Best Concert Ever - Music Message Board

Maiden fan, ay, Dawg? Awesome! I have always considered Priest and Maiden to be the Alpha and the Omega of metal. All hail! :-)

Yeah, when it comes to live stuff and the harder stuff, the first two bands that always come to mind are Rush and the Scorpions. You know, as far as sounding excellent live. I have never seen either one live but I have seen films and they are both just amazing. Of course, Priest are up there pretty high on the list of excellent live performance and sound, and so is Metallica. We also can't forget about Mr. Nugent. Atrocious Theodocious! :-) Double Live Gonzo is one of my fave albums of all time. Man, I can't imagine what it would be like to be able to wang-dang a guitar like that. I guess I would probably be just as egotistical as Ted.

You should check out Pat Travers Live (Go For What You Know) sometime if you have never heard it. That cat is way awesome and he has tons of stuff I have never heard before.

Reply #21. Jan 20 19, 1:11 PM

Of course, we can't forget about bands like Stagedork, Nerd Force, Wimp Parade and Afraid of Kittens. Even when those guys are sound asleep, they make Priest, Maiden, Anthrax and Metallica combined look like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.

Reply #22. Jan 21 19, 4:44 AM

Wow Sadwings! Travers is definitely awesome! You are correct as I don't know if I have heard him before. Wonder why? I really love the blues elements. I just listened to one of his greatest hits albums. Made me think of Stevie Ray Vaughn, zz tops and the allman brothers a bit. Good stuff. Even a few rythm guitar sections with cord progressions that are rather Judas Priest like.

As for Maiden yeah they were my favorite for a time in high school. Don't listen to them as much as I used to but I sometimes run to Seventh son. I have the whole album memorized so I can completely zone out and before I know it 6 miles and an hour have gone by. I sometimes do the same thing to Queensrych's Operation mind crime. Have that one memorized too.

Check out Steven Wilson on YouTube. Try pulling up 'Home Invasion' from his recent concert. It is a bit long, maybe 12 minutes, but the final keyboard and guitar solos are pretty amazing. 'Detonation' is also very solid. It kind of starts slower and layers on awesomeness to a pretty awesome finale. Steven Wilson has tons of great music between solo work and his time as Porcupine Tree. Probably my favorite musician these days. So hard to find great music. Rock is dying sadly.

Reply #23. Jan 21 19, 9:29 AM

lesn	Heatwave - funk band back in the 70s were brilliant live Third world - Reggae band who were very good live Jools Holland - The best evenings entertainment ever Reply #24. Jan 22 19, 4:16 AM

Just checked out Home Invasion, Dawg. Sounds like they have some pretty unique grooves going on. Very interesting transitions going on throughout that tune. Never heard anything quite like that before. Looked up "Steven Wilson live" and - kablam! Hours and hours of stuff on a great big long list, including whole concerts. I will definitely be checking some of that stuff out. Up until now, I have always been more specific with my musical searches, but now I'm thinking that I need to start looking up certain artist and just include "live" with my search selections and see what comes up. I have never before seen such a long list of live stuff from anyone I have ever looked up before. That is just amazing.

Yeah, I remember Heatwave, lesn. Didn't they pretty much have just one or two hits and that was it? I have always kind of regarded Parliament as the kings of the 70s funk scene. Those cats were definitely in a class all by themselves.

Never heard of Third World or Jools Holland, but they are also on my list to check out when I can get around to it. I became rather fond of reggae in the early 80s when I got to visit Jamaica and other islands all over the Bahamas area when I was in the navy. Of course, I was greatly influenced by it when a handful of us became good pals with a local reggae band playing at one of those outdoor bars, whatever they are called. They hung out with us when they weren't playing and shared some of their "island goodies" with us and all kinds of fun stuff with a yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! :-) They even invited a couple of us up on the stage to play with them. One guy on the bass and another guy on the harmonica. Lots of fun stuff going on. I could live out the rest of my life there, no problem!

