#41

Assuming it goes ahead, I’ll be getting a day ticket for the Saturday of Bluedot to watch them headline. We did it for Kraftwerk in 2019 and had a great time.

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#42

Stumbled across Faithless at a festival in the early 00’s as the sun was going down and had a great time

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#43

Ash.

Saw them at the end of a gruelling Electric Picnic set in 2017 and it was like standing in front of a jet engine for an hour. Played all the hits at maximum volume, loved it.

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#44

Now that’s a great review :grinning::+1:

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#45

Oh yeah, I’ve just remembered! I don’t like M People at all but they were once on the bill for a show I was at… and they were really good. I told this story to my housemate of the time (sadly no longer with us) and it turned out he had seen them at Glastonbury while waiting for someone else and had the same experience… he didn’t like them either but said they were great on the day.

#46

Oh, absolutely. I mean I am a fan, but their gigs are just BAM BAM BAM HIT HIT HIT. I defy anyone not to enjoy them.

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#47

Aerosmith. Dont like them at all but they’re my wife’s favourite band. Turns out they’re fantastic live. Huh.

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#48

It’s difficult to not like them in that context really. Haven’t listened to them in years, but every festival set I’ve seen them do has been hit after hit, as you say.

They always seem to play shite little towns on their tours too. Seen them twice in Whitehaven. The lad with the fringe from Bloc Party was playing guitar for them second time around.

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#49

PiL at Primavera. I had no idea John Lydon’s voice was so powerful, I just wasn’t expecting it at all.

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#50

He seems to have developed an almost operatic quality in his voice in recent years. The version of ‘This Is Not A Love Song’ they’ve played this last decade sounds miles better than the original as a result.

I’ll nominate Bat For Lashes. Not too fussed about the records, decent as they are, but I’ve seen her 3 times now as my wife’s a fan and they’re fantastic. Natasha Khan has a phenomenal voice and is a quietly charismatic performer. Has a presence that’s both a bit otherworldly but seems quite down to earth and likeable too.

#51

I knew the songs but was expecting a fairly drab affair. Fucking Hell, they knocked it out of the park.

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#52

Terrorvision were a lot better than I was expecting them to be. I mean, I quite liked their albums, but they always seemed a but too wacky for me to love them as a teenager. I ended up seeing them in first year of uni and they were heavy and fun.

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#53

I reckon there is definitely something live that won’t translate to film.

A surprisingly good live experience for me was Super Furry Animals. Quite enjoyed their stuff on the radio then I saw them on Jools Holland and also TFI Friday and thought they came across incredibly badly, just seemed very dull and flat.

However, they supported Blur on the S/T album tour in Manchester and…yeah…it was such a good gig. And really they didn’t do anything different to those TV performances but seeing them in a proper setting for a full set completely did something else.

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#54

I have no real desire to listen to the music of Beck but he was great live

and at the same event the Manics were completely shit, I was very embarrassed to have dragged some pals to see them. Might have been an off day

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#55

Also, bring the sirens but yeah: Smashing Pumpkins - wasn’t bothered by them in 1998 although I’d liked a few singles (Today, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, The End is the Beginning of the End or whatever the Batman and Robin track was) but never felt much from the album.

But their Glastonbury set was spellbindingly good.

Borrowed some of their albums from my flatmate when I got home and I still couldn’t get into them.

I guess similar feelings from REM at Glastonbury (I think maybe that was 97 not 98 but it’s hazy) where they were so much more energetic live than on record. Stipe really tore into those songs, absolutely incredible…but as a band on record they are only ‘fine’ for me with a few good singles. (Feels for me on that gig because c/w death: two unlikely friends of ours got together and got married and had a kid but she died a year or two back from cancer. He’s doing okay as a single dad though, proper top guy. Was good to see him at Christmas..)

#56

Would agree with this. I’ve seen the Manics live twice - 96 and 99 - and both times they were just really workmanlike, banging out the songs but it felt very routine.

Whereas I’m not a massive Beck fan but his Glasto performance in 97 (?) was absolutely amazing, and it was a late afternoon slot too, no headline.

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#57

yeah the Manics were pretty boring at that - they did have some roadie on bass tbf cos Nicky Wire was looking after his mum, but still, found it pretty dull. i’m not a huge fan of them in general though.

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#58

Can’t believe you’ve just described SFA as dull and flat! I do have a soft spot for them to be fair though, as my older brother was a huge fan and that’s how I got into them.

He won tickets on Radio 1 to see them on the same tour I think you’re on about, with The Shirehorses (Mark & Lard) also supporting. Was really disappointed that he didn’t take me (I was 11 to be fair). He returned home with a signed Radiator poster though. It wasn’t signed by them and I knew it, but I appreciated my brother’s efforts.

Years later, when they played my home town they took the effort to go round filming the local landmarks, and projected the footage onto the backdrop during the set. Gruff walked onstage wearing a Power Ranger helmet

A few years ago I bumped into Gruff before they did the first two albums back-to-back at Leeds Arena, and he was really nice. I mentioned said story, and he got a photo with me.

Really love that band.

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#59

Ha, I only said that’s how they came across on TV!

And yeah The Shirehorses were on first and it was good fun. Basically skit about how they came to write the song then they’d go in on it. Aged badly I’m sure but was just what me and my mates wanted back then.

Shame the venue was the Nynex which is one of those soulless sports stadiums.

#60

Funny, that Pumpkins gig is one of the worst gigs I’ve ever seen and I’ve hated them ever since.

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