Expectations of live performances

[soundave]

It seems to me that there are a few types of live performers:

1.) Those who perform the songs live as close to the recorded version as they can: vocals lines unchanged, solos done note-for-note, etc.

2.) Those who mostly stick to the recorded song, but may take extended solo breaks of new material, or new song sections.

3.) Those for whom the the recorded song is but an excuse for a totally unrelated jam.

(I'm sure there are all sorts of in-betweens, but I'm just going to stick to these three.)

What do you want out of a live performer? I grew up listening to "The Song Remains the Same", so I always sort of thought that #2 and 3 were what artists should do. Though replicating the album can be impressive, to me, it can be boring. I mean, just listen to the CD, right? I saw Sarah McLachlan once, and her performance was amazing, but it was exactly the same as the album. Aside from annoying people next to me and poor acoustics, it was like listening to the CD.

On the other hand, I just watched some Deep Purple concert footage from 1974 in California on Comcast on Demand (in the concert.tv section for those interested) where they do a like 30 minute performance of Space Truckin'. It's one of my favorite songs, and you'd think that a jam out version would be sweet: Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore trading off solos and whatnot. Only, it's not. It's pretty disjointed, noisy, and unimaginative. It basically showcases Ritchie destroying a vast collection of guitars, cabinets, and heads. It's actually kind of depressing to watch the wanton destruction.

Of course, I wish Opeth would play around a bit more with imrpov in their live shows. Closure was good live, and it would be cool to see more of that. Perhaps their current songs don't allow for it: they're already long, the solos are thematic, etc. I mean, a string quartet isn't going to jam on Beethoven's Grosse Fuge, and maybe that's a better analogy than, say, Dazed and Confused.... Perhaps the new songs will have some places that will allow for some more spontaneity onstage.

Anyhow, what do you like live? Would you like to see Opeth free up the live performances a bit?

 

[Arjen W.]

I think somewhere between 1 and 2. Some alternative parts and jams can be cool, a good example is indeed the Closure part, it was a well thought out new part. Alternative solo like in The Drapery Falls? Good too. In Opeth's case it's not always easy to jam, but it would be cool if they did some more of those alternative parts, but I can't say that I would like 15 minute jams in the middle of a song, or entirely different parts.

 

[naboo]

Some bands NEED to jam live; they just wouldn't be the same without it (Led Zeppelin or Hendrix for example). I think it's a little harder for metal bands as their songs follow very distinct (not necessarily conventional) song structures and don't really focus on the solo, which like I said, Jimi Hendrix does.

I think it would be particularly hard for Opeth to do so aside from some extended solos or obvious songs like Closure, though I didn't think they did enough with the guitars when I saw it live. If they could pull it off though, I bet it would be amazing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that different styles of music allow it easier than others.

 

[biggsy]

Yeah I'd say between 1 and 2 as well. You go to see the artist because you want to hear the songs on the CD, not an unrecognizable mash of solos. However, there's also the bands that play it too straight, where as Dave said, it's straight off the album. It's great when a band finds a balance between the original material and a level of improvisation at which they feel comfortable and that doesn't wreck the feeling of the song. Take for example, Porcupine Tree's live DVD Arriving Somewhere... Parts of the songs are slowed down, sped up, elongated, the vocals change etc. But it's all controlled and without wankery. The music still flows and if not as good as before, it may be better. Listen to 'Trains' for a good example of what I mean (favourite ever song <3).


EDIT: Great thread btw soundave.

 

[DirTh]

A mix between 1,2. But alot of the performance is not only what they are playing, but how they are playing it. I prefer when bands do alot of running around and actually put on a show instead of just standing there like a cutout.

 

[Kenneth R.]

I hate 1. It always makes for a boring show. Every show is the same and you aren't really experiencing much beyond listening to the album on really loud speakers in a really big room with the band jumping around (if they have stage presence) on stage.

2 is awesome. I always love it when bands take a familiar song, and go somewhere new with it. It's still relevant, but now it's more, now it's new again, and now it's spontaneous - you realize that you may only ever hear the song played that way once. It becomes a special moment.

3 is interesting. It can go either way. You can be completely led astray into tangent-land-of-boredom if the band starts playing a song and then spends 25 minutes in another world (Dream Theater does this in the studio even ) only to return at the end to the song you forgot you were listening to. On the other hand, it could result in an epic jam.

So personally, I'll take a #2 with a side of #3

 

[dwoakee]

To me it doesn't really matter. A band can play the songs exactly as on CD or completely jam. It just has to be "good". Well, okay, I probably would expect to here at least some of the songs I know and like of that band but it's not a must. I've been on a concert by Fury in the Slaughterhouse which was absolutely great, it really rocked. And they didn't do any jams or changes to the recorded songs. I went to a Midnight Oil concert (which is one of my favourite bands) and was quite disappointed. They also played it note by note, but somehow the performance didn't connect. Dunno why.

On the other hand, a band that gives a perfect example for how #2 (with a touch of #3) can work is Jethro Tull. They always interpret their songs a little differently, or do medleys, or extended solos and they always do it well. On the one hand you recognize your fave tunes on the other there's still enough of surprise.

I've also been to concerts of jazz bands where I didn't even know the band before and it was good. They probably jammed more than anything else.