Whats the best gig/performance you've been to in your life???

Rockee

What concert will you never forget? Could be for whatever reason, best performance by the musician/musicians on stage,maybe you met your boyfriend/girlfriend at it? Id love to hear from everybody, doesnt matter what kind of music you like. My personal favourite concert ever was Metallica at the Point in July '99. I was 18 and at the peak of my Metallica worship phase! Being the middle of summer and hearing my fave songs at the time really did it for me. Ive also enjoyed concerts from Cannibal Corpse to No Doubt, Christina Aguilera to Cradle Of Filth, All Saints to Planxty...Please dont turn this thread into a musical taste slagging match. I'd love to hear peoples stories. Thanks lads and lassies!

John

Einstuerzende Neubauten in Berlin. They played two nights in the Palast der Republik (the former government building of East Germany). The building has been gutted and there's only concrete and steel left in it. The first night was fan club only and 100 of us formed a choir (we rehearsed with the group for the three days prior to the gigs). The band played possibly the best performance they've ever done (mostly new and once-off material). It ended with the entire audience battering away a beat on 50 tables made from various bits of scrap. 500 people + lots of sheet metal = very loud.

Basq

Interesting question actually.. easy one for myself..

I know i might get an heavy flaming from Boardsies who tend to heavily dislike them but:

Band: U2
Tour: Elevation
Venue: Slane Castle
Date: August 25th 2001 (the first and generally thought of superior of the 2 Slane gigs that year)

Setlist:

Elevation
Beautiful Day
Until The End Of The World
New Year's Day
Bono's Speech
Kite
A Sort of Homecoming
I Will Follow
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Wake Up Dead Man
Stuck in A Moment You Can't Get Of
Bono's Speech
In A Little While
Bono's Speech
Dancing In The Moonlight
Desire
Staring At The Sun
Bad
Where The Streets Have No Name
Mysterious Ways
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Bullet The Blue Sky (with Intro)
With Or Without You
Bono's Speech
One
When Will I See You Again
Walk On

I know many people hate what they've become but the sheer atmosphere and electricity in the air that night, they seemed to be on top form. A day or two after Bono buried his father.. there were moments where he genuinely looked choked up but also proud to be staging the "Homecoming". Also supported by the (meh) Coldplay and a fantastic performance by the Chili's didn't hurt either!

Seen them in Croker during the Summer on the Vertigo Tour - still excellent - but nothing will top the atmosphere that warm Summer's night in Co. Meath.

Phenomenal - will NEVER EVER forget it!

John

Yeah, those Slane shows were great too. I remember when I saw Coldplay that day thinking: "They'll never last." Regrettably I was so very wrong.

Basq

John2 wrote:

.. I remember when I saw Coldplay that day thinking: "They'll never last." Regrettably I was so very wrong.

Not to go too far off-topic though but i was somewhat a fan of Coldplay at the time, on the basis of 'Parachutes' alone (though i think 'X&Y' is much stronger than previous albums).

But on the day, i thought they were absolutely dire!

Everyone who asks me know what they were like and hears my negative comments about their performance are amazed as they're apparently became a "fantastic" live band but they were far from even adequate in Slane that day.

pclancy

Seen Focus a few months back in Vicar Street. Amazing band. My experiance was helped on by a few mushroom friends though

Looking forward to riders on the storm soon

BossArky

Pearl Jam, Residence Platz, Salzburg June 18th 2000. Lovely place for a concert in the middle of an excellent summer.

Tchocky

Radiohead, The Point

December 2003

The second of two gigs, and the last night of their European tour.

Managed to worm my way to the barrier, right in front of Johnny Greenwood

The Point is one of the worst venues I've ever been in, but that didnt matter. A mind-blowingly great concert, like an aural BJ

Edit:


****, I cant decide between Radiohead, and British Sea Power in Edinburgh's Liquid Rooms, in April last year.


*quiver*

Kali

Brian Wilson - The Point Feb '02 .. I got to see a legend in action.. worth every penny (and compared to the recent gig very cheap).
Roger Waters - Glastonbury '02 .. again the first time I'd seen him play, and was right up the front in awe... extremely memorable, was the last performance in his world tour as well.
Spiritualized - Glastonbury '02 .. I can't remember it but I'm pretty sure I felt every minute of it.

Small gigs:
Explosions In The Sky, The Hub Feb '04 .. unbelivably epic, jaw-droppingly good, every gig has been measured in comparison to this since.
M83 - Sugar Club, Oct '03 .. the best electronic to live gig I've ever seen, they quite simply rocked.

and British Sea Power in Edinburgh's Liquid Rooms, in April last year.

I've seen them three times.. and by far and away the best was in Whelans three years ago after the release of The Decline Of.. every other gig since has been larger and lacking the ferocious energy of the first imo.. still a great live band though.

