5 Bands That Must be Seen Live

*Originally published on 8/31/09



Billy Idol
I had the pleasure of seeing him perform at HFStival, a large DC area concert hosted by a local rock station. While he's getting up there agewise, Idol hasn't lost his stride. On the contrary, his performance was a major highlight of the show. The guy's definitely a showman and he was able to get the crowd riled up with little trouble.

Metallica

Alas, from here on out the bands listed are ones that I have not seen. I do, however, really want to see them all perform live. I ventured to guess that they put on an awesome live show based on their style of music as well as what I have heard either from peers or live albums.

I've heard live recordings of Metallica's performances, but haven't seen them myself. It seems like they put on a hell of a show. The crowd usually gets into it and Hetfield does his part to get them energized. My roommate confirmed my theory that seeing them in concert really was something to behold.

Rammstein

You need only listen to any of their songs to notice how awesome it would be to see these guys perform in concert. They use a lot of pyrotechnics, so much so that people had to be carried out. As such, it would be wise to keep water handy and keep yourself hydrated. Apparently, they don all sorts of bizarre costumes so it's definitely a unique experience.

The Flaming Lips

This band's definitely more upbeat and mellow than some of the others mentioned. I have no doubt that seeing them in concert is worth the cost of admission. If you're not familiar with their music, you should check them out as they really are quite great.

Nightwish

I've mentioned this band on more than one occasion. I've seen bits of their live shows and it is definitely something to behold. They make great music and the crowd always has an energy that makes the shows more enjoyable.