MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
I saw the Super Furry Animals at Leicester Summer Sundae festival in 2004. I thought they were OK on disc, but live they blew me away. Mad as hatters and when the set apparently ended we were treated to some awesome techno DJing by them to close the festival Saturday night.
By contrast The White Stripes at Glasto 2003ish were a massive disappointment
arctic monkeys in manchester last yesr, sounded fantastic live, not dissapointed in the least
Sneaker pimps at Oxford Zodiac just after Bloodsport came out. Class.
And The Cardigans. Although I might be biased by Nina Peerson who is a bit of a fox.
Mike Patten weeing in his shoe and drinking it at FNM show was mildly surprising, if not totally out of character.
The volume and lights of my bloody valentine years ago and the noise and videos of a neurosis show were unexpected treats.
Recently saw The TingTings with Ladyhawke. Liked Ladyhawke's album and wanted to see her live, and I thought the TingTings looked fun on Later... Was amazed just how much rockier Ladyhawke was, and The TingTings were amazing live, managing to fill a large stage like a five-piece band, when there's only two of 'em. Much better than expected.
motorhead in the 80's, lemmy had a thick cold and bad throat. the sheer unitelligable wall of noise was astounding.
Quite how crap Prince was (in his artist formerly known as... phase)
at the factory/russel club sometime in the eighties
i got there early doors went to the bar and as i ordered a pint, realized the other people at the bar were iggy pop and his band
i gave him an ' alright iggy '-he gave me a 'hey man' we had a chat and i wandered off acting like i bumped into rock legends every day
just last night when I went to see Propagandhi in Sheffield. Half way through the set the plug was pulled and we were all sent outside. Apparently there was a big fire backstage. Then the Police came and looked after 1000+ punks on the street.
I'm really bloody annoyed about it. I love Propagandhi and they only come around about once every 4 years.
Another time (at the Duchess in Leeds - back in the day) I hung out with ALL on their tour bus and taught them how to swear in Dutch as their next stop was Holland.
...and you probably don't know who Propagandhi or ALL is. That is not surprising, but still wrong. 😆
Joe Cocker at Glastonbury. When I saw the line-up I thought "Oh dear, some boring American hippy headlining the last night"
He was excellent.
(and not American)
Saw Divine Comedy who were fantastic support by some band called Duke Special - wow! Highly recommended.
first time we saw trail of dead at nottingham boat club. didnt know what they looked like or anything, just knew to expect a bit of noise and liveliness. even thought the support band was them at first.
then they came on and just blew us away. noise, feedback, band in the crowd, drummers swapping with singers. smashed all their kit up and chucked drums, guitars etc into the crowd. so we thought that was pretty good, lets go home now. but they piled into the crowd, got all the kit back, roadies set it all up, and they carried on playing. awesome. still one of the best, if not the best gig ive been to for being far better than expected.
they even set up on a boat on the river after and played acoustic stuff.
i love the trail of dead 🙂
Budgie supporting Ian Gillan at the Southampton Gaumont and being even better than Ian Gillan.
I must be getting old!
I once saw a 3 piece band playing covers round the local pub, they seemed a bit better than the run of the mill pub rockers, next time I heard the name they were playing stadiums in America, Feeder they were called, I daresay the stadiums paid a bit more than the £25 they got from the landlord.
1991 Rush at Sheffield
A giant rabbit came out of a top hat, that was quite unexpected.
Sneaker pimps at Newcastle Uni just after Splinter. Still one of the best bands I've seen live, although the as then frontman is doing some nice solo stuff as IAMX.
Mozza and the Smiths @ Reading Hexagon, lots of flowers in the back of the trousers
Just cheekily steering my original post to best live band, rather than most surprising, it has got to be Muse. I know it's hardly original to say that, but they are truly awesome. But then Nick Harper performing Jeff Buckley's Grace on just an acoustic guitar is something to behold too
bette than expected:
jimmy eat world: sheffield octagon, it was one of those very long hot summers and everything in life was good, unfortunatly the weather meant the venue got uncomfortably hot after the first few minutes, so they stoped with the normal set, and played through their singles whilst struggling to avoid drowning in their own sweat.
manic street preachers: playing to a MEN that was barely beyond filling the standing section!