Tar.Aldarion

Slipknot in the summer, maybe slayer in the summer either. Wow!
Plan to top them though.

Larianne

Rockee wrote:

My personal favourite concert ever was Metallica at the Point in July '99. I was 18 and at the peak of my Metallica worship phase! Being the middle of summer and hearing my fave songs at the time really did it for me.

Exactly the same here. Was a brillant gig and why I won't go and see them live again. I'll just be disappointed.

deedee lepoopoo

David Bowie - The Point - 2003 (I think?)

He played for two hours solid and there was none of this 'I am not playing my old material' attitude, that alot of legends seem to adopt.

He is a genius.

Rockee

I know what you mean Larianne...I seen them at the RDS in 2003 from about 2 acres away! Plus in the Point it was nice and dark and the sound didnt escape anywhere. Outdoors and sunny wasnt the best for me and Metallica that day!

Larianne

Rockee wrote:

I know what you mean Larianne...I seen them at the RDS in 2003 from about 2 acres away! Plus in the Point it was nice and dark and the sound didnt escape anywhere. Outdoors and sunny wasnt the best for me and Metallica that day!

The fact that Linkin Park (I think) were supporting them, there was gonna be a load of teeny boppers, and the RDS is huge all stopped me from seeing them again.

Nope the gig in '99 did it for me. 1st time seeing Metallica, in the pit, Kirk Hammett waving at me (he soo do I tell you!) and scoring a cute northern guy after made it the best gig I've been to!

Rockee

Heehee, sounded like a good night back in '99! Im convinced Hetfield nodded at me during Nothing Else Matters...I was pretty much right in front of Kirk Hammett the whole night. Unfortunately I didnt score with any girl that night...just toddled off to Burger King on O'Connell Street with my smelly friend!:D

bounty_hunter

Michael Jackson from backstage in Nice or from the crowd in Bonne were both unbelievable. His stage show was phenomenal and completely flawless, an amazing gig to watch. I'm still undecided as to whether it was better to see it from the crowd and be completely sucked into the illusion or to see from backstage and know exactly what was going on.

Rockee

Its a little off the thread subject but I was on holidays in tropical Cork in 1988 when Wacko Jacko played Pairc Ui Chaoimh. I couldnt go cos I was 7 years old but I got a concert t-shirt off some man on the street. I mustve worn it everyday for a year.:D

bounty_hunter

Ha, yeah. I used to have millions of surplus XXL ones, wore them as dresses about the house when I was little.

Rockiemalt

muse at dublin castle or muse in the olympia...

i like muse live...

dazberry

Heather Nova - October 9th 2001 - Whelans.

Wasn't to confident of a good gig because I never really though Whelans was a great venue - but it was acoustic, a bit personal and a lot spiritual in a sense. Truely wonderful. Unfortunately her return to the Ambassador the following March wasn't near as good IMO.

D.

John

Rockiemalt wrote:

muse at dublin castle

I honestly thought that was one of the worst gigs I've ever been to. I had seen Muse before and they were amazing, that night they were so dull. It put me off listening to them for about two years.

OTliddy

Theres a band in Tenerife that have have been voted the best band in the Canaries i think its 7 years running with only one exception. They're called the looney tunes, they just play covers in a pub, but don't let the name and setting put you off. The guitarist is AMAZING, and the other guy has the whole place in stiches all the time with his jokes. I've seen alot of semi-known bands but only been to one concert(RHCP) These guys surpass everything.

Beastieboy

Muse in the Olympia was an amazing performance but the best time i had at a concert was U2 in glasgow last summer. I had bought seated tickets off ticketmaster but when i got to the stadium my seat was in a section didn't have a view of the stage (i couldn't even get to my seat as the stewarts weren't letting people past a certain point),i don't know how ticketmaster made that mistake, but a kind steward sent me down to the pitch and i was one of the first people in the pit.

dazberry

dazberry wrote:

Heather Nova - October 9th 2001 - Whelans.

Wasn't to confident of a good gig because I never really though Whelans was a great venue - but it was acoustic, a bit personal and a lot spiritual in a sense. Truely wonderful. Unfortunately her return to the Ambassador the following March wasn't near as good IMO.

D.

That was truly an amazing gig.
I'd also add in Hamell on trial, White Zombie and Fleetwood Mac in the Point. Great stuff

Goodshape

Tchocky wrote:

Radiohead, The Point

December 2003

The second of two gigs, and the last night of their European tour.

Yea, I was there that night. Great gig alright.

Also 'And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead' in the Rock Café in Prague last year. Small venue (perfect), great band, phenomenal gig.

