The best live vocal MOMENT you have ever witnessed

[KevShmev]

I capitalized "moment" because I want it to be just that: a moment.  In other words, a song, a chorus or even just a line, but not listing a whole damn concert as the moment; I consider that cheating.

Anyway, mine was Brad Delp nailing the chorus of Hollyann when a bunch of saw Boston in the summer of '95.  I didn't think they would play that song anyway, and when they did, I thought, "Oh, this ought to be good, seeing Delp sing that chorus," and was it ever!  Definitely a moment.

[Phoenix87x]

either Devin Townsend doing Deep Peace or Geddy lee singing Sudivisions or Middletown Dreams.

Tough to choose one moment though.

[wasteland]

6:00 in Milano, 2012. James slayed it!

[?]

The final chorus of The Misery by Sonata Arctica (sung by Tony Kakko)

The transition from the final chorus to the growled ending of Majestic Beast by Amorphis (sung by Tomi Joutsen)

[El Barto]

Rik Emmett singing an acoustic version of Ordinary man about 10 years ago, in a room with 200 people.

Dio belting out burn-burn-burn, burn in fire, followed by a scream that must have caused nightmares for all of the elderly black folk who live across the street from Starplex. Probably close to 20 years ago.

[KevShmev]

Rik Emmett singing an acoustic version of Ordinary man about 10 years ago, in a room with 200 people.

 

Hmmm, we saw him in '99, in front of a crowd about that big, and I am pretty sure he played Ordinary Man that way then, too.  I remember the whole crowd doing the "answer...answer...answer" echo near the end, and that satisfied look on his face at the crowd knowing that moment from a non-hit.

[krands85]

Not many spring to mind really - Vincent Cavanagh was amazing when I saw Anathema supporting Opeth last year, but there wasn't any particular MOMENT.

Chino Moreno of Deftones has all my favourite individual moments, basically because of of his awesome powerful screams. The one at the end of 'Royal' from Diamond Eyes stands out. My friend and I loved that song and the scream, so we were really hoping to hear it, but we had no idea if: 1. They'd even play the song and 2. What sort of form his vocals would be in, as it was the first show of the UK tour. Thankfully they did play it and he nailed it

I recorded the end of the song especially for the scream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aizKkxhBQNs

One other thing I thought of - although it wasn't actually a live gig I was at - rather it was the guys from Bad Salad/VRA the DT tribute band doing a live video stream of them rehearsing for some shows. They were playing Octavarium and the final "Trapped inside this Octa-va-ri-UUUUUMMM" from their singer was so powerful and unexpected. Here's a clip from one of their shows that will give you an idea (20.16 if the video doesn't automatically skip there)

[DebraKadabra]

Wow... there are a few I could choose from, but I'm going to go with a collective moment from Floater - we were at the Hollywood Alley in Mesa AZ in 2007 when the guys, who were in the midst of unplugging and stowing their gear, got a bet to see if they would play an acoustic version of "The Sad Ballad of Danny Boy" (aka just "Danny Boy" to the fans).  Rob (bass guitar/vocals) balked at first, until cold hard cash was put down, and the dude saying that he bet that they couldn't do it.  Well, Rob being the saucy person that he is, he finally cajoled Dave (guitar) and Pete (drums) into it and what happened next was the remaining fans who were still in the venue (including me) singing at the top of our voices, especially on the chorus.

That was a great time.

[lonestar]

Pete Townshend doing Drowned solo in 89.

[Jaq]

Seeing Symphony X opening for Blind Guardian back in 2002, Symphony X does Wicked, and Russell Allen gets to that note he holds out pretty long on the album, and he holds it even LONGER live, then stops for a second. Someone yells FUCKIN A and Russell and Michael Romeo die of laughter. Great moment.

[carl320]

James Labrie screaming "Trapped inside this Octavarium!" at the Chicago show of the Octavarium tour.

What makes it even better was that the next show in Detroit ended up being cancelled because James was sick and couldn't sing 

[King Postwhore]

Sarah Mclachlan singing Fumbling Towards Ecstasy live.  They ending and her singing is so powerful I had goosebumps.

[skydivingninja]

I'm not sure I can point to many bands I've seen live and point to an amazing vocal moment except two.  The first was in Asheville in 2010 where Coheed and Cambria played "The Suffering" and Claudio nailed the chorus with the original melody.  The second was seeing Foxy Shazam last year.  Dat note in "Holy Touch."  Those who know that song know the note I'm talking about, but really that whole show was an incredible display of vocal acrobatics.

[black_biff_stadler]

This

[Lolzeez]

This

[Bertielee]

The intro to The Masquerade Ball of Axel Rudy Pell as sung live  by Johnny Gioeli. Amazing!

