I never went to concerts looking for danger, revolutionary spiel or debauchery. I wanted to hear songs I liked performed by talented musicians. That's always been enough for me.

His trouser-splitting antics probably inspired the shaking up/inspiration/what the hell was....

Elvis 1956?
Hendrix 1966?

Lightning Bolt would be a pretty good example of doing things differently. Two people, one drumkit, one bass with some pedals, sh*tloads of amplification, and a mic-ed up mask wearing human hurricane of a drummer. In the middle of the crowd. Very loudly.

Youtube them, or look at these: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bartpettman/sets/72157622935691712/

Also, British Sea Power (who are supreme) decorate their stage with fresh local foliage, and end most gigs half in the crowd, half throwing branches around, with lead guitarist Noble usually having climbed to the highest possible point on/around the stage. With thrilling guitar and drum fun to accompany.

I went to my first (and last) Bad Manners gig at the Electric Ballroom around 1980/81 and although the what came from the stage passed off without incident, I've never seen so much blood in my life! Once I'd realised that it was best to stay at the side at a safe distance from the mosh pit there was what seemed like a continual stream of bouncers covered in blood dragging out angry looking punters also covered in blood.
Not really what I want of a concert.
I've always tried to avoid the bands with a reputation for "antics" as once I've bought my ticket, travelled miles to get there, and suffered a third rate support band, I don't want the headliners to kick the drumkit and throw a strop after only 15 mins.

For some acts, it's enough for me to hear the music played well - I won't care much if they wander on stage and mumble between songs if the music is great.

For other acts, I expect drama and will feel resentful if I don't get it.
For example, The Cramps. I've never been one of their most devoted fans, but I love them for the fact that when I went to see them, all of the following was included in the cost of the ticket:

- that excitement as you entered the venue at the mere thought that you shared the same roof with such charismatic performers
- a well-chosen support act
- great music played over the speakers, which became more dramatic as the time for the main act drew near
- the anticipation as the band prepared to enter the stage
- showmanship, stagecraft, a sense of theatre, a sense of humour, the willingness to look stupid in order to be brilliantly cool
- bizarre, decadent onstage behaviour
- entertaining interaction with the crowd
- a show of perfect length - not too long, not too short
- superb songs performed with passion and verve
- the sense that their lives depended on giving us the best show possible
- the burning desire, on the tube home, to quit your job and devote your life to rock 'n' roll.

It's not too much to ask, is it?

1987 - Def Jam tour hits Manchester Apollo.

Public Enemy hit the stage: cue 5 minute rant from Chuck D about the attempts of the Thatcher Govenment to ban the tour, which ends with about 10 henchmen coming onto the stage with imitation Uzis to spray the audience with bullets.

Next sound was my jaw hitting the floor.

Much as I'd love to I can't remember the actual finishing sentence, but I have never been to a gig since that completely blew me away apart from..

1988 - Richie Rich Manchester International 2

House DJ who released early house record called Salsa House, which I'd heard a few times. Thought we'd go & check him out - cuefriendly gent stood next us, "Here you go lads, have one of these "home made headache tablets" it'll make the music sound better. He was right - it did.
Turned my world upside down for the next 4 to 5 years.

My brother and I (his first proper gig) were greeted by their drummer Gary Young at the door who was handing out pieces of carrot from a plastic bag whilst exhorting a healthy diet.
A Clearly Refreshed Mr Young constantly interrupted his drumming to perform gymnastics upon his drumkit and stool, and ended the set by throwing said bag into the audience, many of whom were just waiting for Sonic Youth. Someone was struck in the face by said bag at great velocity. Said nobhead drummer left the band soon afterwards. Stick to the basics, I say.

...but David Sinclair of The Times gave 'em 5 stars...

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/...

I was at a Pere Ubu gig in the very early 80's and David thomas lobbed a hammer into the audience. That was unexpected.
I'm with Nick White above, seeing bands like the Cramps, and bands who put on a show do it for me every time. These days it seems as though people are music fans rather than fans of particular bands. I miss the feeling of excitment a room full of fans creates.

Sometimes the unexpected happens when it is least expected

Went to see The Georgia Satellites at the Portsmouth Wedgewood rooms. The delights of the 'Battleship Chains'-Hitmakers, quite understandably to everyone but the promoter, seemed a bit obscure for the South Coast on a cold midweek night and the 'boys' had travelled 6000 miles from Georgia to experience it.

