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THE GREATEST FRONTMAN OF ALL TIME
Gareth Hughes and the Rock Midgets team take an in-depth look at ten of the greatest men to ever grace the live stage, as well as a few of their personal favourites too
The Top Ten |
Our personal favourites |
...And finally, five we didn't include |
Click HERE for PART TWO, where we ask your favourite bands who they think should have made the list
Click HERE to enter our competition to win copies of the new FREDDIE MERCURY anniversary releases
Top Ten:
1. Freddie Mercury (Queen, 1973-1991)
Although Queen's critical reception wasn't always as extensive as their great commercial success (they have more aggregate weeks spent on the charts than The Beatles), their live shows were always extraordinary and that was mostly down to Freddie Mercury. As captured on the various live releases particularly the magnificent Wembley 1986 Freddie's high-camp, huge range and ability to make the entire audience feel like an old friend never left him, even on their final tour.
By the late eighties, Freddie was too ill to perform live due to AIDs, the illness which would later contribute to his passing. However, the band's music videos of which nine were recorded despite Freddie being unwell show that he was still able to summon the sheer courage to be as energetic and charismatic as he always was in videos such as 'Breakthru' and in particular, 'I'm Going Slightly Mad.' Not only that, but his vocal performances on his final album with the band, 1991's Innuendo had more passion and power than many vocalists can ever summon throughout their whole career.
Finest Moment: 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' the sheer epitome of his range, his camp and his musicianship.
2. Sir Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones, 1962-present)
Why?: Publicised in the sixties as the dangerous alternative to the Beatles, Jagger's camp showed through even in the Stones' early days. His bizarre, writhing, mincing stage moves remain with him to this day just check out last year's Rain Falls Down video along with his ability to shock. His misplaced s-word at this year's Superbowl half-time show was an amusing reminder of their heyday as the bad boys of pop music.
Finest Moment: 1969's live album Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out featured stage banter that was just the epitome of Jagger's camp "You wouldn't want me trousers to fall down, would ya?"
3. John Lydon (Sex Pistols, 1976-1978, Public Image, 1978-1992)
Why?: The Sex Pistols lasted for barely two years, and even now they may well be better known for the publicity scandals than for the music they made. But when he was onstage with the Pistols, John Lydon (or Johnny Rotten as he was known at that point) oozed charisma, political bile and a wilfully dangerous edge which he put into lyrics like the immortal non-rhyming couplet that opens 'Anarchy In The UK' "I am an antichrist/I am an anarchist". Not only did the Pistols fall apart without his magnetic personality at their head, he also went on to front Public Image Limited as a towering, politicking personality as well as effortlessly lending his magnetic presence to later projects such as Leftfield Lydon. Even now, his credibility is at such a height that he can get away with appearing on I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!
Finest Moment: 1996, the Filthy Lucre tour; Lydon wilfully sent up his old self "of course we're doing it for the money!" while still turning in snarling performances like the Johnny Rotten of old.
4. Joe Strummer (The Clash, 1976-1985, Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros -2004) (Photo by Josh Clouse)
Why?: Strummer always seemed like the more solemn, thoughtful alternative to Lydon's sneering cartoon villain. Although Mick Jones was arguably the better musician, the better singer, and made equal contribution to the fantastic music The Clash made, it was Joe Strummer who was the true icon, be it screaming for a 'White Riot' or spellbinding us with tales of the coming apocalypse in 'London Calling.' His love of reggae and ska music was what helped pull the Clash away from the dead-end genre that was punk, and turn it into something new and astonishing on their masterpiece, London Calling. From then on the band had no boundaries, even dabbling with polished eighties production on 1985's Jones-less Cut The Crap. However, what makes Strummer a truly great frontman is that his onstage persona, the rabid, deifiant punk preacher, hides the warm, kind individual he was backstage, and it is this that he is truly remembered for.
Finest Moment: The era-defining London CallingΈ on which Strummer refused to be constrained by what punk was supposed to be and introduced pop, reggae (and anything else he fancied turning his hand to) into the punk consciousness.
5. Ian Curtis (Joy Division/Warsaw, 1976-1980)
Why?: Ian Curtis was never the obvious frontman, but onstage he became a man possessed. With his wracked voice booming across the scratchy soundscapes of the band behind him, his spasmodic dancing became one of the strangest, yet most enduring images in rock music. After obsessively studying David Bowie-written Mott The Hoople single 'All The Young Dudes' ("Jimmy rapped all night about his suicide/how he'd kick in his head before he was 25"), he took his own life at 23, leaving his music and vocals - to be ripped off by the likes of Interpol, Editors and British Sea Power even now, but his brutal introspection has never been bettered by anyone.
Finest Moment: The Closer album as a whole, a posthumously released reminder of what we were all going to miss.
