20. LCD Soundsystem
The Magical X-Factor Craftsmanship. Though they disbanded in 2011, for a decade James Murphy and friends were a stalwart of the live music scene. Their crisp live sound was tight and meticulously arranged yet retained such a loose open nature that their performances often sounded like improvised remixes of their back catalogue. This they achieved through two means. First of all, James Murphy was a charismatic gentleman of a singer who could veer effortlessly from ironic detachment to something a lot more heartfelt often in the same song. Second of all, they used to abide by a
strict set of rules that took all aspects of the live experience into consideration. It's this untold respect for both their audience and their craft that I believe identifies them as one of the finest live acts of the 21st Century.
19. Gorillaz
The Magical X-Factor Hero worship. Gorillaz albums are sprawling technicolour epics created by Damon Albarn and a range of collaborators. The personnel list for each album reads like a too-good-to-be-true ensemble cast of the greatest minds from a diverse range of genres. And, against all odds, Gorillaz somehow managed to take pretty much
every single one of these legends on tour. Case in point, the Plastic Beach tour featured a backing band comprised of Mick Jones and Paul Simonon of The Clash and Simon Tong of The Verve. Live, they were joined variously by Bobby Womack; De La Soul; Snoop Dogg; Mos Def; Mark E Smith;
Lou Reed; Gruff Rhys; Bootie Brown; Yukimi Nagano; Shaun Ryder and The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble all playing to a backdrop of bespoke illustrations by Jamie Hewlitt. Basically, had a bomb gone off during any given Gorillaz performance, the entire musical landscape would instantly have become a much poorer place.