Top 10 concerts

I've been to a few concerts, so I thought it'd be a good idea to compile this list. I am excluding classical concerts. If they were included, a few of them might make themselves into this list too. While compiling this list, I felt pretty torn about what to leave in and what to leave out, but I am pretty satisfied with what I chose in the end.

10

65 Days of Static

Sheffield Plug
May 2007

Hadn't heard of them before at the time, but figured I should go. The crowd was pretty ecstatic, and my recollection of this gig consists as much of the assortment of lights thrown at the audience as the music. The music was brilliant, too. Intricately assembled Math Rock with a beat which makes you want to move.

9

Kirk Lightsey

Sheffield Crucible

November 2006

I look nostalgically at the period of time I saw this music - it was when I became an angry recluse, and it was when I stopped socialising altogether. This concert was very intimate; the seats were placed above the musicians, so you could see down on them as they played and sweat. The leader of this jazz piano trio, Kirk Lightsey, is a legend who has been playing jazz for decades, having performed for trumpeter Don Cherry in the past. He was a bit crackers in the concert as well, laughing maniacally whenever someone addressed him. The gig varied between be-bop and more freeform stuff. Lightsey also played the flute while wandering across the room, and the drummer had an assortment of interesting percussion with him as well as his drum set. Jazz really has to be seen live to be appreciated fully.

8

Napalm Death

Sheffield Corporation
April 2010

I've been to a fair amount of death metal concerts (I like going to this sort of thing to subject myself to extremes), but this was quite easily the best. Fucking intense, fast, loud, involving grindcore. Had my feet tapping frantically at the sheer speed of this wonderful, wonderful racket.

7

Acoustic Ladyland

Sheffield Harley
April 2010

Due to it being performed in a small venue, the sheer volume of this really assaulted your ears. A. L play a really fast fusion of jazz and punk. Their songs used to be quite short and ephemeral, but now they are longer and considerably abstract. These are really skilled musicians, and seeing them live is a rewarding experience.

6

Isis

Sheffield Corporation
December 2008

Isis play what could be termed 'progressive metal'. They produce an intense wall of sound that keeps builing up. In this concert I found myself enthralled in the concert so much that I had a Proustian moment, where I lost my sense of time. I'd seen them before, but this time was better.

5

A Silver MT Zion

Sheffield Corporation

May 2007

Long, progressive post-rock songs played by oddballs and attractive women with hairy armpits. This was a beautiful set of songs, and everyone in the audience knew it was something special.

4

Ornette Coleman

Southbank Centre, London

June 2009

I was very excited about this, travelling all the way to London to see it. Coleman is the most well-known exponent of free jazz, and he was joined by luminaries like guitarist Bill Frissel and singer Patti Smith. The concert was a reflection on 'The Shape of Jazz to Come', but he delved into all parts of his career for this monumental occasion.

3

Kayo Dot

A venue in Lancaster

September 2009

I was incredibly excited to find that this musical act were coming to UK. They were playing in Lancaster, which is where my mother's side of the family lives, and on a Saturday! I was quite worried about my ears at the time, fearing that if I subjected them to this they might burst. But, fortunately, most of the band members were stopped at Customs and couldn't get into the country so Mia, Tobi, a clarinet/keys player and a drummer from the audience played renditions of the quieter moments in their music. It was mostly improvised, so it was a huge privilege to be there and witness it. The music was very subdued and sparse, often sounding like a Morton Feldman composition. The fact that there were only 2o or 30 other people made this gig all the more special.

2

The Fall

Sheffield Boardwalk

November 2006

I liked The Fall around this time, but I wasn't a gruelling fan... This concert changed that. Mark E. Smith has an incredible stage presence. Seeing him as a Fall fan is like seeing Hitler as a Nazi. He mumbled and groaned incoherently, as he staggered across the stage. I even caught his eye once, but nervously looked away as he did so.

1

The Magic Band

A venue in Stoke

May 2005My first concert is also the best I've ever been to. I was a Beefheart-obsessed 14-year-old, and I pressured my parents to take me to Stoke just to see The Magic Band reunion. They played instrmental versions of their more complex material found on Trout Mask and later Drumbo stepped up as vocalist, accurately imitating the captain's growling voice. He gazed at my eyes for long-stretches of time, amazed at the sight of a fourteen-year-old at a Beefheart concert!