100+ bands I've seen live

01 March 2007


On a discussion list I'm on, a few people were trying to compile a list of 100 bands they've seen live. I gave it a go as well. It brought back great memories. I recommend it to anyone. If you've not seen 100 bands yet, start your list now anyway. It's a real brainache doing it decades later.

I'm lucky to have seen my favourite bands so many times: My Life Story about fifteen times, Inspirals eight times, Jesus Jones five times, Black/CV about five times, Tanita Tikaram four times, Kenickie about five times, Prince four times, Pink Floyd twice (plus Gilmour twice, and Waters), Jean-Michel Jarre three times and Depeche Mode four times.

My list of bands runs to 132 now, and since I'm working from memory and whatever CDs I've got here, I'm probably missing loads of support acts. There's one that had the happiest drummer in the world, who completely outclassed everyone else on the stage. Never knew the band name, but I can still picture his smiley face.

My first gig was Jarre in Docklands in 1988, which was 19 years ago now. That means I've seen a new band (ie, one I hadn't previously seen) on average every seven weeks for the last 18 years.
Here's the list in alphabetical order, running down the screen in columns.

  • 10cc
  • 9 Yards
  • ABC
  • Afro DZ Ak
  • Aimee Mann
  • Alanis Morissette
  • Altered Images
  • Amy Wadge
  • Animals
  • Art of Noise
  • Australian Pink Floyd
  • Babybird
  • Back in the Day
  • Bananarama
  • Bandorians
  • Barbara
  • Beastie Boys
  • The Beat
  • Belinda Carlisle
  • Belle and Sebastian
  • Ben Folds
  • Bend the Triangle
  • Beverley Knight
  • Bible Code Sundays
  • Bikini Beach Band
  • Billy Bragg
  • Billy Ocean
  • Bjorn Again
  • Black/Colin Vearncombe
  • Black Cherry Jam
  • Black Eyed Peas
  • Bloc Party
  • Blockheads and Phill Jupitus
  • Blur
  • Bond
  • Bon Jovi
  • Bootleg Beatles
  • Brett Winterford
  • Buggles
  • Buzz Lightweight
  • Cake
  • Captain Sensible
  • Catatonia
  • Catchers
  • Cee Lo Green
  • Chaka Khan
  • Charlatans
  • Chas'n'Dave
  • China Crisis
  • China Drum
  • Chris Hadfield
  • Christians
  • Chumbawamba
  • Clannad
  • Cliff Richard
  • Clint Boon Experience
  • Colour Me Wednesday
  • Corinne Bailey Rae
  • Cranberries
  • Cranes
  • Crasdant
  • Credit to the Nation
  • Cure
  • Curiosity Killed the Cat
  • Cutting Crew
  • Damian Rice
  • Dandy Warhols
  • Daniel O'Donnell
  • Dannii Minogue
  • Dan Shears Orchestra
  • Daria Kulesh
  • Dave Alcari
  • David Bowie
  • David Devant and His Spirit Wife
  • David Gilmour
  • David Gray
  • David Woodcock
  • Deep 6
  • Deerhoof
  • Depeche Mode
  • Dex Dexter
  • Diesel Park West
  • Dire Straits
  • Divine Comedy
  • Dizzee Rascal
  • Doctor and the Medics
  • Dollar
  • Dolly Rockers
  • Dreadzone
  • Drugstore
  • Duran Duran
  • Earl Brutus
  • Eat
  • Echobelly
  • Eddi Reader
  • Elton John
  • Energy Fool
  • Energy Orchard
  • Erasure
  • Eric Clapton
  • Eskimo Disco
  • Ether
  • Exile Inside
  • Family Go Town
  • The Fall
  • Fem2Fem
  • Feralus
  • Five Floors Up
  • Florence and the Machine
  • Floyd Effect
  • Foam
  • Foo Fighters
  • Fosca
  • Four on the Floor
  • Frank and Walters
  • Frankie goes to Hollywood
  • Franz Ferdinand
  • Frazier Chorus
  • Fun Lovin Criminals
  • Gallagher & Lyle
  • Gary Clark
  • Gary Numan
  • Genesis
  • Gina G
  • Glen Matlock
  • Go West
  • Grace Jones
  • Grace Petrie
  • Gravity
  • Gretschen Hofner
  • Grosvenor
  • Haircut One Hundred
  • Hank Marvin
  • Harrold Juana
  • Hazel O'Connor
  • Heaven 17
  • The High
  • Holly Johnson
  • Hothouse Flowers
  • Howard Jones
  • Hugh Cornwell
  • Huw & Tony Williams
  • IAMX
  • Imagination
  • Inspiral Carpets
  • Incognito
  • Indiana
  • I Saved Latin
  • James Taylor Quartet
  • Jason Feddy
  • Jean-Michel Jarre
