Ontopic Random (Not So) New Music Thread

Saw Billy Idol at Stubbs BBQ too. Didn't know what to expect going in but it was great. One of those where ya gotta go yup that guy is good. Whether his music is really your thing or not the talent can't be denied.
 
I'll say it.
That band 3 doors down that had that hit with the superman song was f'n great live. Thought it was pretty blah just hearing radio stuff but was given tickets and it'll change your mind. They're up there on my list of good ones both for sound mix and just good performance.
Needing slick, cookie cutter produced radio hits really throttled them back.
I still don't listen to their records but I'd go see them live again for sure.
 
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Breaking Benjamin was a sonic mess when I saw them. Sounded like someone stole all the treble and mids out of the PA. Completely incoherent and lots of feedback between songs.
Now, that could be because I saw them at the Electric Factory, which wasn't the best venue. No one was happy.
 
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Breaking Benjamin was a sonic mess when I saw them. Sounded like someone stole all the treble and mids out of the PA. Completely incoherent and lots of feedback between songs.
Now, that could be because I saw them at the Electric Factory, which wasn't the best venue. No one was happy.
You gotta get high up the food chain before you can specify a sound system all the way down to the nuts and bolts, or travel with your own that can do big places.
Before that, along with the usual stage chart and wire feeds and stuff the mains system just be specified by some calculation of power and speaker output or just capable of X db at wherever, mix position, back of house, etc.
Or just whatever the house system is.
You got your own sound crew but they might be working with completely different or unfamiliar equipment one night to the next.
Can work out the major kinks with good communication pre-show and time for fiddly soundchecks but that doesn't always happen or little details that can snowball into big problems get left out, etc.
The good soundguys can roll with that on the fly and end up with something at least decent if not the greatest.
The not so good ones, or just inexperienced ones not so much.


I remember seeing a sound contract from Boston. It specified the music bed had to be like 10 or some significant db level anyway below the vocals.
Meaning vocals way more prominent. They could do it like a bunch of trained chiorboys and didn't want somebody washing it out with a wall of ear bleed guitars or howitzer level kick drum.
Thats why theyre the best sounding rock band I've ever seen in an arena. In that case the old Alamo dome. They know how stuff in there keeps rolling and piling up on itself and turns to shit and they put the kabosh on it before they got there.
 
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BTW, one of John Lennon's kids, don't remember if it was Julian or Sean but I want to say Sean, was great live too in a weird way. Listening to that stuff on records would put you to sleep but live was like entrancing or something.
Very weird but very effective.
 
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A lot of groups have a great live energy that isn't always caught in the studio.
Robin Trower's Too Rolling Stoned is smoking live.
Frampton Comes Alive is another example.

Judas Priest Unleashed in the East is a showcase for live energy vs Studio.
Though I heard they did some remix and overdubs on that one.
 
+1 to all that.

Seeing Jeff Healey live was also great though the songs and recordings are mostly kind of typical blues rock bar band type stuff. They ripped it. And the guy came across as just having a lot of fun and humble. Featured everyone in the band, played as a member of a band, no "I am blind guitar god" type stuff at all.
 
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The most "just like the record" band I've seen (aside from anal retentive cover bands) is probably Steve Miller.
He played for a big to do once where the city blew a bunch of our money to celebrate one of Lance Armstrong's bicycle race wins before he got busted for being a dopehead.
Lost interest in 20-30 minutes 'cause it really was no different than listening to records.
The other 2 acts, those being Sheryl Crow and yes, the Georgia Satellites, were great.
Crow was really good and the Satellites, hey, they did 45 minutes getting everybody warmed up and in a good mood without leaning on their one hit too much. Good band.
 
The most "just like the record" band I've seen (aside from anal retentive cover bands) is probably Steve Miller.
He played for a big to do once where the city blew a bunch of our money to celebrate one of Lance Armstrong's bicycle race wins before he got busted for being a dopehead.
Lost interest in 20-30 minutes 'cause it really was no different than listening to records.
The other 2 acts, those being Sheryl Crow and yes, the Georgia Satellites, were great.
Crow was really good and the Satellites, hey, they did 45 minutes getting everybody warmed up and in a good mood without leaning on their one hit too much. Good band.
I can see that boring effect with SteveM. His music was largely slick lyrics and catchy hooks, packaged tightly. So no need to see him despite liking his stuff. Robin Trower(saw when 22-23) - I fucking NEEDED to see him melting into his guitar. Good live show is good live show. Sweating is not optional.
 
Saw Thoroughgood open for ZZ Top once. It was cool seeing him do that stuff for about 30 minutes, maybe 40 if you stretch it. Coincidentally he played for about 30 minutes, maybe 40 if you stretch it. Dude knows his strong suits and his limitations. Beat you in the head with it long enough to remember it but not long enough to want to not remember it. Porridge was just right.
 
Breaking Benjamin was a sonic mess when I saw them. Sounded like someone stole all the treble and mids out of the PA. Completely incoherent and lots of feedback between songs.
Now, that could be because I saw them at the Electric Factory, which wasn't the best venue. No one was happy.
I saw Opeth, InFlames, and Red Fang at the Electric Factory back in Dec 2014. I liked the venue and the show was great. Opeth killed it. Wish I lived somewhere that had lots of options for venues.
 
Deltron 3030 show on KEXP.



Del rapping about the dystopian year 3030, Dan the Automator conducting a full ban/orchestra, and Kid Koala absolutely ripping it on the turntables. Good shit.