Regarding your favorite bands.........

[Lord of The Curry 0]

We've all had moments in one way or another in which we realize that a certain artist or band will be a serious favorite. This question is in my mind tonight because it happened to me a few hours ago.

 

Broken Social Scene at the Toronto Harbourfront. A free show that was presented on behalf a local culture mag. I went in as fans of the band, knowing that the show would be good. I had no idea what I was in store for. I came out of this show knowing with 100% certainty that this was the single best live performance I have ever seen in my 21 years.

 

I feel bad for guys like Interpol and Radiohead whose shows I loved but could not in any way compare with the energy, passion and fun that this 14-person collective jammed into 2 hours and 15 minutes. The crowd was easily over 3000 w/ the backdrop of Lake Ontario and a clear night sky. Perfect setting for a perfect show.

 

After running through almost the entire 13-song set from You Forgot It In People they also played some tunes off the more recent Beehives and a few new songs too. I've never seen so many people onstage at the same time playing something or doing something, even if it's as simple as shaking a rattle or providing some background vocals. The fact that these 14 people played as tight as they did is incredible. Whether it was leading the crowd in claps for songs or dancing up a storm (which a good portion of the crowd including yours truly did) they owned it. Plus I got to see me a free lesbian show courtesty of the two female singers which was uber-hot.

 

They capped the night off with a 13-minute song which included a very emotional lead singer Kevin Drew telling the crowd "We are Broken Social Scene and we are not broken", putting to rest a few months worth of rumours that they were breaking up.

 

So, tonight I had a moment, one that I knew in which my fate was sealed and that I would become a fan of this band forever. What's yours?

[Ed Wood Caulfield 0]

For Public Enemy, it was the moment that I heard "Fight The Power" for the first time. From that moment on I was a Public Enemy fan, and I just started looking for PE songs from then on. That and I have loved Flava Flav ever since I was little because he is so weird and unusual.

 

For Quarashi, it would have to be when I heard the songs "Baseline" and "Tarfur". I liked their song "Stick 'Em Up", but it took a while for that song to grow on me, and I LOVED "Mr. Jinx" and the video for it, although I only liked the song, but not so much the band, since I simply forgot about the group and the song until November of last year. Then one day in March 2004, I decided to find out more about Quarashi, and that is when I downloaded "Baseline" and "Tarfur". I remember listening to the songs and thinking "Damn! These songs are good! Quarashi is awesome! What else did these guys make?" And I downloaded more of their songs, and soon got their album, Jinx. And that sealed my fandom for Quarashi. Now I listen to that band all the time, and it's my second favorite band right now (behind Public Enemy).

 

The moment I saw the video for "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne I became a fan, because she was the hottest girl I had seen at that time in my life.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

My first favorite band was Black Sabbath, and they became my favorite when I was a kid and saw an album cover with a creepy green dude in a scary place, and the lyrics were all about Satan, Black Magic, and the end of the world and such.

 

The addition of demons and speed put Slayer up there for me later on.

 

For Zappa, probably as soon as I heard "The Gumbo Variations."

 

Also, there's 14 people in that band? Is there a horn or a string section or something? How do they pull that off?

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

With sparks, you just have to look at them to be captivated, and the music...oh god yes.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

A few of the band members play more then one instrument, but as best I can recall here are all the things they used to make noise that night........

 

- Electric guitars

- Acoustic guitars

- Bass

- Banjo

- Trumpet

- Trombone

- Drums

- Violin

- Keyboards

- Piano

- Maraca's

- Christmas bells

- Cowbell (a personal mark-out moment which lead me to scream "Needs more cowbell")

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I knew Slayer and Metallica were my favorite bands once I realized how great a lot of their songs were. There's just an energy in 80's metal that's missing from too many bands these days.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

The moment I saw the video for "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne I became a fan, because she was the hottest girl I had seen at that time in my life.

Probably the best sentence I've seen on here in a while.

 

The favorite band thing is a mix for me. With some acts I know right away, 30 seconds into a song - "Building Steam With A Grain of Salt" for DJ Shadow, hearing the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?" for the first time, etc. - but for others it's a slow burn of accumulation. Prince fits the mold here. Hits compilations --> friend's copy of Purple Rain --> Dirty Mind really starting to click --> getting Sign o' the Times. After that stretch of about 6 months, he shot way up in my estimation.

 

Then there are a few others that have been semi-ingrained since childhood, thanks to the parents; the Beatles are the obvious example here.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

It sneaks up on me, usually. Like a couple of days will have passed and I realize that I haven't been listening to anything other than that band in the preceding days.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Tool I fell in love with the moment I had heard Opiate and Undertow, similarly to how I loved Slayer the second I heard Reign in Blood.