Dissapointments:
soulwax/2manyDJ's ; maybe i was expecting too much, but it was a bit pants
HopeForTheStates : distincly average live
Motorhead here too - made such an impression on me that I saw them another 4 times after that.
****in great live band, Motorhead.
Anathema - I walked out after 30 mins as they were worse than HIM.
Apache UK (or was it UK Apache?) - brill.
Years ago I went to Edwards No. 8 in Brum to see Senser. They were supporting Eat Static who I hadn't really paid much attention to - so was blown away when they turned out to be fantastic. Seeing them got me into clubbing, all nighters and delicious tablets...so life changing as well!
Massive Attack - wasn't really a fan of their music, but was offered a ticket at the very last minute (literally) for an outdoor gig they did a few years ago in Queen Square, Bristol along with a few other bands including Goldfrapp and The Streets. Completely mind-blowing, and the stage show was mesmerising.
Sigur Ros - a mate had a spare ticket for a gig at the end of last year - I had heard they were good live, but had never knowingly heard any of the tracks (didn't even know the BBC Olympic theme tune was theirs). Totally awesome gig, and the support band were equally stunning.
Radiohead - loved their albums, but saw them live at Newport in the early noughties - might just as well as stayed at home and put a CD on - no emotion, no audience interaction, just an exact replication of their album! Complete waste of money!
I fell asleep at an Ozric Tentacles gig. I was expecting them to be dead good as well.
Goldie Lookin Chain. They were playing support for Feeder and we all thought they would be aweful. They had the crowd in fits of laughter and weren't half bad. Performing classic songs like 'Your mothers got a penis' and 'Gun don't kill people rappers do!'.
Feeder were very good too.
Don't know who propagandhi or ALL are? - cheeky beggar,. Was wearing an old 'rather be flag burning' shirt yesterday at the farm with my little girl.
Getting a sax lobbed in your direction by a big bloke in a nappy was a little odd. Fishbone, great band.
Ben Harper at the Jazz Cafe in Camden in about 1995 quite simply stunning.
a real suprise was The Utah Saints at the Pheonix Festival around the same time, I was expecting them to be shit they were great.
Watching some bloke climb on the stage at an Exploited gig & then repeatedly throw-up over the audience,thank **** I was upstairs that night 
Saw Goldie looking chain just recently on there asbo for life tour was quite surprised how good they were got the crowd going and singing along 600 people singing" your mother got a penis" at the top of there voice's class i tell you
"Dumpys Rust Nuts" years ago, they were fantastic. They were support for The Blues Band who were rubbish compared to Dumpys. Lead singer drinking beer out of old 1 gallon metal Castrol GTX can during the show.
Saw Danzig in a festival just outside Cologne in 91, never head of the fella up until then but My word he had stage presence, I bought an album (Lucifuge)on the strength of that gig and while the lyrics are ludicrous it is a fine listen nontheless.
Smashing Pumpkin, their fairwell tour (at the NEC), goddam wish I'd saved my money.
Depeche Mode '88 Music for the Masses tour - my brother was into them but had to work that night, I got given his ticket (only ever heard them though the bedroom wall before), been a fan ever since..
biggest dissapointment for me was the lemonheads in 94 in Hobart,i'd been doing my round the world trip and missing them by weeks in quite a few cities,finally drove for 5 hours to see them and they were sh*te. soo dissapointed.
post script saw them 2 years ago here in NZ and they were frickin brilliant. who'da thunk it?
seen loads of bands live.
worst is eric clapton
best is between rage against the machine,killswitch enegage and bb king
Did a return coast to coast with an overnight in Ullapool last summer. Went to the pub for dinner, and there was a band due on called [url= http://www.angusandjuliastone.com/ ]Angus and Julia Stone[/url]. Decided to hang around to see them. Expected the usual folky traditional type band in a place like that, but got a couple hours of the sweetest, most laidback, beatiful and captivating live music I've ever heard. Brother and sister from Australia. The most amazing vocal harmonies. Think it was the surprise, and the intimate atmospehere, as have since seen them in Edinburgh, and not quite the as good. But that's best surprise live music experience. Bought their records as well, and loved those.
Jedi said... seen loads of bands live. worst is eric clapton
Saw him at the North Sea Jazz Festival. He's obviously talented but seemed to be going through the motions that night. I don't know who was more bored - him or the audience.
