Gimme your best gig/festival moments

[Moffo]

Well i'm sure most of us have been to plenty. I was blown away tonight by Massive Attack at the opera house, and well, it got me thinking about my best/worst ofs. From what I can remember (i've had to scratch some gigs because I can't remember much of them!) here are some highlights:

Best gig/band: Tough one but I have to say Foo Fighters in about 2005. Incredibly good show

Worst gig/band: Powderfinger at Homebake last year. So bland, I actually like them but they were horrible. Money back please

Best Festival: Big Day Out (2006?) Muse, Killers, Tool, JBT, The Streets....good lineup

Worst Festival: Homebake (2009). When Jet are the best band of the night you know you have problems. Really horrible and over the top security didn't help

Most disappointing: Personally, it was the first time I saw Pearl Jam in about 2004. Loved them growing up and finally got to see them. Unfortunately we had back of the stadium tickets and Ed Vedder getting really annoyed at the lack of atmosphere. Real let down

Most intense crowd: Tool at BDO. Stupidly intense....Lots of people getting pushed around and knocked out

Best live performance: I have to put Massive Attack right up there from tonight. So so solid and better live. Their cd recordings don't do them justice

Worst live performance: Gossip at Good Vibes this year. Really sh*t, i know she had sound issues but she was still dreadful

Most surprising: Naughty by Nature at Good Vibes this year. Really put it on, awesome show that had everyone into it

Band I wish I was less trashed at: The Streets at BDO. I was so wrecked that I could barely see the stage

I knew them before they were famous: I saw Wolfmother in Newtown about 2 years before they got famous. That's the best I can do!

Never understood the fuss: Kings of Leon....really weak live

Biggest dickhead: Liam Finn/Busta Rhymes

Paid for but missed: Probably a tie between Kayne West and Groove Armada. Miss them both for very different reasons :lol:

Guilty pleasure: The Whitlams. I know they are very stock standard but I like Tim's lyrics. Sue me

Still undecided whether I like him/them: Ben Harper

Band I wish I saw: Nirvana.

Individual I wish I saw: Jeff Buckley

Band I still want to see: Smashing Pumpkins

Love them but boring live: U2 unfortunately

 

[natheel]

Best gig/band: Them Crooked Vultures

Worst gig/band: not sure actually can't remember any recently im sure ill think of 1

Best Festival: Soundwave 2009: Bloodhound Gang, NIN, Alice In Chains, Billy Talent, Less Than Jake, Goldfinger etc

Worst Festival: Big Day Out 2006 apart from Iggy and the stooges it was a let down!

Most disappointing: Taking Back Sunday - Soundwave 2010

Most intense crowd: The Bronx - Metro 2009

Best live performance: Festival setting: Faith No More - Soundwave 2010; Venue Setting: Them Crooked Vultures - Hordern Pavillion 2009

Worst live performance: Jimmy Eat World - Big shame

Most surprising: Glass jaw - Soundwave 2010 and Propagandhi 2009

Band I wish I was less trashed at: None i never get absolutly blotto until AFTER!

I knew them before they were famous: The Bronx

Never understood the fuss: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Biggest dickhead: Havn't seen a show where someone on stage is a wanker tbh

Paid for but missed: Anti-Flag 2008 - they cancelled

Guilty pleasure: Pink haha shes hot and catchy

Still undecided whether I like him/them: Parkway Drive

Band I wish I saw: Sublime

Individual I wish I saw: Jeff Buckley

Band I still want to see: Metallica and Social Distortion

Love them but boring live: Jimmy Eat World - Soundwave 2010

 

[Red Bear]

Best gig/band: Frenzal Rhomb, January 2007 @ the Factory Theatre Newtown. Played 25 or so songs in an intense hour long set, no security/stage barrier, I got on stage during my fave song and i was a young drunk individual. Awesome

Worst gig/band: No one i've paid to see has been bad really, but seen some sh*t support acts. Goons of Doom supporting Pennywise were awful

Best Festival: Homebake 2000 when i was 11. Frenzal, The Living End, Jebediah and some others, great day

Worst Festival: Big Day Out 2008 apart from Rage was a bit sh*te, a few decent acts but nothing great.

