The Curious Orange vs Top Ten Live Bands

[The Curious Orange]

So just in case anyone cares, here's a list of the Top Ten best Live Bands I've seen.

#10
Def Leppard
 

OK, a little naff these days, sure, but Def Leppard were one of the first bands I saw live as a teenager, and I loved them. I wanted this list to not only include those bands I enjoy seeing now, but also those bands I loved seeing back then. The Hysteria tour was pretty spectacular for the time, and a large part of my continued love for seeing bands live can be credited to Def Leppard. They’re on this list more for the effect they had on my teenaged self than anything else.

#9
Metallica
 

The Mighty Metallica. A great live experience, and they easily make the top ten list.

#8
The Wildhearts
 

The Wildhearts were a 90s British rock band with great catchy tunes and a punk-rock attitude. They had a few singles that bothered the bottom end of the charts, and even appeared on Top of the Pops a few times. But for some reason they were never as successful as they should have been - they should have been Oasis huge, Coldplay huge - and then their third album saw them disappear up their own backsides behind a wall of unlistenable white noise. They did make a comeback a few years ago, but I’d grown up and my musical tastes had changed in the meantime.
But live on stage, they were one of the best bands I’ve seen. I can honestly say I’ve never had as much fun as I’ve had at a Wildhearts gig.

[The Curious Orange]

Next 3 -

=#7
Pink Floyd / Roger Waters
 

I’m too young to have seen Floyd back when Roger was still in the band, but I saw Floyd in 1988 at Wembley, then again the following year at the Docklands Arena, and anyone who was there will tell you it was the most spectacular show they’d ever seen, and one that really raised the bar for stadium rock shows – more lights and lasers than you could quite believe, plus that iconic circular screen, the slowly opening mirror-ball and of course the pig.
I saw Roger first on the Radio KAOS tour, and while it didn’t quite have the spectacle of his former band mates, it also lacked the clinical, mechanical perfection, and had much more heart and soul, and made a stronger impression on me. Roger’s recent The Wall Live tour brought the bombast and spectacle in spades, of course, particularly that shot of the naked woman’s cha-cha-dilly during Young Lust… (and people complained about the Star of David???)
It’s too close to call, both Pink Floyd and Roger Waters have put on some spectacular shows, so they both share the number 7 spot.

#6
Rush
 

Because they’re Rush.

#5
Pearl Jam
 

Pearl Jam know how to treat an audience. Eddie Vedder really is one of rock’s great front men – his ability to work a crowd is pretty special. Add in the constantly rotating setlists, plus the availability of official bootlegs from every show, and PJ prove that ignoring music industry practice and forging your own path can really pay dividends. Go see Pearl Jam for yourself, and you’ll soon be converted.

[Xenon]

Nothing like a Metallica newsted era live performance. Lots of energy.

[The Curious Orange]

Really bored at work this week, so here's numbers 4 and 3...

#4
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
 

A great songwriter and one of the best live performers I’ve seen. There’s nothing like watching Bruce and the E Street Band blasting out Glory Days or Badlands – he really makes everybody in the stadium feel like they’re in the front row, and that takes a special kind of talent. Bruce has a reputation as a great live act, and for once it’s not all hype – he bounds around the stage and audience pit with the sort of energy that would exhaust a man half his age. There’s a reason why they call him The Boss. And the E Street Band are some of the finest musicians in the business, especially the incredible Roy Bittan.

#3
Iron Maiden
 

Another Bruce! Maiden were the band that turned me on to heavy metal. They were the first band I truly loved. Maiden have never let me down. The staging and professionalism of their recent shows has been some of the best I’ve seen. Maiden bring it every single night. Maiden rock. Maiden ARE metal.

[Zydar]

Great update! I love both acts, and I was lucky enough to see Springsteen live in 2009.

[Riitasointi]

Wow that Maiden photo is fantastic! And yes, easily a top 5 live act as well.

