So you discover an awesome new band on Spotify, check out their musical goods and perhaps, if it really is true love (and in the age of the illegal download it will have to be), you even buy their album. Before you know it the time has come to take this budding romance to the next level. You somehow beat the touts and find yourself the proud owner of tickets to see said band live. Sadly it is at this stage that so many live musicians ruin what could have been the start of something beautiful.
Musical talent is, of course, arguably the most crucial aspect of a gig, but who really wants a live music experience akin to plugging in your iPod whilst cooking dinner? Surely it is the raw imperfections of live performances that make them real, memorable, and exciting? The band that focuses solely upon playing a flawless show that sounds identical to their record risks a lack of passion and stage dynamic, yet when an artist truly engages with their audience it can result in an unforgettable, transcendental experience.
I vividly remember, with a stupid grin on my face, being in the midst of a highly-charged festival crowd aged seventeen as Foo Fighters blasted out ‘Times Like These’. Looking back, I think it was then that I realised just how incredibly powerful live music could be. There I was surrounded by thousands of like-minded people all screaming the words ‘it’s times like these you learn to live again’, in a muddy field without a care in the world. For a music lover, little can compare to watching a band bring the songs that have meant so much to you to life. To quote Billy Bragg, ‘you can experience the download but you can’t download the experience’.
Below are a few of my all-time favourite live music performances:
1. Queen play ‘Radio Ga Ga’ at Live Aid 1985
With 75,000 fans well and truly in the palm of his hand, flamboyantly fabulous Freddie Mercury takes the crown at Wembley Stadium.
2. Radiohead play ‘Paranoid Android’ at Glastonbury 2003
Thom Yorke appears to have been taken over by supernatural forces as Radiohead unleash their trippy epic upon the muddied masses.
3. Pulp play ‘Common People’ at Glastonbury 1995
‘If you want something to happen enough then it actually will happen, ok? I believe that.’ Jarvis Cocker inspires the crowd before launching into Pulp’s iconic anthem for the people.
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