Most disappointing: NOFX last year, still good in parts but Fat Mike way too coked up

Most intense crowd: NOFX in 07 as the Decline was being played, almost any punk show is pretty intense crowd to be honest.

Best live performance: Festival setting: You Am I Homebake 2008, Dropkick Murphys BDO 09, The Living End Homebake 2000, Crowded House Homebake 2008.

Venue Setting: Frenzal Rhomb, as I said above, but also Bad Religion both times, The Living End in 04 at the Enmore

Worst live performance: Spiderbait at Homebake 2000, just f**king jammed the whole time

Most surprising: You Am I Homebake 2008

Band I wish I was less trashed at: None really, probably wouldnt have enjoyed Rise Against last time if i wasnt trashed

I knew them before they were famous: No one really springs to mind, although i met JBT well before Zebra was released.

Never understood the fuss: Anything electro at a festival.

Biggest dickhead: I kinda wish Fat Mike wasnt so coked up all the time

Paid for but missed: Nothing really springs to mind

Guilty pleasure: A few indie/english bands, maximo park, kaiser chiefs, The Whitlams as well, although havent seen any of these guys live

Still undecided whether I like him/them: Parkway Drive

Band I wish I saw: At The Drive-In, TISM, Descendents, Dead Kennedys, The Meanies

Individual I wish I saw: No one of note

Band I still want to see: Madness (another i wish i hadnt missed last year)

Love them but boring live: Again, no one i really love has bored me live.

 

[Big Pete]

Best gig/band: The Killers (2007) for sentimental reasons really. It was the right place, at the right time sort of deal with a relatable set that at the time was really powerful for me. Also helped they were the first band that I got into.

Worst gig/band: Silverchair (BDO 2008) I've never ever felt like I've wasted my money...until I saw them play live. Terrible.

Best Festival: Soundwave 2010 (Faith No More, Jane's Addiction, Paramore, Reel Big Fish, Isis, Eagles of Death Metal) Good bands (even Paramore surprised) and was in good company. All-round my favourite festival.

Worst Festival: Soundwave 2008. Hosted in the Botanical Gardens on an extremely hot day without a timetable nor half the acts I wanted to see. Was really dissapointing.

Most disappointing: Arctic Monkey's (BDO 2009) were always heralded as the band that made it big from their live shows. They were as bland as you could get, all the songs seemed off and all-round I was bored. There was no energy, and for a band that plays that time of garage Brit rock music, you need to compensate by having that energy. They just didn't seem to be interested.

Most intense crowd: Tool (BDO 2007) definately. My friend broke his rib while in the mosh and it was just absolutely wild. Quite an experience given that was my first ever festival experience and by then I was on my feet.

Best live performance: Nine Inch Nails (Soundwave 2009) basically saved the entire festival and made it such a worthwhile experience. I'm not even that big a fan of their music, but live, they just went off. Quite possibly the best act I've seen.

Worst live performance: Silverchair (BDO 2008) Like I said, Daniel was a wanker, didn't feel like putting any effort into his vocals and played up some bizarre American shtick they made sense to the band and the band only. Didn't help I couldn't get into their new stuff at the time.

Most surprising: Black Kids (Big Day Out 2009) a guilty pleasure band of mine, but wow did they have energy or what. Just a really fun gig.

Band I wish I was less trashed at: Pretty much any headliner at a festival ever (Nine Inch Nails aside) I'm usually so exhausted by the time the main act comes out all I can do is basically stand and dance like the depressed teens in that Simpson's episode where Homer joins the freak show festival.

I knew them before they were famous: N/A

Never understood the fuss: TV on the Radio - Really eh live.

Biggest dickhead: Billy Corgan, was far too sensative.

Paid for but missed: Placebo (Soundwave 2010) eh, by the time Soundwave rolled round I grew out of them and Counting Crows (The Who concert 2009) just didn't care to watch them and felt like catching up with my mate outside instead.