[The Curious Orange]

#2
Dream Theater
 

The time: November 24, 1993. The place: Rock City, Nottingham, UK – a kick ass little rock club with a capacity of about 600. The occasion: I saw Dream Theater for the first time. And they blew me away. They blew everyone who was there that night away as well. Fast forward 20 years, and I’ve followed this band to bigger and bigger venues, The Astoria, Hammersmith Apollo, and finally Wembley Arena. I’ve travelled to see them in smaller halls – Leeds, Wolverhampton, Sheffield. And every time they’ve blown me away all over again.
Yes, I’m one of those people who feel their recent albums aren’t as good as their older stuff, but live on stage they just keep getting better and better. Iron Maiden and Dream Theater are the two metal bands that have never disappointed. I love this band, and they’re one of only two bands I’d never miss an opportunity to see live. The other band takes my number one spot…

[The Curious Orange]

#1
Marillion
 

The best live band I’ve ever seen. But they do have an unfair advantage – seeing Marillion isn’t like seeing any other band, this is a life-enhancing experience. They do all the things that the other bands on this list do, not necessarily better, but more concentrated. A great live act is not only a great band with great music, but also the ability to connect with the audience and break down the walls between them. I’ve never seen a band connect with their fans like Marillion do. This isn’t your ordinary rock show, this is a load of friends getting together for a party. Being a Marillion fan is like belonging to some strange, love - filled family.
The band have some stunning tunes – Hearing Neverland played live in front of you is a truly transcendental thing. Steve Hogarth is a fantastic showman, able to twist and turn a melody on the fly to bring out new nuances of meaning each time he sings it. As The Cult said, you’ve got to bleed a little while you sing, else the words don’t mean a thing, and Mr H sure puts blood, sweat and tears into every note. Steve Rothery is one of the most emotive guitarists I’ve heard, and some of the sounds he gets out of that instrument are like nothing on earth. Why he doesn’t feature in lists of top guitarists more I just don’t know.
So there ya go. Marillion. Not just the best band I’ve seen, but a better way of life.

[El Barto]

A lot of them would make my list, but the order would be changed quite a bit. I don't think I could exclude Rush, but they're no longer the draw they were for me. I'd probably give them 10th just out of respect, but I doubt I'd even go to see them again. Certainly not for their asking price. The new material and Ged's voice just don't do it for me. While Maiden would be a top three, they might drop a notch or two since this tour seems to be where Bruce's age caught up to him. He still sounds very good, but not like he did 3 or 4 years ago. Plus, the fact that we yanks only get greatest hits tours doesn't help their case any. Not sure where I stand on Roger. Spectacular thing to see, but it's hard to call his show a live band. Metallica would be a lot higher on my list. I suppose it's a matter of taste, but I find spontaneity as important as sheer precision. Now that Dream Theater are all about performing the perfect show every night, Metallica is really the king of going out and surprising people. My opinions on DT are already well known, but suffice it to say they dropped a whole bunch of slots around, I dunno, three to five years ago.

Never saw The E Street Band but would love to. Don't like Springsteen very much at all, but I'd definitely dig the show.

And I would have included Dio in my list. He always sang what he felt, which varied from night to night, and no other artist did as much to make the audience feel like all he wanted to do was please them. The man's graciousness really affected the shows.

[Onno]

Cool list. About Marillion: I'm not a big fan, although I kind of like the Fish-era albums, those are quite good IMO. I've seen them play the Night of the Prog festival last July and you are absolutely right about the interaction with the crowd. Wow. But apart from a good long song with which they opened and a few Fish-era songs in the encore, the rest all sounded so similar to me. I got bored really quick. Maybe it's just not my thing though. But I can see that if you like the music, they are a great band to see.

[The Curious Orange]

I wanted this to be an all time top 10, not a 2014 top ten, so a lot of those bands are on the list based on how good they were "back then" rather than how good they are now. I agree that some of these artists aren't what they were, but I saw them back when they were, so they make the list.

And unfortunately I never got to see Dio.