Concerts and Live Music

[moments.]

Do you go to many concerts or see live performances of musicians / bands? If so, what shows have you seen recently?

Do you like shows that rely on theatrical spectacle to make them more impressive, or do you go purely for the music?

Do you think live music is better, the same or worse than studio recorded takes of the same song?

Discuss anything else about live music or concerts if you so please!

 

[Mr Cat Dog]

I've been to precisely one concert. It was last year to see Los Campesinos! play at KOKO in London, and it was really, really good. The atmosphere was electric without being chaotic; the band were really good, even though I didn't think their type of music massively suited a venue that large; the location was amazing (an old theatre with all the seats ripped out); it wasn't even that expensive, which is always a plus with me!

Yet, I don't know if I'd want to do it again, at least not any time soon. It was certainly a good experience in going, but unless I have a big desire to see a band live - which is rare - I'm not sure how long it's going to be before I do it again. Festivals don't interest me in the slightest (all the mud, outdoors and general weather stuff doesn't do it for me), and I can listen to all my music at its best quality on my laptop or iPod. (Whilst still good, the liveness did negatively impact some of the songs.)

I probably will go again at some point, but I'm not sure when nor who it'll be to see.

 

[Lily]

Live music is okay if I'm a really big fan. The only one I've really gone to are video game music concerts, and it was a thrilling experience. Most of the time, I'll be content sitting at home listening to it on my computer.

 

[mondays suck]

I say to myself "This band is awesome, I HAVE TO see them live" every few weeks. Then, when they are actually touring the country, all the cities they are touring are >200km away and even if not, in the end I'm always too lazy/afraid/busy/whatever. Being afraid is probably the biggest of these reasons, I always feel horribly lonely in crowded places (stop laughing!), and I couldn't get drunk to bypass that because most likely I'd have to drive there myself since while me and most of my friends have somewhat similar music tastes, no one really seems to listen to the same bands.

 

[Belinda]

I have never been to a concert myself, but I'm hoping to within the next few years. Once I'm able to afford my own stuff of course. Listening to live songs released on an album I can find them sometime enjoyable, while sometimes I can't stand them. It really depends on the artist's voice to be honest. I will not pay for some concert tickets to see someone who can't sing without all that autotune.

 

[moments.]

I've never been to a concert, mainly because I am too stingy to pay for tickets which are generally pretty expensive, but also because I really don't like the sound of live music mixed wit screaming of fans...

I like music more than I like the artist, and being a bit of a perfectionist, I want it to sound near perfect (which really can only be achieved through studio recording with some exceptions). Yeah, if I found an artist that I really liked as an artist, and not just their music, I might go support them, but otherwise, I'd much rather just buy the album with the money, and have my own little concert at home. :P

 

[PlatinumDude]

Do you go to many concerts or see live performances of musicians / bands? If so, what shows have you seen recently?: I don't go to many concerts, but the most recent concert I went to had Flo Rida, T-Pain, Kelly Rowland and Sean Kingston in it.

Do you like shows that rely on theatrical spectacle to make them more impressive, or do you go purely for the music?: I go for the music.

Do you think live music is better, the same or worse than studio recorded takes of the same song?: Live music is the same as studio-recorded music, IMO.

 

[Esper]

Do you go to many concerts or see live performances of musicians / bands? If so, what shows have you seen recently?:
I've been to three proper concerts (I'm assuming the high school jazz band doesn't count) and none of them were recent.

Do you like shows that rely on theatrical spectacle to make them more impressive, or do you go purely for the music?:
The music is what matters to me. If there's a spectacle that's okay though.

Do you think live music is better, the same or worse than studio recorded takes of the same song?:
I had three different experiences at the concerts I went to.

One was for an artist I like who was doing his side project music which I don't like as much. That concert had a godawful sound system so everything sounded muddy and hurt my ears. I was disappointed it was a lot less impressive than the recorded music.

Another one I went to was for a band I like and was fun and good I left smiling because I got exactly what I wanted and expected from it.