Guilty pleasure: The Killers and Black Kids really. Both are just fun bands to me.

Still undecided whether I like him/them: Bjork

Band I wish I saw: When I had the chance? A Brisbane band by the name of Iron On who were a fun alternative/power pop band. Otherwise, Queen at their prime.

Individual I wish I saw: David Bowie in his prime.

Band I still want to see: Foo Fighters

Love them but boring live: The Who, too old to be entertaining.

 

[zombie jesus]

Best gig/band: Les Claypool at the Enmore last year. Resigned myself to probably never getting a chance to see him in Sydney, sh*t myself in excitement when I realised he was coming. He did not disappoint one bit. He was brilliant and so was his band.

Worst gig/band: Hell Yeah, not a fan, got dragged along, did not enjoy it one bit.

Best Festival: Had the most fun at 2 (the only 2?) Surf Skate Slam's at Maroubra, 1997 and 98 I think. Silverchair headlined in 1997 I think, 1998 had international bands, had more fun away from the stages than anything though.

Worst Festival: Homebake 1999, Silverchair headlined, they sucked

Most disappointing: Watching At The Drive-In walk off stage after 3-4 songs at 2001 BDO.

Most intense crowd: Toe To Toe at Campbelltown Youth Centre in the late 90's with about 80 people.

Best live performance: Iron Maiden, Acer Arena 2008. Nobody does a show like Iron Maiden.

Worst live performance: Unwritten Law at Livid 2002

Most surprising: Infectious Grooves at Soundwave 2008, always like Suicidal Tendencies and hadn't really listened to Infectious before, had me up and dancing around like an idiot though.

Band I wish I was less trashed at: ACDC last month

I knew them before they were famous: Parkway Drive, saw them a few times around before they cracked it.

Never understood the fuss: Rolling Stones

Biggest dickhead: The singer from Grinspoon when he is wasted. If he has his head screwed on they are a good live band.

Paid for but missed: Mars Volta at the Horden in January

Guilty pleasure: Any ska band.

Still undecided whether I like him/them: Machine Head,, have seen them twice, once was awesome, the other time horrible, deciding whether to try them again at the end of the month.

Band I wish I saw: Pink Floyd, I did catch Roger Waters on his solo tour a few years ago though and he played all of Dark Side of the Moon, knew I wouldn't get much closer than that and loved every minute of it.

Individual I wish I saw: Jeff Buckley

Band I still want to see: Rammstein and Radiohead

Love them but boring live: Not a huge fan of them but I didn't like Oasis too much.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Worst gig/band: No one i've paid to see has been bad really, but seen some sh*t support acts. Goons of Doom supporting Pennywise were awful

hahaha they were really bad hey.

 

[DB]

Best gig/band: AC/DC from a few weeks back

Worst gig/band: Crowded House, just after the reformed.... boring as bat sh*t.

Best Festival: Only been to one, and that was Falls in 2008/2009... The Hives and Franz Ferdinand were the headliners.

Worst Festival: Don't have one, and I have only been to one and loved it.

Most disappointing: Donavon Frankenreiter.... Love his music, but was sh*thouse live.

Most intense crowd: Serj Tankian at the Enmore Theartre.

Best live performance: Them Crooked Vultures at the Horden

Worst live performance: If Lehmo counts then he takes the cake.... Saw him at Falls, and he was not funny at all. Got booed of the stage, cause his best joke was "Whats the difference between Marmalade and Jam? You cant marmalade your c**k up a ladies arse"

Most surprising: Simon and Garfunkle.... Grew up listening to them with mum and dad, and went to see them last year, and they were actually really good.

Band I wish I was less trashed at: Can't think of one....

I knew them before they were famous: Someone gave me Kings of Leons first cd when they first released it way back.

Never understood the fuss: Smashing Pumpkins

Biggest dickhead: Kanye West

Paid for but missed: Most of the First Day of the Falls Festival.... we had to drive from Echuca to Lorne.

