Concert Experiences

[Inquisitor Lok]

Im most people have gone to a concert at somepoint in their life (if not, get on it! They are awesome ) so what are peoples favorite ones? What did you like about it/ didnt like (if anything)? that sort of stuff.

This topic idea, sort of came to me as i drove home from easily the best and most unique concert experience ive ever had tonight (Pendulum at the Guvernment in TO)

For me, ive been to quite a number of concerts from Great Big Sea (first concert ever haha) to Weezer a few times to seeing the Fray open for either Sum41 or Three Days Grace (cant remember which one) to now Pendulum. With almost all the ones ive been to i have always had a 'set' seat, which is great and all, as it gives you space to breath and rock out, but at the same time, i feel like it lacks the energy of the group mentality in a way (hard to explain) and I really only felt that way about them all after the concert i went to today, which was VASTLY different from all my past experiences. Essentially it was a giant mosh pit/ rave where everyone was crowded (and crowded is a vast understatement). Having arrived when the doors opened was lucky enough to get a middle front of the crowd spot.... but man... once the music started... the feeling of the crowd was ridiculous.. like nothing i have ever experienced haha. Maybe it was just because it is insane Drum and Bass electronic music, or where i was, but it made it even better then the music already was. I have never been thrown around so much and been contorted in so many ways i did not know my body could bend and still stay standing then i was at that gig.. and despite all this it made the experience that much better.

The only 3 things i would complain a little about, was 1) i would have loved the concert to have kept going for another few hours (it was already somewhere between 1.75-2hrs already ^_^) 2) (This is kinda addvice to anyone who may go to something like this) Wearing Glasses... not a great idea on my part 3) Some 250-ish lb dude was 'spazing'(sp?) out during all the music trying to push me the hell away by ramming me into other people.. and me being a skinning guy... could do very little to get him away haha

So what are other peoples experiences?

[Croaxleigh]

I've been to a few concerts... hard to narrow down which one was my favorite, though. Most likely it was either when I saw Counting Crows and Goo Goo Dolls in Indianapolis with some friends (knew it was going to be a good night when the lead singer of Goo Goo Dolls said about three songs in, "We've been feeling pretty nostalgic all day, so we're mostly going to play a bunch of our old stuff... hope you guys don't mind"), or when I went to the Protomen's "Act II" release show in Nashville (they had an awesome opening band, then played their first album in its entirety, had an intermission, played the new album in its entirety with a 21-piece band complete with orchestra and chorus, and finished up the night with an encore including a few cover songs.)

[Tiresias]

I’ve been to a fair few concerts over the past three years, highlights have been the two Radiohead concerts especially, they are absolutely glorious live, I could watch Radiohead live all day. Seeing them in Manchester in 08 was special, it wasn’t my first concert but I had only been to a few smaller ones previously, I arrived latish and didn’t get a good position, in fact I couldn’t see the band at all for the whole gig so it was pretty much a purely auditory experience, however this actually worked really well. Hearing Pyramid Song float over the crowed to a massive sunset (memory probably has exaggerated this) was incredibly beautiful, and probably the moment I went from big fan to absolute nutter heh.

Seeing them at Leeds to top off a day of loads of great performances was also special, this time with very good view (and after dark so the lightshow worked properly) was special. These are My Twisted Words was amazing, even if it is them veering towards noodling. Also got performance of Everything in it’s Right place with an introduction tiny cover of Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs which was wonderful. Still the highlight of Radiohead was 2+2=5 at Manchester when Thom decided rather than sing the lyrics at the end just to scream MOTHERF*****RS a fairly poor quality recording can be heard here


Coming in second place are the National whose gig built and built until it climaxed in the encore with the double whammy of Mr November then Terrible love, incredibly intense performance, absolutely first class, finishing with a giant acoustic and unplugged singalong worked really well without being cheesy. If you ever have the chance go see them live, they’re reliable since they’ve been touring so long they have it down to a fine art.

Honourable mentions go to three bands, Flaming Lips are great fun, you get a show, you can bounce balloons around a lot, get blasted with smoke machines and confetti, Wayne Coyne crowdsurfs in a giant inflatable balloon. Modest Mouse were brilliant too, so many great songs, Isaac Brock carries the whole thing with masterful guitar playing. Also marked by walking past Isaac Brock talking to Johnny Marr and not having the courage to say hi or anything (though maybe would have annoyed them). Superb. Gorillaz also were incredible, despite all the negative karma they got from Glastonbury being apparently poor, their performance in Birmingham end of last year was very very good, exceeded any expectations.

[Kalimac]

I've been working on some gigs here in town the last two-ish years, so I've seen glimpses of some of the concerts as well. AC/DC was, well, not really my cup of tea, but they looked like they had fun. Madonna live was more like watching 20 music videos in a row, complete with playback and everything.