Talking of going through the motions, Van Morrison. BIG disappointment
Taking my daughter to see Escape the Fate and enjoying it. She's into that genre whatever it is so I buy a ticket and stand at the back nowadays rather than just drop her off.
It had a jolly good beat to it!
Macavity's Cat, Kingston Poly SU, 1988/9. After 2 bottles of wine and eight pints of student beer, I accidentally bottled one of my mates and he didn't even care, that's how good a night it was.
Bad manners, Sheffield '83. Expected a bit of a laugh, band were out with us for the support act, they were scary!! And sheer raw explosion of energy when the set kicked off.
Seeing a then unknown band called Diamondhead as the support act to April Wine in 1981
brilliant
...and you probably don't know who Propagandhi or ALL is. That is not surprising, but still wrong.
ha, i was at the ALL show at the duchess too. if it was when they toured for the Allroy's Revenge record... scott reynolds left the nastiest smelliest gift in the bogs that night too. dirty little ginger!
and tom, the promoter for the propagandhi show posted on punktastic 'explaining' what happened. it's quite interesting...
also, rusty trowel- was that fishbone at the astoria, when angelo got totally naked too? if so, yes. i was there too!
A good few years ago I saw Zodiac Mindwarp and the love reaction (Class) at the Bristol studio. Supported by some little band called the wonder stuff, who were fannying about doing an electo acoustic set and were rubbish. Six months later they were excellent.
Also got given a last minute freebie ticket to see The Jeff Healy band, ruddy brilliant.
Motorhead = always awesome....
Maiden are always good.
Best ever????? Kraftwerk, no comparison, apart from Silicon Scally, who is probably the most underated electronic act this country has ever produced (also under Scarletron)
Biggest suprise? Maybe Tool at Reading, first act on yonks ago. Biggest disapointment - Kings Of leon, no atmosphere or attitude. Dull as..... very surprised...
Saw the dwarves in brum about 6 yrs back.... most surprised to see hewhocannotbenamed playing... due to the fact he was supposed to be dead? weird. oh and most of them were bollock naked most of the show, but theres nothing unusual about that with the dwarves! amazing live band. those boys are sick. oh, and i ****in' love ALL and the propagandhi too! why did the gandhis not play anywhere near brum this tour?? damn shame! maybe its all the meat eatin' homophobes we got here!
Savage Garden - Manchester Union C1998 - not that savage apparantly.
British Sea Power at the Square, Harlow
M Ward
Super grass
Bob Dylan
David Byrne (which was probably my favorite as i thought he would be a bit too up himself and he was just the opposite and mesmerizing)
Beastie Boys, Glasgow 1999........i knew they'd be good but not that good 😀
[url=
GIG EVER (in my book)[/url]
The Feeling when they were supporting The Charlatans at Newcastle Carling Academy. Their recorded music is overproduced pop-centric cr@p, but live they have an amazing raw edge which has been completely lost when put down on tape. Made me appreciate just how important good production is in recorded sound.
Flaming Lips at Leeds Wireless Festival supporting The Who. Dancing santas, nuns, astronauts, aliens and the lead singer coming out in the crowd in a big bubble. Ace.
I was really taken with Cheap Trick when I saw them supporting Motley Crue way back when.
Biggest disappointment (by a fair margin) were Jamiroqui.
I second stilltortoise, Muse were unexpectedly amazing! Perhaps not so unexpected but Led Zepp were amazing too (understatement) 🙂
For me Sonic Youth, Reading 1991. Walked through into the main arena and heard the opening of Tunic (song for Karen). Been a live music fan ever since...
I was working as Security and we had the Five Blind Boys of Alabama playing - knew it would be a hand-woven-from-lentil-flax world music kind of crowd so we were not exactly enthused.
5 old men who had sung in the same choir at the blind school they had attended in Alabama. They had the sweetest voices and backed by a great band. These old men (60 - 85) had never seen a days sunshine in their lives yet they were praising God for all he had given them. Their lead singer walked off the stage (with his helper) and sang from the audience, really getting amongst it.
There were agnostics, non-believers, doubters and heathens working that night - not one of us failed to be utterly humbled by these 5 old men and the immense power they brought with them - misty eyes and thousand yard stares a-plenty after they left.
Jesus Jones supporting the Wonder Stuff (Disco King tour). IMMENSE wall of wonderful sound.