 

System of a Down was just one band that stood out to me from all the crap that I had been hearing, not just because of their heavily blended music, but because their lyrics actually had meaning to them, they weren't shallow especially compared to all the metalcore/nu-metal shite that was coming out at the same time and got unfairly grouped into for a while with Toxicity.

 

My mom's good friend's husband, they both came over a ton of times, I had found out that his aunt was Serj's fiancee, and so he get tons of free tickets for System shows, and I got to see them at Ozzfest 2002, when they co-headlined with Ozzy and a bunch of crappy bands (not a good year for the show). They just completely blew EVERYONE that we saw away, their performance easily was the best of the whole evening, and amongst the best I've ever seen, and my fandom in them completely validated.

[Ravenbomb 0]

For Pink Floyd, it was when I saw The Wall for the first time

[Mecha Mummy 0]

For the Beatles it was when I heard "Strawberry Fields Forever."

 

For the Pillows I'd say it was once I started listening to more of their songs other than "Ride on Shooting Star." I think it was "I Think I Can" that made it definite.

 

And for Rasputina, all it took was "Transylvanian Concubine."

[5_moves_of_doom 0]

Heard "Where Is My Mind?" at the end of Fight Club while watching it with commentary on, and heard Brad Pitt say "Ugh, I just love the Pixies." Went upstairs to my room and immediately downloaded some songs... I guess "Where is My Mind?" is the one that most people like at first, but I remember just thinking they were good until I listened to the first song I had downloaded -- "Debaser." Went out, bought the two-disc best-of/live-set... and they've been my favorite ever since, and that was like 3 years ago.

 

...Thanks Brad Pitt!

[moral suasion 0]

It sneaks up on me, usually. Like a couple of days will have passed and I realize that I haven't been listening to anything other than that band in the preceding days.

I agree. That is pretty much how it goes for me as well. It also hits me when I realize that I have been thinking about or singing the music in my head when I am not listening to it,

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Not sure when I became such a huge Ramones fan, but the first time I ever really remember hearing one of their songs was at the end of some stupid MTV investigates RACISM special that aired a little more than 10 years ago. One of the people they profiled was this loser high school skinhead living at his parent's house who was protesting black people (or something of that nature) with two of his friends at some mall. You'll never guess what song MTV played...

[Red Baron 0]

For Iron Maiden, it was in English class and we were discussing about the ballad, rime of the ancient mariner. The teacher made a reference that this band made a song about it. In grade 9, I thought, "Hey, that's fuckin awesome."

 

I got home, went on Napster, and downloaded a whole shitload of Maiden tunes. The first song I heard was Hallowed Be Thy Name, and I have never heard something like this in my whole life. After buying The Number of the Beast I was instantly hooked.

[Placebo Effect 0]

I've never actually had a defined "favorite band," and it's just the same with movies and television.

[SamoaRowe 0]

For Tool, it was this night when my friend and I were playing Shadow Man in while listening to "Undertow" for hours on end. I knew I was hooked, mostly from being in total awe of how captivating the music was. I knew I wanted to hear more.

 

For Ben Folds, when I was in 7th grade I was listening to a Top 40 count-down show and right before they played Number One every week, they'd play a song that was recently released and they expected would make a big impact on the charts. That particular night the song was "Brick" by Ben Folds Five. I loved the song immediatly. Eventually I bought "Whatever and Ever Amen" and became addicted.

 

Those are the two big ones in my life, right now I could see Guster joining the list. I saw them live earlier this summer (with Ben Folds and Rufus Wainright) and they were just incredible.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Death From Above 1979

 

I was forced into seeing these two other bands by my girlfriend. I didn't want to go, but did it for her sake. We get there and learn that there are 2 other bands on the bill in addition to the headliners. I sit down, order a beer. I quickly learn that I have attended an all ages event and would have to go to the far south east corner of the club to endulge in a brew so I would not influence the youngsters to engage in such debacherous behaviour.

 

Anyway, I am cranky. I can't drink, its packed with 13 year olds, and I am seeing nothing I want to. The first band comes on, and they're horrible. Just pop punk nonsense with no soul. Total cookie cutter New Found Glory-ish horseshit. I am getting aggrevated at my surroundings.

 

The second band, just a bass player and drummer come out next. Their first song hits you hard in the chest. I am digging it. The drummer takes off his shirt as the little girls start screaming. He asks them "Don't you bitches have little brothers". I laugh. Each song infiltrates your body and shakes it to the bones. But in addition to fucking owning the world, they take pot shots at all of the little kids in the crowd. The drummer (and singer) will not hesititate to fucking antagonize the audience and call them out for being a bunch of useless motherfuckers. I think I am in love. How can a 2 piece band make so much fucking noise? How can one band turn the most pessimistic and jaded asshole into their biggest fan boy? because they have so much unparralled energy. Its so fucking explosive. They demand and command your entire being.

