In your opinion, what makes a great live performance?

[AxlVanHagar]

For me it's a combination of things, a lot of these have been mentioned already in this thread. These here are my big three.

Overall musicianship - do they sound good live, doesn't have to be a carbon copy of the album, which I don't really like anyway, but does it at least sound like the band/song I'm familiar with. Are they playing in tune/right key? Depending on the band are they taking a few chances and jamming a bit? Playing the songs in a different arrangement. the right bands can do that well abd give you a new twist on an old classic which can be very cool.

Setlist - There better be a few deep cuts for the longtime fans in there, I don't want a greatest hits type show unless it's a farewell tour type of deal. Nothing bums me out more than a predictable set list or one that doesn't change from year to year. Ozzy and Poison are notorious for this, neither have changed their setlist for a show in over a decade.

Showmanship - Doesn't necesarrily have to be tons of pyro and lights or theatrical in nature but it does have to be a show. The band is there performing so they better be performing and entertaining my ass otherwise I may as well have stayed home and listened to the album. A concert needs to be visual as well as sonic. I've alwayd agreed with a quote of David Lee Roth's on that "Go big or go home. You need to make sure you're entertaining the cat that's in the last seat in the last row. He paid the same hard earned money that the cat in the front row did. So you'd best be playing up to him and make sure he's got something visually stimulating to look at as well as being sonically entertained. Now that doesn't mean that you rely on the theatrics cause let's face it. If you can't go out on stage in a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt with one spotlight and figure out a way to entertain then you don't belong there." Very true.

[MronoC]

Anything like pyro, costumes, set-pieces automatically turns me off, sorry.

I'm tempted to agree, but Alice Cooper is still the best show I've ever seen.

I think a big part of a great live performance is the audience, if it's an audience of hardcore fans who really get in to it, the energy is reciprocated back and forth.

[AxlVanHagar]

Anything like pyro, costumes, set-pieces automatically turns me off, sorry.

Depends on how they are used for me. Are they used to augment and enhance the show? Then cool. Are they being completely relied on for the show? Then boo!

A performer like Alice Cooper uses them to great effect to enhance the show, brings them out every once in awhile to to give that extra added punch to a song, he used them as an exclamation point. KISS is filled with with lights and pyro but they use them well in much the same way Cooper does, they tend to do it more often. I've also seen both not use any theatrics what-so-ever.

Alice during the Bare Bones Tour didn't even whear his standard makeup and there was no theatrics or set pieces at all. Stll a great show! He still performed very well, interacting with the audience more than usual since he wasn't in character, and goofing around with the band more. It was still awesome.

KISS on the Hot In The Shade Tour were co-headlining with Whitesnake when i saw them. Because KISS were to go on first they were not allowed to use any of their show pieces, the giant sphinx, lights, pyro etc. KISS came out angry and pissed off in their street clothes pretty much and rocked the **** out of the building that night. killer setlist, and really played! That was the best show I have ever seen KISS put on.

So both of those bands while known for set pieces, and theatrics and such are quite capable of doing it without. The fans expect a certain show with them so they tend to deliver. A band like say GWAR I don't think are capable of doing it with out all the other stuff and to the best of my knowlege have never attempted it. There's a band that relies on the stuff you're talking about. I really think it comes down to how that kind of thing is used and wether or not the bands in question are able to do it without the added stuff.

[Insane3]

Anything like pyro, costumes, set-pieces automatically turns me off, sorry.

I don't agree. When I see a show, I want it to be somehow different then when I listen to the cd. I want it to be visually original.
Examples: The Wall tour, Ziggy Stardust, Genesis' early tours.

[Insane3]

Alice Cooper

You could simply have said that, we would have undestood your point.

[Insane3]

This, plus a decent sound and that's basically it. Guitar duals are for losers.

Burn in hell, heretic. Did you ever see the movie Crossroads (not the Britney Spears movie).

[schmeankman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnsv9g06jac

[Lolicat]

Burn in hell, heretic. Did you ever see the movie Crossroads (not the Britney Spears movie).

Uh, yea, it was boring as all Hell, like all of Vai's output.

[dalcyte]

It's all about energy and stage presense, which go together. I mean a lot of it has to do with the type of preformer. I saw keller williams a bit ago live, who's a big a jam guy. And improv goes with jam, so that doesn't really apply there...

But yeah, doing things that remain true to classic favorites, but also mixing it up. I saw Steely Dan do a totally crazy version of Showbiz Kids that was really cool..it has to be done jsut right if you mix it up a lot.

Anyway, the preformer really needs to be having fun and look like they're putting a lot into it. My two favorite shows that I have ever seen are Radiohead and Bruce Springsteen (two of the greatest live acts ever lol, so not that weird). I guess Bruce was up there because well his live shows are just fantastic because he just loves what he's doing, and he arguably had his best show of the Magic tour so....heh lol, that worked out. Played like every major hit except Rosalita and a bunch of really obscure stuff too.

And radiohead just is mindblowing because they are just so crazy and into live performances...especially with the lighting and LED things. Good lights make a good performance, but i would be fine if the artist had nothing and just had a ton of energy.

[Fizzeler]

For me it's a combination of things, a lot of these have been mentioned already in this thread. These here are my big three.

Overall musicianship - do they sound good live, doesn't have to be a carbon copy of the album, which I don't really like anyway, but does it at least sound like the band/song I'm familiar with. Are they playing in tune/right key? Depending on the band are they taking a few chances and jamming a bit? Playing the songs in a different arrangement. the right bands can do that well abd give you a new twist on an old classic which can be very cool.

Setlist - There better be a few deep cuts for the longtime fans in there, I don't want a greatest hits type show unless it's a farewell tour type of deal. Nothing bums me out more than a predictable set list or one that doesn't change from year to year. Ozzy and Poison are notorious for this, neither have changed their setlist for a show in over a decade.

Showmanship - Doesn't necesarrily have to be tons of pyro and lights or theatrical in nature but it does have to be a show. The band is there performing so they better be performing and entertaining my ass otherwise I may as well have stayed home and listened to the album. A concert needs to be visual as well as sonic. I've alwayd agreed with a quote of David Lee Roth's on that "Go big or go home. You need to make sure you're entertaining the cat that's in the last seat in the last row. He paid the same hard earned money that the cat in the front row did. So you'd best be playing up to him and make sure he's got something visually stimulating to look at as well as being sonically entertained. Now that doesn't mean that you rely on the theatrics cause let's face it. If you can't go out on stage in a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt with one spotlight and figure out a way to entertain then you don't belong there." Very true.

This as well as time and location help me decide the level of the performance (although I do not know why it just does to me)