I'm going to see Bat for Lashes in Oxford tonight.
What was the last band you saw live, and were they any good?
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:09, 61 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

The last band I saw were these happy chappies
www.sheelanagig.co.uk/

they were fucking awesome.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:11, Reply)

The Broken Family Band
who were, as usual and of course, awesome.

They split up a month or so ago after years of being awesome.
*sadfaces*
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:12, Reply)

I went to see Orange Goblin with the lovely Clendrix
I was very drunk, they were very good. Clendrix is still talking to me after I sat and ranted at her in the pub for a few hours afterwards. It's all good.
(Bazongaloid, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:15, Reply)

I inevitably do this if I get too drunk
so I try not to get too drunk any more. It's not as easy as it at first appears.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:16, Reply)

I think I may have seen Orange Goblin
many years ago, supporting someone....

I was very drunk though and don't remember what they were like, or who they were supporting...
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:17, Reply)

I'm sensing a theme here.
I bet the St John's Ambulance teams are really busy at their gigs, holding back people's hair and administering water and stuff.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:20, Reply)

I really can't think who they supported
unless it was Alice Cooper, and they were on before Dio...
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:22, Reply)

Dio supported Alice Cooper?
When was this? And where was this? Crazyland?
(Bazongaloid, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:23, Reply)

I'd estimate it was in 2000 or 2001 in Cardiff

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:25, Reply)

That's madness I tells you. Madness
Mind you, he didn't really start his resurgence until a few years later.
(Bazongaloid, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:28, Reply)

I think it was to herald the release of an album
which was kind of the very start of a comeback .
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:30, Reply)

Aaaah, the Magica album

(Bazongaloid, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:33, Reply)

that rings a bell
the internet confirms that it was in may 2001, and orange goblin did play
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:35, Reply)

Saw Hooverphonic in Belgium last November
Damn, is it that long since I've been to a proper gig?

Teh Hoover were awesome though. One of their last gigs before their singer quit, so glad I caught them. Once they'd played Eden and Mad About You I hoped I could have snuffed it there and then to preserve the moment forever.

And I'm going to see Wishbone Ash this Saturday, so that should make up for this year's drought. And possibly Emily Loizeau in November.
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:38, Reply)

Not heard of Emily Loizeau
What sort of music does she do? I'm seeing Ingrid Michaelson in November, looking forward to it.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:41, Reply)

I would describe it as
um, eccentric French singer-songwriter-type chanson. If that helps, which it probably doesn't.

_{The trouble with the singer-songwriter tag these days is it implies some ponce who's learnt his third chord on a guitar swaggering into an open mic night with an undue sense of self-importance and a group of friends who've been told to make a lot of noise once he's finished his self-indulgent arse-scraping of a song...}

There's a half-decent selection up on www.myspace.com/emilyloizeau although it's missing some of the highlights from her first album - which, unlike your average singer-songwriter, was refreshingly different to the second.

Not heard of this Ingrid Michaelson though - she any good?
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:50, Reply)

I shall have a listen when I get home
Ingrid Michaelson is also a singer songwriter, mellow ballad type stuff.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:36, Reply)

Amanda Palmer at Union Chapel
Fantastic gig. Amazing venue, both intimate and imposing at the same time.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:38, Reply)

It is indeed a great venue

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:40, Reply)

I keep an eye on their listings now
I'd definitely go again.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:42, Reply)

oh god
sorry everyone

It was Moby a few years ago. In my defense it was a birthday present for a friend who loves his stuff. It was ok I guess, however the drive back from Manc in thivk fog for 100 miles was an epic journey of tension
(Halfy By light alone, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:49, Reply)

Oh lordy, I travelled in fog.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:56, Reply)

*high fives*

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:58, Reply)

Erm
Last local band I saw live were 'The Hot Bananas'. The easiest way to describe them is this, you've never lived until you've seen a fat, bearded man with long hair sing 'Wuthering Heights' while wearing a bee suit. That was in the middle of another song (Bullet In The Head by R.A.T.M.) Surreal as fuck, but funny!

And I think the last big band I saw was Cannibal Corpse in february. They were actually the support, but I wasn't interested in the headliners. And they were fucking incredible.
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:51, Reply)

I saw Tortoise at the Garage, Highbury
and left after 3 tunes.

Utter, utter shit.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:56, Reply)

Tortoise?
Never heard of 'em, but it's not exactly a band name that fills me with confidence...
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 9:58, Reply)

Neither had I
My friend bought me a ticket telling me I'd love it.

They sounded like a bunch of secondary school children let loose in the music room - fucking xylophones and shit. Apparently they're all genius musicians from some Chicago music school - I could discern no genius at all.

They were there own roadies and had failed to soundcheck effectively - shit kept going wrong and it was frankly embarrassing to watch.

