We love all live music here at Tone Deaf. Whether it’s just a busker playing in the middle of a street, a local band rocking out in some dingy pub, a major artist taking on a big concert hall or theatre, or a superstar act electrifying an arena.
However, we must say that there’s just something about a giant stage production that turns seeing a concert into an experience you’ll never forget, even if it’s exclusively the territory or hugely successful monoliths like U2 and Metallica.
We’ve decided to collect some of our favourite crazy stage setups, including productions from the likes of legendary rockers Iron Maiden and electronic duos like Daft Punk, to take a look at what happens when imagination, music, and yes, loads of cash, come together to make magic.
Amon Tobin’s ISAM Live
Amon Tobin’s now legendary ISAM Live and its sequel, ISAM Live 2.0, put the experimental producer at the forefront of stage production. This wasn’t merely about providing cool, eye-catching visuals for the audience to trip out on, Tobin was intent on bending minds and warping the senses.
Iron Maiden’s Eddie Comes To Life
Not to cheapen it or anything, but Iron Maiden’s mascot Eddie is one of the most ingenious marketing moves ever pulled by a band, gracing T-shirts, beanies, shoes, patches, and more. Over the years, the band have found some equally ingenious ways to employ the iconic cadaver in their live shows.
Tommy Lee’s Crüecifly Drum-Coaster
When you think Motley Crue, you think excess, and it doesn’t get much more excessive than Tommy Lee’s infamous Crüecifly Drum-Coaster, which is exactly what it sounds like. Think of it as your regular drum riser pushed to a cartoonishly overblown degree. It’s pretty awesome.
Roger Waters’ The Wall
The very idea behind Pink Floyd’s iconic album was to erect a wall between the band and the audience. The resulting album and stage show were groundbreaking, but it wasn’t until bassist Roger Waters began touring the album as a solo artist that technology caught up with his vision.
Daft Punk’s Alive Pyramid
If we didn’t know any better, we’d say this was fate or something. Daft Punk’s legendary Alive tour came about right as YouTube was ingraining itself into the cultural zeitgeist and HD camera phones were becoming ubiquitous. The result is some of the most insane concert footage ever recorded.
The KISS Drum Riser
KISS pretty much set the standard for crazy stage productions, inspiring just about every band that came afterwards to get wilder and more creative, turning the concert into a truly immersive, theatrical, and unforgettable experience.
