There has been a viral list going around on Facebook this week about telling the world 10 gigs you have been to and one of them is a lie. Well,  we here at Phoenix are going to do ONE better! We are not going to tell you just any gigs but we are going to tell you the 10 best gigs that our editor, aka me, has been to. Welcome to Part two – which is all about music and concerts!

10 Busted

I never thought that I would be sitting here writing that Busted made my top ten best concerts but I have to say that it really did! I went just because I wanted to see what they would be after reuniting last year and was actually quite surprised about the show they put on. I went to it initially because i heard great things about the mcBusted tour and never got a chance to go, so when this opportunity came up I didn’t want to say no. The show was very entertaining and they could sing really well live which was something i wanted to see if they could do. This gig was one of those ones that completely surprised me but in the best ways.

9 Olly Murs

I have seen Olly live twice and the best show I have seen him do was the intimate concert he did for his ITV show where he performed and had special guests. It was so good, the one thing I love about Olly, and always have since he was on the XFactor is that he can really put on a great show. It is not just Olly who makes his gigs great either, its also his back up singers and band, they really look like they are enjoying themselves as much as Olly and they always give out such a great vibe at concerts. Olly plays up to the audience and can really sing very well live. Even if you are not a fan of his music, I reccomend seeing him live if you want a guy who can put on a really good show.

8 3oh!3

This was such a fun gig to go to and it is such a shame that they are not bigger then they are in the UK. They are so good at singing live and bringing so much energy to an audience that the whole of the crowd were electric like a music current was flowing through them The music was great, the band are good communicators to the audience and put on a great show.

7 The Blackout

I have seen The Blackout a total of five times and a alot of them have not been by choice. They kept being the support act for every band i was seeing at one point so I got to know who they were by seeing them be a support act for so many. I was impressed by the first two times that I went to one of their own gigs. It was great – they can really play a fantastic set, they are loud but they are also funny in between the music. Funnily enough they ended up supporting two more bands i saw after the gig i saw and was happy to see them again as knew I would be in for a great show!

6 Zebrahead

This is another band that I came across by accident and so happy that I did that they are now one of my favorites. They were the support bad to the first Bowling For Soup concert i ever saw and whilst i thought they were good i never thougth about really seeing them again. My friend however bougtht the album and from listening to it on repeat and then buying my friends tickets for his birthday to see them i completey changed my mind – they stood out and by alot. They are amazing live and bring such an amazing energy to the stage and to the audience. Their songs are fantastic and they really know how to put on an amazing show.

5 BackStreet Boys / NKBSB

Backstreet Boys were my favourite band when i was a kid and their music videos always made it feel like a distant dream to ever see them live as they always seemed too big to ever be able to see in real life. In 2011 I got the chance to see them live in Chicago and it was really worth the wait as they were so amazing and i savoured every minute it was amazing. They put on an amazing show, are so entertaining and really are the kings of pop.

4 Lady Gaga

If there is one person who can put on the ultimate show then its the queen Lady Gaga. There is not much i can say or put into words about how amazing this woman is when she performs live but wow, if you want a concert that will blow you away – go to see her. Her music is amazing, she is one of the worlds most amazing singers and can put on a breathtaking show.

3 Kasabian

I couldn’t stand kasabian – i despised them, i couldn’t get why people liked Kasabian – then my friend dragged me along to their concert and my whole world was flipped upside down and i fell in love with them. If there is one thing that the band can do is put on a spectacular show – i had never been to a show like it before – the stage was beautifully decorated and changed each time, there were middle aged men head banging along to the music and the atmosphere was alive right from the start – def one of the best concerts i have been to!

2 Marianas Trench

I came across Marianas Trench all because of Spotify Radio and it’s the best choice that they have ever given me for music. As soon as I heard the first song of theirs, which was Stutter, i was absolutely addicted. I knew that they were not known very well in the UK and knew that i would only either see them live if i went to Canada OR have to wait for years. Last year they made the announcement they were touring and I was fortunate to see them in London in October. This gig was very special to me because I waited so long to see them and I wanted to see the band live as I knew Josh Ramsey has an amazing voice and just like the number 1 spot it made me very emotional. Hearing songs live that you thought you never would is a phenomenal feeling and even now when i listen to their albums, it puts a huge smile on my face to know i have seen them live.

1 Blink 182 – Tom Delonge line up

I wanted to state that it was the Tom line up before I went on because i wanted to highlight one of ten main reasons I was desperate to see this and live. I like Matt as a replacement but haven’t seen them all together live so can’t make judgement. 

This is the best gig I have been to for so many reasons. The first is the most obvious – the band, well no if honest 20 per cent the band 80 per cent Tom. Now I love blink I really do and if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t of come across Tom. But the main reason I was excited was because of Tom. I find him a huge inspiration and will be writing about this Ina feature in the future but seeing him live was a bit like a dream state mode. He isn’t the mode exciting on stage but I really respect his music and seeing him live was amazing.

Now seeing Mark and travis live as well was also another dream state thing because I have been listening to their music religiously since I was 14 and helped me through a lot so it was one of those times where everything seemed surreal. Being on Marks side of the stage meant we were welcomed by his fantastic energy and character which made it so fun. Also seeing the fantastically talented Travis live was also pretty phenomenal.

The other thing that made this concert amazing was that I was with two great people that are some of my favourite human beings and they are as huge a fan as I so that made it even better – especially when we lined up all day to be at the front!

the support acts were amazing as well, the Blackout (surprise surprise) and the all American rejects. They both played amazing sets (apart from the fact the guitarist spat by accident in my friend Walters face!). The concert was amazing and one of very few where I felt emotional and overwhelmed at the end.