Topic: Astonishing live performances on YouTube

[Blinder Data]

I remember watching this clip and it felt like one of the most powerful things I'd ever seen. I'm no expert on Nina Simone's music, but this video is an absolutely astonishing example of her talent, of a masterful performer with the audience in the palm of her hand, simultaneously involving them in the performance and devastating them with utter fucking feeling.

Warning: you will need 10 minutes to watch this and then a few moments afterwards to recover.
http://youtu.be/mH5ZE3N8cxU

Feel free to suggest other astonishing live performances.

(It would be good if they were individual songs and not full live concerts, otherwise I'll never get round to watching them)

[Brundle-Fly]

Difficult to follow that, but I offer up Sammy Davis Jnr's This Guy's In Love With You from Dee Time (1968)

 A clip procured from the YouTube channel of the erstwhile, LF Barfe (of this parish).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4SE1MZV7Do

[the psyche intangible]

Actually mimed but a live perfomance non the less: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZLhqTzjpUM

[Puce Moment]

This is such a subjective thing isn't it? But there are a number of Youtube videos that I have downloaded as MP3s and listen to regularly. Not sure they have widespread appeal but anyway, I am a big fan of TV studio live performances rather than concert footage. In fact it is a bit of an obsession of mine:

Can doing 'Mother Sky' on German TV in 1970:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKo73roXiec#t=2165

Sleater Kinney do 'Entertain' on twat Rollins show. Amazing drumming:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcVNxUAz_Bg#t=290

The Cramps - 'What's Inside a Girl?' and 'Hot Pearl Snatch' on The Tube in 1986. I taped this off the TV when I was 12 and watched it all the time. Still do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLFpYjjQsqc

This is live concert footage. Pre-Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Cavemen ' Mutiny in Heaven' at the Camden Ballroom. Utterly ramshackle, on the brink of full collapse:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptdV4bvVVjs#t=707

I have hundreds of these so I will leave it there.

[Blinder Data]

This is such a subjective thing isn't it?

Yeah, I suppose so. Basically I just wanted to share that Nina Simone video and see if anybody else could suggest other performances where the artists just give their fucking all, are totally possessed by the song and show you what it's really about. I was worried it would just turn into 'my favourite songs played live', when I want to see examples of live performances that are fucking magic, that have a frisson and unique quality to them.

But yeah, I suppose that unique quality is in the eye of the beholder.

Similar to the Nina Simone song, an oldie but a goodie. Jacques Brel and his awkward teeth rattle through the story of Amsterdam's naval history, reaching a marvellous crescendo: http://youtu.be/n2kkr0e_dTQ

[Puce Moment]

Yeah, I suppose so. Basically I just wanted to share that Nina Simone video and see if anybody else could suggest other performances where the artists just give their fucking all, are totally possessed by the song and show you what it's really about. I was worried it would just turn into 'my favourite songs played live', when I want to see examples of live performances that are fucking magic, that have a frisson and unique quality to them.

As it happens, that is an amazing performance, and is a 'lock thread now' bit of footage.

[thraxx]

I must have watched this a hundred times and still never tire of it.  It's magical.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEGvzjmUs8Y

[DukeDeMondo]

Richie Havens doin Here Comes the Sun. Astonishing stuff indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOotCVMFncE

[greenman]

That "one minute" Gravity Grave performance from the Verve at Glasto in 1993 when Ashcroft was still crazy rather than Elton John...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laKvlATi0Hw

[CaledonianGonzo]

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Rosalita 1978:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3qFdcHo7Z7w

And to prove that he still has occasion to bring it, here they arranging a pretty decent full on version of You Never Can Tell in real time in front of 80,000 people:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L-Ds-FXGGQg

[Blinder Data]

Most of what makes this special is Jonathan Demme's camerawork, reacting to the musicians rather than the music, with lingering shots on the performers catching them on their off-moments. It helps that every single one of them is loving it. Best moment is Jerry Harrison dancing with the back-up girls:
Talking Heads - Burning Down the House http://youtu.be/g42Xg-mAkGg

An additional one from Stop Making Sense, purely for the backstage view from 2:36, with the band members moving back and forth as Found a Job plays out - there's something very special about that sequence that I can't quite put my finger on: http://youtu.be/lHc7eYucCKY

[Puce Moment]

Continuing on my live on a studio based TV show tip, I consider this to be superior to any other version of this song, including TMC's own recorded version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuwfsS5-iM8

[thraxx]

That "one minute" Gravity Grave performance from the Verve at Glasto in 1993 when Ashcroft was still crazy rather than Elton John...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laKvlATi0Hw

Is that the "We've got one minute left, come on!" performance?

[Jamie Oliver is fat]

Verve went downhill real fast didn't they, though I personally think they're worth listening to up until some of the tracks on Urban Hymns.

