Adam Adshead

Askmen.com – Top 10: Festival Acts Of All Time

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Playing live shows in comfy arenas in front your own fans is one thing, but going that extra yard and performing in front of a mish mash of music fans in the pouring rain is quite another. Triumpant as Jay-Z was at Glastonbury, there is a longstanding tradition of acts who have come before him to prove time and again that they were made for the festival scene.

Come showtime, who has consistently wowed fans of all genres at festivals with their blend of: music, onstage antics, controversy and the all important “one to tell the grandkids about” seminal appeal. As we settle into the season of alfresco performances, we list our top 10 festival acts of all time.

Number 10

The Flaming Lips

Not as mainstream as many of the artists on this list, The Flaming Lips earn a place on here for their various insane experiments on the festival stage.
From fire and fireworks in the early days, to today’s combination of confetti, mirror balls, balloons, grown adults in rabbit suits and front man Wayne Coyne in a huge hamster ball surfing the crowd — their shows are not to be missed.
Festival fans alike can relate to such absurdity and their unique blend of evocative music and stage show presence secures their spot.

Number 9

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers

The Chillis are always responsible for bringing the funk to the party and it’s no difference where festivals are concerned. Having experienced more widespread recognition in recent years, the festivals they’ve played at have grown and grown. This is partly due to the success and popularity of their album By The Way and their ability to take that energy and pace from the studio to the festival stage. Currently on a hiatus, it might be a while until we see them again, but if we do, we’re guaranteed a non-stop whirlwind of funk rock.

Number 8

The Foo Fighters

The Foo Fighters are undoubtedly one of the biggest live Rock ‘n’ Roll bands on the planet and their live shows have helped them justify that reputation.
Catchy guitar laden songs that get the crowd pulsing are on the menu from start to finish and that approach hasn’t slowed up since 1995, when the group first formed.
Constantly bringing their A game and never disappointing, the Foo fighters haven’t amassed the controversy or quite received the household name acceptance others on the list have, but there is still time and that they could well climb the list in the future.

Number 7

Oasis

With the swagger and music to back up their reputation, Oasis have always been a highlight for the masses at whatever festivals they’ve played.
At the forefront of Britpop in the 90s, they have long been held close to the hearts of many festival-goers. With classic sing-a-long tracks in abundance and the self belief to drive it home, their live shows have always been a must-see.
It’s anthems like “Wonderwall“, “Live forever” and “Roll With It” that truly unite a festival crowd: that’s something that cannot be done easily and that if done properly – catapults an act into a list like this.

Number 6

Muse

Love them or hate them, Muse have become known for their big shows full of: big music and sounds and even bigger laser and lighting effects.
Because of this and also their crossover appeal with the more Rock and Indie festival crowds, the band have built a formidable reputation.
During their career they have won the Brit Award for Best Live Act and also garnered the same accolade, on more than one occasion, from the music magazines NME, Kerrang! and Q.
With rumours of a possible headline slot for next year’s Glastonbury and with new material set for release in 2009, more affirming performances and reputation building could be on the horizon.

Number 5

The Rolling Stones

Playing more shows than are apparently humanly possible, the Rolling Stones still keep rolling on and are no stranger to festivals or seminal moments.
Organising and headlining the Altamont Free Concert in Northern California 1969, the festival although brilliant on paper, turned into chaos when marred with violence.
By some accounts, the Hells Angels were hired for security and with 300,000 people in attendance, the crowd became unmanageable. Violence ensued and four people died, including one homicide. Many viewed the event as the end of the Hippy era.
In spite of that. Mick Jagger and company have gone on to appear at countless Festivals since, bringing their brand of high energetic stage presence and flamboyant Rock ‘n’ Roll to the masses. That included the highly praised two hour set they did at the Isle of White Festival in 2007.

Number 4

Nirvana

After rumours circulated of Kurt Cobain’s death prior to his appearance at Reading Festival in 1992, Cobain was wheeled on stage wearing a blond wig and hospital gown. This was a fitting start to Nirvana’s set and coming off the back of the success of their album Nevermind, the show would be their last in the UK.
At the height of Nirvana’s pre-suicide fame and riding the crest of the grunge wave, this show would later be voted as their best moment by fans in the NME music magazine. With the reverence Nevermind brought the band and in light of the tempestuous and short life Kurt lived, this festival appearance and the aforementioned antics hand Nirvana a slot in the top 10 Festival Acts Of All Time.

Number 3

Radiohead

With the ability to bowl their audience over with a titanium back catalogue of hits, Radiohead are always a festival favourite. Having played all the major festivals during their career, the popularity of their music shows no signs of waning.That career defining festival appearance could be just around the corner: Well, it had better be — as with the band’s “Carbon friendly” touring and unequivocal stance on green issues, their touring schedule may be scaled down to more local shows.

Number 2

The Who

Those who missed The Who play 2007 at Glastonbury “Won’t be fooled again,” but after 37 years in the making, it’s doubtful we’ll get the chance to see Daltery and Townsend in full flow again at the festival.
With appearances on both sides of the pond, The Who also famously played at the Monterey Pop Festival, at Woodstock in the 60’s and have played at various festivals since.
Responsible for some of the defining songs of the so called Mod rebellion, tracks like “My Generation” resonate as strongly today as they did all those years ago. It’s because of this that they will always be considered as one of the top 10 festival acts of all time.

Number 1

Jimi Hendrix

What a way to burn your legacy into the retinas of those watching, by capping off your show by setting your guitar on fire, then smashing it and throwing the remnants into the crowd. Who’d have thought that festival goers at the Monterey Pop Festival 1969 were watching Hendrix’s first major American show?
Nowadays smashing your instruments on stage is a regular occurrence for even the tamest harpsichordist, but at the time, Hendrix’s antics were powerful, so much so we’re still talking about them 40 years on.

Hendrix then went on to play legendary sets headlining Woodstock and (some say one of the best festivals ever) The Isle of Wight, 1970. The importance of this set was magnified a matter of weeks later when Hendrix died and it became his last ever show. Memories of Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner” performance at Woodstock, the iconic imagery of him burning his guitar and his untimely death at just 27, see Hendrix take the top spot in the top 10 festival acts of all time.

Knee deep in debate, hope you’ve got your wellies.

Delivering such influential and unforgettable moments when the eyes of the world loom large, counts for more than millions of fans or hundreds of festivals played.

Over time some of the acts above will no longer be considered as one of the Top 10 Festival Acts of All Time and naturally be replaced by others. Adding to the rich tapestry of music history in such a way is important and what makes lists like this ever debateable and ever changing.

Adam Adshead