Reply #25. Jan 23 19, 3:36 AM

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it. Steven would say having someone say they have never heard anything like it is the greatest compliment he could be given. The concert in person was the best musical experience of my life. Steven literally grew up in a sound studio and on top of very good song creation he is a perfectionist with sound. His concert was in quadrophonic sound which was unbelievable especially when two or three instruments had their own melody line going at same time.

Steven has probably 30 albums under all his name's/band names and maybe 20 live albums. Probably my favorite thing is he is so creative. Each album has a general theme but no two albums sound exactly alike. In fact he really tries to change them up a lot. Makes it near impossible to pick a favorite album or song for that matter.

The home invasion concert is heavily taken from his last two solo albums. "To the Bone" is probably the most pop album he has made. "Hand cannot erase" is more introspective progressive art rock. Back in the 90s he went under the name Porcupine tree. Technically a band but Steven wrote all the music. The first half of porcupine tree is kind of psychedelic Floydish and like Floyd some great and some meh. The second half of porcupine tree is more metalish. "In Absentia" is probably his best album there though "Fear of a Blank Planet" got nominated for a Grammy.

Now for Reggae, I am going to risk sounding lame but the only reggae I have really listened to is Bob Marley. No idea if he is the Nickleback of the Reggae world of if he is considered great by reggae standards. I will say it is hard not to smile while listening to "Three Little birds". But yeah I could get into that if that is what most reggae is like.

Reply #26. Jan 23 19, 7:10 AM

Yo, Dawg, have you ever heard of a fairly new band called Greta Van Fleet? Some of their stuff really sounds a lot like Zeppelin, but I wouldn't call them a Zeppelin clone like some of the bands from the past. I really think these guys have got something going, and they are really making a huge impression on people from everything I have read, which has mostly been just comments that people have made on the internet.

One person commented that a lot of people are complaining that these guys sound too much like Zeppelin, but then these same people turn around and complain that they (bands in general) don't make music like they used to. I can relate to not being greatly impressed with bands who sound a lot like other bands before them, but there is just something different about these Van Fleet guys. I can't really explain it, but as I say, they have really got something going on. They have about an hour's worth of live stuff on the net that I am currently checking out. It's like from an ACL concert, if I got the letters right, whatever ACL means. Outdoor concert. I'm sure you could find it. I'd have posted a link, but I've got the same problem that I have with the links to a jillion other tunes and videos - the profanity in the comments listed beneath the videos. Gotta be careful with that kind of thing around here. Anyway, you should check them out sometime, yo. They've got this one tune called Highway Song that sounds more like Zeppelin that anything I've heard from them so far, but in this particular case that is a good thing, not a bad thing. This thing really rocks and I love it. It is so awesome what these kids are doing and I hope they keep right on doing it for a long, long time.

Leave me alone, don't want your promises no more
'Cause rock and roll is my religion and my law
Won't ever change, may think it's strange
You can't kill rock and roll, it's here to stay - Ozzy Osbourne

Reply #27. Jan 26 19, 11:52 PM

I have listened to Greta Van Fleet. They are very talented for sure. Zeppelin is one of the most gifted bands ever so if a band can come up with original content that sounds similar to Zeppelin, I think that's pretty awesome.

About the only thing I am not crazy about, or haven't gotten used to, is when the singer goes scratchy falcetto/screaming. It is true sometimes he does pull off a Robert Plant like scream which is pretty impressive but other times it sounds rather forced to me. But they are very new so they have time to morph. Maybe in future albums his voice will gain better control?

Over all I think they are pretty awesome. People can complain about them trying to be Zeppelin but I can promise you if they DIDN'T sound like Zeppelin they would currently have a couple thousand listens not a couple million. So good for them.

I'm not sure if I have brought up the band Riverside yet. They are another band I am really enjoying lately. They are rather calm for the most part though they definitely have stronger prog rock instrmentals at times. The lead singer has a voice similar to Dave Gahan from Depeche mode. Anyway, I listen to them when I am in a more pensive contemplative Floyd like mood.