Rockee

Papa Smut wrote:

White Zombie Great stuff

Wow! Where did you see them?? Great band in their day.

jebuz

muse at oxegen 2004 was class! would have been so much better if that fuppin steward hadn't have taken my vodka + coke mixture

ChuckProphet

Arcade Fire - Electric Picnic 2005
Go-Betweens - Olympia in 2000
Spiritualised - Glastonbury 1998
Beta Band - Ambassador 2004


worst gig I was ever at? Dylan in the point 2005

JacoStanley

Yes with the orchestra in the point a few years ago.

smashey

From a personal point of view, my performance last night was legendary;)

krinpit

Arcade Fire at The Electric Picnic 2005. The whole concert was an experience that I didn't want to end.

The most surprisingly enjoyable gig was The Strokes at Oxegen 2004. Not a major fan of their albums but they are incredible live.

Also, one of the many Frames gigs I was at in UL - Rag Week 2001. Was right up at the very front for the entire gig. Them was the days!

Basq

smashey wrote:

From a personal point of view, my performance last night was legendary

Heard the support act was even better!...

(to quote Basil Brush)... "BOOM BOOM!"

smashey

basquille wrote:

Heard the support act was even better!...

(to quote Basil Brush)... "BOOM BOOM!"

Have to admit, I did laugh. Quite witty coming from a Sligo man:D

klingklang

The Ramones - State Cinema Phibsboro
The Smiths - SFX Centre
Iggy Pop - Stadium
The Babysnakes - The New Inn
Prince - Spirit
Kraftwerk - The Olympia
Peaches - TBMC

Nightwish

Nightwish in the Apollo in Hammersmith last September. It was an amazing gig.
Also as much as I dislike the guy, Robbie Williams is a great showman and put on a great gig in Phoenix Park.

monument

Just on purely on the music, Mercury Rev in some tent at Witnness a few years back. For the same reason Rodrigo & Gabriel, the Quay (the pub/venue), Galway.

There's too many to list that I'd rate "good/very good".

Pighead

monument wrote:

Just on purely on the music, Mercury Rev in some tent at Witnness a few years back..

Agreed, that gig has always stuck out in Pigheads memory as a special one. "The Dark is Rising" being particularly memorable as Jonathan orchestrated the band during the eh orchestry sounding parts. Think Spiritualized played in that same tent that year which was also a classic.

steveland?

Basement Jaxx in Marlay Park last year would get my vote from a purely musical spectacle point of view...

Every note was pitch perfect and the fact that they came on just as the sun was setting was great... and let's face it, anything was going to be amazing compared to Mylo...

Civilian_Target

Hurricane Festival in Germany last summer. System of a Down supported by Audioslave on the saturday evening was just superb. If I never go to another gigs as good again, I won't mind.

Hippo

The Buzzcocks in TCD 1978

The Jam in the Top Hat Dun Laoghaire 1979

The Clash in the Rainbow London 1979

Iggy Pop in the Ritz New York 1981

Paul McCartney in the RDS 2003

Eels in Vicar Street last year

But then I'm old...

klingklang

Hippo wrote:

But then I'm old...

You and me both - nice list though!
Seeing The Top Hat mentioned reminded me of a brilliant Jesus And Mary Chain gig there sometime in the fog of the 80's.

Hippo

fraid the JAMC gig is lost in the fog for me! The Clash played in the Top Hat as well, but were a bit disappointing as far as I can remember...Iggy was great, though the band he was hauling around at the time was appalling.

ek942

Pink Floyd in Earl's court '94.JUst 'cos I love them so much and didn't think I'd ever get to see them live.

egon spengler

radiohead at punchestown, 2000, unbelievable, the performances were amazing, i loved the way they improvized on some of the songs, the lighting was awesome, when they played lucky the red lights shone right through them just leaving their outlines during the chorus. it was religious.

Nightwish

Nightwish at the Hammersmith Apollo last September or Children of Bodom at the London Astoria last week, both stand out as amazing gigs.

gracehopper

The Verve @ the point in may 98
Groove Armada @ the first witness
Beck @ the first Witness
Santana in tuijana summer 2003

just a few that i'll never forget

Rockee

Hippo wrote:

The Jam in the Top Hat Dun Laoghaire 1979

The Clash in the Rainbow London 1979

Damn, I was born in '81 and I wouldve loved to have seen them in their day. Damn it Dad you were lucky!:D

Hippo

There there, son.

Rockee

Haha! Fair play:D

Spicy Lauren

Beck @ Aeronef, Lille, France. Nov 1996
Massive Attack @ Point, Dublin. August 2003
Nick Cave @ Vicar Street, Dublin. Oct. 2003
U2 @ Croke Park, Dublin. June 2005
Mudhoney @ Village, Dublin. Sept. 2005

dingding

Fleetwood mac - Belfast a couple of years ago, I was also at their concert in point the week before.