Best live "show"

[hArdyPUNKmArk]

I wanted to know what everyone's favourite show has been that they have seen live. I know guys like Manson and Slip Knot are known to have great showmanship rather than just a gig, same with Pink etc. They put on an awesome show and it kind of transends being just a gig.

I was at a festival in Australia on the weekend called Splendour in the Grass and I saw one of the best shows if not the best I have ever seen and I hadn't really even heard much about them. I'll show you exactly what I saw on Sunday night from The Flaming Lips:

Intro
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The Flaming Lips - Fight Test
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The Flaming Lips - Silver Trembling Hands
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They had smoking megaphone at one stage. They had a bunch of chicks dressed as cats (i think) on one side dancing and wierd lizards on the opposite side. At one stage a guy in a huge gorilla suit came out and lifted Wayne Coyne (lead singer) onto his shoulders and he sang the rest of the song from there. There were giant helium balloons (as you can see from the vids) all through the mosh pit and some were filled with confeti and popped over everyone. There were giant blowers sending confeti over the crowd at big parts of their songs, fuck it was the most epic show I have probably ever seen. I hadn't heard of the guys before really but I am definatley a fan now.

So, I got to thinking about real showmanship in music. I love my 'simple' (may not be the best word) gigs like Grinspoon, The Used and others have given me, I love them but this was something totally out there and it really showed me how much more can be put into a show. Now, of course this sort of showmanship isn't going to work for all bands but I wanted to know if any of you have ever seen The Flaming Lips or have seen an impressive show that is out of the ordinary.

I know with Manson he loves his stilts etc, Slip Knot have the weird rotating drum set and fire, Pink has her random rope tricks or something. Anyways, post away with any awesome shows you have seen and what you thought/think of The Flaming Lips.

 

[BWRBrett]

Stone Temple Pilots at the Hollywood Bowl on June 24, 2008. I finally was getting to see my favorite band on their reunion tour after YEARS of waiting and it was a surreal and amazing experience, I also met Scott Weiland after the show and that made it even more memorable.

 

[The Dewbliners]

Well, I've got two shows I absolutely loved, so here goes.

Firstly, my first concert outside of Lillith Fair, which my gf at the time dragged me to, was a triple bill of Pantera, Kittie (big shock, I know), and Morbid Angel. I absolutely loved the whole experience, as each band brought a different element. Kittie, whilst not jumping around, or even moving around alot, had an amazing presence that captivated the whole arena. Bear in mind, this is before Kittie blew up. Morbid Angel was another great experience. Great theatrics. Pantera was AMAZING, as you could expect. As it turns out, it was on one of the few nights of the tour where Phil was sober. That place fuckin' EXPLODED when they went into Walk.

Second is Sarah McLachlan. I know, it's a massive departure from what I usually post, but you've not experienced bliss until you hear Sarahs ethereal voice live. There's nothing like hearing an arena full of people sing Adia, or the Ice Cream song. Even I had to sing along. Her opening act on the tour I saw her on (AfterGlow tour) wasn't half bad, either. A little known Australian girl by the name of Butterfly Boucher. Ever since that concert, I've been absolutely in love with Sarah McLachlan.

Edit: I just remembered another live show I completely enjoyed. The Corrs. I caught them at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. A cousin of mine was working the sound board for the show, gave me a call asking if I wanted to attend, and I said sure. At that time, I was a casual fan of the band. Anyway, I went to the concert (free of charge), and fell in love with all three of the sisters. Andrea's bouncing around as she played the tinwhistle, Sharons little winks and giggles, and Caroline's skillful percussions, I could not ask for more. Then, after the show, my cousin took me backstage to meet them. Jimmy (the brother) asked if we had a "Football" for them to kick around. I reached into the trunk, and tossed him an American football, it hit his chest, and fell to the ground......ah, hell, I've gone off on a tangent. Point is, one of the top 3 concerts I've seen. And good lookin' lasses to boot.

 

[2012isbs]

Disturbed Music as a weapon 4 one of my fav bands the entrance draiman made was perfect here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17MjTNBqrL0the encore was priceless too here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VECebUd4uI&feature=related (this is where i saw it) sorry the camera's so horrible he walked through the crowd to the stage, it's youtube. The middle was great too but nothing really big happened during it.

 

[CH David]

Well I went to Warped Tour, but I don't think that counts. That was a sweet day.

Another concert that same summer was Projekt Revolution. Less Than Jake, The Used, Korn, Snoop Dogg, and Linkin Park all played. The smell of weed (I don't smoke though) and the consumption of alcohol was awesome. Plus a mosh pit on a hill was crazy. I wasn't even in the pit and I got hit and flung backwards down the hill. Give me some leeway I was 14.

The other really fun one was a HIM concert. I got to go with my older brother and his friends, I felt accepted. Skindred, Finch, and HIM played. Totally badass concert. It was during Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, and Ville Valo announced on stage that the White Sox had won, the crowd erupted. It was simply awesome.

 

[ShockTheMonkey223]

Fozzy at the Metro in Chicago. Not because Fozzy is such a great band or anything but it was an incredibly small venue and Edge and The Hurricane were standing right next to us. Plus, Jericho is actually a pretty entertaining frontman and he and the band were really cool and stayed around afterwards to sign autographs and shit. Fun show.

 

[Nitafrong]

Yeah I keep hearing about how good a band a live band the Flaming Lips are. One of my friends travelled down 130 miles down to the south of Ireland (it’s actually a fairly big distance here) on his own to see them. Still won't shut up about it On a side note, those girls in the cat suits are actually members of the audience- they tend to get really good looking girls on stage- another of my friends was asked and she actually got a picture with Wayne afterwards. Hopefully get to see them for the first time in September

Anyway the best live show I have to say I saw ever was Muse at Oxegen (the biggest Irish festival) a couple of years ago. It was really muddy and cold and dark. I had just had to make the horrible decision of choosing between Queens of the Stone Age and Muse-(Rodrigo and Gabriella, Brian Wilson, and the Wu Tang Clan were also playing at the same time. Easily would have loved to see any of them ) Anyways I ended up choosing Queens of the Stone Age as I had never seen them. They played a good enough gig, but it was in a tent and there were lots of asses jumping into me.

Anyways I come out of the tent at the end of the set, about to head back to the tent as that was the end of the music when I realise that Muse is still playing. Ended up running down into the middle of the crowd like a mad thing. There was something amazing about that show, huge flashing lights, lasers and the volume properly turned up to 11. Because I thought they were finishing their set every song felt like a gift to me, another chance to keep them on stage. (It actually ended up that they had started thirty or forty minutes late ). The grand finale was Knights of Cydonia which I assumed they had already played and was bitterly disappointed about missing. When the first cord of that played..... I literally lost my mind. Never felt emotion like that at a concert since, though Radiohead came close. Everything the band did was vitally important to me, I was drinking in the music, the lights, the atmosphere like a parched sailor abandoned at sea. As you can imagine I was floating in the heavens as I went home. Best gig ever