MR

Ok, need some help here - I'm sick of not going to see the big name acts that do make it Down Under because I don't like the ticket prices, and I'm damn well going to go to at least one of these. The problem is, I don't know which one. So I'm hoping some of you who have seen these acts live can give me some contructive advice on which one you think is likely to be the better show, given how fucking expensive the tickets are (btw - the ticket prices I'm listing are the cheapest tickets available.)

My choices are:

4th-8th October - John Farnham - $99

18th October - Def Leppard, Heart and the Choirboys - $119

19th October - Meat Loaf - $97.70

30th October - Steely Dan and Steve Winwood - $135

23rd November - Stevie Nicks, with Dave Stewart and Brian McFadden as guest artists - $135

I've seen John Farnham before, and he puts on a damn fine show, but I've never seen any of the others perform live, and they've all done stuff I love. I'm really torn here.

So, thoughts, suggestions? And yes, I know the ticket prices are criminal, but it's what we've got to put up with in Australia to cover the cost of getting international acts to tour here.

Heart ... listening to Ann Wilson sing Alone is worth $119 (bring tissues), whatever else anyone on the bill does.

2nd choice--Stevie Nicks

Arianddu wrote:Ok, need some help here - I'm sick of not going to see the big name acts that do make it Down Under because I don't like the ticket prices, and I'm damn well going to go to at least one of these. The problem is, I don't know which one. So I'm hoping some of you who have seen these acts live can give me some contructive advice on which one you think is likely to be the better show, given how fucking expensive the tickets are (btw - the ticket prices I'm listing are the cheapest tickets available.)

My choices are:

4th-8th October - John Farnham - $99

18th October - Def Leppard, Heart and the Choirboys - $119

19th October - Meat Loaf - $97.70

30th October - Steely Dan and Steve Winwood - $135

23rd November - Stevie Nicks, with Dave Stewart and Brian McFadden as guest artists - $135

I've seen John Farnham before, and he puts on a damn fine show, but I've never seen any of the others perform live, and they've all done stuff I love. I'm really torn here.

So, thoughts, suggestions? And yes, I know the ticket prices are criminal, but it's what we've got to put up with in Australia to cover the cost of getting international acts to tour here.

Steely Dan: I saw them three years ago in Toledo OH and musically, it was great. But, they are one of those bands that just plays whatever the hell they want from night to night (unless this is an album tour? I know they did one recently, amybe for Aja?). They played some clunkers that night and it was just not the best set list. So, a crap shoot IMO.

DL: Seen them a few times. Always fun, and I don't think they are as lipped as they are made out to be around here becasue frankly, Joe Elliot doesn't sound good enough to be lipping. He gets away with having lost a few steps because the songs are fun and it's not supposed to be a vocal exhibition like Journey is. I haven't seen Heart, but they're supposedly quite good too. Don't think you can go wrong expecting a fun night outta this one.

Meat Loaf: Haven't seen him since I was a kid. From what I hear, you really just don't know what you're gonna get night to night with him. Like Leppard, I imagine this would be fun one way or the other. You know he'll have a great backing band that can probably cover up for some of his vocal shortcomings.

Stevie Nicks: Legendary of course. I'd love to see her provided she's playing a lot of the Fleetwood Mac classics. Haven't seen her though.

Farnham: No basis to comment.

DrFU wrote:Heart ... listening to Ann Wilson sing Alone is worth $119 (bring tissues), whatever else anyone on the bill does.

2nd choice--Stevie Nicks

I saw Heart when they opened for Journey on their Revelation tour. Worth every penny. Or rather SJ's penneys..... I paid for gas....

Stevie Nicks. I have never seen her, but I love her.....

This is a fucking no-brainer! Def Leppard and Heart are far and away the best acts on your list. Ann Wilson is the greatest live vocalist I've ever seen, and Def Leppard has a catalog that's as good as just about anyone's.

DrFU wrote:Heart ... listening to Ann Wilson sing Alone is worth $119 (bring tissues), whatever else anyone on the bill does.

I'm with Linda here. Take the chance to see Heart. Ann Wilson's voice is amazing. Would be better if it was Heart by themselves so you could hear more from them.

Heart. Great show. She can wail even with a sore throat!

Steely Dan and Steve Winwood? THAT be the one...though I can't quibble with DL/Heart...Ann Wilson truly is the best....

No contest for me. Steely Dan & Steve Winwood.

I'd go see the Dan.. great band... and Fagan can still sing..

If you've never seen Heart, then I would go see them. But if you have, then Steely Dan and Winwood.

If you've seen John Farnham, you know what you are going to get. Very tight band with maybe the best living live singer out there.