Reply #28. Jan 27 19, 6:54 AM

Mixamatosis

Good bands I've seen in good live performances include: Jethro Tull, Free, The Kinks, and Ten Years After.

I like live performances when the audience gets really involved and they are really enjoying themselves.

2 good ones for that are Oasis in Argentina singing 'Don't Look Back in Anger' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enk3WOcIFPQ
and . The Cranberries singing 'Zombie' in Paris.

Another excellent performance is by Dire Straits in London singing 'Sultans of Swing' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pa9x9fZBtY

Reply #29. Jan 27 19, 5:58 PM

Mixamatosis

And here's a concert in London where no-one's playing but the audience decided to sing along to an interval song that was being played 'Bohemian Rhapsody' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZnBNuqqz5g

Reply #30. Jan 27 19, 6:07 PM

Great stuff, Mix. You Londoners are such rock and roll outlaws! :-)

Reply #31. Jan 28 19, 7:05 PM

I had heard that Greta Van Fleet sounded like Led Zep, and found that hard to believe, so I tuned in recently to watch and listen to them on Saturday Night Live. I don't get it, at all. I didn't think they were serious, at first, and wondered if they were another skit that got tossed in as a joke.

I wasn't impressed with anyone playing any of their instruments, and the singing was... I'll give them an E for Effort, but marginal, at best. I even laughed! But one of the guitar players had great boots I'd love to own.

They didn't remind me of anyone, but Led Zeppelin??? Come on!

I'll check them out on Youtube to see if they were just having a Very Bad Night, but it was live and it was awful -- both songs. Really, really awful. I wonder what Robert Plant thinks?

Reply #32. Jan 28 19, 8:17 PM

Oh look! Both of their performances from SNL one week ago are on Youtube. Watch and listen and let me know if you still think they sound like Zeppelin, or "have something going on" other than some major hype.

I'm still going to listen to some of their other stuff, but live? They just were not good.

But those silver boots are to die for. The capris pants on the lead singer, along with the macrame vest? Not so much.

Reply #33. Jan 28 19, 8:24 PM

Oh, hurry and check these out before they get taken down. I was being kind -- they're worse than I even remembered, and the comments are even funnier than this skit! I mean, band...

If they sound unlike this in the studio, you know what that means, right? If you can't play and sing live, you can't play and sing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B0QHAwtvbE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lUSFhx4hVk

Reply #34. Jan 28 19, 8:40 PM

Mixamatosis

So young to be wearing late 60s fashions, but not as bad as I was expecting from your comments, Elle. Nothing like Led Zeppelin musically though.

Reply #35. Jan 29 19, 2:53 AM

Blackdress you really didn't like them! Lol

So I watched the SNL performance which is the first time I have seen them live. I will stick with my thoughts that first I am not really enamored with the singer. His voice doesn't really do it for me and his odd expressions didn't help. As for the rest of the band they sounded flat. Some of that could be the acoustics of the auditorium there? Or maybe poor sound mechanics.

However I will stick with my thoughts that they do play Zeppelin like cords and melodies. They are NOT Zeppelin but their instrumentals are enjoyable.

If they make a leap forward with their next album they will be quite popular. Of course it goes without saying that popularity and talented do not always go hand in hand. Justin Bieber was insanely popular for a while and maybe still is? In fact the most talented bands rarely are popular or even known. The Mars Volta have no peers on the talent level but they are very hard to listen to. Dream Theater is pretty insane too but again not always an easy listen.

So I think Greta Van Fleet is doing ok so far. I don't listen to them but do applaud their efforts. I don't know if they have the right singer but then it seems the singer might be what makes the band popular. Catch 22.

Reply #36. Jan 29 19, 10:01 AM

I don't know, to me that junky Greta Van Fleet band sound just like Air Supply.