Guilty pleasure: The Whitlams or Michael Buble

Still undecided whether I like him/them: Future of the Left

Band I wish I saw: Led Zepplin or Pink Floyd

Individual I wish I saw: Michael Jackson

Band I still want to see: Foo Fighters

Love them but boring live: Crowded House

 

[pennywisealfie]

Best gig/band: very tough, its between 3, first is pennywise in 07, hanging out with the band and singing bro hymn on stage was amazing, also thrice at soundwave in 07 and Guttermouth in 2001

Worst gig/band: godamn, so many to choose from. Goons of Doom were awful, some band from melbourne that supported Nikola Sarcevic, i think there name was Bit by Bats, they sucked dick. But it would mainly be sh*t acts ive seen at festivals. Lupe Fiasco stands out.

Best Festival: toss up between warped tour 2002 (Pennywise, Vandals, Guttermouth, MXPX, NFG, All, heaps of good aussie bands) and Soundwave 2010 (Alexisonfire, Comeback Kid, A Day to Remember, Aquabats, AFI, Reel Big Fish etc.)

Worst Festival: I usually dont go to sh*tty festivals. However 2002 BDO was sh*t. i only went for NOFX (who made up for it with an 1hr 30min set)

Most disappointing: Gotta be Thrice in 2008. After their amazing performance in 07, this show was just sh*t. they played every song really slow.

Most intense crowd: Frenzal Rhomb in 2002, fights everywhere, sooo many people getting kicked out and i even got a beer bottle thrown at my head, f**king hurt.

Best live performance: The one i was most impressed with was AFI at soundwave. it was amazing.

Worst live performance: Thrice 2008

Most surprising: Scary Kids Scaring Kids at Soundwave 08, they kicked ass. Id never even heard of them at the time and they f**king ripped it up and made me into a fan.

Band I wish I was less trashed at: I never get too trashed. however, most trashed ive ever been at a band is umm a few, guttermouth in 2001, less than jake/reel big fish in 2008, Lagwagon in 2009 & No Use for a Name in 2003.

I knew them before they were famous: oh umm One Dollar Short i guess. I saw them before Board Game came out and they kinda blew up, kinda.

Never understood the fuss: any dance or indie rock sh*t

Biggest dickhead: Mark Adkins from Guttermouth, but hes a loveable dickhead.

Paid for but missed: Anti-Flag in sydney a few weeks ago, my friend got too trashed and i had to take her back to the hotel and made it back for only half of comeback kid

Guilty pleasure: Hit the Lights, extremely pop punk.

Still undecided whether I like him/them: i always know if i like a band.

Band I wish I saw: H2O, it still kills me i never saw them. I decided to forego Livid 2001 because heaps of bands pulled out because of sept 11 and i thought H2O were one of them. turns out they played and they rocked

Individual I wish I saw: Tom Petty?

Band I still want to see: H2O

Love them but boring live: probably Pennywise haha, they play the same set every time.

 

[carcharias]

Best gig/band: Nirvana 92 selina's..
and some legend put it on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHb7oN_67ec

not forgetting this was before digital vid etc.
The absolute height of Nirvana ..I was standing near where the camera was.
fug me ..nearly 20 years ago already.



It was almost bloody Nirbeatlemania here in Sydney at the time.

 

[Red Bear]

Worst gig/band: Silverchair (BDO 2008) I've never ever felt like I've wasted my money...until I saw them play live. Terrible.
.

Yep, they were shocking in Sydney.

 

[Moffo]

Best gig/band: Nirvana 92 selina's..
and some legend put it on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHb7oN_67ec

not forgetting this was before digital vid etc.
The absolute height of Nirvana ..I was standing near where the camera was.
fug me ..nearly 20 years ago already.



It was almost bloody Nirbeatlemania here in Sydney at the time.

ahhh so jealous. if i was a few years older would've been there.

i do wonder how much they had in them though...i'd imagine if kurt was still around today he would've mellowed a bit..which i don't think would've done a lot for their music

 

[Red Bear]

ahhh so jealous. if i was a few years older would've been there.

i do wonder how much they had in them though...i'd imagine if kurt was still around today he would've mellowed a bit..which i don't think would've done a lot for their music

He'd be scratching at the lid of his coffin

 

[carcharias]

ahhh so jealous. if i was a few years older would've been there.

i do wonder how much they had in them though...i'd imagine if kurt was still around today he would've mellowed a bit..which i don't think would've done a lot for their music

Funny thing is.
I went to the 1st BDO and some genius gave me a tab of acid and I was too fugged up to see Nirvana.
I was gutted.

