Everyone has their own list of concerts they would love to attend. Sometimes it’s a dead musician from a bygone era. Sometimes it’s a current one who just doesn’t tour that often.
We asked Tone Deaf readers which artists, dead or alive, they’d give anything to see in concert and they had some really strong shouts. Take a look below at the most mentioned choices, featuring some brilliant talent.
And special mention to the one Tone Deaf reader who suggested Vincent Van Gogh, much to the enjoyment of other readers: “Watching his brush strokes overlap to create a beautiful blend of colours would be incredible to watch live,” was their keenly observed comment.
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Queen with Freddie Mercury
As one Tone Deaf reader pointed out, Queen have been perfectly serviceable with the likes of Adam Lambert fronting them. Nobody, though, compares to Freddie Mercury who was truly in a class of his own. With his wide vocal range and effortless charisma, there are few better frontmen in music history.
Mercury died in 1991 at the age of 45 and, you feel, he could have been as excellent as ever in future concerts if his health had held up.
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Amy Winehouse
It’s frightening to think of what Winehouse could have achieved if she hadn’t died so young. One of the greatest vocalists of her generation blew audiences away in her prime, possessed of a stunning and arresting voice. Her delivery was uniquely her own too, never copying the pop divas of the time.
Prince
How good would it have been to see a Prince concert in the flesh? There would probably have been a lot of purple. A lot of genre-hopping. A lot of groovy guitar solos. A lot of confidence and panache.
The Minneapolis legend was still touring well into the 2010’s until his death in 2016. It’s a difficult thing to control an arena audience consistently but Prince made it look easy.
Jim Morrison
The Doors legend was one of the only frontmen who could possibly rival Freddie Mercury. With his unpredictability, alluring sexuality, and lyrical passages, Morrison looked electric to witness live.
Just think of all the infamous concerts The Doors held in the 60’s, chaotic affairs with Morrison in the middle of it all, conducting the mayhem.
Chester Bennington
It didn’t matter whether he was fronting Linkin Park, Dead by Sunrise, or Stone Temple Pilots, Bennington was always a full-on intense presence. There were few better at unleashing the anguish and emotion from within in their vocal delivery.
It certainly felt like Linkin Park had a lot more to give with Bennington leading them before he passed away in 2017. Metal and rock lost one of the most powerful vocalists of the 21st century far too early.
