Who is the best band you have ever seen and why ?
I saw queen at elland road and there where brilliant , but
AC/DC at might of been been better at donnington 1981
But i think the best i remember was 1989 reading Whitesnake and David coverdale singing soldier of fortune
at the time it blew my mind.

Edwin Starr at the Wesley he was amazing

I seen Leo Sayer at the Wesley

queen sid james park 1986 the year after band aid when they were at their peak
queen newcastle city hall 1973 when they were a support band to mott the hoople and were still raw and hungry and just setting out on the road to fame and fortune.
judas priest newcastle city hall late 70's early 80's what a show no gimmicks just loud music
oh and status quo on the queen gig rocking all over the tyne indeed



















does the real thing at the gemini on what seemed like a monthly basis in the 70's count
"you to me are everything" come on now join in

The most engrossing concert I've seen was Joanna Newsom at SageGateshead in 2008. I started sat back in my seat, but ended up leaning against the rail in front of me - completely absorbed in her performance and the music.

On a more mainstream note, I'd have to say U2 at Scott Stadium, Charlottesville last October. Not a huge U2 fan - but the show was fantastic stuff.

So many to chhose from,Leonard Cohen was wonderful,Spiritualized acoustic mainlines shows were stunning,as a teenager the punk stuff such as Crass,Discharge & The Angelic Upstarts kicked arse but to choose one gig

THE WATERBOYS,Fishermans Blues tour Newcastle city hall 1989,a 2 hour set when everything just came together perfectly.Probably the best band in the country at the time & right on top of their game

The Housemartins when they did the Borough Hall in the 80s.
Quality night.
Roy Harper in Kendal when I was stoned out of my head early 90s.

Saw Queen at st. james park in 86 as well, good. Stiff Little Fingers take some beating. Saw U2 at Murrayfield, Good as well but i saw Green Day twice last year and they are absolutely brilliant live.

Here are the votes from the Easy Listening Jury ;

Paul Young and the Fabulous Wealthy Tarts - Osnabruck StadHalle circa 1983

Take That - last year Sunderland

Swing Out Sister - The Sage lasy year

Muse - Every time I have seen them

Buddy Rich Big Band - Newcastle City Hall circa 1983

Tears for Fears - Newcastle City Hall 2 yrs ago


Stands back and waits for cries of derision from those of you who like bands because its de rigour to do so

I've seen so many but my favourite still remains Rage Against The machine at Leeds festival.
best gig I ever put on was Martin Carthy + Norma Waterson at Saltburn folk club.
Also seeing Ben Wetherill for the first time at the Vic in old saltburn town - how such a quiet performer brought that noisy pub to a complete,reverant hush still blows me way!

Honourable mentions go to Vic Chestnut x2, Pavement x5, Blur x7, Mercury Rev x5, etc etc

as for being there at the right time, I was 19 it was the Strokes at Leeds, they were ridiculously cool, tight as hell and just whacked through the whole first album. the next few years of 'indie' were trying to emulate that, and failing.

and I'm guessing no-one has heard of them but NOFX have a few gigs in my top 10.

another all time favourite was shania twain at the arena valentines night spookily
what a fantastic gig
but i didnt put it on at first cos i thought it was only bands

was that when they'd just started and kept getting bumped up a stage untill they were on the main stage?
I was at that un!
it was brilliant, run DMC and eels on before em too......great day!

AC/DC at Wembley last year - great gig, ears ached for days after. Saw Deep Purple a couple of years ago and they still put on a great show.
Going to see Kiss at Wembley this year and pretty sure that will the bestest ever!
Saw Take That 'The Circus' at Wembley with the missus - thought the music was cack, but they pit on a fantastic show (also saw Streisand at the O2, she had great prescence).

Have seen lots over the years, but the best live were The Stranglers (Dave Greenfield best keyboard player I've ever seen) -on numerous occasions, SLF,Upstarts, Banshees,Ruts, Adam and the Ants (before the pap),Skids,Pretenders,Morrissey,Rezillos,Members,Lambrettas,Bowie,Quads,Toy Dolls,Secret Affair,Tourists,Vapours,Generation X, mainly early 80's, when I did'nt know a good group from a bad one.