Then they canceled a couple of other Sydney gigs ( kurt was sick) and put on this Selinas gig as an after thought.

I saw Nirvana there one Sat night and the Violent femmes the naxt Sat night.

I think in utero was a bit of a sign of where they may have headed.

anyway ...that gig was the best.
maybe not musically but for pure hype and being in the right place at the right time.

 

[Knightmare]

Best gig/band: Frenzal Rhomb, January 2007 @ the Factory Theatre Newtown. Played 25 or so songs in an intense hour long set, no security/stage barrier, I got on stage during my fave song and i was a young drunk individual. Awesome

Worst gig/band: No one i've paid to see has been bad really, but seen some sh*t support acts. Goons of Doom supporting Pennywise were awful

Best Festival: Homebake 2000 when i was 11. Frenzal, The Living End, Jebediah and some others, great day

Worst Festival: Big Day Out 2008 apart from Rage was a bit sh*te, a few decent acts but nothing great.

Most disappointing: NOFX last year, still good in parts but Fat Mike way too coked up

Most intense crowd: NOFX in 07 as the Decline was being played, almost any punk show is pretty intense crowd to be honest.

Best live performance: Festival setting: You Am I Homebake 2008, Dropkick Murphys BDO 09, The Living End Homebake 2000, Crowded House Homebake 2008.

Venue Setting: Frenzal Rhomb, as I said above, but also Bad Religion both times, The Living End in 04 at the Enmore

Worst live performance: Spiderbait at Homebake 2000, just f**king jammed the whole time

Most surprising: You Am I Homebake 2008

Band I wish I was less trashed at: None really, probably wouldnt have enjoyed Rise Against last time if i wasnt trashed

I knew them before they were famous: No one really springs to mind, although i met JBT well before Zebra was released.

Never understood the fuss: Anything electro at a festival.

Biggest dickhead: I kinda wish Fat Mike wasnt so coked up all the time

Paid for but missed: Nothing really springs to mind

Guilty pleasure: A few indie/english bands, maximo park, kaiser chiefs, The Whitlams as well, although havent seen any of these guys live

Still undecided whether I like him/them: Parkway Drive

Band I wish I saw: At The Drive-In, TISM, Descendents, Dead Kennedys, The Meanies

Individual I wish I saw: No one of note

Band I still want to see: Madness (another i wish i hadnt missed last year)

Love them but boring live: Again, no one i really love has bored me live.

I kinda wish he wasn't such a whiney liberal hypocrite. But then again, all leftie liberals are hypocrites

 

[Knightmare]

Best gig/band: (Arena) AC-DC last month. I paid $150 for my ticket (was in Arena A just in front of the stage on the left) and it was worth every dollar. (Indoor venue) Crowded House at the Brisbane Ent. Centre, 2007. For years I'd wished I got to see their 'Farewell to the world' concert at the Opera House in '96, so when they re-formed and announced the tour I got a ticket in a flash. They had a really great connection with the audience, it wasn't just like you were watching them play their old classics and their new stuff, but more that you were watching a performance.

Worst gig/band: N/A.

Best Festival: Soundwave 2009. Got two beers for the price of 1, picked up some 'meds' from a mutual friend and just as I was coming down, The Bloodhound Gang came out and did their set. Also saw Billy Talent (for the second time) and the day had a perfect ending chilling out on the hill at Eastern Creek watching Alice in Chains make their return to Australia, with the day turning to night during the show. Global Gathering 2008 should get a mention as well, even though it pissed down for about 10 minutes and the mosh-pits were mud, it was a great day/ night out with my mates from where I used to live.

Worst Festival: Yet to go to a bad festival (fingers crossed).