  • Jessie J
  • Jesus Jones
  • Jimmy Somerville
  • Johnny Clegg
  • Johnny Hates Jazz
  • Kajagoogoo
  • Kar-Pets
  • Kasabian
  • Katy B
  • Kenickie
  • Kid Creole
  • Kim Wilde
  • Kylie Minogue
  • Larry Graham
  • Legendary Cuckoos
  • Level 42
  • Liars Club
  • Lightning Seeds
  • Lily Allen
  • Lisa Stansfield
  • Liz Lawrence
  • Los Ladrones de Amor
  • Lovers
  • Lush
  • Madonna
  • Manic Street Preachers
  • Mannfred Mann
  • Mano de Dios
  • Marc Almond
  • Mark Ronson (DJ set)
  • Maroon 5
  • Martyn Joseph
  • Metallica
  • Mica Paris
  • Michael Doughty
  • Midge Ure
  • Mike Oldfield
  • Miles Hunt
  • Mission
  • Mitch Benn
  • MJ Hibbett
  • Moby
  • Modern Romance
  • Mogwai
  • Moxie
  • Moxy Fruvous
  • Mustard
  • My Life Story
  • Neil Finn
  • New Power Generation
  • Nick Harper
  • Nick Heyward
  • Nick Pendry
  • Nik Kershaw
  • Noa
  • Noel Gallagher
  • Oasis
  • Odyssey
  • One Republic
  • Orlando
  • Paloma Faith
  • Paul McCartney
  • Paolo Nutini
  • Paul Roberts (Stranglers)
  • Paul Weller
  • Paul Young
  • Pavarotti
  • Peach
  • Perkie
  • Pet Shop Boys
  • Phil Collins
  • Phone Call
  • Pink Floyd
  • Pippi and the Butcherbirds
  • Pixie Lott
  • Platters
  • Prince
  • Prodigy
  • Propaganda
  • PT Twins
  • Public Service Broadcasting
  • Pulp
  • Pussycat Dolls
  • Radiohead
  • Ralph McTell
  • Rarebreed
  • Razorlight
  • The Real Thing
  • Recoil
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • REM
  • Richard Digance
  • Rick Astley
  • Right Said Fred
  • Robert Plant
  • Rocky Horror Show
  • Roger Waters
  • Rolf Harris
  • Ron Geesin
  • Ron Sexsmith
  • Rosita
  • Ruth Trimble
  • Sara and the Vynes
  • Saw Doctors
  • The Scapegoats
  • Screaming Passion
  • Seafood
  • Seal
  • Senseless Things
  • Sensitize
  • She Makes War
  • Silver Apples
  • Silverfish
  • Sisters of Mercy
  • Skye Ross
  • Slash from G'N'R
  • Sleepwalks
  • The Slogans
  • Snow Patrol
  • Sohodolls
  • SOS All Stars
  • Soweto String Quartet
  • Space
  • Sparklehorse
  • Spinal Tap
  • Spit 'n Strings
  • Starts
  • Status Quo
  • Strum
  • Suzerain
  • Tailor
  • Tanita Tikaram
  • Tatu
  • Tears for Fears
  • Tea Street Band
  • Ten City Nation
  • Terry Edwards
  • They Might Be Giants
  • Think Floyd
  • The Time
  • Tim Ten Yen
  • Tindersticks
  • Tom Bailey
  • Tom Hingley (solo and with band)
  • Tony Cox
  • Tony Hadley
  • Toyah
  • T'pau
  • Transglobal Underground
  • The Travelling Band
  • Tubular Bells for Two
  • The Tuts
  • Twirling Canes
  • U2
  • Utah Saints
  • Vampire Weekend
  • Voice of the Beehive
  • War of the Worlds
  • Whale
  • Whirlpool
  • White Lies
  • Who (Quadrophenia)
  • Wild
  • Wonderstuff (with Vic Reeves)
  • Yes
  • Yoshi
  • Younger Younger 28s

Rules of the list: I had to see them playing music, but appearances at festivals or in-store counted. I didn't count performances in musicals, which would add in Jason Donovan.
If you produce your own list, or want to know more about what any of these acts are like live, then leave a comment below.

UPDATE (20 July 2007): I've added in a recent gig by Glen Matlock, the bands I saw at Live Earth and a few bands I previously forgot about. I'll add bands to my list as I see or remember them. Check out Julie's list too and let me know in the comments if you write your own list and I'll link it here.

UPDATE (3 September 2009): Just added the acts from the Henley Rewind Festival, a fantastic bill of acts who made it big in the 80s but who can still cut it live today. I've been updating the list regularly with new acts and it now stands at 219 bands.

UPDATE (21 March 2014): Just to confirm I've been updating this each time I see a new band!

UPDATE (18 November 2023): Still updating it! Now it stands at 318 bands.

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