U2 had a fantastic stage which really beat all the others by a huge margin, and the lightshow was awesome. Also, they have some good songs, and I managed to see the end of the concert where they played With Or Without You. Pretty cool feeling when everyone in the arena sang that one together, it was just spectacular and probably my best concert moment so far.

[BYOB]

Muse. Very tight band with great gig suited songs. One hell of a light show they put on as well. Knights of Cydonia, Time is Running out, Starlight, Map of the Problematic, New Born, Plug in Baby, Hysteria and so much more.

Snow Patrols "Run" live is awesome, everyone sang along to that one. Crowd were probably better singers then the band itself ;-)

I heard U2 were brilliant last time they played in Croke Park (Ireland)

Kings Of Leon and Lady GaGa, don't ask how I saw the second one, both were utter shoite live. Well, okay, in fairness to KOL they played well, but I could have stuck on my I-Pod and went to the jacks and id have the same gig essentially.

[Croaxleigh]

both were utter shoite live

Reminds me of another concert I went to, when Counting Crows were touring with John Mayer. The lead singer of Counting Crows was running a fever of 104 F, and as he described it was going to try and get through as many songs as possible before he passed out. They still did a hell of a show, though. Once that was over, Mayer took the stage... all of the teeny-boppers and girls in the audience went wild of him, but the show was pretty lackluster. I later read a review online from a college newspaper local to the concert venue which said that Mayer should have actually watched the Counting Crows portion of the show so that he would know how to give a live performance.

[Tiresias]

I remember seeing Frank Turner live at a festival and hating it massively, but everyone around us loved it...was odd, felt oddly out of touch with all the young people nearby

[Dark_Avenger]

The biggest concert I've gone to see was Muse on their Resistance tour in Toronto. They're my Favorite band so I may be a little bias when I say that I thought it was amazing. They put on a great light show and other visuals along with their music.

It was the only concert I've traveled a fairly large distance to go see as I live in New Brunswick. No one comes here

[uncle_anaesthesia]

wickerman festival in a small corner of southern scotland, lots of bands playing decent sets with final band playing for a couple of hours (space ritual...ace), not to jam packed, very uncommercial and they burnt a thirty foot wickerman at midnite with half neked nymphs doing cartwheels n blowing fire

[Kirjava]

The best live shows are the ones that don't just play their songs in a venue- they create an atmosphere, make it an event in some way. Enter Shikari make you feel as if you're part of a cult, inviting you to join in a frenzied dance as they marshal you from the stage. Funeral For A Friend made a gig to mark the leaving of a guitarist into a monument to their first album, a seven-year celebration of the guy's time with the band. 65daysofstatic make me feel like I'm witnessing something incredible each and every time, the closest I feel like I've come to a religious experience. Alkaline Trio are pally, chatting away like you're their mates in a small pub gig no matter how many people are there. If the band or artist can elevate it above a simple performance, the gig takes on a whole new level. It'll certainly be more memorable.

[ÜberJumper]

I've only gone to a few. Corey Hart back in '85. KISS in the early 90's. AC/DC (which was really awesome). Stone Temple Pilots (great show, small venue, hillarious crowd interaction) and LIVE (I was really drunk and really high, and ended up puking in the washroom. Last time I ever smoked pot I think.).

[Octopus Rex]

Aye, Radiohead Manchester 08 was indeed might fine Tir. I was a bit further back though so the sound started getting a little bit washy, but still it was my own fault.

Recently say Godspeed, you! Black Emperor at ATP festival (which I go to every year). They played for two hours each day for three days in a row in their first live gigs in about 8 years. I saw them every day and it was fucking incredible. Better than I could've imagined. For many bands it can be a long time before you manage to get to see them, and it can easily be a disappointment when you do as they turn out to be relatively mediocre live. It was really nice that that didn't happen with these guys whom I've waited so long to see and thought I never would.

Sigur Ros on their Takk tour were amazing too- they had these translucent sheets in front and back and so the light would shine shadows on it from all directions (and were changed frequently to good effect of course) as well as visual being projected on to the front one. After the first song the front sheet was lifted so you actually see the band, but it came down again through the last song. Saw a great japanese taiko drumming group I saw recently as well (I've seen a few and was caught off guard by how good these particular guys were). Hard to describe, just amazing.

WRT Muse: they're not my favourite band, but they do indeed put a good live show on (though of course for me it's hindered by their songs - they're good, but I just wish they went more prog, because I know they can, after the first two albums I sort wandered away from them). Matt Bellamy is very entertaining to watch.

[Troubleshooter]

22 July, 1990 : Depeche Mode world violation tour.

My brother got me drunk on cheap liquor and took me along with some of his friends to this concert. He got me into Depeche Mode when I was like 12 years old, the first song I ever heard of theirs was Blasphemous Rumors... it floored me and I was a huge fan until they soured and then imploded with Songs of Faith and devotion.

