My Favourite Band and Why

[Carlwm]

Not allowed five, you must choose one and tell us why.?

Just one? Oof! That's tough. All five bands are special to me, so it's difficult to narrow it down much further.

However, in the spirit of obeying the rules of the thread, I'll single out Lindisfarne. They were the first band that made sit up and properly listen to music. They appeared on Multi Coloured Swap Shop, when I was maybe 8 or 9, and I was mesmerised. Fast forward half a decade or so and they became the first band I ever saw in concert.

I love the way they take several music styles - rock, folk, blues, pop, country, even a little jazz, on occasion - and weave them into a coherent whole. The musicianship and singing are top notch too, while the songwriting, which covers all bases, from deeply serious to supremely silly, is rarely anything other than excellent. Saw them most recently in September, and they are still brilliant, even after all these years and many line-up changes (deaths and retirements have taken their toll).

They've made the odd wrong step (Gazza. Aargh!) but, in over fifty years, they've been few and far between.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Saw them at Twickenham 2 years ago - the sound was dreadful.
AJFA is still my favourite album of theirs (apart from the removal of Jason's bass from the mix) even though it wasn't the album that got me into them (that was the album after - Black album).
Was also at DL for that - slightly ruined with the 10 minute version of Enter Sandman and Hetfield's call & response with the crowd of "Metallica, family" during it.

I’d never bother going to Twickenham again. Seen Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart and The Eagles (and possibly Elton John?) and the sound was crap every time. Got to be something about the venue as I can’t believe every sound engineer got it wrong.

 

[Orikoru]

I’d never bother going to Twickenham again. Seen Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart and The Eagles (and possibly Elton John?) and the sound was crap every time. Got to be something about the venue as I can’t believe every sound engineer got it wrong.

Give the London Stadium a miss as well then! Awful venue. ??‍

 

[Beezerk]

Give the London Stadium a miss as well then! Awful venue. ??‍

Oh dear, going to see the Foos there next year ?
I agree about Twickenham, I went there in 2007, we were bang in the middle so the sound was fine, when I went to the lav or for a beer the sound was dreadful at the sides.

 

[patricks148]

Would have to be the Velvet Underground, I like every song in they ever did, my biggest regret though was seeing them when they reformed in about 1990 and played in London.

 

[chico]

The Pouges, first band I saw live. Still love their music and my first album Rum Sodomy and The Lash, brilliant.

 

[Patster1969]

My favourite Metallica album is Ride The Lightning, but nobody else ever seems to pick that one.

It does have "For Whom The Bells Tolls" - still one of my favourites

 

[Patster1969]

I’d never bother going to Twickenham again. Seen Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart and The Eagles (and possibly Elton John?) and the sound was crap every time. Got to be something about the venue as I can’t believe every sound engineer got it wrong.

Agree, crap place to get to as well. We were on the side, it was dreadful - I regretted not packing my studio ear plugs (which I never usually bother with for an outside venue)

 

[Old Skier]

From my first encounter in Hyde Park in the 60’s to the Olympic Park a couple of years ago it’s The Stones followed very closely by the great late Jimi Hendrix.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Agree, crap place to get to as well. We were on the side, it was dreadful - I regretted not packing my studio ear plugs (which I never usually bother with for an outside venue)

I think the fact that after an initial run of concerts no one seems to be going back there speaks volumes. Just hope the same issues don't exist at Anfield...

Can't beat the Royal Albert Hall as a venue, and I don't mind the O2 either.

 

[hairball_89]

...Just hope the same issues don't exist at Anfield...

Can't beat the Royal Albert Hall as a venue, and I don't mind the O2 either.

Apologies... But massive concrete rectangles are *never* going to sound good.

PA system tech is getting better and better at steering the audio to where to want it, and more specifically away from where you don't. But the only thing stadiums are good for is big numbers of ticket sales.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Apologies... But massive concrete rectangles are *never* going to sound good.

PA system tech is getting better and better at steering the audio to where to want it, and more specifically away from where you don't. But the only thing stadiums are good for is big numbers of ticket sales.

Never had an issue at Wembley, Murrayfield or the old Lansdowne Road, so given that we are in the middle I won't get too worried just yet.

 

[Fade and Die]

Give the London Stadium a miss as well then! Awful venue. ??‍

Oh dear, going to see the Foos there next year ?
I agree about Twickenham, I went there in 2007, we were bang in the middle so the sound was fine, when I went to the lav or for a beer the sound was dreadful at the sides.

I saw Muse there 2? Years ago, thought the sound was fantastic…. But I was right at the front ?