6. Bob Marley (The Wailers, 1963-1983) (Photo by Dennis Morris)
Why?: Reggae music was never the most noble or global of genres, until Bob Marley, probably one of the limited number of reggae musicians that could be justifiably called a genius, from the late sixties up until the day he died. Not only was he the most recognisable face of his chosen genre although he was not limited to that, dabbling in, as one of many examples, folk on arguably his finest compositions, 'Redemption Song' but he was an international figurehead of standing upright and fighting for what you believed in, to the extent of actually posing a political threat worth an assassination attempt. Even now, two decades since he died, he remains an icon for fighting against oppression and his likeness is still spray painted on walls in random locations.
Finest Moment: Any live footage in existence of the twirling mass of dreadlocks he became onstage.
7. Frank Black (Pixies, 1987-1993) (Photo by Dennis Kleiman)
Why?: Frank Black is not what he seems. If you were to walk past him in the street in 1987, you'd see a portly, conservative-looking man, nothing out of the ordinary. You'd probably assume the same when he walked onstage with the Pixies. But once he unleashed that unholy scream of his, you'd vow never to make assumptions about people again. With a guttural roar that seemed to come from somewhere deep and dark inside of him, he essentially invented Kurt Cobain's pained howl. Rarely moving a muscle onstage aside from his penchant for occasionally swinging an acoustic guitar until it broke into splinters he relied on the sheer weight of his voice and presence to blow people away; and it did. He also remains remarkably prolific, releasing dozens of albums since the end of the Pixies up to the present day.
Finest Moment: The 2004 reunion tour, where a slightly more portly Black effortlessly proved that he was still in possession of that roar.
8. Nick Cave (The Birthday Party, 1978-1981, The Bad Seeds, 1981-present)
Why?: Nick Cave is in many ways the ultimate frontman; a huge, charismatic stage presence; a lyrical genius; a razor-sharp wit onstage and in interviews, and that trademark baritone that sounds like it could knock down a house. But it's not just this that makes him a great frontman, but the way that he can swing so effortlessly between his two extreme personas in the studio and onstage: one, the fire-and-brimstone preacher man of 'Loverman' or 'Tupelo,' the other the introspective, heart-wrenching balladeer of 'Into My Arms' or 'The Ship Song.' The fact that to this day both his talent and his influence remain 2004 double album Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus was critically acclaimed, and psychotic metal band SikTh covered 'Tupelo' in 2003 is testament to the man's genius.
Finest Moment: 'Stagger Lee,' the infamous critic-bating swear fest which spurred his 1996 Murder Ballads album on to million sales and awakened the rest of the world to his existence.
9. Michael Stipe (R.E.M., 1983-present) (Photo by Greg Williams)
Why?: Twenty years ago, Michael Stipe would not seem the most likely candidate for this list. On R.E.M.'s debut album, the aptly titled Murmur, Stipe's lyrics were all but inaudible, and would remain so for several more years. A nervous character onstage, he hid behind his microphone stand and flowing brown locks. However, come 1987's Document album, R.E.M. turned their career around, mostly due to Stipe. Suddenly, the hair was cut short, the words were clear as a bell, and he became the most charismatic frontman of the alternative scene, remaining so to this day.
Finest Moment: Live 8. Stipe, complete with 'theatrical' streak of electric-blue makeup, almost stole the show leading hundreds of thousands in singing the still-showstopping 'Everybody Hurts.'
10. Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, 1995-present) (Photo by Hamish Brown)
Why?: First making it big as the drummer for Nirvana, after Kurt Cobain's suicide, few could have predicted that drummer Grohl would end up fronting one of the biggest rock bands in the world. The ever-affable Dave Grohl is a man of multiple-pie-fingering, getting behind the kit for countless bands including Queens of the Stoneage and his own Probot project, but it's as a frontman that Grohl really shines. His band may be patchy on record, but when talking to a field full of people like an old friend, he injects some much-needed lovability and humour into the a rock show.
Finest Moment: The Low video. Could anyone else really have got away with fronting a huge hard-rock band by day... and dancing in a blonde wig and tutu by night?
Our personal favourites:
Why?: While Jeff Tweedy has gone down in alt-country history after fronting Uncle Tupelo, one of the biggest bands of that scene, it's with Wilco that he really shined. Come 1996's sprawling, idea-packed double album Being There, Tweedy evolved into a chameleonic frontman and songwriter, from the noisy amphetamine ballad of Misunderstood to the slow-burning majesty of Sunken Treasure. It was also on this album that he first found his angelic yet wracked higher register, the voice which could drag a poor Wilco song out of the gutter, and make the better songs into classics, even when intoning lines like "Disposable Dixie cup drinker". His tyrannical eclecticism a wannabe Brian Wilson on 1999's Summerteeth, an icy prog-rocker on 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, creating country-metal on 2004's A Ghost Is Born is even evident on 2005's Kicking Television live album, where he takes on the form of a soul crooner for their cover of 'Comment.' Finest Moment: 'At Least That's What You Said,' a song that's a minute and a half of introspection, and then three and a half minutes of guitar soloing, in true control-freak frontman style.