I think it was when someone had the idea to turn up Ashcroft's vocals that it went to shit, their debut album and then EP were beautiful with his voice swirling around McCabe's spacey guitar parts.

[SteveDave]

Ugh. He used the word "groove"

[greenman]

Verve went downhill real fast didn't they, though I personally think they're worth listening to up until some of the tracks on Urban Hymns.

I think it was when someone had the idea to turn up Ashcroft's vocals that it went to shit, their debut album and then EP were beautiful with his voice swirling around McCabe's spacey guitar parts.

Moreso I would say that with Ashcroft dominating the reformed Verve McCabe(and indeed Jones) was side lined, stuff like The Rolling People predates there first spilt if I remember correctly although it would probably have been a lot better recorded back then without Ashcrofts vocals dominating.

Keeping things in somewhat similar musical territory I always liked the bootleg recording of the last date of Floyds 1977 in Montreal. Its the show were Waters gets pissed off at the unruly audience and spits on a fan supposedly inspiring The Wall. Whilst many(me included) would argue that inspiring that album isn't a positive attribute the Montreal show itself is excellent in the sense of pissed of angst from an otherwise somewhat too comfortable Floyd.

Waters gets pissed at the Fan during one of the parts of Pigs on the Wing but actually spits on him during Pigs(three different kinds) at the end of the first set. Already a performance with a bit more edge on it the spitting happens about 17 mins in during the outro and Waters bring the fan in close to do it actually puts a nice little act calling the fan out like a dog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mty0PSw9iMA

Probably the best thing about the show though is the second half of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, on record I always found parts 8-9 a bit lacking but they improved live and for this show theys eemed to draw on the ill feeling from waters and had the kind of bite to live up to the rest of the song. Part 8 with Gilmour and Snowey White trading brutal guitar lines is probably the best soloing I'v heard from Floyd...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZSjhG0YQ_4

End some equally brutal guitar in part 9...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnD7Peszi7Q

[Gulftastic]

'Take It To The Limit' by The Eagles in 1977.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2zcg9GyR2k

Wonderful vocal performance.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Stevie Nicks in one of her early Fleetwood Mac performances, gradually building to what Mick Fleetwood described as "an exorcism"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l59XNFsgw_w

[newbridge]

Queen - Somebody to Love (at Milton Keynes Bowl, 1982)

[The Plunger]

Bit of a tangent, but those who prefer early Verve should check out Black Submarine who list Nick McCabe and Simon Jones amongst their lineup. Certainly a lot closer to the early guitar freakout style than latter-day Verve were. The lp is very good indeed.

Black Submarine - Black Submarine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bazOIqv74GI

Black Submarine - Heart First
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bq0W_P5WAQ

Anyway, to get back on track with the live part of the thread :

Johnny Marr - Getting Away With It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9zU6WkBpIM

Saw him doing this live last year, and it was absolutely mesmerising.

[newbridge]

Another classic: Isaac Hayes performing "Shaft" at Wattstax (introduced by Jesse Jackson). Although really could include the whole movie.

[Milverton]

Aretha Franklin, Don't Play That Song live on the Cliff Richard Show in 1970.

http://youtu.be/2ZVUVNJwQKI

Leslie Gore singing You Don't Own Me. I think she was fifteen or sixteen when she sang this. Fuck off Fleur East.

http://youtu.be/JDUjeR01wnU

Next, and I'm not taking the piss, Slim Whitman and Indian Love Call.

http://youtu.be/0FhQxZnSqc0

Finally, Peak Smiths from Whistle Test in 1986.

http://youtu.be/k5CltsEN8DQ

[Sam]

Bernstein going nuts with the imploding ending of Ravel's La Valse:

http://youtu.be/TK6gGWMnTZI

(Play it really loud)

[syntaxerror]

4'33

[Don_Preston]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uMhfDPDjKU

Globe Unity Orchestra from 1970. Includes Brotzmann, Bennink, Bailey, Parker, von Schlippenbach among other greats. Absolutely ferocious.

Parp!

[Milverton]

Brel, Ne Me Quitte Pas.

http://youtu.be/dSfc662vXZU

[Puce Moment]

One of my favourite Morrissey songs given an upbeat spin thanks to his original Viva Hate era Polecats line-up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwJeBtjkjOU

Also note some truly half-arsed stage invasions.

[fit bird]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ptrc2cWRxU
Prime Sly Stone absolutely killing it.

[Milverton]

Johnny Cash performs The Man In Black for the first time in public.

http://youtu.be/t51MHUENlAQ

[Puce Moment]

Sonic Youth doing a rousing version of 'Silver Rocket' that makes Kevin Shields' 'holocaust' look a bit lacking in fun and spontaneity:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3iaGDoyi6o