Top 5: things that make for a great live performance  

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 7 months ago.]

This is the stuff we look for- it’s what we talk about, blog about, take pictures of, and generally enjoy the most about going to see someone live. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of–it’s the shit that makes you famous.

1. Let me hear your witty banter…don’t just play- talk, dammit!

We want to hear what the band has to say. From funny stories about touring/writing songs/groupies to political rants, it’s fun to hear them speak. Some bands are know for being great all around entertainers.

Dave Grohl/Foo Fighters–not the best example.

Tom Morello/The Nightwatchman

2. I wanna see a spectacle.

Who doesn’t want to see a spectacle? Elaborate stage set ups and costumes…what is better than that?

GWAR

Daft Punk

3. Oops!

Haha…they fell off stage. Or flubbed the words. Or are very obviously drunk. Heehee. Beyonce’s people have yanked all of her vids down.

Bono

Slash- those notes are a little off…

4. Uh-oh. Band/Audience friction.

You’ve seen it- the band can see some asshole on the crowd trying to hurt people and they call them on it. Or, they see who threw something at them. Or, the crowd is lame, or the crowd tells the band it’s lame. There’s no holding back here.

Axl Rose (at about 2 1/2 minutes)

Josh Homme/Queens of the Stone Age

5. It’s live and I can tell.

There’s nothing worse than going to a show and it sounding like you’re listening to the album with a bunch of people. Mix it up! Changing the composition and the vocals a little reminds the audience that this shit is live.

NIN

Beastie Boys

Genre(s): Lists

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