 

I love them

 

Unfortunately on their first full length album they have sorta toned it down into a more dancable snyth outfit. What they lack in the frantic energy of their EPs, they replace it with dirty grooves that are so thick it hurts.

 

Canadian fans shall stay tuned as the album drops in 2 weeks and their video is getting decent airplay on muchmusic. I love them.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I'll go see those dudes when they come to TO just to see them berate the crowd, even if I'm on the recieving end of one of their zingers.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

I'll go see those dudes when they come to TO just to see them berate the crowd, even if I'm on the recieving end of one of their zingers.

They play in T.O all of the time, thats their turf. Check them out, they are really good.

[mw679 0]

AC/DC- My bro played "Back in Black" when he was testing his DJ equipment for a show he was doing. I heard the hi-hat hitting and then that badass riff. Totally blew me away, and I went out and bought all their CD's within a week.

 

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band- Saw them open for Van Halen in 1998 and they blew the roof off the place, especially Kenny's playing on "Voodoo Chile", this was the first time I saw an opening act get a standing O from the crowd, but they definitely deserved it.

[B. Brian Brunzell 0]

Tool I fell in love with the moment I had heard Opiate and Undertow, similarly to how I loved Slayer the second I heard Reign in Blood.

I fell in love with Tool the first time I heard "Sober" back in '93. I knew as a 13 year-old kid that they were something great, and I've been hooked ever since. Thank God for that trip to Six Flags Great America.

[Guest krazykat72]

Smashing Pumpkins- I actually got Pisces Iscariot before any other album back in '94 and (at that time) only having heard Today, Cherub Rock and Disarm (the main Siamese Singles), I was becoming a fan. After Pisces, I swooped up Siamese Dream, Gish, and then when Mellon Collie hit the following fall (October '95), they were cememnted as my favorite band.

 

-Paul Jacobi-

[1234-5678 0]

Guns N Roses: When I heard "It's So Easy" for the first time.

 

The Doors: When I heard "Five To One" for the first time.

[Guest Anticrombie]

Alice In Chains - The first year I went off to college, I encountered a case of depression. I found the music that Alice In Chains put out to be relatable to how I felt at the time (well I wasn't on drugs, but I felt like a druggie). It wasn't a situation like some kid listening to Linkin Park, and hating the world or any of that; I knew I felt like shit, and it wasn't anybody's fault. For my first year of college AIC became like a religion for me, the same deal applies to Agents of Oblivion (thank you AoO) I would listen to Phantom Green and The Hangman's Daughter almost as much as AIC.

 

"Heaven Beside You, Hell Within..."

[notJames 0]

The first time I heard "She's My Ex" by All, I knew they were a band I could get into. Learning about the mythology of the band, including their past (and incidentally, present) incarnation as the Descendents, I totally immersed myself in them. But it was when I read the lyrics to "Clean Sheets" that I realized they would ultimately be a band I'd cherish forever.

 

As for Juliana Hatfield, she just wowed me with songs like "Nirvana" and "Ugly" from her first solo album. Seeing her live (in all her coy aloofness) sealed the deal for me.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Agents is about the most depressing a thing a person can listen to repeatedly.

[DCMaximo 0]

After being a fan of dull indie bands for a year or two (Dodgy, Northern Uproar and the like), hearing "Nuclear Holiday" by 3 Colours Red was a total wake-up call, even though I now realise it was in no way, shape or form original. Since "..Holiday" was so awesome, I bought the debut album "Pure" straight away on it's release. Indeed, if it wasn't for 3CR, I may never have started listening to heavier music, as I only bought my first copy of Metal Hammer due to an unreleased 3CR song on a free cd ("Halfway Up The Downs", ironically their worst song). Their split in 1999 gutted me, but their reformation and comeback dates/album has rocked my world this year.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

The first time I heard "She's My Ex" by All, I knew they were a band I could get into. Learning about the mythology of the band, including their past (and incidentally, present) incarnation as the Descendents, I totally immersed myself in them. But it was when I read the lyrics to "Clean Sheets" that I realized they would ultimately be a band I'd cherish forever.

 

As for Juliana Hatfield, she just wowed me with songs like "Nirvana" and "Ugly" from her first solo album. Seeing her live (in all her coy aloofness) sealed the deal for me.

I've never in my life ever heard anyone claims that All was their favourite band, let alone Juiliana Hatfield. Regardless, both are credible choices. I like them both.

[Steviekick 0]

The first time I ever heard the Ramones I knew they would be my favorite band of all time because:

 

• It had this simple sound that made me feel like I could play/write this music myself.

• An edgy, rough sound that sharply contrasted it's poppy nature.

• Lyrics that I could identify with, but not necessarily sappy.

• A wicked sense of humor.