Shellac - that sucks, just saw KOL in Sydney a month or so ago, they were awesome. 12000 people singing Sex is on Fire was an utter barrage of sound. Did far more of their back catalogue than me or the wife expected which was cool too.
The Police here in Adelaide were really good also; was a funny night, went with the mother in law (!) and all these posers who just wanted to say they'd seen The Police were half asleep until the chorus for a number of songs because they [i]weren't[/i] exactly the same as on the greatest hits album.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings at the Jazz Cafe was really good; mixed crowd and a whole lotta dancing!
If you like Blues and CW Stoneking comes to an intimate venue near you, go see him; his voice is something else and he is a funny guy; quite the story teller
Asian Dub Foundation at Glastonbury, 1999. I was never a huge fan of their recorded stuff, but they're awesome live.
I saw Chuck Berry last year - he's well past it but I didn't care - it was great to see the 81 tear-old still strutting his stuff.
I'm quite sad to say it by Dr and the Medics were a great live band. Got dragged along by a couple of mates and thoroughly enjoyed it. They was some problem with the PA system halfway through, so they got the crowd to start voting what songs they wanted to listen to after it'd been sorted.
Saw them again at Newcastle Univ - the lead singer it pretty tall, always used to come onstage, do a great leap in the air and a big kick and start singing. Now the University stage had a really low air con duct or something above the stage. He jumped up and smacked this duct full on and landed in a heap on the floor. The band kept playing for a bit, give 'em their dues before he staggered back to his feet, bless him!
Was never that bothered by Pulp, but they were fantastic at Leeds Festival a couple of years ago.
Best gig, probably Husker Du - wall of sound with such intensity. Think they said "thank you" at the end, between songs was just feedback....
I no particular order:
Dave Lee Roths first solo tour - he appeared on an island in the middle of the crowd which had little devils that urinated over us, before riding back to the main stage aboard a giant inflatable microphone, and then the curtains at the rear of the stage opened to reveal a pair of giant inflatable fishnet stockinged legs that drew your eyes right up the middle....
The Pretenders at Gateshead stadium - never had any time for them, but they were awesome live
Glen Tillbrook from Squeeze, did an open air gig at Nottingham a few years back - one bloke, one guitar, just stood there and belted out Squeeze's Greatest Hits, absolutely superb.
Saw Faithless at the MEN arena and they where awesome, Maxi Jazz was totally brilliant I just wish i could have been in the Mosh pit as it was non stop rocking from the first note to the last 😛 😛
Erm, Rod Stewart at Maine Road, supported by Status Quo.
In my defence the tickets were free, however I had an excellent time. Just goes to demonstrate the good showmanship transcends all.
Husker Du.
Gillian Welch.
The Two Gallants
The Sisters of Mercy.
The New Bomb Turks.
Rocket From The Crypt
The old Crow Medicine Show
Johnny Thunders, at Bowes Lyon Stevenage, his last gig before he died,
and for a change not out of his head on what ever.
swadey - I saw DLR on that tour, absolutely brilliant.
Most unexpected - The Bronx supporting Rise Against last year were great, singer wandering round the pit during They Will Kill Us All.
Worst - Angels and Airwaves supporting FF at Old Trafford - utter self indulgent bilge. Then the Strokes came on and somehow A&A didnt seem as bad. Gash.
Prodigy and Faithless were both amazing but you kind of expect that.
British Sea Power i went to because i got a free ticket and they were amazing, very very atmospheric. Turin Breaks were also spot on.
Erm, Rod Stewart at Maine Road, supported by Status Quo
Quo gigs look like they would be quite a laugh!
We were going to go to one a few years back as part of a works do, but it never came off...
I'm so bummed that i never got to see Husker Du, seems like a few fans on here
Most surprising was the support band (forgot their name) who played with MDC in San Francisco in the early nineties - proper full on riot grrrl Lesbian orgy and a lot of hardcore punk.
Most [u]surprising[/u] gig experiences:
A mate and I had tickets for the Wonder Stuff at Reading Riverside early 90's. They were great, btw, but that wasn't the surprising bit.
My mate got injured a couple of days earlier, and asked me to flog his ticket. There was this young, fit indie-girl at work so i asked her if she'd like it. She stayed at my folks house that night (purely platonic, just convenient) and then in the morning we just chatted, copied a few cd's she didn't have, etc. and found we got on really well.