 

[KenL]

the Stranglers.

They have been a massive part of my life. Got into them at the start and saw them live as a 12 year old in 1978 at the legendary Glasgow Apollo. Seen them at least 50 times since.

Their main man Hugh Cornwell left in 1990 and the others carried on.

Hugh has produced many solo albums and I've seen him about 30 times.

The keyboard player, Dave Greenfield, died through covid last year but they are carrying on. New album Dark Matters released recently is superb.

Long live the Stranglers - 47 years young.

 

[Blue in Munich]

the Stranglers.

They have been a massive part of my life. Got into them at the start and saw them live as a 12 year old in 1978 at the legendary Glasgow Apollo. Seen them at least 50 times since.

Their main man Hugh Cornwell left in 1990 and the others carried on.

Hugh has produced many solo albums and I've seen him about 30 times.

The keyboard player, Dave Greenfield, died through covid last year but they are carrying on. New album Dark Matters released recently is superb.

Long live the Stranglers - 47 years young.

Still got a white vinyl copy of Walk On By somewhere.

 

[GG26]

My favourite band has changed over the years, but roughly:
Slade - watching them play Mama Weer All Crazee Now on TOTP is what really got me into music. Saw them three times in the late 70s when they were less popular, but what a great band live.
Quo - took over as my fave in the late 70s and have seen them live more than any other band. Also great live.
Depeche Mode - by the mid 80s I was listening to more mainstream pop and particularly electronic music. Listen to their albums through a pair of headphones and the complex layering of sounds shows that there is far more to their music than many realise. For those who haven’t heard it listen to the original album version of In Your Room (from Songs of Faith and Devotion)
Iron Maiden - caught a new song on the radio in around 2007 (For the Greater Good of God) and it brought me back to a band that I had seen in their early days. I actually prefer the longer songs from the albums released this century and after a 31 year gap got to see them again in 2011. Love the new album Senjutsu.
Rammstein - my current favourite. Love the industrial sound and hope to get to see them live one day. Catch the video of Deutschland for their take on German history.

 

[KenL]

Still got a white vinyl copy of Walk On By somewhere.

Me too. Free with Black & White album

Got everything they released up 1990.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My favourite band has changed over the years, but roughly:
Slade - watching them play Mama Weer All Crazee Now on TOTP is what really got me into music. Saw them three times in the late 70s when they were less popular, but what a great band live.
Quo - took over as my fave in the late 70s and have seen them live more than any other band. Also great live.
Depeche Mode - by the mid 80s I was listening to more mainstream pop and particularly electronic music. Listen to their albums through a pair of headphones and the complex layering of sounds shows that there is far more to their music than many realise. For those who haven’t heard it listen to the original album version of In Your Room (from Songs of Faith and Devotion)
Iron Maiden - caught a new song on the radio in around 2007 (For the Greater Good of God) and it brought me back to a band that I had seen in their early days. I actually prefer the longer songs from the albums released this century and after a 31 year gap got to see them again in 2011. Love the new album Senjutsu.
Rammstein - my current favourite. Love the industrial sound and hope to get to see them live one day. Catch the video of Deutschland for their take on German history.

Unfortunately you have to choose just one - as if you could only listen to one band for as long as might be - sorry ?

Rammstein I get as my lad is in a death metal band, and having had to listen to their stuff, yes, pretty darned good. But not sure I’d want such as Rammstein as my one and only forever band…?

 

[chrisd]

I've just listened on YouTube songs by The Seekers - boy was Judith Durham a fabulous singer.

 

[VVega]

My favourite band has changed over the years, but roughly:
Slade - watching them play Mama Weer All Crazee Now on TOTP is what really got me into music. Saw them three times in the late 70s when they were less popular, but what a great band live.
Quo - took over as my fave in the late 70s and have seen them live more than any other band. Also great live.
Depeche Mode - by the mid 80s I was listening to more mainstream pop and particularly electronic music. Listen to their albums through a pair of headphones and the complex layering of sounds shows that there is far more to their music than many realise. For those who haven’t heard it listen to the original album version of In Your Room (from Songs of Faith and Devotion)
Iron Maiden - caught a new song on the radio in around 2007 (For the Greater Good of God) and it brought me back to a band that I had seen in their early days. I actually prefer the longer songs from the albums released this century and after a 31 year gap got to see them again in 2011. Love the new album Senjutsu.
Rammstein - my current favourite. Love the industrial sound and hope to get to see them live one day. Catch the video of Deutschland for their take on German history.

Their lives are legendary Hope to catch one some days, until then YT is my friend