Heart would be a very tight band with maybe the 2nd best living live singer out there in Ann Wilson. If you've never seen Ann live, it's worth the money. For a bonus, Heart has been performing their version of You're the Voice recently (no, it's not as good as Farnham, but it is good).

The issue with seeing Heart is Def Leppard headlining. DL is a bit hit and miss. I've seen them when they are firing on all cylinders and they put on one heck of a live show. I've also seen them when they sound tired and they are just average. The 2nd tends to outnumber the 1st recently. Missed the tour this year, so I can't say which version of Def Leppard you will get. Joe Elliott's vocal problems can be a non issue if the band is into rock mode....and can stand out like a sore thumb if not.

If it was a full show by Heart, it would be a no-brainer if you haven't seen them live. As is....it's a tossup, since you'd probably only get 45min-one hour of Heart on a triple bill. Can't speak for how well the Choirboys show is these days.

haven't seen the others...

Saint John wrote:Ann Wilson is the greatest live vocalist I've ever seen

too bad you've never seen John Farnham live. Farnham is better live than Ann Wilson is....and I say that with the greatest respect for Heart. Those two are probably the best live singers out there today. Almost criminal that Farnham never broke out of Australia, but that's Australia for you. Hard to get in, and hard to get out.

for comparisons on the same song...
John Farnham http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxlE7yCSHAM
Heart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQNxrdlk7-g&ob=av2e

kgdjpubs wrote:

Saint John wrote:Ann Wilson is the greatest live vocalist I've ever seen

too bad you've never seen John Farnham live. Farnham is better live than Ann Wilson is....and I say that with the greatest respect for Heart. Those two are probably the best live singers out there today. Almost criminal that Farnham never broke out of Australia, but that's Australia for you. Hard to get in, and hard to get out.

for comparisons on the same song...
John Farnham http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxlE7yCSHAM
Heart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQNxrdlk7-g&ob=av2e

Hard to comment as I've never seen Farnham live. As for that song, it really sucked.

Saint John wrote:
Hard to comment as I've never seen Farnham live. As for that song, it really sucked.

Only used it as it's his signature song....and was a MASSIVE hit and was almost solely responsible for turning Farnham from a forgotten child singer into a Australian legend almost overnight.

Musically, he's pretty much pop-rock (with the emphasis on pop and ballads). You can get an idea of what he does from the stuff below, but otherwise think something in the vein of Phil Collins solo or Rod Stewart without the hard rock deviations that Rod goes into from time to time.


John Farnham primer for the uninitiated
my favorite vocal....and you get a bit of his stage personality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_2NJRIdBO8

and two of the hits live back-to-back in 1999
Thats' Freedom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zTGucuiln4
Have a Little Faith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ-_I11LOtk

and the Arnel favorite...the ballad version of Help (with a bit of the original fast version on the front end) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDu7HdnxiE0

kgdjpubs wrote:

Saint John wrote:
Hard to comment as I've never seen Farnham live. As for that song, it really sucked.

Only used it as it's his signature song....and was a MASSIVE hit and was almost solely responsible for turning Farnham from a forgotten child singer into a Australian legend almost overnight.

Musically, he's pretty much pop-rock (with the emphasis on pop and ballads). You can get an idea of what he does from the stuff below, but otherwise think something in the vein of Phil Collins solo or Rod Stewart without the hard rock deviations that Rod goes into from time to time.


John Farnham primer for the uninitiated
my favorite vocal....and you get a bit of his stage personality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_2NJRIdBO8

and two of the hits live back-to-back in 1999
Thats' Freedom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zTGucuiln4
Have a Little Faith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ-_I11LOtk

and the Arnel favorite...the ballad version of Help (with a bit of the original fast version on the front end) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDu7HdnxiE0

Great stuff. Thanks.

If you can imagine 2 hours of being hit around the face with a wet lettuce that is what a Farnham concert in 2011 equates to.

if you seen Farnham before... maybe not this time??

for pure fun and an amazing ROCK SHOW... see Leppard and Heart... seeing Ann and Nancy is priceless...
and the sound of Heart is WOW... Leppard is LOUD and a great night of hits... cant say enough great stuff
Plus I am seeing this show in a week and a half...

then if you can swing it financially for great music see Steely Dan... their on my bucket list...
and Steve Windwood... both bands just sitting back and enjoying the songs...and the music...

stevie Nicks... go see her too!! I saw her I want to say it was 1984?

if you can only see one... go to the Leppard and Heart show...the money is well worth it...

Def Lippard suck. I will never pay to see them again. Heart are amazing though. Go and leave early before you are subjected to Joe Elliott croaking out "Make Love Like A Man".

AR wrote:Def Lippard suck. I will never pay to see them again. Heart are amazing though. Go and leave early before you are subjected to Joe Elliott croaking out "Make Love Like A Man".

