Great live performances you just weren't expecting to like

Shrews

mrkb

I hate Timmy Mallet, but he excelled himself there!

ftumch

We saw 'Temperance Movement' at Steelhouse Festival year before last, I'd heard a few of their tracks and thought they were a bit meh. They were fantastic! Sadly split up due to issues with the vocalist AFAIK, would've def liked to have seen them again. Also Crobot were brill that day! 

DesVegas

Shake that egg man. And as for the backing singers, glad me mum finally got the job

maltingsaudio

Leo Sayer and David Essex spring to mind, both had that extra something in their stage presence to take the audience wherever they wanted them to go

Ps don’t bother going to YouTube you had to be there!

Fingerknot

I literally got dragged, by an ex-girlfiend, to a Barry Manilow concert at Wembley Arena in the late 80's.
90% women in the audience and the odd poor bloke.
On toddles Barry the conk.........and he was fantastic.
I still don't know how I feel about admitting that.

EricTheWeary

I saw Katrina Leskanich ( as in and The Waves) at a festival and she was a great performer, lovely voice, very engaged with the crowd, very tight band, she brought her dog on for the encore, the set included things she'd written for other people I didn't know were hers. I'd assumed ageing popstar still flogging her hits but actually total pro performance. 

maltingsaudio said:

Leo Sayer and David Essex spring to mind, both had that extra something in their stage presence to take the audience wherever they wanted them to go

Ps don’t bother going to YouTube you had to be there!

I was supposed to see David Essex last year. I have a real soft spot for him and Rock On may be one of the greatest singles ever released. Slightly unlikely combination of Essex, Jeff Wayne and Herbie Flowers creating this song about rock and roll yet that's almost hard core Jamaican dub that emerges into a string arrangement.  So creative. 

Tannin

The one that really, really blew me away was someone I had not the faintest interest in even hearing on the radio, never mind seeing in concert. This was about 1982 and I was a randy 20-something. My partner at that time was a big fan of this player, while I had nothing but scorn for him and for all his work. I went because - no joke or exaggeration here - because it was a choice between wasting three hours watching this boring old fart play his boring old songs, or no nookie for weeks, possibly months.

Shrug. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a bit. So I went. And saw one of the best two or three all-round performances I have ever seen in my life. Awesome! His name? Cliff Richard.

Honourable mentions to Blondie and Rose Tattoo. Dishonourable mentions to ... no, I won't go there.

Handsome_Chris

Tannin said:

... I went because - no joke or exaggeration here - because it was a choice between wasting three hours watching this boring old fart play his boring old songs, or no nookie for weeks, possibly months.

Shrug. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a bit. So I went. And saw one of the best two or three all-round performances I have ever seen in my life. Awesome! His name? Cliff Richard.

I made the the mistake of refusing to accompany my partner to see Sir Cliff, resulting in an ongoing bout of the silent treatment.  Still, it's so funny how we don't talk anymore.

EricTheWeary

EricTheWeary said:

I saw Katrina Leskanich ( as in and The Waves) at a festival and she was a great performer, lovely voice, very engaged with the crowd, very tight band, she brought her dog on for the encore, the set included things she'd written for other people I didn't know were hers. I'd assumed ageing popstar still flogging her hits but actually total pro performance. 

https://i.imgur.com/9DkpT0k.jpg

Stuckfast

Kimberley Rew from Katrina & the Waves is a lovely bloke and is always playing pub gigs round Cambridge. He's the only performer I've ever heard in real life say "This song's been good to me..."

Neill

Around 1976/77 me and a few mates bought tickets to see The Runaways at Sheffield.  For those who don't know/can't remember this was a group of American teenage girls, - I think most of them were only 17 when they first toured - and they had received a great deal of media attention/hype as a result.

We were, frankly, expecting the thing to be a complete shambles, I mean, how good could a bunch of schoolgirls be?  That was until they launched into the first song, "California Paradise".  It turned out to be one of the most exciting gigs I have ever attended, they were astonishingly good musicians, and what a voice that Cherie Currie had.   

Shame the whole concept fell apart within a few short years but Joan Jett of course went on to become a successful solo artist.  

Rocker

Neil Sedaka in Dublin mid 1970s.  Amazing show, brilliant performer.

not_the_dj

Took my mum to see Rod Stewart and Neil Diamond (years ago when it was the NEC arena in Birmingham), Both really great shows, top class frontmen with excellent backing bands. 

fretmeister

That video was ace! The bass tone is brilliant!

relic245

Went to see Tom Jones while we were in Vegas because my wife wanted to go.

It was a small theater with about 300 seats. We sat around tables and had waitress service, kind of felt like being in a bar.

I really didn't want to be there but was blown away. There is usually a reason why people reach those  level of success. With Tom it was very clear. Totally blown away 

Gassage

Got dragged to see Joe Jackson one year...he was sensational. Absolutely superb

TheBigDipper

Gassage said:

Got dragged to see Joe Jackson one year...he was sensational. Absolutely superb

I saw him at Hammersmith Palais when he was churning out the hits. Fantastic gig. That Gary Sanford could play a bit... 

Jason

relic245 said:

Went to see Tom Jones while we were in Vegas because my wife wanted to go.

It was a small theater with about 300 seats. We sat around tables and had waitress service, kind of felt like being in a bar.

I really didn't want to be there but was blown away. There is usually a reason why people reach those  level of success. With Tom it was very clear. Totally blown away 

I came here to write Tom Jones, I was dragged to see him years ago at the NEC by a girlfriend and her Mum. He was utterly brilliant, I hadn't expected it at all.

EricTheWeary

Jason said:

relic245 said:

Went to see Tom Jones while we were in Vegas because my wife wanted to go.

It was a small theater with about 300 seats. We sat around tables and had waitress service, kind of felt like being in a bar.

I really didn't want to be there but was blown away. There is usually a reason why people reach those  level of success. With Tom it was very clear. Totally blown away 

I came here to write Tom Jones, I was dragged to see him years ago at the NEC by a girlfriend and her Mum. He was utterly brilliant, I hadn't expected it at all.

I have fond memories of seeing him as a surprise guest at Glastonbury 1992; although my memories of 1992 are pretty vague. 

Neill

relic245 said:

Went to see Tom Jones while we were in Vegas because my wife wanted to go.

It was a small theater with about 300 seats. We sat around tables and had waitress service, kind of felt like being in a bar.

I really didn't want to be there but was blown away. There is usually a reason why people reach those  level of success. With Tom it was very clear. Totally blown away 

By his own admission Tom Jones suffered in the credibility stakes when he went down the MOR cabaret style route, but I doubt he would still be performing today had he tried to remain in the blues/soul genre. 

I got home a few weeks ago and as usual the radio was still on.  I heard this terrific singer doing an up tempo blues number,  stopped me in my tracks and I had to wait till the end of the song and find out who it was - it was Tom of course.  He's made his fortune so now he can go back to what he really loves and he's just the best at it.