We have recently been bombed with a string of EDM gigs across the country. In a hope to re-kindle the spirit of the ‘all original rock music’, here is a look at my top five rock performances ever.
5. Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock
Jimi Hendrix’ rendition of Star Spangled Banner became the eternal anthem of a generation of civil rights crusaders, anti-war protestors and music lovers everywhere. It was at Woodstock 1969 that Hendrix performed this live first.
4. U2 on top of a liquor store in LA
The Irish quartet was about four songs into its set on an LA liquor store rooftop when the city police decided to pull the plug on the impromptu performance and spoil the fun. Both the performance and the police intervention did make for a captivating Where The Streets Have No Name video — which was the point of the whole exercise.
3. The Who at Smothers Brothers
The Who rose to fame with a pioneering instrument destruction stage show. One infamous performance occurred on television in 1967. Drummer, Keith Moon, overloaded his bass drum with explosives that were detonated during the finale of My Generation. As a result, guest Bette Davis fainted, guitarist Pete Townshend’s hair was set on fire, and it is said that his hearing was permanently damaged.
2. Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden
The British quartet performed three consecutive sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden — performances that have been immortalised on the live DVD The Song Remains The Same. With only a gentle “thank you” to separate drawn-out performances, Robert Plant let Bonham’s flashy drumming, Page’s bow work on Dazed and Confused and his own hair-raising stage presence define Led Zeppelin.
1. Pink Floyd’s Wall Concerts
Pink Floyd’s renowned visual theatrics took a turn for the legendary with their infamous The Wall concert in 1983 on the Berlin Wall. The show required timed performances and unprecedented cooperation between the musicians, concert crew, lighting engineers, and computer programmers. In fact, extended instrumentals and Roger Waters’ impromptu introductions often served to cover up stage fires and other technical difficulties, which seemed inevitable when putting together a show that included a 30-foot-high teacher puppet, a scorpion wife and other such animated characters
The writer is the senior associate A&R and communications at Radio Indigo