The third one was for a band I'd only heard a little of and wasn't too interested in, but once I was there and listening to them live I got so sucked into the music that I was bouncing with adrenaline for hours after and now that band is one of my all-time favorites. They were definitely better live.

So I guess it depends on the musicians.

 

[Meganium]

I've only been to two concerts in my life. Both of them are KISS concerts. At first I didn't like KISS until my dad took me to San Diego to see them live in concert. After that, I was hooked and I wanted to go again. So, after waiting another year, KISS was back on tour and they planned to stop by Phoenix, AZ, which was the nearest city (after Phoenix, they went to Los Angeles). It was worth the 3-4 hour drive from my old home to Phoenix, AZ. If they announced that they'll be on tour again, I would so go to their concert again.

But I was definitely warned, their shows get LOUDER than any other. So I end up with my ears ringing for days.

In terms of what this poster is asking, it depends on my musical tastes. If it's a rock concert, I prefer listening to live rock music than the ones recorded in studio.

 

[BBA_Beyblader_321]

Live music is awesome! One of my top favorite bands is almost better live!! (UVERworld). Recent concerts here are like, ADTR, and Rise Against.. but I missed 'em both. So Simple Plan is next!

 

[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

Do you go to many concerts or see live performances of musicians / bands? If so, what shows have you seen recently?
I don't go often, last one I saw was an acoustic preformance by 80's superstar Richard Marx.

Do you like shows that rely on theatrical spectacle to make them more impressive, or do you go purely for the music?
I go for the music. That last show I went to didn't even have any flashy effects.

Do you think live music is better, the same or worse than studio recorded takes of the same song?
I can't really say, as it depends on how the song is performed which varies from concert to concert. Some songs are better performed live, other I prefer the studio version.

 

[Rogue planet]

Do you go to many concerts or see live performances of musicians / bands? If so, what shows have you seen recently?
Yes, whenever I band I like a lot is playing in London I make sure that I go. This only started in 2009, when I moved near to London so I haven't seen that many. A lot of them tend to be expensive as well (Muse was about £90 for goodness sake) so I don't always get to see who I want. The only big disappointment so far is missing out on Death from Above 1979. If you look out for lesser known or local artists they tend to be a lot cheaper (God Is an Astronaut was only £10).

2009: Deadmau5, The Mars Volta, Deep Purple
2010: God Is an Astronaut, Dave Matthews Band, And So I Watch You From Afar, Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood, Gorillaz, Deadmau5, Jeff Wayne, Simply Red
2011: The Chameleons, Elbow, Cee-Lo Green
Upcoming: Low, Godflesh + Goatsnake + D.R.I.

Do you like shows that rely on theatrical spectacle to make them more impressive, or do you go purely for the music?
Purely for the music. A music concert with bad music is just a bad concert, if I wanted to see a visual show I'd go to the cinema. Light shows do make it a lot better though.

Do you think live music is better, the same or worse than studio recorded takes of the same song?
Depends on the band. Eric Clapton was not particularly enjoyable live; all of the rest have been great experiences. I didn't like the studio version of Plastic Beach by Gorillaz very much, but hearing it live was just amazing. Deadmau5 is not someone I really listen to the studio recordings of, but live it was amazing because that's what house music is made for, dancing to.
It also depends on the crowd, I really hate boring crowds. After watching Godflesh videos on youtube, all I see are people standing perfectly still. That's not what I go to a concert for, and there will be slamdancing when I go to see them.

 

[Margot]

Do you go to many concerts or see live performances of musicians / bands? If so, what shows have you seen recently?
Excluding middle school/high school band concerts, I have been to five concerts. Aerosmith for my 12th, 18th and 19th birthday, Christina Aguilera for my 15th birthday, and finally Slash with Myles Kennedy this past February. Compared to most of my friends who go to random shows, I haven't been to many at all. But I like bands who were either broken up before I was born or are too old to tour anymore :| so i'm quite selective on the shows I attend. I would really like to see more though, one of my goals is to get out and see more bands play live.

