Bands you've seen live recently, and what were they like?

[cestlavie]

Real mixed bag for me, although I had high hopes for all of them:

Santogold - terrible, just terrible. Awful support. Late to come on. Short disjointed and anaemic set. Left the crowd deeply unthrilled.

Bruce Springsteen - absolute legend. Two and a half hour set straight through under a starry summer sky, with a great mix of tracks including loads of the classics. Acoustics were pretty average, but hey, guess that's what you get with a stadium (Emirates)

Vampire Weekend - jaw droppingly brilliant. So good. Punchy energetic and full of verve with a crowd that bounced from start til finish and left buzzing.

So who else has been on recently? Good and bad?

Just saw (again, it's my favourite band...) The Divine Comedy at the Wychwood festival in Cheltenham, absolutely brilliant, Hannon in great form, the whole band sounded tight and was having a good time (almost as good a time as the crowd).
While we were there we saw:
Duffy: awful tinny voice, no presence, we left during the second song to have a bite to eat...
Palladium: good fun, happy pop/rock, plenty of energy
Piney Gyr: dh saw her, thought she was really good (I was in a craft tent with dd...)
The Blockheads: good band, but doesn't compare with the original line-up

Last year we saw Crowded House, and they were very good indeed (going back to see them al fresco in a couple of weeks).
Also loved Rufus Wainwright, brilliant, mad, funny, charismatic, a born showman.
Was disappointed by The Beautiful South (but then again I am not that crazy about their stuff any more)

radiohead, saturday night, dublin

absolutely bloody fantastic

Oh Rufus Wainwright - was going to go to see him at Koko in Camden on my brother's recommendation but never got round to sorting out tickets. Shame. I suspect that next time around he's going to be playing slightly larger venues.

Madeleine Peyroux: she's great but the venue was totally the wrong kind of setting for her music, the theatre was too big and cold, didn't work for me which was a big disappointment. I'd love to see her in a small intimate venue....

i saw polysics at islington carling academy and yhey were great fun

but id never heard of them before so had no expectations

ooooh you were there too? Twas great wasn't it? We're going to Paris in September to see him do a half french half englich gig with lots of guests!!

Dirty Pretty Things at The Ritz in Manc, fab band in a brilliant venue loved it, but then I love dirty guitar music...

Would love to see Rufus Wainwright but never sort out tickets early enough

My most recent have been Bjork at Manchester Apollo, she was spine tinglingly good. I had been waiting 15 years to see her and she didnt disappoint
Iron and Wine with support by Bon Iver a chilled out affair.
Spiritualized the other week at Sheffield, which was brilliant.
Worst gig i've been to was Damien Rice, it was so quiet it was like watching him in a library, not my kind of gig.
Off to watch Radiohead in manchester in 2 weeks and judging by harleyd s review should be a stormer ooh cant wait

seen buzzcocks (not my type of music at all! Went for DH!!!)
went to see Weezer at carling acadeny which was OK
Franz Ferdinand were brilliant as were the Editors who supported them.

Not 'bands' but best live acts seen this year so far include Westlife and Cascada....will now leave with my head hung low and feeling very embarrassed!!!!

Most recent was Gogol Bordello - brilliant/tight/long/energetic and would happily see them again - they're sort of Ukranian gypsy punk with a reggae bass- mad I know!
Going to the more relaxed day of the v festival in wolverhampton - suspect Amy Winehouse may not be up to much though.

i was at Wychwood too.....The Divine Comedy were fab!
I met Billy Bragg while i was getting a sandwich for my lad, he's a very friendly chap!

Off to Glastonbury in a couple of weeks.....shamefully most excited about seeing Shakin' Stevens because i loved him when i was a kid.

Last band I saw live were 30 Seconds to Mars who were pretty damn good (better than I expected)

Prior to that I saw Crowded House play three times in the last 6 months of 2007 They're always good and I'm hugely of Frogprincess seeing them in whichever forest it is (just couldn't juggle the travel, ticket cost and time off work )

Next live event I'll be going to is V at Chelmsford (yay! Muse )

we could have had a mini MN meetup at Wychwood!! And yes the kiddy stuff was nice, but the bubble swords we got left horrid marks on all our clothes
serenity I will think of you at the Westonbirt Arboretum....
(let's just hope it doesn't rain, we were very lucky for Wychwood!!)

mark knopfler - was a bit about it but there is no doubt he is a fantastic musician.

I went to see an up and coming Perth band called Whiskey Trail - they were brilliant and put me in mind of early Rory Gallagher.

Velvet Revolver - great.

Foos on Saturday at Wembley - amazing.

Just been offered tickets for radiohead at Victoria PArk on 24th but can't make it

meghalegs, shame you cant go, they were seriously good

The Model Village - The Wedgewood Rooms Southsea
Totally brilliant, and got gig tickets for July to

FrogPrincess, I'm jealous of your DH seeing Piney Gir - I like her a lot and she seems like she'd be fun to see live.

Last gig I went to was in March, a Nina Nastasia solo set. She was amazing as usual Seen her play several times before but always with a band, so it was interesting to hear the difference in the songs and see how much more relaxed she seemed playing up close and personal. The support act was pretty great too, an interesting guitarist.

God, looking at my diary I realise that's the only gig I've made it to this year Never mind, am going to the Supersonic festival in Brum next month so will have lots of lovely drone music and stoner rock to listen to

Nothing recent but got tickets to see Massive Attack on Sat. Last time I saw them was at Glasto, pre DH, mortgage and kids. What a difference 13 years makes !

Scouting for Girls - New tour dates just release - Fantastic!!!!

FrogPrincess did you used to be someone else with a DC type name?