Roger Waters’ recreation many years later at The O2 was also great.
Motorhead, 7th May 1984. Motormayhem day. Mayhem.
Mariza, Purcell Room, 2002. Having seen her on Jools Holland and been astounded, seeing her live in such a small venue was special.
I will break with form thus far on this thread. My auto-answer is Queen in ‘86, but I would say seeing AC/DC in Vegas last year reminded me that freshness matters (in that they were a sad echo of when I saw them in ‘84).
I offer Green Lung in Kentish Town O2 Forum last Feb. A reminder what a band at the height of its powers can do. Fabulous energy and a feverish reaction from the crowd.
I live in hope of the odd gig that makes me feel that way. Great that I am still seeing ones that do that after 45 years of gig going!
Did they build the wall at that concert?
I saw the first Waters ‘Wall’ show in Berlin in 1990. The Wall was certainly built on that occasion. If you’ve seen the recording you will know there were odd guests including marching soldiers, overflying aircraft and a range of odd musical guests - The Scorpions included! As you would imagine, loads of technical problems, and a very late finish, but quite special. Having an encore of ‘The Tide Is Turning’ was quite inspired.
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They did. It was largely the same as the original Pink Floyd concerts, but with more up to date visual effects. For example, the wall went from white to distinctly more grey and depressing as the concert progressed.
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Pink Floyd at Earls Court on Division Bell tour. The concert was filmed for the Pulse DVD release. Also saw them a week earlier at Leuven, Belgium but Floyd were not an outdoor gig type band, Pompeii excepted.
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AC DC at Wembley Arena in 1996 on the Saturday night on the poster
My mates and I where right down the very front in the arena.
It was all standing instead of getting beers.We immediately went to watch the Wildhearts supporting them who were great and after we realised if getting beers lose the best spot which we would lose if we left center stage.
AC DC where phenomenal. Although playing to a crowd of 8500 .Being so close to them felt like a pub gig.The sound off their backline and intimacy blew me away.
They came on with Back In Black then staight into Giving The Dog A Bone ..and I could see the first bits of sweat coming off Angus’s face .
Been to so many great gigs like Pixies at Brixton Academy on the Bossanova tour which they blew the roof off with sound and intensity and REM at Hammersmith Odean on the Document tour .
But DC that night if I could be put on the spot just blew my head off ..They Rocked and the crowd were absolutely going mental.
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Too many to list, but if forced to pick just one I’d say Yes at the Boston Garden in 1984
And that was probably Un Chien Anadolu
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Yep that was a strange support act!
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So many performances to choose from, many already mentioned. However a few years back we went to see Penguin Cafe at the Cheltenham Town Hall as part of the Jazz Festival.
We were only a few rows back and watching the players on the instruments, hearing individual notes, the interaction between instruments and the overall sound was tremendous. For us, it was one of the occasions when a live performance was outstanding.
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U2 - Joshua tree concert 2020 
been waiting patiently for 15 over years for them to come to Singapore.
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Hard to answer but I saw Pulp last summer (at the O2, London) and I don’t really remember a concert I’ve enjoyed that much in a long time. Jarvis Cocker really is a very good front-man.
Shame the queues for the tube were so long!
My best concert so far is Hiromi and her Sonicwonder band at Teatro Ristori (Verona) in 2024. Ubeliavably good, she’s just stunning and so unique.
Hmm… well I guess in terms of iconic, it would have to be David Bowie and The Spiders From Mars at Romford Odeon, May 1973 IIRC. Friends queued all night to get tickets for us all.
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Much mulling
Something formative - age 16 Kings Lynn Corn Exchange Nov 1972 Hawkwind (with Stacia) at the start of their Space Ritual tour(s). Bottles of Stingo & spliffs secreted in the lining of my German Air force greatcoat meeting the love of my life (well for 6 months) in the Saturday Marketplace post gig.
Or all grown up - Sun Ra Arkestra outdoors in the Plaza de la Trinidad San Sebastian July 2014. The full gamut from lush Ellingtonia to squalling improv. We sat on a wall high to the left of the stage and the band (minus Marshall Allen who was 90) did their walkabout right past us.
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Theatre Royal Norwich probably the same month - brilliant theatrical but too many squealing teenie-boppers.
The Odeon was packed, but I really don’t remember screaming teens. Maybe a little at the end.
My friends and me were just (enthusiastially) rapt.
12th July 1986 Queen ‘Kind of Magic’ Tour Wembley Stadium (with 72,000 others)
A day I will remember for the rest of my life
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