OT: 30 years ago yesterday - greatest live rock performance ever?

Submitted by Zoltanrules on

What was the best live performance you saw?

Last week the Stones were awesome at Comerica (no freaking remarkable considering their age). Hopefully McCartney and Metallica will rock Lollapalooza in two weeks.

But in 1985 at Live Aid Freddie Mercury and Queen set the bar for rocking an audience imho.The Beatles on Ed Sullivan were ground breaking as were Nirvana unplugged, Led Zeppelin in MSG, and Hendrix at Monterey,et al but this one to me just was extra magical. I get goosebumps every time I see Freddie leading 70,000 sing " Radio Ga Ga".

 

 

https://youtu.be/r19FYTYRvSc

bokee88

July 15th, 2015 at 11:38 AM ^

Amen. I wish Freddie was still alive so I could see them play live. The only reason I went and saw the stones was because they are one of the greats and still alive. Queen would be even better.



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Sommy

July 15th, 2015 at 12:10 PM ^

I was always pretty amazed at how great some of the live Queen performances were, not because they weren't all great musicians, but because the studio recordings had so many overdubs with so many additional vocal tracks and guitar tracks for harmonies (along with other elements inherently unreproduceable in a live setting).  I always would have figured that the live performances would comparatively sound empty, but nope; they sounded just as powerful live.  Awesome.  

Former_DC_Buck

July 15th, 2015 at 12:35 PM ^

U2 was two set before.  Sting actually did Money for Nothing with Dire starights just before Queen.  So the crowd, which had been listless at times, partly due to some  was staring to get some energy, but Mercury had a way of grabbing an audience.  I saw them other times and he always had such a great rapport with the fans. 

But the crowd response to Radio Ga-Ga was, I'm sturggling for the right word here, scary, in a way.  Maybe because I was 15 in a different country and had been having an odd summer as it was, but it still gives me chills.  I always attributed it to more of a Euro menatality than an American mentality. At the Big House, or here at the Horshoe or evn at Beaver Stadium, some folks don't stand during the wave, or rerspond to O-H-I-O around the stadium or the back and forth of certain chees, etc.  There, evryone that I could see (I was fairly far back) was standing (in some places no choice) and clapping.  In sych.  It's kind of like the Bejing Olympics and the coordinated events during the opening ceremonies in 2008.  It almost doesn't seem human.     

And as someone pointed out, it was sort of suprising because Queen had been doing shows in South Africa and most artists had boycottedd performing there due to Apartheid.  You look at films from the 80s around that time and a bit after, and you have obvious (Lethal Weapon 2) and less obvious (Scrooged) examples of opposition to the South African Govenment. 

simshawk

July 15th, 2015 at 12:46 PM ^

1979 World Series of Rock, Cleveland Stadium, Helluva show. Angus, Nugent, and Tyler were all amazing.

AC/DC
Aerosmith
Journey
Scorpions
Ted Nugent
Thin Lizzy

mischill

July 15th, 2015 at 1:11 PM ^

Dillinger Escape Plan at Clutch Cargos on the Plea for Peace tour. Wall of spot lights and strobes behind the band, so you could mostly see silhouettes of the mayhem. It was like watching a shark attack in front of the sun.



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Monkey House

July 15th, 2015 at 4:12 PM ^

those are all great but I would add Oasis at that out door concert in England? I think? that pic of them standing on stage with what looks like 200,000 people in front of them is insane.

Elno Lewis

July 15th, 2015 at 4:49 PM ^

Hail yes!  Alvin Lee simply kicks the bejeevers out of that song!  When i saw them live at Cobo they did 5 encoures and we still couldn't get enough.  But, I'm Coming Home, that song sent everyone to the stage!  What a great concert it was.  Pure rock and roll at its finest.

 

Its good to hear all the rockers talk about their experiences with different bands.  Everyone has their era and their favorites.  

 

I know,  Its only rock n roll, but I like it!

 

 

west2

July 15th, 2015 at 8:53 PM ^

Best performance in the 60s was Janis Joplin at Monterey in 1967.  70s went to many concerts and the best live performance imo was Rod stewart.  Didn't go to any concerts in the 80s or 90s but the top performer was Madonna in the 80s and Michael Jackson in the 90s.  After that got no clue. 

jdon

July 15th, 2015 at 9:49 PM ^

The five best shows I've ever seen:
1. Lollapalozza 94. Pine knob
Pumpkins
Beasties
L7
I wish I had been at the show with green day.

2. Watch the throne tour jay z and kanye west. Palace couple years ago
Two legends sharing a stage and dominating.


3. Eminem and jay z at comerica
Both killed it
Jay z let jeezy play like 3 songs
Dre and 50 played.
Great time


4. Tori Amos hill auditorium 96
I have never seen anything more intense.

5. Summer of 96? 97? Palace of auburn hills
Pantera
White zombie
Deftones
Untouchable 'heavy' show, pantera on the trend kill tour, zombie before rob dropped the band and a young Deftones who were lightening live.

Other notables for me:
Garth brooks back in 96 and again this year

Pearl jams 2006 show at can Andel

Lollapalozza 93
Alice in chains
Dinosaur jr
Prunus
And the first time I saw tool or rage

Rage against the machine 96 cobo, 98 palace, imagine of the show with the beasties hadn't been cancelled

Local h at the blind pig

Domestic problems every single time I saw them at the pig from 98-001

Kanye and Kendrick a year or two ago. Kendrick was untouchable and kanye was intense



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