0/10
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:14, Reply)

I listened to a Tortoise album once.
It had no substance whatsoever. I had a similar experience with UNKLE at Reading 07 who I had high hopes for but they'd apparently decided to become a dire rock band. We left half-way through the second track and tried to get pissed on Carling.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:02, Reply)

Bass Clef
at the Sub Club in Glasgow. Fucking superb, live trombone fed through a filthy echo-chamber, cowbell cacophony and general all round sub bass japery. It also allowed me to hear the stunning sound system in the Sub Cub, bass so well defined you could have skinned up on it. it also had a vibrating dancefloor, that may sound gimmicky, but it was subtle and effective...a bit like dancing on a subwoofer. Full body impact. Best club sound system i have ever heard, easily.
(Cancer Joy was short lived, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:00, Reply)

'bass so well defined you could have skinned up on it'
is now part of my lexicon.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:10, Reply)

Not this band
but you're right about the subby sound system , vibrating dancefloor FTW
( fudboy high ideals and crazy dreams, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:21, Reply)

That would be
Textures last Thursday at the Camden Underworld.

They're Dutch so it was their only UK show this year. And they were fucking amazing.

I bought a T-shirt.
(beanojam isn't really Ricardo Flange, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:04, Reply)

Fanfarlo, First Aid Kit and Dot to Dots
All were good, but Dot to Dots were fantastic.
It was in a social club and there were about 100 people there; very intimate
(TheColonel, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:04, Reply)

The Levellers, in Leeds last year
One of the few MANY bands who sound better live than they do on their CDs. Of course, I threw my bra at them, which they kept :)
There are some cracking local bands who we see all the time, but I'd recommend The Brew - like the levs, they tour constantly:

www.the-brew.net/
( Tourette's ( . )( . ) has a monkey hair in her fried egg, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:13, Reply)

Far be it from me to disagree with you
but surely there are fucking millions of bands who sound better live than on record?

Motorhead, for one without thinking for a second. The Who....

Just saying, like...
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:16, Reply)

fair enough!
hang on, I'll fix it....
( Tourette's ( . )( . ) has a monkey hair in her fried egg, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:19, Reply)

I've seen some bands that were so good live that I had to stop listening to their CDs to preserve the memory
I'd have to say that I've seen the Levellers many times now, and for the last few years they have got progressively worse.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:21, Reply)

I do prefer their older material,
but still thoroughly enjoy their gigs.
( Tourette's ( . )( . ) has a monkey hair in her fried egg, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:28, Reply)

some acts only really make sense live
Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction are one of the most entertaining bands I've ever seen, and bar their first EP their records were complete bollocks.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:36, Reply)

Live at Leeds
And even Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.

Without those two albums I might never have been so inspired to take up the bass guitar. _{Whether y'all consider that to be a good or bad thing I'll leave open to debate...}
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 11:44, Reply)

Live at Leeds is fucking incredible
That, Black Sabbath's Past Lives and Hendrix's Band of Gypsys are perhaps my favourite live albums.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 12:16, Reply)

Past Lives?
Is that a recent release, or just a really rare one I've not heard about?
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 12:19, Reply)

it's the deluxe reissue of Live at Last
remastered and expanded. I have the triple vinyl edition and it truly is deluxe, a wonderful item.

You will thank me forever if you buy it
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 12:59, Reply)

Orange Goblin
They were great, and made more so by the fact I was standing next to althegeordie, who got hopelessly drunk.
( thealternativefact, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:30, Reply)

remind me what orange goblin are like
I was so drunk when I saw them I've forgotten. odd because I distinctly remember dio and alice cooper...
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:31, Reply)

Very loud and RAWK.
The lead singer is a mountain of a man, bearded and big.
*yums*
( thealternativefact, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:33, Reply)

can't beat big bearded men. if only more ladies thought as you did the world would be a better place
I shall check them out again. orange goblin that is.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:41, Reply)

seconded
*strokes beard*

*gets something down from a high shelf with ease*
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:45, Reply)

*simpers*

( thealternativefact, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:48, Reply)

I'm quite liking the prevalence of beards on OT
it's good. I'm pleased that most of my mates in RL have beards as well.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:52, Reply)

I actually have a full fifteen-days growth on now.
I'm loathe to shave it off. I'm getting my hair but this afternoon so I might customise it accordingly.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:57, Reply)

my beard is about 3 inches long at the moment
doesn't seem to want to grow any longer than that unfortunately
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:58, Reply)

I'll join you
in the 3 inches club (fnarr).

But sadly mine will be chopped at the end of the month. I'm growing all my hair in preparation for my Hellboy costume on Halloween...
(beanojam isn't really Ricardo Flange, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 11:16, Reply)

nice
I'm dressing up as some kind of demon. got some latex horns and am going to draw evil writing all over my face and arms. or possibly getting some fake tattoo sleeves to save me the effort.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 11:20, Reply)

I want to get some more use
out of my Hellboy hand.

I mean, £25 for a rubber hand, you've got to use it more than once really...
(beanojam isn't really Ricardo Flange, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 11:49, Reply)

this is true

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 11:57, Reply)

The Waterson Family
Yes, I folk it up now and again.

They were boss, and Eliza Carthy is the sexiest fiddle-player on earth. (I nearly put 'fiddler' and it looked so wrong.)
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 10:50, Reply)

I'm liking Noah and the Whale at the moment.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 11:15, Reply)

I went to see them on my brother's insistence
they were great live. then I listened to the album and found it incredibly dreary. never would have gone if I'd heard the album first.

there's a similar band around called Mumford and Sons, who are apparently good. I know the sister of one of them.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 11:17, Reply)

I'll check them out.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 11:32, Reply)

She can fiddle with me any day of the week

(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 8 Oct 2009, 11:45, Reply)