Great Artists/bands you've seen at their commercial or artistic peak?

70's wise, these first three come to mind...

Deep Purple - April 1973 (Who Do We Think We Are and Made in Japan)
Yes - March 1974 (Tales From Topographic Oceans)
Wings - June 1976 (Speed Of Sound)

80's wise, these spring to mind...

ASiA - June 1982 (The debut album)
Deep Purple - Jan. 1985 (Reunion - Perfect Strangers)
U2 - April 1987 (Joshua Tree)

 

Bruce Springsteen in 1981 (The River)

Otherwise, too late for everything.

 

U2 - zoo tv
INXS - Kick
Motley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood
kd lang - Absolute torch and Twang
Paul McCartney - Flowers in the Dirt/Off The Ground
Metallica - black album
Yes - the big in the round tour with both the old and new lineups together
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Genesis - Genesis
Van Hagar - OU812

Probably a bunch more I can't remember off the top of my head

Most were free and backstage pass events for me, so that was cool

 

Nirvana - Reading 1992
Pearl Jam - Brixton 1992
Smashing Pumpkins - various 1991-1996
Radiohead - Reading Rivermead 1997
Blur - various 1993-99
U2 - Earls Court & Wembley 1992/3
Pulp - Brixton 1995
Rage Against The Machine - Brixton 1993
Lush - Reading 1992
Manic Street Preachers - various 1993-96
Pixies - Crystal Palace 1991

 

Guided by Voices last week.

 

Great choice! I think she's a totally unique artist. I caught her in Bristol promoting 'Have One On Me' and she was stunning. The support act was some unknown hippie. Think he was called Roy Harper or something

 

John Martyn, Lancaster University, 22/11/78, at the top of his game, totally live, absolutely solo. Mountain top.

 

I had tickets for that tour as well and actually saw Roy Harper. But the doors opened 90 minutes later than they were supposed to (without proper explanation from the venue), so I had to leave before Joanna Newsom played to catch the last train home. I could have seen maybe 30 minutes of her set, but I decided that missing the show entirely was less frustrating than leaving after only a handful of songs.

 

What a shame. At least you saw a legend, and some of Joanna. Any news on a new LP from her?

 

I rarely listen to them anymore, but U2's Joshua Tree tour in '87 was about as good as it got, especially the opening. This is from a show in Iowa (I saw them at the NJ Meadowlands Arena), and captures what it was actually like more than any video I could find:

 

Anyone out there lucky enough to see Bob Marley in his prime? I'm thinking circa 1970,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80?

 

Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Trust tour

 

I've seen gigs going back to the 1970s, some which might qualify for this thread but Joanna Newsom at the Royal Albert Hall playing Ys was absolutely one of the best ever for me.

 

well I saw Elton at his peak. I saw the Stylistics at their peak. Chicago at their peak. Doobie Bros at their peak. Fleetwood Mac at their peak (Rumours tour). Springsteen at his peak. Neil Young at several peaks. heh Saw Elvis Costello at his peak. Steve Forbert at his peak. Jim Carroll at his peak. B-52s at their peak. Sonic Youth at their peak. David Johansen at his peak. Talking Heads at their peak.

 

My very first concert was Prince, Purple Rain tour....

 

Looks like once you'd seen 'em, they all knew there was nowhere else to go, huh?!

 

that one just hit me: Bruce, River tour. Second set opened with Cadillac Ranch. I'll never forget that, and I'm not even that big of a fan.

 

Iron Maiden on the Number Of The Beast and Powerslave tours.

 

More artistic peak than commercial peak. Most memorable:

Queen '74
Slade '74
Wizzard '74
Leppard '86
Lizzy '75
T.Rex '74
Supertramp '76
Mott The Hoople '74

 

Wizzard were past their peak in 74! I saw them in 72, 73 and 74, and their 73 show smoked!

 

At commercial peak anyway was my very first concert - Guns n Roses on their Use Your Illusions tour on my brother's birthday (1 February 1993) at Calder Park Melbourne.

 

Same bands. Probably same tours. A couple of the same shows.
Except Squeeze. B52's was at my drinking peak so I have no memory of the show.

 

The Specials and The Beat double bill at the height of 2-Tone, 79/80

The Smiths twice in '84

The Fall c. Perverted By Language - double drum kit, monstrous sound, the most 'punk' thing I have ever seen/heard...

Ah yes, now bring me my pipe and slippers...

 

Christopher Cross.......saw him at his peak. America opened...........

 

Radiohead twice in 2003.