does it. Likewise, New Model Army, definately didn't get it, but live, very good. turned me on to justin's solo stuff more though.
Depeche Mode in 1988, most excellent, came away as life long fan.
Why would you go and see a band you didn’t like?
I was young had never been to a 'big' concert & had a free ticket, as my brother (a fan) had to work.
Actually, Jason Donovan, playing at a small venue in Stratford Upon Avon way back, and a good while after his career had gone quieter.
I think we must have gone to be cool/not cool/therefore cool.
He was funny. Didn't take himself seriously at all and I came away thinking he was alright. Music is still rubbish mind.
Korn
Saw them at a festival, cracking live band
Went to see the Manics in San Francisco after stepping off a plane. Someone handed me a free ticket into a small hall I walked past, where they played to about 200 people. They’d played Cardiff the week before. Different crowd - I was probably the only one in the audience who knew who they were. Been a fan since.
The reverse has happened to me more often: really liked many bands/people until I saw them and then thought what a pretentious bunch of pr*cks. Couldn't listen to them again without getting annoyed..
Oh loads. Biffy CLyro is the big one though. Saw them live supporting OPM, literally stood up the back taking the piss. Saw them again supporting, i dunno, maybe Hundred Reasons. Stood at the bar. Saw them supporting Weezer at the Barrowlands- suddenly in love. Quite a rapid escalation from taking the mick out of their quiet/loud, to getting a tattoo.
Hundred Reasons I didn't enjoy until I went and jumped around. It wasn't enough to see them live, I had to get down the front, I guess it transmits via Colin Doran's spit or something.
BigJohn
Full MemberFrank Turner. When one of his songs comes on the radio I nearly pull a muscle racing to switch it off. We saw him at Beautiful Days and he was just magnificent.
But in contradiction to the thread title, I still won’t listen to him on the radio.
Clicked in here to say Frank Turner too, I can't get into his recorded material but MrsMomo is a big fan so I went to see him with her, absolutely blown away, have seen him 6 or 7 times now, still can't connect with the recorded stuff. He has an emotional connection with the audience and a passion live that he just can't recreate in a recording studio, it clicked in my head when I watched him on TV live from Reading festival a few years ago, the music excited me in the same way as it did live.
Read it the wrong way, used to like Primal scream, then saw them live, total pricks, can't enjoy the music as much now!
Bit of a different one from me, always liked some of their songs, never seeked out their music to listen to them, but saw them live, really got that you need to be there to understand the atmosphere and humor. Taken a few people to see them live too, they also really enjoy them.
The band?
The Lancashire Hotpots.
Really, really fun gigs.
Ugly Kid Joe - went with a mate, all I was thinking was 90s pop rock. Actually really good and starting with Ace of Spades as Lemmy had recently fermented.
Wolfsbane - back in the day! Radio sounded like Butlins karaoke, live were something else!
Also gets me thinking about variation in effort from certain bands. Maiden at Donnington in 88 and the Queen Mary College warm up the week before were incredible. Saw them again afterwards in Oxford and they were garbage, couldn't give a toss about being there it seemed.
Backyard Babies.
Went to see them when they toured with the Wildhearts (RIP) a few years back. Wasnt expecting much but was seriously impressed by how much effort they put in to entertain a crowd who overwhelmingly weren't there to see them.
Checked out their back catalogue on Youtube when I got back home that night, was very impressed.
My ex persuaded me to go and see the Pigeon Detectives - "I go and see all YOUR bands!" etc
Really wasn't looking forward to it, but it was a great gig. Not listened to em since though 😀
Last time I saw the Manics, Richie started a brawl with some bloke in the crowd...next thing we're all outside having a scrap! (Second time they played Dudley JBs)
I have always preferred them on record to live, less violence 😂
To answer the question, saw Elbow at the civic and was prepared for a night of beige...Guy Harvey blew me away. Same with James at Reading, bland on record but superb live.
Slipknot - always found their music a bit bleh. They were on at Leeds festival before someone I wanted to see (maybe Less Than Jake?). They were bloody good, put on a proper show.
Other end of the spectrum. I quite like Red Hot Chili Peppers on a recording but live they were utter shite.
Status Quo, the old man draged me to one of thier concerts when I was about 16 and into Nirvana and that kind of thing...so you can imagine my huffing and puffing.
I was wrong.. very wrong... the warm up band was brilliant and the 'the Quo' did thier thing.. the entire place was just bouncing with good vibes, everyone was dancing or playing air guitar, it was awesome.
