Best Live Performance You Have Ever Seen!?

1. Six Of The Best. The Gabriel reunion with Genesis at Milton Keynes. 39 years ago now. It absolutely threw it down all day. We were frozen, but there was a magic to that gig, and it is a shame that they never committed it to video

2. Tansads 2010 reunion, The Citadel, St Helens. Not remotely prog, but one of my favourite bands with a unique energy. We saw the successor band, Merry Hell, in South Wales in August this year and had a long chat with them after

3. Pink Floyd, The Wall at Earls Court. Stunning. Just stunning and far more intimate than the recent Waters tours seen on DVD, which seem to be so completely against the spirit of just why he wrote the thing in the first place

4. Marillion. Still my favourite band, and I have seen every tour since 198…dot. The standout one for me was Wolverhampton Civic Hall on the Radiation tour. There was an energy that night which is almost impossible to describe

5. King Crimson, St David’s Hall on the last UK tour. I finally got to see them, and took my wife and son. The rendition of Islands remains the most incredible live experience of my life. Simply staggering

Some of the ones which really stand out to me:

Magma in 2016 - They put on one hell of an energetic show, but they had the **longest** break between their main set and their encore. I almost left, thinking they were done.

Rush in 2011 - They played Moving Pictures in its entirety, which was pretty cool.

Nick Mason in 2019 - I love early Pink Floyd, so it was cool getting to see that, especially stuff like "The Nile Song" and (an abbreviated) "Atom Heart Mother Suite". I just wish his merch were less expensive. $60 for a t-shirt, and $100 for a sweatshirt!

Moonsorrow in 2011 - This is probably my favorite metal show I've been to. I'm not even sure which specific songs they played off the top of my head, but they really knew how to work a crowd.

Also an honourable mention to Australian Pink Floyd who rival KC for being the ultimate professional band and never disappoint. 

 

 

ELP - Cobo Hall, Detroit 1977

Peter Gabriel - Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto 1986

Genesis - London Arena, London 1976

David Bowie - CNE Exhibition Stadium, Toronto 1983

Asia - Alumni Hall, London 1982

King's X (with Galactic Cowboys as excellent support) at The Astoria in London, 1989 I think.  What a phenomenal live band!

Roger Waters doing The Wall at Wembley Stadium.

Cellar Darling at The Globe In Cardiff, 2019 - just stunning!

Ghost, also in Cardiff in 2019, never known an atmosphere like it, and what a show!!

Nightwish at Wembley Arena in 2015, with Prof. Dawkins in support!

But if I have to pick one performance, it's Marillion at The Royal Albert Hall back in 2017 (the first time they played there).  The first gig I went to after my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, and was going through chemo.  I drank far too much (very expensive!) wine and blubbed my way through virtually the whole set, with my sister (a Marillion virgin at the time) and a good friend for support.  What a night of incredible songs.....

I've seen McCartney, Wonder, Springsteen, Dylan, Page, Plant, Yes, Genesis, ELP and many others but the one gig that eclipses all these is Kate Bush at Hammersmith Odeon in 2014. More than just a live music show, this was a complete event and it's the best thing I've ever been to.

EDIT - I already said this on page 4, but never mind, my opinion hasn't changed.