You can see any band/musician in history - who and why?

Yes - it’s a funny thing when a band member quits/passes - some groups can get away with it - some can’t.

I mean off top of my head, Stones obviously have done it and kept on rocking but bands like the Doors tried it and failed miserably.

It’s tougher when your an “established” band to me - but obviously the precedent is there. Van Halen anyone ?? Replacing Diamond Dave with Sammy who was replaced by a manequij I think for a couple of months only to be replaced by Dave again briefly wasn’t it.

Of course - there is one band who stands out far and away in replacing members - KISS. I mean they hired a guy from a tribute band to fill in and made him a member - that’s the stuff of bad movie plots right there…guitarist is making $350 a week playing bars in a cover band 6 nights a week and the band comes to see him and hires him to replace their lead guitarist on an upcoming tour !! Special mention to Lynyrd Skynyrd here too - again everyone in the band dies so you go out and start hiring relatives to keep the band name alive (and people keep coming to see them). Still - KISS shows how far some

 

‘zackly

 

I have a few guitar late guitar heroes or bands that I would love to see live: Hendrix, SRV, Django, Robert Johnson, Jeff Buckley, the original Led Zeppelin lineup. Never got to see Duane Allman or Glenn Campbell either. But at least we have records and some concert footage to enjoy.

More than any of the above, I would LOVE to see Niccolò Paganini perform his insane and nearly-superhuman compositions for violin and guitar. There have been so few people in the world even able to play his stuff. I imagine hearing the guy who wrote them perform them would be an incredible experience.

 

I love Sabbath but Ozzy is just obnoxious live. I have no need to hear him scream "come on" every 3 seconds.

 

The one I find stupid is people raising their phones for slow songs where it used to be lighters. I get that far fewer people smoke now than in the 60s and 70s but it still makes me shake my head.

 

@Shamrock92

With regards to cell phones:

I was lucky enough to see The White Stripes during their final tour and made it to a couple of their intimate secret shows. During one of them, when Jack and Meg were playing for the hundred or so of in attendance outdoors on a bridge, he asked the fans to make it about us and them and put away all electronics.....and people actually did.

It was from this outting, they played about 5-6 songs for us lucky fans. It's actually show #2....show #1 was them on a city transit bus with me and about 30 or so others where they played Hotel Yorba and Wheels on the bus.




During Jack White's solo tour across Canada before Covid, his show was NO cell phones. We were searched and anyone who had a phone was made to put it in a provided security pouch and could only be opened in the venue hallways away from the show, by staff.

 

You’ve hit the nail on the head about some not being able to be replaced. Awhile back the former lead singer from Bad Company began fronting Queen and the music was surprisingly good…but not Freddy Mercury good. Like you said, Freddy was a one of a kind icon. In situations like that the band needs to be upfront with no pretense that they’re still the same band. If the band is honest with their fans and the fans know it going into the show then it’s possible to appreciate the fact that you’re going hear some seriously great musicians playing songs that you know and love and just appreciate it for what it is. I never saw the Dead, but I did see the Furthur Festival after Jerry had died and it was great time. Nobody believed it was still the Grateful Dead but it was a great show in its own right.

 

Oh yeah, if a band wants to change their name when they change a key member, I'd be all for that.

 

Put on a good concert last time he was in Portland
Played some Cream and everything else up to date at that point.

 

Saw AIC when they opened for Van Halen ( Sammy Hagar era ) they put on a good set. At one point as a gag VH sent a bunch of live sheep onto stage while they were performing. Rock n roll rules!

 

I've seen a lot of shows in the last 41 years..
One band I wish I would have seen?

INXS.
IMHO, Michael Hutchence was one of the best front men ever...

DLR is a close second, but I saw VH on the Diver Down tour..

Freddie Mercury and Queen would have been nice to see back in the day as well..

 

Ah, man, tough call. I actually pondered the question a few days before answering since it was a toss-up for me between Hendrix and Zeppelin and if I absolutely had to be forced to answer with just one it would be Zeppelin.

Page and Jones were already accomplished studio musicians since the mid-60's, they had an incredibly talented rhythm section in Jones and Bonham, crossed genres nearly flawlessly, always highly admired their incorporating their ethnicity and influences into their music so well, particularly the Celtic/folky stuff, they had the showmanship down pat, they had spectacle and they were the biggest, at the time at least, and they weren't afraid of anyone else. Even the Stones didn't dare go on stage immediately after Skynyrd set the tone at Knebworth one year. Lol!

Hendrix would have been my 2nd choice and the Beatles my 3rd. Life has been and was good "back in the day" and I've been fortunate to see just about everyone I wanted to at some point in one incarnation or another.

Re: the loss of a member. One band that nobody has mentioned that pulled it off and had more success after the loss was AC/DC. It's virtually unheard of to lose your singer and succeed but they did it and were more successful than before. Saw them twice in the very early 80's. They were very good.

Misc: Although I don't really listen to them I caught 3 bands decades ago on weird double-bills worth mentioning.

1st was Queensryche at a small theater that I believe has long since been torn down in Pittsburgh, Pa. Nobody knew who they were or had heard their material and they had just enough to get through about a 30-40 minute set, tops, but you could tell even back then those guys were "going places".