She's now my wife and mother to my two girls. Which is a pretty surprising outcome to going to see the Stuffies.
**
And a second: at Glastonbury (95 I think) thefuturemrsotherjonv and I were watching Oasis headlining on Friday night and became aware of a lanky bloke in geeky glasses arguing with his mates directly in front of us. It was none other than Jarvis Cocker and Pulp, arguing about whether they should stay and 'check out the competition' or go and see Prodigy on the other stage! The surprising bit - seeing Oasis a year or so later at Earls Court with the same mate who'd not gone to the Stuffies previously, I was recounting the Jarvis story to him when AT THAT EXACT MOMENT Jarvis walked into the bar foyer as if it was planned. That 'surprised' me too
footstomper - Member
Saw Faithless at the MEN arena and they where awesome, Maxi Jazz was totally brilliant I just wish i could have been in the Mosh pit as it was non stop rocking from the first note to the last
Faithless was pretty suprising for me, they must have had a bad night because they were utter shite. The crowd was too busy taking pictures/video on their mobiles to dance (people that do that should f*ck right off the dancefloor). One of the few gigs I have ever walked out of (other notable shite was one of the many Wonderstuff comebacks. Some bands should really learn when enough is enough)
theotherjonv - great stories!
I'm so bummed that i never got to see Husker Du, seems like a few fans on here
aye.
although i did see sugar, who were pretty damn good.
and i saw leatherface tons of times, which was almost like seeing husker du i imagine...
I would recommend Status Quo for a top night out - the guy next to us was smoking a pipe and wearing a tweed jacket, and he was probably younger than the band....
mudhoney at the astoria in 1990(ish). they were flippin loud, flippin fast and well up for it. amazing gig. Remember seeing some crazy man jump up on stage, have a brilliant fight with a couple of bouncer types, chuck them into the crowd and then dive in after them!
never did get to see husker du : (
brain donor are/were pretty mad live.
a couple of years ago wandered into my local ..the Salisbury Arms on Green Lanes in Harringay for some of their excellent beer
in the back room was a band of about 5 gerriatric transvestites and a crazy girl in a bunny outfit doing some kind of jazz rock funk craziness
absolutely ****in mental : )
Kaiser Chiefs are always good live, as are The Futureheads. Most surprising was The Go! Team. Absolutely awesome and proving that if the band look like they're enjoying themselves, the gig is better (take note, Interpol). Also great due to the energy they create were Rollins Band and Capdown.
The most disappointing gig I've been to was Placebo. I may as well have put on a CD at home and saved the ticket money. Pish.
I was surprised/disappointed by how dull Oasis and Supergrass were live. Stereophonics were monumentally boring too, but that wasn't a massive shock.
Very suprised by The Streets at the Electric Proms in Camden last year. I wasn't expecting much, but the atmosphere was brilliant, audience involvement, a big sound too especially with a choir and an orchestra backing them up.
Also Noah and the Whale supporting the Fratellis at the Union Chapel for the Little Sound sessions in Islington, I'd never heard of them before, but they were oddly brilliant.
Most disappointed by Oasis in Finsbury Park about 5 or 6 years ago. Boring, derivative rubbish with no passion. There was more excitement just avoiding the bottles of p*ss being flung backwards through the audience.
Kimbers - The Salisbury is my local too. Small world.
Followed my kids into one of the tents at V2007 (?) to watch Air Traffic, never heard of them before then, brilliant energy from them and the crowd (felt old as well)
Also saw Rodrigo Y Gabriela at the same V and was the only bloke in my part of the arena singing Wish You Were Here, they gave up as the crowd were too young. 🙁
To continue the theme I was the only bloke in my part of Hyde Park accompanying Lemmy to Motorhead and Ace of Spades. Pfft youth of today.
Phoenix festival, 1993 - was getting too wet listening to Thurston Moore jamming drumsticks under his guitar strings and Sonic Youth rumbled through Dirty. Went to the nearest tent only to discover the Buzzcocks in the middle of Orgasm Addict.
That was unexpectedly ace.
Flaming Lips at Leeds Wireless Festival supporting The Who. Dancing santas, nuns, astronauts, aliens and the lead singer coming out in the crowd in a big bubble. Ace.
Wonderful, but not that surprising from them..!
Actually - there's another one: Flaming Lips closing their encore with a cover of Warpigs. That susprised a few people...!