Surprisingly good live acts

[Toby Gymshorts]

As a counterpoint to the other thread: bands you've seen live who you held absolutely no hope for, but ended up having a good time. I'll start.

Tenacious D.

As a caveat; niece #1 is a huge Jack Black fan (I keep meaning to talk to her about that) and Tenacious D were playing in Kentish Town. Being the devoted uncle I am, I bought her a ticket and invited her to visit for the weekend. A couple of pints pre-gig and I'm in my seat, ready to be underwhelmed.

You know what? They put on a good show. He can sing a bit, their band is tight, and they know how to have a good time. I'm still into their support band too, The Bots.

All in all, surprisingly good. Well, you know. Comparatively.

EDIT: Plus my niece had a great time, so maybe that helped.

[WOM]

Most recently, Imagine Dragons...who were way better than I thought they'd be.

Also, Serena Ryder (young Canadian gal with guitar) who L has dragged me to three times. Always impresses me, yet - between shows - I seem to forget how good she is.

[San Bernardhinault]

Fleetwood Mac. Saw them about 5 years ago and assumed they'd be totally phoning it in, but instead it was a really, really good show. Mostly thanks to Lindsay, but even Stevie actually came out and sang well for a bunch of songs.

[adams house cat]

Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets. Years ago at Nottingham Technical College. They were supporting Ginger Baker's Air Force. Only about six people in the room but they tore into it.

[Stumpy Pepys]

For a band generally considered fey and lightweight, Belle & Sebastian are a very tight live band.

[johnr]

Jim Davidson, Baily's Watford, in the early 80s. Was there for a terrible club night, he was on, did some shit jokes, but his band were good. Well, they had a very good drummer, which is what I was looking at.

[Amor de Cosmos]

I wasn't really expecting him to be bad, but Jim Croce was barely known when I saw him supporting Randy Newman at The Riverboat in Toronto in 1972. He was excellent, effortless. Had the audience with him from the first chord, and was a wonderful storyteller to boot. Man, what a tragic loss that was. He would have been huge.

[Jah Womble]

He kind of 'was' - at least in the US, where he'd scored two gold albums and a number-one single before his death. Time in a Bottle (a posthumous #1) - with its lyrics of mortality - still sounds eerie all these decades later.

[Amor de Cosmos]

I suppose, but it was less eighteen months between You Don't Mess Around With Jim making #1 and his death. Not Richie Valens quick I'll grant, but still no time.

[Jah Womble]

No, and you're right that, had he lived and wished to, he could've seen the kind of longevity of a Don McLean - although apparently he'd told his wife that he wanted to quit music to write scripts and short stories. (This came to light in a letter received after his death...)

[WOM]

No, and you're right that, had he lived and wished to, he could've seen the kind of longevity of a Don McLean...

Uh...yeah....that sounds nice. The rodeo/casino circuit, hearing 90 minutes of polite applause while waiting for 'the song'.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Yeah, based on just the content of his last three albums, he had a way superior set-list than Don McLean. Plus he was wonderfully affable — and you couldn't say that about DM — sort of a cross between between Tom Waits, Steve Goodman* and Bruce Springsteen. I'd be surprised if anyone left one of his shows disliking him.

* Another good performer/writer who went too young and too soon.

[Jah Womble]

You'll both note that the key term was 'longevity'.

[Stumpy Pepys]

I got dragged to watch Kula Shaker at a festival years ago.

Through gritted teeth, I had to admit they were a very (technically) competent live band.

[WOM]

You'll both note that the key term was 'longevity'.

Ah, see, my brain isolated "the kind of longevity", which seemed very specific.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Microdisney at Wolverhampton poly upper bar, c 1987

For a band with a very 'polished' studio sound, they delivered a great set

[elguapo4]

Was persuaded to go to Shakatak years ago,I knew they'd be good musicians but didn't know how entertaining they were,they had the entire crowd (including me) dancing from the start

[adams house cat]

Yeah, based on just the content of his last three albums, he had a way superior set-list than Don McLean. Plus he was wonderfully affable — and you couldn't say that about DM — sort of a cross between between Tom Waits, Steve Goodman* and Bruce Springsteen. I'd be surprised if anyone left one of his shows disliking him.

* Another good performer/writer who went too young and too soon.

You can add Harry Chapin Amor.

[Jah Womble]

Ah, see, my brain isolated "the kind of longevity", which seemed very specific.

The point is/was that it was 'durability' as opposed to 'style/personality/quality of output', etc.

[WOM]

Maybe...maybe...

[Benjm]

This seems the appropriate place to recommend New Order to WOM as they are visiting Toronto in August. Their reputation for erratic live performance largely dates back to the mid-80s, when they were endlessly touring to keep Factory and the Hacienda afloat. Since reforming without Peter Hook they seem to really enjoy their work and the shows benefit accordingly.

[WOM]

Oddly, I've come around to the belief that New Order are just really dull.

I mean, I was absolutely a 'child' of the '80s, and own NO's Substance and all....but just...meh. Not much of it holds up for me.

And Barney can't fookin' sing.

[Benjm]

Well I, I, I...don't like your shirt.

So there.

[Jah Womble]

As a die-hard Joy Division devotee, I tended to buy all New Order's early output on release - but latterly I've had to accept that much of it was 'filler'. (Thieves Like Us, for example, sounds to me now as though it was knocked off in one half-hour session.)

Don't get me wrong, when New Order were good, they were very good. But they weren't always good.

[Benjm]

That's fair enough. They are a more consistent and entertaining live prospect than is suggested by the shambolic reputation that still hangs around them though.

I thought the Peel 'untidy' quote that you mentioned somewhere was great.