Best Live Rock Band Ever. And it's not even close.

[rapidfirerob]

MO for me as well, though not exactly a rock band. I missed Duane Allman by a month, Carnegie Hall Nov. 71. That certainly would have been
one of the best, no doubt. Saw The Who in 69 and 70, not too shabby either.

[flowerking]

'82 was also fairly adept (ummmm, yeah) and the '88 band did their homework.

Actually the '88 band truly gets my vote for the best live rock band in the history of western music.

I thought about adding the 88 band to my post, but for name recognition they suffered in comparison to the other two bands I listed. I agree with you though, at the time, that band was the best rehearsed set of musicians I had ever heard. I might have to put ZPZ above the 88 band though in terms of musical talent.

By the way, I absolutely love Pat Metheny and feel he's perhaps the finest guitarist on the planet. But in terms of talent, I would be willing to entertain that Mike Keneally is his equal or even exceeds him because Keneally is also a virtuoso on keyboard.

[kayfabe58]

Steven Wilsons Raven tour band pretty much raises the bar a few notches...

[Jerjo]

Hell, the bands that Steely Dan has taken out on the road would qualify as well.

[R. Totale III]

I saw the Joni band in the first message live. I saw the original full strength Who play Tommy. I've seen Magma and Zappa and Ramones and Genesis with Gabriel and most of the likely suspects in this thread. But the best live Rock band I ever saw was the Violent Femmes at their peak, just after Hallowed Ground. I've seen lots of other people who could probably technically play rings around them (except for Brian Ritchie, who I think is hands down the best rock bassist of his generation). But as a live act, the Femmes were unbeatable. If you weren't there and you probably weren't, you'll have to take my word for it.

[BravadoNJ]

Led Zeppelin

[Adm.Kirk]

I would have to 3rd the vote for the Who.

Bill

[PeterG]

Best live rock band ever that I've seen is Iron Maiden due to their energy and the way they can captivate and involve an audience as well as their great music.

[Phlakaton]

Mahavishnu Orchestra, greatest band ever!

Didn't take long to get to my thought ... Mahavishnu was the sickest incredible live band ever in my opinion. Even Zappa band member's reflected on how insane it was going to be to follow those guys on the '73 tour.

[chalkpie]

I saw the Joni band in the first message live. I saw the original full strength Who play Tommy. I've seen Magma and Zappa and Ramones and Genesis with Gabriel and most of the likely suspects in this thread. But the best live Rock band I ever saw was the Violent Femmes at their peak, just after Hallowed Ground. I've seen lots of other people who could probably technically play rings around them (except for Brian Ritchie, who I think is hands down the best rock bassist of his generation). But as a live act, the Femmes were unbeatable. If you weren't there and you probably weren't, you'll have to take my word for it.

Don't really know these lunatics, but right on! To dig this band more than FZ, Magma, etc live is something else. Watching clip now - thx.

[chalkpie]

Great stuff. It almost seemed to go into a Beefheart-type groove for about 5 seconds, and the middle improv/crescendo section with the sweaty bass player killing it was cool as hell. Does their stuff all have a "country" flair?

[R. Totale III]

Great stuff. It almost seemed to go into a Beefheart-type groove for about 5 seconds, and the middle improv/crescendo section with the sweaty bass player killing it was cool as hell. Does their stuff all have a "country" flair?

Musically it was mostly pretty conventional 80s rock, guitar bass drums - I'm surprised you haven't heard of them it you're of the right age. I picked that song because it showed some of how intense they were live at the time, far different from their studio recordings. No one I knew at the time who saw them live wasn't blown away by their show, but "that time" was like 30 years ago, so...

[Phlakaton]

If we're posting just fantastic live bands - I submit Fugazi. ALWAYS a great show. Seen them about 20 times.

[MJBrady]

Whoa, this thread is outta control. But having a challenge as your thread starter works everytime:
Bravo for the Zappa bands, Umphreys, MO, Dregs, and the like, gotta add a few others that are not so much fusion, as thats too easy with RTF, WR.

How about Level 42 when they had Gary Husband, Mark King, Holdsworth, Mark Lindup.
Toto - yes Toto, a Killer live bands in their prime.

[JKL2000]

But as a live act, the Femmes were unbeatable. If you weren't there and you probably weren't, you'll have to take my word for it.

I saw them open for John Cale at The Bottom Line shortly after their first album came out (and I was pretty into the album). They were indeed very captivating (at that show the drummer was playing a garbage can over a drum I believe). Not sure I'd rank them quite as high as you do, but they were very good and unique.

[mozo-pg]

ABB, easily.

[trurl]

I saw them open for John Cale at The Bottom Line shortly after their first album came out (and I was pretty into the album). They were indeed very captivating (at that show the drummer was playing a garbage can over a drum I believe). Not sure I'd rank them quite as high as you do, but they were very good and unique.

I have never, ever been able to get past that f**king Blister In The Sun song. That video has more of an X vibe... it could be that I have not given the Femmes a fair shake...

[Frankie]

If we're posting just fantastic live bands - I submit Fugazi. ALWAYS a great show. Seen them about 20 times.

And so polite..."Excuse me sir...uh, sir...would you mind not doing that?"

[loshammeros]

Sensational Alex Harvey Band

[The Dark Elf]

For sheer spectacle in a live performance, I've seen Pink Floyd 3 times (In the Flesh '77, Momentary Lapse and Division Bell), and have always come away amazed. No. better. concert.

For entertainment value, Jethro Tull in the 1970s.

For a stunning solo performance, Stevie Ray Vaughan.

[Dana5140]

I've seen some great bands live- Hendrix, Mahavishnu, Zappa, Genesis, and Magma (And Magma is close to the best)- but the greatest live act I ever saw was the MC5. No band ever had that kind of anarchic energy and high intensity.

[happytheman]

Band vs. Artist? Jackson Browne's band comes to mind when I saw him.. incredibly tight band.. Billy Joel was another artist who traveled with top flight musicians who played extremely well together.. The band understands the fans come to see the artist in these two cases and thus never try to upstage the front man..

[SteveSly]

Band vs. Artist? Jackson Browne's band comes to mind when I saw him.. incredibly tight band.. Billy Joel was another artist who traveled with top flight musicians who played extremely well together.. The band understands the fans come to see the artist in these two cases and thus never try to upstage the front man..

I have only seen Browne acoustic, but Joel's band are all fantastic and know exactly what they are there for. I met David Rosenhall when he played ProgDay with Oblivion Sun. I kind of thought me may have been a bit underwhelmed playing in a field to 200 people instead of a packed baseball stadium or hockey arena, but was a very very down to earth nice guy. He is fantastic with Billy's band.

[Lopez]

Hard for me to pick the best I've ever seen: Canned Heat right after Woodstock (1969), Johnny Winter And (1970), ELP (1971), David Bowie and the Spiders (1973), Bruce at the Main Point in Philly in 1973, King Crimson (1974), and believe it or not Sha-Na-f*@king-Na in 1971.

[Mythos]

The impression a live performance makes on a person is completely subjective.. Remember the first time you had sex? (No response needed..lol)

Well, I recall the first live band I ever saw (at 15) and while there was no sex involved, but their was a topless dancer: Hawkwind 1973 Space Ritual Tour! And it wasn't even close!

It featured the entire classic line-up: Dave Brock, Nik Turner, Lemmy, Bob Calvet, et. al...