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Best musical performance on television


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Best?

 

 

I dunno bout that.

 

 

But one that still resonates is Elvis Costello on Saturday Night Live when he got "banned" because he sang Radio,Radio anyway after being told not to. Or maybe a tie with Sinead O'Connor ripping up the picture of the Pope....also on Saturday Night Live.

 

But then there's also The Who on the Smothers Brothers where Keith uses a wee too much powder under his seat? That's pretty classic. Or The Doors on Sullivan.

 

Craziest?

 

Sinead O'Connor singing "War" at the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary thing?

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From the same show as the 'Kitty's Back' from above

 

adn keeping with the Xmas theme - the first one of these is pretty tops

 

Marvin Gaye's 'Star Spangled Banner' from the 1983 (?) NBA All-Star Game is also a highlight

 

Other contenders (which I can't find videos for);

 

Neil Young performing 'Rockin' in the Free World' on Saturday Night Live, 1989

Elvis Costello performing 'Veronica', also from SNL in 1989

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Baby, baby bayyyyyyyybeeeeeeeee !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I used to like the Cilla Black show as a kid. Found these:-

 

Some classic 60's dancing in the middle. Surprise at the very end. I have vague memories of them appearing on her show, but I this was before I remember.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql0F62aw86w...cilla%20beatles

 

The very very end of this is quite funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg5c1RewwQU...cilla%20beatles

 

Now for the really good stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf-Q2rDd6Tw...cilla%20beatles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfgTgD4Wi-k...earch=the%20jam

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MMJ @ Conan definitely gets a very honourable mention from me. That performance is absolutely elemental.

 

Neil Young performing 'Rockin' in the Free World' on Saturday Night Live, 1989

 

This is probably my favourite Neil performance ever. Another almost-coulda-voted-for-it for me.

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U2s performance on MTVs "Conspiracy of Hope" tour in like '87 (or was it '86?). The whole thing is chilling, so much so that when the greatly anticipated "reunion" of the Police came on afterwards, it was a like an afterthought.

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One of the best performances I seen on TV was Eddie Vedder doing "Masters Of War" on BobFest. He was so into the song and intense you could see the veins in his throat bulging out. The way he sang the song gave me goosebumps and when I see it again it still does.

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Oh, this is sweet. If we are not including Wilco in this competition, then the Springsteen performance of Kitty's Back wins, hands down. Yes, Costello on SNL is brilliant, and Neil Young anytime on TV is fucking fantastic, but this, this is superb. I think I'll start a completely different thread on the Boss....

 

:dancing

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I liked Syd Barrett's stone-faced and half-hearted attempt at miming the words to "Apples and Oranges" on American Banstand. Also, The Band's take on "Georgia On My Mind" on SNL was pretty remarkable. One of my favorite Richard Manuel moments.

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