Live Acts

[Guest]

OK. So I didn't do Prestatyn!

Begs the question though. I've been to dos/nighters/weekenders with live acts.

There's a whole other question about whether we should have'em or not (so start another thread on that)

What's the best you've seen? And why?

What's the worst? ditto?

My best - 4 Tops, Yarmouth, 89ish? At one point I thought Levi was looking me in the eye personally and singing to me, the sound was absolutely amazing. (Close second, Barbara Lynn, Fleetwood)

Worst, Ben E. King. Same weekender as 4 Tops - Cabaret at it's worst.

Over to you............

[Gasher]

Cleethopres 1998 (i think)

Willie Tee and his daughter ..

Sung..Im having so much fun

i thought it was stratight from vinyl..IDENTICAL

Please dont go..he sang /Played it twice it was so good

and

he wrote Magie Josephs

one more chance ........which his daughter sang

FuK me it sounded like the 45 too...she was the badger tadger..Vocally amazing

Im sure she WAS Margie in disguise

spookily authentic to a fault incomparison to the vinyl cuts..

flawless masterpiece perfromance for me anyway.

worst..I dont really know.

let me think on it.

the gasher

[Scallybob]

The best at a soul night was Betty Wright at Wigan, the best in concert Marvin Gaye on his first tour.

The worst was Aretha Franklin at the Appollo Victoria in London. She sang things like "Streets of London" and did vitually none of the classics you'd want to hear.

[Soultown andy]

Best live performances for me were Edwin Starr at the ritz 79,Gwen Owens at prestatyn 2003.Worst Showstoppers at wigan 78 awful.Edwin and Gwen both put 100% into those two performances, which is something that cant always be said about artists appearing at northern nites.Would like to give a special mention to Tommy Hunt as well who always gives 100%,Troy Keyes sat nite at prestatyn would be third imho.

[Soulsmith]

Agree Gwen Owens at Prestayn......just amazing.

Words can't describe it, but I was in Soul Heaven

Also Martha Reeves live at Wigan..77ish? The atmosphere in there was like a cup final in a sauna! Just prior to her going on stage the crowd were chanting "One Way Out" which was a massive sound at the time. She ripped into her set and blew us all away. Near the end we were treated to an acapella cersion of "One Way Out". It had to be acapella as the band didn't know the tune & the stand in vandellas didn't know the words. Superb.

Saw her again a year later in cabaret. It was awful. Her voice had changed totally.

After Fleetwood & Prestayn I never want to see another soul singer at a sit down venue.

Well maybe not never

[Soulsmith]

ps .......after a cabaret performance a mate asked Martha Reeves if she'd ever considered putting 'No One There' in her live act.

She denied knowing the song & was absolutely sure she hadn't recorded it!

[Scallybob]

ps .......after a cabaret performance a mate asked Martha Reeves if she'd ever considered putting 'No One There' in her live act.

She denied knowing the song & was absolutely sure she hadn't recorded it!

link

If I'd recorded that and someone gave me the opportunity to deny it I would.

Terrible record. As Northern as My Heart Symphony.

[Guest]

Best probably Ric-Tic package at Ritz,Manchester in '83 (Edwin,JJ Barnes,Laura Lee,etc).

Also impressed with Phil Perry of Montclairs at last years Prestatyn and Originals at Ritz couple of years ago (although more from general soul point of view rather than as a 'Northern' act ).

Over the years I have come to the conclusion that you should avoid going to a particular all-nighter,weekender,etc based on the named live act as invariably I get a bigger buzz from dancing to the records played than the act.I believe these artists are deserving of our respect because of their contribution but that does'nt mean I have to prefer them to the records they made.Must admit I've been disappointed a few times..then the DJ plays record by the same artist and you remember how brilliant they were.

Only artist I ever went to see expecting to be thoroughly entertained was Edwin Starr....sadly missed.

Matt

[Tomangoes]

Best Alexander Patton in LA 2004.

Worst Gladys Knight in Las Vegas 2004.

Ed