Bands playing whole albums live

[dirtyoldman]

Seems to be quite the thing now a days where bands will play the whole of one of their old classics. Do people like this? On one hand, if it's an album you like, then you're set. And it's a good chance to hear the songs that don't get played live normally.
Disadvantage is that you will already know most of the set list and if its not an album you like then tough luck, kiddo.

From memory, ive seen the following albums in full

Matter of life and death by maiden (which was new at the time
Master of puppets by Metallica
Holy diver by Dio
Bat out of hell by meatloaf
An Anthrax album at sonisphere (don't know Anthrax too well so can't tell what it was)
Troublegum by therapy? twice
Infernal Love by therapy? Twice
Demanufacture by Fear Factory

[MiLB Fan]

In 2016, I saw the first show on Bruce Springsteen’s tour celebrating The River, which he played in its entirety. How fitting that the tour opened in Pittsburgh, which has three such bodies of water. Too bad the Pirates and Steelers have new homes; he could have opened the tour at the appropriately named Three Rivers Stadium.

Then again, a concert at an open-air venue in January would have been a bit iffy.

[An Dog On An Skateboard]

I'm rather ambivalent towards it. On one hand even a lot of classic albums have a dud track or two, but on the other there's often album tracks I like that are seldom parts of live sets.

I've seen it done a fair few times though. I've seen the Lemonheads do It's A Shame About Ray on two different tours ten years apart with Evan Dando in varying stages of drug f***edness; almost nodding out onstage the first time and clearly not long out of rehab the second. Oh, and Courtney Love showed up the second time.

I saw Stevie Wonder do Songs in the Key of Life when a fight broke out early on in the set because of an aggressive middle aged couple clearly under the influence of something, that was...odd.

And I saw Paul Simon do most of Graceland with the original Graceland band and cameos from Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Hugh Masekela (and Jimmy Cliff); that was very cool, but strange in that despite being billed as a Graceland album show he played none of it in order and missed off the final track, although I think that's perhaps owing to the dispute he had over it with Los Lobos.

[Limity (BLM)]

I've seen one full album live, it was Queensryche playing Operation Mindcrime in around 2004 or 5.

Queensryche has been doing that pretty consistently lately, playing their full Empire and Rage For Order albums live. I think they even announced they'd be playing The Warning in its entirety.

I remember Judas Priest doing Nostradamus when they released that one. And I think Thrice toured and played all of The Artist In The Ambulance last year.

[G✇JI☈A]

Only seen a couple.. Being in Australia, its rare that big acts will don't usually do these type of tours, rather just do “promote new album” .. Or “just play the favourites”.

OK the ones I have seen:

Sonic Youth doing Daydream Nation.. A great set at the now closed Metro Club in Melbourne. In 2008 for the 20th Anniversary of the Album

Primal Scream doing Screamadelica doing the 20th Anniversary in 2011 at the Forum. This was awesome… might me one of my favourite gigs I have been to.

Oh and I have seen Peter Hook & The Light playing Joy Division albums in full a few times over the last decade. I don’t know if that counts.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

One of the best shows I ever went to was Emperor playing "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" beginning to end

[Kalmia]

I've only seen a couple - Iron Maiden playing A Matter of Life and Death and Dream Theater playing Images and Words. The Dream Theater one was billed as that when the tickets went on sale but I don't think the Maiden one was.

I think they're interesting shows to go to. I wouldn't mind going to a couple more, depending on the artist and album.

[Big DSR Energy]

The two I've seen:

Coheed & Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Part 1
Loathe - I Let It In And It Took Everything

Wasn't super familiar with the Coheed album, adored the Loathe album. At any rate, I had a good time, and both times the band tacked some additional songs onto the end, so it wasn't just the album front to back.

[generalrancor]

2010 American Carnage Tour Megadeth did Rust in Peace and Slayer did Seasons in the Abyss for 20th anniversary.

[tirtefaa]

Saw the Violent Femmes on my birthday and they played their first two albums, with the encore being "I Held Her In My Arms" and "American Music".

