There are very few things on Earth more exciting than live music. The feeling of community between thousands of all people united under one voice for the chorus of "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Black Dog" or "Baby Got Back" is nothing short of amazing. Everyone has at least one gig that they've been to, which for one reason or another, is unforgettable. And sometimes, if you're lucky, you'll end up at one of those gigs that goes down in history. There's a certain number of performances that will live forever, like Live Aid, the first Woodstock, or Miley Cyrus acting like a total whore crossed with Toad from the X-Men. Here's a short list of famous (and infamous) performances which, for better or worse, will never be forgotten. Please note that these are ranked in no particular order.
10. Johnny Cash Performs In Prison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgja26eNeY The Man In Black was famous for his outlaw image, and chalked up numerous arrests in the 50's and 60's for everything from drug smuggling to picking flowers (seriously.) He remains the only person in U.S. history to be sued by the government for starting a forest fire, but for all his brushes with the law, he never did any serious jail time, often just one night stints. But the people who listened to "Folsom Prison Blues" either didn't know or care. He had a MASSIVE fanbase in the incarcerated people of America, which inspired him to play free concerts for the inmates of prisons up and down the country. Hey, if the fans can't come to you... His first performance was on New Years Day, 1958 in San Quentin State Prison, which annoyed his record label (and otherwise Christian audience) royally. Still, the record company eventually got theirs, as Johnny's little conjugal visits spawned three albums; Johnny Cash At Folsom, Johnny Cash At San Quentin, and a live album recorded in Osteraker Prison in Sweden. The San Quentin album featured the first recording of one of his most popular songs "A Boy Named Sue", while the Folsom performance was later immortalised in the film Walk The Line, with Mr Cash portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix. Johnny's performances to a lively bunch of rapists and murderers would inspire numerous other musicians to follow suit, including Metallica who also went to San Quentin to shoot the video for St Anger (and if you thought of a joke about St Anger being criminally bad, shame on you!).
Stephen Maher has been a rock star, a bouncer, a banker and a busker on various streets in various countries. He's hung out with Robert Plant, he was at Nelson Mandela's birthday and he's swapped stories with prostitutes and crack addicts. He once performed at a Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras by accident. These days, he passes the time by writing about music, wrestling, games and other forms of nerdery. And he rarely drinks the blood of the innocent.