This didn't seem to go down well with them. Plus they were drinking. And arguing. Then someone in the 'crowd',standing right in front of the stage, gave some sort of heckle to the effect 'play the hits'. This just sparked the front man, Rick Richards to lose it - muttering he was going to kill the person concerned, kicking the PA, spitting and most scarily of all staring at the culprit with flaming Southern eyes for the rest of the set. Violence seemed a second away but fortunately it was channeled into the tunes which were delivered with a teeth clenched intensity.

Fun, not what you expected from a has been Southern rock band on a tuesday night.

I've talked before about them, but they really do create a fantastic sense of community, of spectacle and the sheer joy of hearing great live music.

Astoria Charing Cross Road 1988. What with the wall-sized video screens showing movies of urethra insertions (close-up..ugh), seemingly endless replays of the then 'hit' Godstar, and the stage invasion during which everyone decided to get naked, an eventful night and not your average run-of-the-mill gig.

After that, I was quite keen for some mild.

Did anyone see Sparks on the L'il Beethoven tour? I thought that was a wonderful show, totally magical - the interaction with the video screens, the humour - all of it was perfectly executed.

The image of Ron playing a grand piano situated on the other side of the stage with 10 foot long false arms is something I will carry with me for a long time! I'll see if it's on You Tube later.

Gig in Leeds Met a few years ago. Badly, swigging on what looked like Cointreau, kept stopping and starting songs - a verse here and a verse there. He strummed songs his band didn't know or stopped when band and songs were in full flow.

At first it was refreshing - he wasn't just reprising his songs off pat. But after half an hour it was annoying and the audience's amusement turned to jeers, it was almost as if he was sabotaging his own gig

With the dancers swapping instruments with the musicians and everyone being part of the performance.

Ozomatli a few years ago played the encore in the middle of the crowd, then another in the bar, then another in the foyer. They gave the impression that there would be more on the tourbus until the arrived at the next venue

Because most people are trying to promote an album by playing it live as close to the original version as possible.

Pat Metheny and his Orchestrion, at the Barbican. Of the thousands of gigs I've attended, this was the most unusual / unique. I've a feeling it'll never happen again, either, so it was a thrill to be there.

1. Watching someone play their instrument (or indeed singing) is, in itself, about as interesting as watching someone check their e-mails (hello Kraftwerk!). Do something else. The Prodigy are the only band I've seen 3 times (and I'd happily go a 4th) because they've hit on the magic formula of the 2 permanently-watchable dancers.

2. The more the band try to look cool the less interesting they are to watch. Possibly the best gig I was ever at was Throbbing Gristle last year: the 4 of them have such lived-in faces & bodies (in a good way), you find it fascinating just to look at them. And that's before Gen's bizarre half-way-house sex-change.

in Leeds 01/02. I'd seen them previously and since the Leeds show and it's always an interesting experience to say the least, the last time I saw them in Sheffield, i'd never smiled so much at a gig. However Leeds was different, it was quite a frightening experience, there was a real nasty malevolent feeling to the night, glasses smashed everywhere, broken glass thrown around the room, fights spontaneously erupting around the room. I honestly thought I was going to get my head kicked in. I emerged unscathed, and must admit that when I got back to my hotel room, I felt totally energised and alive.

Virgin Prunes - Futurama Festival - 81/82 - A stage strewn with forest debris, a partially naked band creating an infernal din, and two singers wearing loin clothes and covered in mud smashing 6ft logs of wood on the stage. Result - plugs pulled

is a transcendent experience, something where the atmosphere is so uplifting and glorious you get transported to somewhere different, whether it's their material in it's original form or done completely differently.

The only one I can remember which really did that for me was Hothouse Flowers at the Sydney State Theater, which built through emotion and energy, and ended with half the audience on stage playing the instruments with the band. A magic night.

There have been a couple of gigs with 'what the...' moments.
- Tom Robinson at Lewisham Town Hall, where the stage was dressed in what looked like a 50's parlour and the band came on one at a time for each number, sat on the sofa, joined in the next song. Bit theatrical but brilliantly executed.
- There was a Midnight Oil unplugged night at the Sydney Metro with a(nother) sofa on stage where a series of audience members would be pulled up to chat and make requests.
- Lou Reed's tai chi master was a WTF experience. Anthony Heggarty (pre-fame) took everything to the other end of the spectrum on the same night.

his gigs sound pretty interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gg_allin