Yeah, Leppard has that. Kiss has that POS "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Gotta take the good with the bad.

Go see Heart! You won't be disappointed. Those gals can still rock. Ann Wilson has such an amazing voice still.

I would go with Steely Dan if you are fan. They put on a great show. I was just a very casual fan of a few of their hits when I saw them years ago. After that show, I became a "Steel" head. Plus, never know how many more chances you will get to see them. They are getting up there in age.

RedWingFan wrote:

AR wrote:Def Lippard suck. I will never pay to see them again. Heart are amazing though. Go and leave early before you are subjected to Joe Elliott croaking out "Make Love Like A Man".

Yeah, Leppard has that. Kiss has that POS "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Gotta take the good with the bad.

Only way I would see Leppard is if they stuck to the first 3 albums before they became a chick band.

RedWingFan wrote:Kiss has that POS "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Gotta take the good with the bad.

That's a great song!

Saint John wrote:

RedWingFan wrote:Kiss has that POS "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Gotta take the good with the bad.

That's a great song!

Disco sucks dude!!!

RedWingFan wrote:

Saint John wrote:

RedWingFan wrote:Kiss has that POS "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Gotta take the good with the bad.

That's a great song!

Disco sucks dude!!!

Does this live version really sound anything less than hard rock?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca8EHiG4uVg

Difference. I Was Made For Loving You was a hit, and KISS kind of have to play it. Make Love Like A Man sucks and Leppard keep playing it every tour. Play Stagefright or something instead.

Gene Simmons actually hates IWMFLY as well.

AR wrote:

RedWingFan wrote:

Saint John wrote:

RedWingFan wrote:Kiss has that POS "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Gotta take the good with the bad.

That's a great song!

Disco sucks dude!!!

Does this live version really sound anything less than hard rock?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca8EHiG4uVg

Difference. I Was Made For Loving You was a hit, and KISS kind of have to play it. Make Love Like A Man sucks and Leppard keep playing it every tour. Play Stagefright or something instead.

Gene Simmons actually hates IWMFLY as well.

See he has to take the good with the bad as well. I guess Leppard plays "Make Love.." because it was a bigger hit than "Stagefright" or other deep cuts. The same reason Kiss plays IWMFLY instead of some obscure Kiss track. I'd love to hear Leppard replace it w/ "Paper Sun", but gotta take the good w/ the bad.

RedWingFan wrote:

AR wrote:

RedWingFan wrote:

Saint John wrote:

RedWingFan wrote:Kiss has that POS "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Gotta take the good with the bad.

That's a great song!

Disco sucks dude!!!

Does this live version really sound anything less than hard rock?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca8EHiG4uVg

Difference. I Was Made For Loving You was a hit, and KISS kind of have to play it. Make Love Like A Man sucks and Leppard keep playing it every tour. Play Stagefright or something instead.

Gene Simmons actually hates IWMFLY as well.

See he has to take the good with the bad as well. I guess Leppard plays "Make Love.." because it was a bigger hit than "Stagefright" or other deep cuts. The same reason Kiss plays IWMFLY instead of some obscure Kiss track. I'd love to hear Leppard replace it w/ "Paper Sun", but gotta take the good w/ the bad.

When did "Make Love" chart anywhere?

See I HATE "Pour Some Sugar On Me", but I at least get why they play it.

AR wrote:

RedWingFan wrote:

AR wrote:

RedWingFan wrote:

Saint John wrote:

RedWingFan wrote:Kiss has that POS "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Gotta take the good with the bad.

That's a great song!

Disco sucks dude!!!

Does this live version really sound anything less than hard rock?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca8EHiG4uVg

Difference. I Was Made For Loving You was a hit, and KISS kind of have to play it. Make Love Like A Man sucks and Leppard keep playing it every tour. Play Stagefright or something instead.

Gene Simmons actually hates IWMFLY as well.

See he has to take the good with the bad as well. I guess Leppard plays "Make Love.." because it was a bigger hit than "Stagefright" or other deep cuts. The same reason Kiss plays IWMFLY instead of some obscure Kiss track. I'd love to hear Leppard replace it w/ "Paper Sun", but gotta take the good w/ the bad.

When did "Make Love" chart anywhere?

See I HATE "Pour Some Sugar On Me", but I at least get why they play it.

I've never cared enough to look at charts like people here, but I remember seeing the video being played on VH1 back in '92-'93.

Just caught Heart and Def Leppard in concert two nights ago. Ann still sounds amazing, although she did chose not to sing a couple of high notes she normally sings... Also, it's really just the Wilson sisters with a bunch of young guns backing them up. The guitarist does a pretty good job of nailing the Heart sound, though.

Def Leppard was also very good. Pure rock with no keyboards. I definitely think this ticket is worth the price. That's my vote!