Actually, I think the biggest name in rock music will soon be Rock Roll. I saw this guy perform live on a Flintstones episode, and he laid down a wall of rock and roll thunder that you would not believe. I think he's on tour right now with Josie and the Pussycats.

Reply #37. Jan 29 19, 4:45 PM

Okay, I've re-evaluated my feelings about Greta Van Fleet.

They had a BAD night on SNL, with two bad sets. Maybe they couldn't hear their monitors, or maybe it was nerves, but it wasn't good. I honestly did think at was a skit at first.

They say they're tired of being compared to Led Zeppelin. That's nice. But they're obviously studied them, right down to their mannerisms. Even some of their songs are nearly identical to a few LZ songs. And Josh, the front man, not only sings in a British accent, he also speaks with one now, even though all four of them are from a small town in Detroit. Most people don't sing with an accent -- it takes some work to feign one. He's working way too hard.

I hear the Led Zep influence, I hear Rush, I hear Heart. I hear more Rush (Geddy Lee) in his voice than Robert Plant. He wishes he sounded like Robert Plant, but there can only be one. He sings in his head, doesn't use his diaphragm, and that's not a powerful voice, he's just singing as loudly as he possibly can. That's a voice he is going to wear out quickly if someone doesn't teach him how to warm up and then sing in his register, which is not way up in the clouds. His speaking voice is actually very low.

What I do like about them is that 3 out of 4 of them play instruments, and other than SNL, they play them well. And, they're a serious rock band. I watched a radio interview where they not only spoke, but sang and played a song while sitting with the DJ in the studio, with the three musicians all playing acoustic guitars. So, the bass player also plays guitar and a big Hammond organ. The drummer also plays guitar. Impressive.

I've seen the video Kevin posted where the lead singer is lip synching, not very well, and I can see why people got very excited about it. It's a fine-tuned video, though -- they don't sound like that live, especially the singer.

However, I also watched a lot of live videos, to include the ACL concert footage Kevin mentioned (that's the Austin City Limits Concert, I think) and they sounded better on a big stage. Maybe they feed off their audience.

But! I think they could be enormously popular, and successful, if they lost that front man, too. But that's probably not going to happen. That's Josh. He's 22. His twin brother is Jake, the guitar player. Their other brother is Sam, the bass player. He's 19. Dan is the drummer, also 19, and he's not related by blood, but they think of him as a brother. At least for now, they do.

I think their Mother is their manager.

Unless they have a blowout of epic proportions -- Skid Row proportions -- I think that singer is there to stay. And as far as I can tell, he plays a mean tambourine, and is trying way too hard with the weird vocal affectations.

And when I said to hurry and watch those two videos before they got taken down, I meant before YT took them down. Generally, any musical guest on SNL is copyrighted, and they don't allow videos on YT. But the ones I posted are official Vevo videos, so they're legitimate.

It will be interesting to see where this band goes, and if they can stay together. In my opinion, with the right lead singer, they could be incredible.

Reply #38. Jan 30 19, 2:27 AM

Okay, I know I am probably going to be taken the wrong way here, but just keep in mind that I am most definitely not pointing any fingers at any specific person at all, I am speaking in totally general terms here. Anyway, any time I ever hear anyone at all who is criticizing the way a person sings or plays an instrument or does anything at all, the first thing that always comes to mind is wondering if the person doing the criticizing can do any better themselves. The vast majority of the time, they couldn't even come close in their wildest dreams, but that certainly doesn't stop them from being a certified authority on whatever it is they are criticizing. I can't speak for other people in this regard, but for me personally, it's just always pretty comical for me to think about.

Here's another thing to think about. How much money have Greta Van Fleet or any other musical group in the world made at doing what they do, and how much have their critics made doing the same thing? How many recording contracts do the critics have? How many concert tickets have the critics sold? The way I see it, when one can outperform whatever it is they are criticizing, well, then maybe what they are saying just might have a little weight and a little substance behind it. Otherwise, what they are saying is pretty much like a fart in a hurricane.

Reply #39. Feb 01 19, 12:04 PM