Status Quo in the late 90s when I saw them were just having a blast and topping up their pension pits, great fun show.
Band I was surprised at live - The Pretenders. Saw them supporting Bryan Adams (friends choice, I'd gone along to see Gun and another support act) and sounded way better than I expected.
Disappointing live - most recent would have been Motley Crue, but I suspect I was seeing them 20 years too late.
The Ex. Never really got them, but when they played with Chumbawamba at Cloud 9, Manchester in 86 or 87, I was converted. Loved most of their output since...
Saw Grace Petrie as part of the Hatfield folk festival prior to Frank Turner being on as the headline. Enjoyed the protest songs and we went to Bristol to see her again. Another fab audience participation artist with the added benefit of watching women who haven't seen her before finding their artist. There were tears from these people who felt themselves seen.
JB's now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time!
In a bit of a paradox to the OP, I went along to a Bon Jovi concert at Don Valley as it was back in the day. Only went to see the support act Van Halen as I didn't think much at all about Bon Jovi.
Came away a huge fan thanks to the performance and energy put into the show. Even went again to see them at the last ever gig in the old Wembley stadium. Good show but the acoustics were awful and it wasn't as enjoyable as the first one.
Still a fan though and listen to them often.
Two of my favourite albums are live recordings. Depeche Mode 101 is great, although I like their studio music too, so not that surprising. What is weird is that Simple Minds live in the city of light ranks up there with it as a live recording. How it can have so much life and passion when their studio recordings of the same songs are as miserable as sin I don't know.
Another vote for Quo - never been a big fan but they're great live 👍
U2 - saw them in Pop tour. Dont like most of what theyve done since but i'd see them again and I appreciate their earlier stuff.
What is weird is that Simple Minds live in the city of light ranks up there with it as a live recording.
I believe it is actually a compilation across a number or shows but it is cracking and the record that got me into "proper music" after my grandad found the tape in a carpark and gave it to me. Personally everything up to Real Life is pretty decent. Their earlier stuff is epic.
Back on topic, Neutral Milk Hotel, at the Wedgies in Pompy about 1998. They supported Sparklehorse but my mate was banging on about them, (I thought they were a bit meh), and this was looooong before In An Aeroplane Over The Sea was considered one of the greatest albums of all time. But they were incredible and are still one of my all time favourite gigs and albums.
In a bit of a paradox to the OP, I went along to a Bon Jovi concert at Don Valley as it was back in the day. Only went to see the support act Van Halen as I didn’t think much at all about Bon Jovi.
Came away a huge fan thanks to the performance and energy put into the show.
Crossroads tour in 1995? Also supported by Crown of Thorns (who?) and Thunder?
Blondie, saw her sometime in the 90's with a heap of chums - we were at a loose end and got cheap tickets and she and the band were tremendous.
The other end of the scale was Oasis, looked forward to the gig and it was utter dogsh1t.
@MoreCashThanDash That's the one. June 28th 1995. Forgot about Thunder and Crown of Thorns, although do remember Thunder now. Can't say I recall any of the other lot though.
The two standouts to me were both at Glastonbury 1999 and 2000 i think.
REM - who i'd never had time for despite lots of friends liking them. I decided to go and see Chemical Bros instead but couldn't even get close to the tent they were in. Wandered back to the Pyramid stage and was blown away by REM. Never got any of their studio stuff though.
Even better was Bowie. Such a great performer, brilliant lighting and turned out I knew a lot of his music without realising.
Some acts are simply live acts.
Muse. Wouldn't particularly turn up the radio if a song was playing. Astonishing live, truly breathtaking.
The Foos. Love the singles, wouldn't run out and buy a new album. Live, incredible, one of the best.
Rammstein. Even if you hate the music, take earplugs and go watch the spectacle.
Bryan Adams. That boy's voice makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Less A-list-y, I once accidentally saw Chesney Hawkes live. Utterly entertaining, didn't take himself seriously, That Song at the end tore the bloody roof off.
I saw 80s Classical recently, ticked off a couple of bucket lists, but the surprise standout was Deniese Pearson of Five Star. She was astonishingly good.
Foals. I wouldn't I didn't like them, just found them a bit so-so.
Saw them at T in the Park. Bloody fantastic. Certainly got the vibe that their music is written for a crowd, to be listened to live. Can't get enough of them now.
