Best Live Performance You Have Ever Seen!?

Magma definitely have to be mentioned. Friede and I were at several great concerts of them; the best we ever attended was probably at the Leverkusener Jazztage on Oct 22nd 1998. there were three concerts that day. the first was by Geoffrey Williams & band; it did not impress us at all (I even forgot their name and had to look up the details of that evening to get it). the second was by Mari Boine; her gig was excellent, and normally we would have said "that was the best gig of the evening".

but then came Magma. apparently they felt challenged by her gig. anyway, their performance was effing brilliant; they blew Mari Boine off stage. they played "Köhntarkösz" and "Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kommandöh" and as encores "Kobaïa" and "Hhaï". a woman beside us who had never heard them before stood there with mouth wide open and slowly said "what was that? that was absolutely unbelievable". she definitely had had a spiritual experience from listening to Magma. just like us

I've been trying to corroborate it myself--for years! Not even Peter acknowledges this concert. (His own site's concert list and setlist page calls this date "Nantes" instead of Nancy.) And Kate's sites and interviews only talk about her Tour of Life tour--which, as Chopper has acknowledged, happened the next year.

Having seen the interviews, practice footage, and videos of the Tour of Life performances, I can only guess that Kate's appearance as the warm up before Peter & the gang took the stage was a one-off practice gig--testing the waters, if you will, for her comfort on stage. While she was very animated and covering the stage like a diminutive little gazelle on amphetamines, there was little dance going on (I'd call it more of an "athletic" performance), and no costume changes. She came out with a skin tight, one piece black acrylic pant suit that zipped up in front from her neckline to her crotch. It was so tight it looked like it had been sprayed on. Very sexy (which was, obviously, the look she was going for that night). I'd never heard of her--or her music--so I have absolutely no recollection of her setlist. All I really remember is that I'd never heard any human sing in this ear-piercing high-pitched range before--and that her songs were not long or proggy--more pop or even bubblegum pop sounding (to me). Any content or meaning was lost on me because A) I don't hear lyrics (I have to read them) B) I was more anxious/excited to see Peter and his band (to hear "White Shadow"!!!) and C) her skin-tight costume had me, a 19-year old red-blooded heterosexual male, quite distracted.

I've lost all contact with the three college buddies who went with me to the concert and, again, neither Kate's nor Peter's fan sites or "official" sites seem to acknowledge the event (I've never received any response much less corroboration from any admins or members there). I've even argued with myself how it could not have been her because, as far as we knew, she was not touring then, but, then, I think, how hard would it be for your friend, mentor, and legend, Peter Gabriel, to convince you to show up for a one off--just to try it out--see if touring was ever in her plans or likes. (Nancy, France, is not difficult to get to from Kent--even pre-Chunnel.) Also, if this was her (and I can't think for the life of me who else it could have been in 1978, looking, dressed, and singing/performing like that), perhaps it was one of those helpful learning experiences that gave her the impetus and inspiration to begin to shape a concert performance in the way that she wanted to do it--to learn the dance and choreography and costumery.