2nd was Yngwie Malmsteen, again in Pittsburgh but a different small venue. He was maybe 19 or 20(?). He had just come to America not long before but that kid could play and people just sat there silently watching him. I prefer Blackmore myself but the kid could play guitar.

3rd was Pantera at a really tiny bar in Dallas, Tx. Not even sure it's there anymore. Phil and Rex weren't even in the band yet so that oughtta tell ya how long ago this was. Lol. Darrell was a skinny, baby-faced kid but, man, he could play, I'll give him that. They didn't look or sound anything like what they eventually did. Didn't think they would get as big as they did but life can be unpredictable.

So many bands/musicians across multiple genres, some multiple times, but for me it would be Led Zeppelin.

Edit: the bar in Dallas was Matley's on Skillman St.

 

Tom Petty. Saw him 3 times and regret not seeing him more. So many great songs...a rock radio jukebox.

John Prine. Never saw him live and have listened to his music for many years. What a songwriter.

 

The Beatles, without a doubt. Greatest band in history by far.

My son and I saw Alice Cooper a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t expecting much, since he’s 74. Holy shit it was the best show I’ve been to in my life, no exaggeration. I highly recommend going to see him if you get the opportunity.

 

Yeah, Queen would have been amazing. Best front man of all time?

 

I would have loved to see Motley Crue in their prime and would have loved being in my prime when I saw them

 

I'm thinking apples to apples that title would arguably go to Elvis Presley but I could be incorrect.

 

Though I’m not a huge fan of his music, I can’t argue with his greatness. Didn’t really think of him as a “front man” since he was a solo act though.

 

I understand and don't necessarily disagree but if we allow distinctions like this to have a categorical place then would this not disqualify John and Paul also? If not, why not? Lol.

 

They are known Today at least as "Dead & Company" and "Dead and Friends "for the record too.

Though clearly everyone knows what you mean if just saying the Dead or any combination ever implied probably.

They were also originally named "The Warlocks" but I digress!

 

They’re mostly known for being part of a band. As far as I know, Elvis was a solo act exclusively. While they’re all still fronting a band, I was really just talking about groups.
That said, while The Beatles are the best ever in my opinion, and John and Paul were brilliant, I don’t think I’d put them up there with Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, or others as “front men”. They didn’t have the vocal ability or stage presence those guys did. Just a completely different animal.
None of The Beatles were phenomenal singers like Elvis, but I don’t think he could approach their creative ability.
This is what I immediately think of when talking about great front men:

https://youtu.be/OVzvoPP6M50

 

Wow that was fantastic. I never was a big Queen fan - they were before my time (not that that matters). Just never got into their music. But man....seems Freddie was amazing in concert. Always knew he had a great voice...but his stage presence is masterful in that video.

 

Maybe not a fair comparison because I haven't seen Queen live but I would nominate Bruce Dickinson for that honour too.

 

If I have to choose only one it would be Lynyrd Skynyrd prior to Ronnie Van Zant,Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines passing away.
Saw them a few times with Johnnie Van Zant as front and Ed King too at Roseland but just not the same.
One of the greatest American bands.

 

Hendrix for sure

Grateful Dead early lineup but only with Pigpen singing. For such a young guy he had soul and talent. I know a lot of people hate the Dead, go listen to them with Pigpen and they're completely different.

I saw the Stones at Oldchella but would love to see them again.

Pink Floyd would be amazing

Nirvana would be rad to see live

Black Sabbath early lineup

I could probably think of more but I've gotta get back to work.

 

As a "head" I get this. As a guitarist, I could not disagree any further.

Trey is amazing. But when he did the fare thee well stuff in 15, he was Trey playing some of Jerrys riffs. He still sounded like Trey. Ross compressor and all.

Mayer has become a student of JG's tone and playing style, essentially changing his own sound and teaching himself how to play banjo, but on a guitar (because that was JG's subconscious approach). He gets the percussiveness from the guitar on tracks that need it (Althea comes to mind) but also can get melodic and far out when necessary (Fire, Begonias, Terrapin... ).

I get that most dont like Mayer's personality. I get it and would agree as he kind of rubs me the wrong way. The dude can flat out rip on guitar to begin with, and to set aside his own style, and embrace a history for the sake of the music is something I have a ton of respect for.

 

I felt the same way, until I saw Dead and Co play Dodger stadium a few years ago. I don't like Mayer, but when I saw and heard him play it all changed for me. He's undeniably a great guitar player and he meshed well with the band.

 

The Beatles were the best band (IMHO) but not really a live performance show band. Live shows were just starting to get refined when the Beatles quit giving them. Their sound equipment was subpar and really it was just a popularity gig. I’m glad I saw them but it really didn’t sound all that good.
Even though I went to a lot of concerts in the 60’s and 70’s, I really didn’t care for “live” albums. I preferred quality recordings over screaming fans.

 

I would have liked to have seen Gov't Mule with Allen Woody. I liked Andy and I like Jorgen, and I love the new direction ("new"... since it has been quite some time now) with Danny Louis, but it would have been really cool to see some of the early shows.