Do you like shows that rely on theatrical spectacle to make them more impressive, or do you go purely for the music?
I'm there purely for the music, but the more theatrical they are, all the better in my opinion. It just makes the show that much more memorable.

Do you think live music is better, the same or worse than studio recorded takes of the same song?
Well, most of the bands I like are from the generation before autotune was created so they HAD to be good to get into the business. So seeing Aerosmith live is exactly like listening to them on a cd (there is obviously some difference since Steven Tyler was like 18 or 19 when he sang some of those songs and now he's almost 60, but still). I love that about them. That's why I'm more reluctant to go see someone like Katy Perry or Kesha live, because while they would be put on quite a show, I just know it's gonna sound nothing like their cds and that would kind of bother me. I'm paying for tickets for quality.

So yeah, I love concerts. It's hard to explain, but I love the feeling of being at a huge outdoor venue where everyone is talking and having fun and then ALL of those people get up and sing to every song so loud you can hear over the singer :)

 

[Thomas]

I love live performances, but I've always loved outdoor music venues or outdoor festivals a lot better than a traditional concert. The first concert I ever saw was Train and Matchbox 20 in 2002. I was in the third row and it was pretty awesome. Kinda spoiled me after that because being that close at a concert, for my first concert. The next concert I went to after that was the next year I saw 3 Doors Down, and I was in the nose bleed seats, and it definitely didn't have the same effect on me as the first one did, because I was so far away, but it was still a good show.

Now after being to a few festivals, I like them much more, but it is a lot harder to get to festivals when you work and are in school at the same time. Also, the cost is a bit of an issue too. Festivals are a lot more expensive than a regular concert.

 

[WhiteWizard]

I just saw Tiesto. It was so sick. w porter robinson live... SAY MY NAME AND YOU CAN SAY IT W HONOR.

 

[Saryka]

Do you go to many concerts or see live performances of musicians / bands? If so, what shows have you seen recently?
I don't go to a lot of concerts. The last concert I went to was Alexisonfire last year, and the one before that I believe was Cobra Starship two years before. I've also seen The Academy Is..., We the Kings, and My Chemical Romance live, as well as Avril Lavigne twice when I was eleven.

Do you like shows that rely on theatrical spectacle to make them more impressive, or do you go purely for the music?
I go for the music. I definitely prefer the smaller, more intimate venues over large arena ones anytime. I don't care if there's a spectacle or not, I'm happy just hearing my favourite bands play live.

Do you think live music is better, the same or worse than studio recorded takes of the same song?
I think it can be, especially if the singer or band has a really good stage presence and can bring a lot of energy into their performances. When I went to see The Academy Is... live, William Beckett sounded great. He was running and jumping around the stage and just giving off a great vibe that made the concert really fun. I just think when you go to great live shows, you can go back and listen to the studio versions and relive those moments every time you play the songs.

 

[Azonic]

Do you go to many concerts or see live performances of musicians / bands? If so, what shows have you seen recently?
- I just started getting into concerts. First concert ever was Gaga last September and I just saw Ke$ha like 3 days ago.

Do you like shows that rely on theatrical spectacle to make them more impressive, or do you go purely for the music?
- Theatrical spectacle is important. I go there for the overall party though haha.

Do you think live music is better, the same or worse than studio recorded takes of the same song?
- Normally worse. They never sound bad but they usually never live up to the vocals of the studio takes unless they do some other version like an acoustic.

 

[Charizard★]

Do you go to many concerts or see live performances of musicians / bands? If so, what shows have you seen recently?

Nope, never been to any concerts D:

Do you like shows that rely on theatrical spectacle to make them more impressive, or do you go purely for the music?

If I do go, I'd go for the spectacles :o

Do you think live music is better, the same or worse than studio recorded takes of the same song?

Worse. Recorded songs have better quality and it just sounds better :x