Favourite Live Versions

[davertfnewman]

If we're doing that, let's do this: 

 

[TibBo]

I always loved this version of Hurt from Glastonbury. The little wry smiles from Trent, Robin having steam smouldering out of his head, the way the full band builds up and the breaks down to one guitar in the delicate bits. It’s just great.

When I was at college we had basic satellite TV at home, and the German channels were frigging amazing for playing live concerts and festivals all the time from a huge range of bands.  There was a show called Rockpalast on one of the channels which became essential viewing along with Tommy Vance on VH1

He used to play this on The Rock Show all the time and it has always been the definitive version to me. Bruce’s last performance with the band before the hiatus I think too?

 

[HarmonicGenerator]

1 hour ago, poetofthedeed said:

Clarence Clemons was possessed by god during this saxophone solo and you will never convince me otherwise....

 

I don’t need convincing on that one! It’s the same Hyde Park show I linked to before, but hearing Clarence play that solo as the sun went down was like an out of body experience.

Actually, I don’t even think I need the “like” there. As he played that solo, I really felt like “me” was floating somewhere above my body. I’ve never experienced anything else quite like it. Transcendent.

 

[Surf Digby]

Okay, let's kick this off.......
 

For me, this is the definitive version of Crazy Train. It's heavier, more energetic, more aggressive. Randy may have only been a little shy guy, but he could make a guitar wish it was still growing quietly in a forest somewhere. It's a real shame that there's no official video of this performance.
 

There's a juke box full of great Iron Maiden live performances, but this is one that absolutely blew my 13 year old mind, and still holds up all these years later. It's a one-song showreel of why they were at the top of their game. Their playing is as tight as is possible to be, Steve gets to show what an absolute beast he is just before the quiet section, and the literally explosive way they go into the guitar solos is textbook "how to pop the audience".

 

Similar to Maiden, there's so much live footage of Zappa or the Mothers of Invention out there that it's hard to pick one out, so here's a selection, starting with the Baby Snakes era, where he was totally committed to pretending he wasn't a "super rock guitarist".

 

 

It's a TV taping, but it's still live. The chemistry in this band line up was incredible, and it's no wonder that it remains a favourite era with the fans. What I love is that when you see any of these being interviewed, they all talk about how in awe of each other they were. 

The infamous 1988 tour, where they had to learn 120 songs and play a different set every night, with additional songs being added along the way. But what a band it was, with a mix of Zappa veterans like Bobby Martin, and youngsters like Mike Keneally on their first major job. 
I just love the sound of this band. The drums were a mixture of acoustic and electric, Frank had a particularly unique guitar sound by this point, the bass was very unorthodox, and it was set off by a percussion and horn section. The album from this tour has a different performance of Sofa, which I actually prefer to this one, as well as killer versions of Son of Mr Green Genes and Inca Roads, but - as the set was different every night - he didn't play them at Barcelona.

 

Another one where it's a tragedy that there's no video of the performance, because I reckon it's actually better than the studio version of Green Onions, which is no small feat. Elwood's monologue is a thing of beauty, and he plays the crowd like a fiddle. 

Nothing sums up "I wish I'd been born earlier" than stuff like this. Imagine this being the norm.

[davertfnewman]

As featured at the beginning of Withnail and I. Ralph Brown/Danny the Dealer, who you can tell loves the film, describes it as Curtis' tears falling into the sax to power himself through it.

 

[poetofthedeed]

If you're going to go out, burn the whole fucking place down behind you........(yes, there were reunions, but they don't count)

 

 

 

[TheBurningRed]

This is going to be very Metallica heavy as they’re my favourite live band and I think they’re better live than recorded (and they’re not too bad at that either)

Creeping Death. Seattle 89. A fantastic performance. And as much as I love Rob Trujillo on bass, you have to really appreciate just how good Jason Newstead was.

Master of Puppets. Manchester 2019. In the pouring rain, a great visual of Lars smashing the drums and rain flying everywhere. It’s their most popular live song for a reason. I could’ve easily included Seattle 89 but I do love this one.

The Memory Remains. Vancouver 2012. A really great atmosphere and my favourite from this live show.

For Whom The Bell Tolls. California 1985. Cliff Burton featuring Metallica. An all timer performance from the man on bass.