Most disappointing: Jimmy Eat World at Soundwave this year. They seemed to just go through the motions from what I could see (bloody security!)

Most intense crowd: Can't split Fantomas at the Troubador in 2005 (I could not physically leave the mosh-pit until the show was over, spent nearly the whole gig unwittingly dry humping this chick from behind) with Billy Talent at the Globe in 2007 (got my watch ripped off my wrist in the pit!)

Best live performance: Faith No More at Soundwave this year. F**k they were tight, Mike Patton was legendary on stage, doing all crazy vocals like back in the Mr Bungle days. I'd seen AC-DC the night before and I'll say honestly that FNM gave them a fair run for their money!

Worst live performance: Alltime Low, again at Soundwave this year. No problem with the set list as such, but their lame attempt at 'humour' in between songs was a pitiful rip-off of Blink 182 in their hey-dey. All the same jokes about penises/ boobs/ incest and masturbation that Mark, Tom and Travis were doing 10 or more years ago.

Most surprising: Wolfmother as the support act for AC-DC. F**k they are SO much better live than what the airwaves/ albums/ downloads give them credit for. Best song live was 'Joker and the thief'.

Band I wish I was less trashed at: Never had this problem.

I knew them before they were famous: Kisschasey, saw them at some venue in Newcastle back in 2005 (can't remember what the place was called) because a mates' old band was the support act.

Never understood the fuss: Kings of Leon.

Biggest dickhead: Anyone who expresses political/ social views I don't agree with, on stage.

Paid for but missed: Jimmy Eat World at Soundwave- I wanted to go down and see them, but security weren't letting any more people through the gate into the area. Only got in halfway through FNM's first song, amongst a furious stampede!

Guilty pleasure: Moshing to Brian Wilson at Concert in the Domain, 2008. It was happening all around me, with some crowd surfing thrown in as well!

Still undecided whether I like him/them: N/A.

Band I wish I saw: Mr Bungle and AC-DC when Bon was still alive.

Individual I wish I saw: Substitute 'Saw' for 'See' and the answer is Alice Cooper.

Band I still want to see: There is no band at this point in time that I really, really want to see (unless you count Alice Cooper as a band!).

Love them but boring live: None of the bands I love have been boring live.

 

[Red Bear]

Biggest dickhead: Anyone who expresses political/ social views I don't agree with, on stage.

Wow, given that music in general is a pretty left wing/liberal dominant area, surprised you havent listed just about every frontman around.

Nothing wrong with having an opinion ffs

 

[Knightmare]

Sure, but expressing such opinions on stage with the idea that it gives you rock-cred is a load of crap. You rightly pointed out that the music industry is dominated with leftist ideals, so in reality all they are doing is following the system and making it sound like their own thought out opinion. Dee Dee Ramone said it best: "A true punk would either be a conservative or undecided."

 

[fish eel]

Given the core of a punk ethos is anti establishment, I'd suggest Dee Dee is talking out of his arse.

Dont like the political tastes of someone, dont listen.

Go listen to rednecks like Ted Nugent.

Biggest dickhead: Anyone who expresses political/ social views I don't agree with, on stage.

LOL.

 

[HevyDevy]

Devin Townsend the other night was pretty f**king awesome.

I've seen him 4 times now - twice solo and twice with SYL - and this was easily his best.

Other great gigs - Sting, Baby Animals, Def Leppard, Opeth, Ozzy Osbourne and of course Immortal.

 

[Knightmare]

Given the core of a punk ethos is anti establishment, I'd suggest Dee Dee is talking out of his arse.

Dont like the political tastes of someone, dont listen.

Go listen to rednecks like Ted Nugent.

Well hey, there are plenty of albums in my collection from artists who don't share the same political views as me. And it seems alot of bands are only anti-establishment if the establishment is republican/ liberal. But f**ked if I paid for a concert ticket to listen to them spitting out their regurgitated hand-me-down opinions, that's not what I came for. The same way that if I go to a church, I'll be screwed if I am going to listen to the pastor telling us why we should support Family First.