Circus at the rovers now there was a north east band got the single

Fairport Acoustic.

Jane Sibery

Transatlantic Sessions last week at the Bridgewater Hall
Ali Bain
Phil Cunningham
Dan Tyminsky
Gerry Douglas
Cara Dillon
Michael McGoldrick
Loads of others

Probably Radiohead at Glastonbury 1997.

Maybe Nirvana at Rock City 1991.

Could be The Hives at The Leadmill 2002.

Possibly REM at Loch Lomond 2005.

Hard to say really.

Blur Glastonbury last year was amazing.

Few others could of been arctic monkeys at old trafford, libertines Newcastle academy, arcade fire Glastonbury 08 or Oasis Sheffield arena few years back.

I still listen to Ben's stuff now and again. I've seen him 5 or 6 times and he's blown me away every single time. The lad is so under-appreciated it is madness.

Acoustic - Christy Moore at The Sage or Dick Gaughan at Whelan's in Dublin capture it for me.
Band - British Sea Power at the Brudenell in Leeds or Sufjan Stevens in Manchester. Very different performances; both fantastic.

Watching that Blur set at home in my bedroom was an experience, I'd love to have been there.

And some of my mates went to that Arcade Fire gig, even a guy who wasn't familiar with their work said it was possibly the best gig he's ever seen.

I saw the Arctic Monkeys at the Empire in Boro around the time their first single was coming out. That was a memorable one.

Yeah arcade fire was an experience I wasn't a big fan but after that they blow me away.

our paths have likely crossed then!
Have you seen him with his band the trumpets of death? its a mixed bag but ultimately I'd say they are superb. First 15 mins or so left me stunned, but then they got a tad self indulgant,which spoilt it a bit...

NOFX are brilliant, I went through a punk ska/punk phase at uni saw reel big fish etc

Anyway about being there at the right time saw artic monkeys at the leeds festival before their first album on the small stage, was very good and people were fighting to get into the tent, probably down to the fact i was hammered all that weekend, however wouldnt really open my curtains if they were on in the garden now.

i have never been to a proper gig before

On the subject of gigs, anyone know where I can get a ticket for the Noel Gallagher gig sold out on most sites and don't fancy ebay prices.

one band I would have loved to have seen were sublime but lead singer is now dead.

That makes me feel a little self conscious about my lack of live 'gigs'. Which amount to 5 or 6 Lindisfarne Christmas shows at the City Hall, 2 Peter Gabriel gigs in 5 days in Newcastle and Wembley, and Elton John live at Durham Cricket Ground. Also 2 days of Rock on the Tyne at Gateshead International Stadium in 1981, with highlights, for me, Rory Gallagher and Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and an upcoming band called U2.

Really trawling the memory banks, The Bachelors at La Ronde in Billingham, The Spinners at Hartlepool Rovers, and The Searchers on the promenade on the Headland.

You forgot about The Who at Birmingham NEC, BP

I just knew I'd forgotten someone, but we only had the word of the organisers 'who' was actually on the stage. We were so far away it could have been anyone for that 'final' concert nearly 30 years ago.

James at Blackpool Winter Gardens in 1990 I think. 3500 people all sitting down as Tim Booth belted out the iconic and magnificent Sit Down. Also The Wedding Present where briliant live with Dave Gedges' distinctive vocals as of course were The Fall who I saw at Sunderland Poly in 1989/90, stunning.

I remember seeing Martin Stephenson and the Daintees and The Whisky Priests at Sunderland when I was at Poly there both local bands and both utterly brilliant acts. The Priests Nee Gud Luck album on Whippet Records is worth a listen.

Can't wait for The Bunnymen in August......wasn't that arsed about The Tall Ships but this has fired my imagination now.

Black Sabbath at Brid Spa hall in about 1981
AC/Dc at Donington 1981
Whitesnake at the Telewest Arena 2008 (with Def Leppard who were terrible)
Motorhead & Saxon at the Academy in Newcastle 2008
Bowling for Soup at the Academy Newcastle about 3 months back

Oasis at Newcastle 1997

Not just the gig, but city was packed (mags played barca on night, Asprillas night)

Atmosphere whole day and night was sooper!