Edited August 2, 2025 by TheBurningRed

[Rossman]

49 minutes ago, davertfnewman said:

As featured at the beginning of Withnail and I. Ralph Brown/Danny the Dealer, who you can tell loves the film, describes it as Curtis' tears falling into the sax to power himself through it.

 

His version of Whole Lotta Love from this concert is great too.

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie with the funky drum break in the middle.

 

[Chorleydave]

Royal republic, one of the most enjoyable live bands I’ve ever seen. Love the end bit of this too with the drummer stood up bashing away in front of a huge crowd

 

Edited August 2, 2025 by Chorleydave
Typo

[Bellenda Carlisle]

Maria McKee Show me Heaven - live on TOTP. 

I've always loved this song but recently discovered that when she went on top of the pops she refused to mime and insisted on doing the vocals live, resulting in this effortlessly perfect, goosebump inducing performance which is considered one the best ever on TOTP. Check it out if you like this song at all, it will bring a tear to your eye.

[Ironic Indie Lad]

On 8/2/2025 at 8:01 AM, TheBurningRed said:

 

Creeping Death. Seattle 89. A fantastic performance. And as much as I love Rob Trujillo on bass, you have to really appreciate just how good Jason Newstead was.

Master of Puppets. Manchester 2019. In the pouring rain, a great visual of Lars smashing the drums and rain flying everywhere. It’s their most popular live song for a reason. I could’ve easily included Seattle 89 but I do love this one.

Great  choices. 

You could pretty much take your pick from Seattle '89 in my opinion. One of the very best Metallica live recordings! I remember seeing Fade to Black from this show on MTV2 in about 1999/2000 and it absolutely blew my mind. Harvester of Sorrow from the Moscow show a couple of years later had a similar impact.

I was at that Manchester 2019 show. Absolute magic.

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

All these mentions of The Boss and yet the best live song is yet to be posted?

 

Youngstown. Hyde Park 2009. Nils Lofgren was just so away with the music here. The thing that sets the E Street Band apart from everyone else is the sheer love for music they have and how they just let it flow when playing. 

But yeah 2009 Bruce at Hyde Park was a sensational gig all round and I'm so glad I'd been made redundant shortly before and got tickets for it with the money as its when I first got truly into him and 'got' The Boss 

 

 

[HarmonicGenerator]

23 minutes ago, Tim Healys Chutney Spoon said:

All these mentions of The Boss and yet the best live song is yet to be posted?

 

Youngstown. Hyde Park 2009. Nils Lofgren was just so away with the music here. The thing that sets the E Street Band apart from everyone else is the sheer love for music they have and how they just let it flow when playing. 

But yeah 2009 Bruce at Hyde Park was a sensational gig all round and I'm so glad I'd been made redundant shortly before and got tickets for it with the money as its when I first got truly into him and 'got' The Boss 

 

 

Absolutely this. If I hadn't self-limited myself, this would definitely have been on there. It's not just Nils, though he's amazing here. The work Max is doing on the drums is just incredible, building and building and building, it's like an industrial engine, the power behind it, just fits perfectly with the theme of the song. And then Bruce, the way he does the word "hell" at the end ... chills. When @Frankie Crisp did our 'King of the Boss' tournament on twitter to keep sane over Covid, I'm fairly sure Youngstown won the whole thing and this performance is a big reason why for me.

My other favourite Nils performance I've seen was 'Because the Night' at Old Trafford in '08. It was my first time seeing Bruce and the band, and that solo just blew my mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[King Coconut]

Move aside!

 

 

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

22 minutes ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

Absolutely this. If I hadn't self-limited myself, this would definitely have been on there. It's not just Nils, though he's amazing here. The work Max is doing on the drums is just incredible, building and building and building, it's like an industrial engine, the power behind it, just fits perfectly with the theme of the song. And then Bruce, the way he does the word "hell" at the end ... chills. When @Frankie Crisp did our 'King of the Boss' tournament on twitter to keep sane over Covid, I'm fairly sure Youngstown won the whole thing and this performance is a big reason why for me.

My other favourite Nils performance I've seen was 'Because the Night' at Old Trafford in '08. It was my first time seeing Bruce and the band, and that solo just blew my mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thats one thing I forgot, Max Weinberg is the forgotten star of that bad. Holds it all together and the chemistry he has with all members of the band is amazing