They are mostly known for their first album, their second album is arguably their best and my favorite overall, "I Held Her In My Arms" is my favorite song of theirs, and "American Music" is a catchy crowd favorite so overall it was one of the best concerts a fan of their's could ask for.

I also saw Live play "Throwing Copper" in full, but they were absolutely out staged by Bush who opened for them.

[DichEvans]

Aug 10, 2024 17:09:43 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

Seems to be quite the thing now a days where bands will play the whole of one of their old classics. Do people like this? On one hand, if it's an album you like, then you're set. And it's a good chance to hear the songs that don't get played live normally.
Disadvantage is that you will already know most of the set list and if its not an album you like then tough luck, kiddo.

From memory, ive seen the following albums in full

Matter of life and death by maiden (which was new at the time
Master of puppets by Metallica
Holy diver by Dio
Bat out of hell by meatloaf
An Anthrax album at sonisphere (don't know Anthrax too well so can't tell what it was)
Troublegum by therapy? twice
Infernal Love by therapy? Twice
Demanufacture by Fear Factory

It can be a bit of a catch 22. Bigger bands are way better at actually playing their hits (which are of course generally connected to albums)

I remember seeing Modest Mouse and they played their new album and none of their classic hits, which did not get great reviews and everyone did not exactly love the show. There is such a weird entitlement with medium sized bands that big acts don't really have.

If Paul McCartney can sing 'Hey Jude' for the 5 billionth time, I am sure a fairly small band can play the 2-3 songs they have that are hits.

[karl100589]

Brian Wilson and his backing group performed Smile live as part of a tour in 2004.

[bibboid]

I had a friend in college who said he went to a Pink Floyd concert where the band said they were doing something new and then played Animals in its entirety. This was several months before the album was released.

[Secret Clown]

I believe Slipknot are currently doing this playing their self titled album in full.

I’m fine with bands doing it as long as they play ‘the hits’ during the encore.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Believe Aerosmith did this years ago, asking the fans what album they wanted to hear. Toys in the Attic was chosen, but they didn’t do “You See Me Crying” because Tyler couldn’t sing it anymore, plus having an entire orchestra for a single song isn’t practical.

Then I imagine they went into a regular show, because the album is only like 35 minutes long.

[Herman The Tosser]

Seen a bunch of these, most recently Green Day playing all of Dookie and American Idiot at Wembley Stadium.

Other standouts for me include Ash - I saw them doing "1977" in full at the London Astoria in 2008 and Free All Angels in 2011 and 2022. Those ones included Charlotte Hatherley returning to the band and making them cooler and sound better as a result. Teenage me had such a huge crush on her in the late 90s to mid-2000s. Still do. I met them at a signing before the 2011 gig, too.

Manic Street Preachers doing The Holy Bible in 2014 at the Albert Halls in Manchester in 2014 and Cardiff Castle in 2015 - Manchester was a better experience for me being a smaller venue. Also saw them play Everything Must Go (Their breakthrough album) at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea and This is My Truth Tell Me Yours in Birmingham and Cardiff Castle.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Korn did a tour playing just their first album for its 20th anniversary back in 2015. I believe they also played it live for its 30th anniversary earlier this year.

[thirteen3]

Pink Floyd would always at least perform all of Dark Side of the Moon on all their tours.

[Rave]

A Perfect Circle did this in 2010. Five cities with three concerts apiece, each one dedicated to playing one of their first three albums in full. It was eventually dubbed Trifecta and released both digitally and as part of a compilation in 2013.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

I saw Glassjaw do the whole of Worship and Tribute, I also saw Hundred Reasons do Ideas Above Our Station and Hell is for Heroes do the Neon Handshake in the same night.

However I think the biggest is I saw Brian Wilson do Pet Sounds.