Most Electrifying Live TV Performance You've Ever Seen

Captain Beefheart - Ashtray Heart on SNL 1980.

 

I thought I was a Pavement superfan, but I have never seen that performance before! Typical of Pavement... blow a chance to sell a bunch of records by playing a very messy version of their radio-friendliest song.

 

My nomination from recent years - a performance I watched as it originally aired on tv -Bob Mould performing on Letterman in 2015. According to those present, dust fell from the ceiling during this electrifying performance.

 

The Elvis Costello switcharoo

 

Genesis on Misnight Special

 

electrifying

 

Am I really the first one to say it??!!??

 

Replacements on SNL no contest for me.

 

Queen at Live Aid--greatest 20 minutes of rock'n'roll onstage ever


Close second--James Brown Apollo Theater 1968 (broadcast on Metromedia Stations)--mesmerizing
James Brown Live at The Apollo 1968 ( FULL LIVE )

Third place--David Bowie Boys Keep Swinging on SNL (only a segment)
Bowie Whips It Out On Live TV

As far as a game changer--Devo on SNL
Devo - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (SNL 1978)

and of course Beatles on Ed Sullivan (the Doors too come to think of it).

 

YES! +100, one of the first things that sprang to mind




there used to be better versions

 

Elvis 1968 NBC Special.

 

U2...Super Bowl Half Time Show 2002.

 

I'd never heard of them before seeing this, but rushed out the next day to buy the record

 

Most electrifying, both literally and figuratively, is the Who doing "My Generation" on the Smothers Brothers show in 1967, starts at about 3:20 in the video. Greatest ending of a live performance ever, classic late 1960's chaos at its best

The Who on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour 1967 (High Quality).mpg - Video Dailymotion

 

A bit of live "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts"

 

PJ Harvey on Sessions At W. 54th

 

They rebroadcast this in Michigan, for obvious reasons. Iggy, Alice, GFR, Mountain...

 

Pearl Jam on SNL.



jerol

 

Came here to post this - glad someone beat me to it! It really is a remarkable performance. At the start you can almost feel the early morning coldness of the set but by the end the whole band is hot and levitating.

 

Liver than live

 

I've always liked Elvis music but never really been like a "huge" fan of him or anything but the first time I watched that new HBO documentary (I've seen it like 3 times now, I just like historical stuff lol,) and saw that performance at the end for the first time, I mean Wow. I was floored. That was something else and then consider what was going on when he sang it. That is one incredible voice.

 

already been done.................
What is the best live tv performance you have ever seen by band?
Time for a thread merge????

 

When this had finished I just sat there with open mouth totally stunned.........WOW!

 

Showdown ... the original ...



... or the challenger ...

Joe Jackson & William Shatner - Common People - Vidéo dailymotion