Still, that concert was near spiritual for me... Depeche Mode was a great concert act. I still get goose bumps when I think about it. Everything counts... just awesome. I went to another Depeche Mode concert a few years later and despite it being fun to hear all my favorite songs again, the group was already on the down slope. I'm glad I caught them in their prime.

Later on I went with a group of my friends to a Metalica concert that was just a riot. I was pretty small, about 135 pounds at the time in my late teens and I was down in the mosh pit with the bikers and juice-pigs... I was pretty much a projectile most of the evening, but no major injuries. I have some great war stories from that night but I'll spare you. Suffice to say that "sanitarium" just about killed me. Also, this was the tour, and the date, that Alice and Chains, like the whole damn group, entered rehab. Metalica knew the crowd was pissed off at not getting to see AiC on stage so they offered to console us by giving us a teaser of their new, unrecorded song. The crowd went fucking wild at the prospect... Hetfield got everyone to calm down to the point you could hear a pin drop... then they open up with the first few bars of Man in the Box and make the most snively, whiny, wah wah wah sounds mocking AiC. Epic troll. HAHAHA!

[uncle_anaesthesia]

velvet underground when they reformed, played earls court ( i think) we had seats at back of stadium furthest away from beers n toilets then they played all their stuff different from theyre albums...bastards
the who n pink floyd at live aid. stood in a park for near 24 hours with no beer whot should have been my musical zenith was spoiled by the fact i was feckin knackered n tired from the day before excesses

[reki]

I've seen some pretty big bands over the years - Dire Straits, U2, Bowie, REM, ACDC (back in the 80s & 90s). With the exception of a recent Leonard Cohen concert, stadium rock is a bit meh for me these days though.

I think a couple of my faves have been in more recent years in smaller venues. Sigur Ros were brilliant live, I agree Octo - such amazing sound quality & wonderfully moving visuals. Fleet Foxes was one of my favourite ever shows - no visuals, no fuss, just amazing, amazing live music. I've yet to see Radiohead, as they've only been out here a couple of times & both times I've been overseas, but I'm looking forward to that one when it happens.

[Bowkers]

I've only been to three concerts. One of them I didn't even want to go to..

Pendulum who were simply incredible. This was to promote their album Hold Your Colour, so pretty much, imo, their best stuff.
Supergrass. Last ever show. Three hours excluding support. Played majority of their songs, simply epic.
and the other one..which was a horrible experience.

[Troubleshooter]

With the exception of a recent Leonard Cohen concert,

!!!!!
Details!!!

... I didn't think anyone else on these forums even knew who Leonard Cohen was! Hell, I didn't realize he was still performing to be honest... I'd drop everything to see him live.

[Exetus]

Sevendust and Disturbed put on a really good show, I was fortunate enough to see both of them within the last few months, Sevendust twice since one of their band members is from Fayetteville, NC. The venues weren't great, but the performances were awesome. Since October, In This Moment, and Korn were all bylines at one point or another and I really felt like I got my money's worth. Back in 1998, I was lucky enough to catch Lauryn Hill and Outkast in Greensboro, NC and that was an awesome show. I'm pretty eclectic, so I've been to concerts in plenty of genres.

Perhaps the best (and largest) was the Rocks for Toronto concert that I went to in 2003 that had an amazing set list with Rush, AC/DC and headlined with The Rolling Stones. There were other groups/artist there, too, like the Isley Brothers and Justin Timberlake. I felt that Timberlake was a bit out of place in the evening session, but he got a bad reception from the crowd and while i'm not a fan, he didn't deserve that. Overall, the concert was awesome, however.

Other great shows were Chevelle, Linkin Park, Bullet For My Valentine and I'm going to the Carolina Rebellion concert in May that has an awesome multi-stage line-up that will be Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack, Three Days Grace, Stone Sour, Seether, Bullet For My Valentine, Theory of a Deadman, Alter Bridge, Hinder and nine other lesser-known bands. It should be absolutely wicked, but we'll see =).

The only part about most hard rock/metal concerts that I am not too fond of is the mosh pit. It's great to watch, but I have been to concerts where the damn thing evolves to take on a life of its own and gets a little out of hand. It's all part of the experience, but I'd rather avoid the pit as well as the random people that suddenly want to make everyone else crowd surf. Once again, can be fun... until someone drops you on your face, lol.

[Troubleshooter]

Once again, can be fun... until someone drops you on your face, lol.

Women should never... ever crowd surf... you've been warned.