B.Lee

[cyberdrummer]

This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLXwPVqZKjY

[PixelDream]

Chino Moreno of Deftones has all my favourite individual moments, basically because of of his awesome powerful screams. The one at the end of 'Royal' from Diamond Eyes stands out. My friend and I loved that song and the scream, so we were really hoping to hear it, but we had no idea if: 1. They'd even play the song and 2. What sort of form his vocals would be in, as it was the first show of the UK tour. Thankfully they did play it and he nailed it

Cool, that's one of my favorite Deftones moments as well. Extremely well done with the 'fake' ending, and then launching into that riff and scream.

[lonestar]

I gotta change my answer seeing as I didn't see the 'vocal' part


For vocal moments, it's gotta be the first time I saw Yes do The Revealing Science of God, and the intro vocal harmonies. Pure perfection.

[Ħ]

If I've witnessed the content of a DVD on my TV screen, does that still count?

[Mladen]

Anyway, mine was Brad Delp nailing the chorus of Hollyann when a bunch of saw Boston in the summer of '95.  I didn't think they would play that song anyway, and when they did, I thought, "Oh, this ought to be good, seeing Delp sing that chorus," and was it ever!  Definitely a moment.

You were privileged to see this, I envy you so much. 

I will probably go with James nailing the ''...pleasantly amused enough to stay'' part in Voices, when I saw them in 2009. I wanted to mention Bruce's performance on one of the Maiden gigs I attended, but there were way too many highlights for me just to single out one little moment.

[ColdFireYYZ]

The first one that comes to mind was seeing Peter Hammill singing Childlike Faith In Childhood's End with Van der Graaf Generator last year. While he's not as great of a singer as he was in the 70s, the power and emotion in his voice on that song gave me goosebumps.

[FrostbiteZ]

I think my best vocal moment must be at a Leonard Cohen concert where his backing singers Hattie and Charley Webb sang one of Lenny's song If It Be Your Will. I got goosebumps all over my body when I heard it and normally there is always people in a crowd who talks, but while they sang the crowd was dead silence. We all stood there mesmerized by this beautiful rendition

[growthmusic57]

Jens Kidman's delivery of the opening lyrics in "Demiurge" was a spectacle to behold live (Chicago, May 2012).

[PowerSlave]

I got to see Queensryche back in (I think...) 1989 when they were touring for mindcrime in Columbus, Ohio. They were opening for Metallica during the "And Justice for All" tour. Take Hold of the Flame was incredible that night. How the mighty have fallen...

[JoshuaB2112]

It would either have to be Roger Hodgson doing "Fool's Overture" or Joe Bonamassa doing the climax of "Blues Deluxe". Both in Melbourne.

[Mladen]

The first one that comes to mind was seeing Peter Hammill singing Childlike Faith In Childhood's End with Van der Graaf Generator last year. While he's not as great of a singer as he was in the 70s, the power and emotion in his voice on that song gave me goosebumps.

That sounds so amazing. 

[wolfking]

Seeing Judas Priest with Ripper live for my first concert at 17 left an impression.  Watching him do Painkiller, Diamonds and Rust and Beyond the Realms of Death was amazing.

[Dream Team]

Ann Wilson hitting the high notes of "Mashallah" among others last October in Poughkeepsie.

[YtseBitsySpider]

Queensryche DreamThater Fates Warning tour..............................Geoff does Take Hold of The Flame.........and hits the opening note to perfection.

[AngelBack]

Steve Walsh w/ Kansas in June 1978, The Wall - one of my first shows. 

[TAC]

James Labrie, June 8, 1992, New York City

I listen to that bootleg and I still can't believe my ears. It was the most incredible 45 minutes of my musical life.

[wasteland]

James Labrie, June 8, 1992, New York City

I listen to that bootleg and I still can't believe my ears. It was the most incredible 45 minutes of my musical life.

From the moment I saw your post from the main page I knew.

Most incredible vocal performance I have ever heard in my life. By far.

[TAC]

James Labrie, June 8, 1992, New York City

I listen to that bootleg and I still can't believe my ears. It was the most incredible 45 minutes of my musical life.

From the moment I saw your post from the main page I knew.

Most incredible vocal performance I have ever heard in my life. By far.

[WildeSilas]

Without question, JLB during The Silent Man in Dallas last winter on the ADTOE tour. No huge high notes, but it's one of my fav DT songs and his performance was so tasteful and just dead on. He was on fire the whole show, which was a nice surprise as I'd assumed he couldn't hang with the older songs, but he nailed the fuck out of them. I was more impressed with him than the rest of the band combined.