There's mosh pits, and theirs mosh pits. One is just a good natured low intensity brawl... the other is a group of people trying to actively dominate one another that tends to wind up with people getting seriously injured. The Metallica concert I went to had both... I stayed away from the one in the middle of the arena (no security nearby = bikers trying to kill each other) and gravitated to the ones near the stage, where the security presence for the band also discouraged people from getting stupid. I think I weighed about 140 pounds and I was bouncing off guys twice my size like a tennis ball... no one threw any thing harder at me than I could handle, it was great! My friends were all bigger than I, and they came out with heavier bruises and knocks to the head, but no one had any real complaints about it. From the stands though, you could see the other mosh pit was all "mad max" ... no thanks.

[Raptor_Shadow]

Croax. I hate you because you've seen The Protomen live and I'm stuck here in Australia.

I've seen a few bands live, mostly thanks to the big Australian music festivals that manage to get big names in. Saw Muse at Big Day Out last year, which was worth waiting the whole day in the heat for. Ditto for Rammstein this year. And I saw Queens of the Stone Age and Iron Maiden at this years Soundwave festival. I <3 Josh Homme and anything he does and Iron Maiden put on an absolutely fantastic show.

[marmoo]

Best concert i ever went to was in 1996 - Oasis at Knebworth(in UK for those who do not know Knebworth House)
Hot sunny day - great atmosphere and superb music line up for the 125,000 of us who turned up :P
I went on the Saturday (was over Sat / Sun)

Bands / groups on show:

Cast, Dreadzone, Kula Shaker, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene, Manic Street Preachers, The Charlatans, The Bootleg Beatles, The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy

All for £26 quid (or there abouts) - £10 coach travel

Best performance of the day - Prodigy without a doubt

Special moment - guest appearance by John Squire(formerly of The Stone Roses) for 'Champagne SuperNova'

Great Day, Great memories

[Tiresias]

Saw Elbow last night in Sheffield, very good gig actually, they've aclimatised very well to bigger arenas, and held together by Guy Garvey being actually pretty funny. Some very good songs too. Better than expected, that said very much centred on recent songs, slightly disappointed by a few songs missing from setlist from earlier albums.

Villagers in support were excellent, perhaps even the best support act I've seen, I thought their record was a bit polite and mannered, but they were loud angry tuneful and discordant in the right ways live. The singer's voice is amazing (he also apparently plays all instruments on record)

[runner12326]

Muse's concert last December at Acer Arena went off. I'm a huge Muse fan, but still the atmosphere was just amazing. I went through the whole concert singing, waiting for that build up in Knights of Cydonia, last song of the night. Went off.
Matt Bellamy just knows how to put on a show.

[Goblix]

Saw Rush on the 12th up in Chicago. It's true what they say you know, you have to see Rush live to really appreciate the band. I never cared for Tom Sawyer or YYZ but now? Oh man, different story.
And despite their age they still put on a hell of a show

[Inquisitor Lok]

Just saw Chase and Status doing a DJ set last night in TO... Man was it ever gooood, the set ended up being just over 2 hours long too and they started at 12:30 haha. The air began to literally vibrate when they remixed/played Bass Cannon it was ridiculous Really wanting to see them play live music now haha.

[Harmanoff]

I have trouble recalling a few amazing concerts, my memory is swamped with countless good ones instead. But there are a couple that stand out for various reasons of course.

One that springs to mind immediately is Dillinger Escape Plan mid-2000s at the Hultsfred festival(i think i've mentioned this performance before on these boards). I had no idea who they were or what kind of music it was. The band gets up on stage. Nobody moves and a wierd loop is playing. They stand like that for what feels like 5 minutes and i'm wondering what the hell is going on. Then they fucking explode and the singer runs onto stage screaming on top of his lungs, band swirls around with their instruments playing insane hardcore. They keep it up for about 20 minutes at breakneck speed and then leave a severely battered moshpit behind. Good times! Finding great shows where you expected nothing is a good feeling.

Mosh pits are another topic when it comes to great experiences. Same year and stage as above they also have, on the same night, Mastodon and Totalt Jävla Mörker(swedish hardcore punk band). Me and company moshed so hard we could barely move the day after. I'm not a fan of the mosh pits i sometimes see where people actively try to hurt each other, even aiming punchs at your face. In the good ones you just freak out and if someone falls everyone backs away, pick you up and goes back to freaking out.

Then there are the concerts that didn't involve rocking out but just quietly enjoying it. Yeah.. i'll go with Sigur Ros too. Roskilde festival 2006, we stayed back from the crowd, had a joint and laid on our backs in the warm night. Sigur Ros is a band i definately don't always feel like listening to because it takes a while to get into the mood but if you do they're fantastic.

And oh.. i must mention my first 'real' show ever. Couple of friends dragged me along to see a swedish hardcore band called Refused back when i was 14 or so. It was a rather wierd thing seeing people behaving like they did(like crazy) but i've continued down that path ever since. If you don't know the band check out their last album, The Shape of Punk To Come. If you like good hardcore you'll like everything they've done but that last one is legendary and a must listen for anyone who's got a serious interest in heavier music(or just music i suppose).