Ian MacKaye (Teen Idles 1979-1980, Minor Threat 1980-1983, Embrace 1985-1986, Egg Hunt 1986, Fugazi 1987present, The Evens 2001-present)
Why?: Few, if any frontmen have come close to matching Ian MacKaye in terms of both his recorded output but also by way of his DIY ethics. A creator of countless era defining albums, most notably with Minor Threat and Fugazi, co-founder of a world-renowned independent label Dischord Records through which he's helped document the last 25 years of the highly political Washington DC punk scene. Unlike many a figurehead from the past, MacKaye has refused to become irrelevant. For better or for worse, he's credited as being the prime instigator of the straight edge lifestyle, while his band Fugazi followed a simple, and yet inspiring set of ideals that have set them apart from their contemporaries. No videos, no merchandise, ticket and record prices kept to a bare minimum, no corporate events / venues, countless shows for charities and a steadfast refusal to co-operate with the mainstream press.
A true pioneer.
Finest Moment: Recently taking on the giant Nike company after their ungainly attempts at misappropriating his image in their transparent bid to score points within the "alternative scene". (Dan Jones)
Thom Yorke (Radiohead 1991-present, Solo Artist 2006-present) (Photo by Rankin)
Why?: Despite his reluctance to be regarded as a figurehead, Radiohead's frontman has become the poster boy for alternative music, as well as an outspoken political voice. More importantly he's done it on his own terms. When the record company asked for another The Bends, Radiohead produced OK Computer. When they asked for another OK Computer, they produced Kid A AND refused to do any promotional videos. AND insisted on touring in Roman ruins and huge tents. Yorke's recent solo output has shown no less distaste for compromise. While Radiohead is a collaborative effort, Yorke remains the undeniable focus of the band, a role he seems to be slowly settling into ever since the Autumn 2000 tour, when his legendary 'Idioteque' dance first appeared. Electric performer, charity campaigner, committed street protestor; he presciently sang the head of state would call for him by name, but as yet Yorke has refused the invitation.
Finest Moment: The well-documented 1997 Glastonbury Festival appearance, where despite a myriad of technical problems during the set, Yorke is still affable when he asks for the lights to be turned on; greeting 80,000 screaming fans with a typically understated "hullo". More recently was his haunting solo appearance at the Mercury Music Prize ceremony and THAT stare at the audience. (Ruth Midget)
Daryl Palumbo (XbustedX, Glassjaw 1994-present, Head Automatica 2004-present, House of Blow 2006)
Why? The live performances of Daryl Palumbo, are something of legend, not just for his famously impassioned performance but because even if you manage to bag a ticket to one of these shows, due to Daryl's ongoing battle with Crohn's disease, it's touch and go as to whether it will happen all. Previously a member of Long Island band XbustedX, Daryl first reached infamous status as the frontman of Glassjaw, in which the music was more experimental and groundbreaking, but a very strong straight edge ethos remained. Like the Madonna of the rock world Daryl seems able to seamlessly and successfully re-invent himself, most famously on electro-rock band Head Automatica. With a dry wit and adorable willingness to satirise himself, he shakes off stereotypes about straight edge, music genres and people with long term illnesses. As he states on 'Hotel of the White Locust' by Glassjaw "Who the f**k could ever take the place of me?"
Finest Moment: Deliberately sending himself up with lyrics such as: "I'm drinking heavily to slur my stroll and get some rhythm" on 'Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Straight Edge' (Head Automatica), the title itself a play on the name of Glassjaw's first album. (Laura Havlin)
And finally, five we didn't include.
Bob Dylan (1962-present, the Travelling Wilburys 1988-1991) One of the 'Big Three' names in music (along with Elvis and The Beatles), Dylan is undoubtedly an icon, a brilliant songwriter, and a terrible vocalist. However, his reluctance to truly become a real frontman is demonstrated at various points of his career, such as in recent Scorsese biopic No Direction Home where he testily asks his fans why they would need his autograph. The greatest example of his annoyance at becoming so popular is the double album Self Portrait. Legend has it, he wrote the worst album he possibly could and issued it specifically so that people would stop calling him a genius.
Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day, 1991-present) (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest) In 1994, when Green Day broke into the mainstream with their landmark Dookie album, Billie Joe Armstrong took Kurt Cobain's place as the alternative kids' poster-boy. A gurning, snotty, bratty frontman, he was also one able to deal with vast crowds easily, as he did at 1994's Woodstock II festival. However, since the release of their career-reviving American Idiot album, Armstrong has dissolved into self parody. Their live show, having become a well-rehearsed pop performance rather than a punk-rock gig over the last 18 months, has sucked any spontaneity or charm out of Armstrong's live persona, leaving him to shout inanely between (and during) songs, a depressing caricature of his former self.
Liam Gallagher (Oasis, 1993-present) (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest) - Where did it all go wrong? Our Kid, as no-one apart from The Sun (and Noel! GH) actually called him, had something. The swagger, the monobrow, the iconic onstage stance. And to a degree, he still has it. But that's the problem; his refusal to evolve or change in any way since 1994 has turned him and his band into a living parody of their former selves. In interviews, he still swipes at everyone he can think of in a vague attempt to create controversy, but having used up all his truly shocking material in the mid-90's, all that's left are bitter, expletive-laden ramblings that are frankly pathetic and now go largely unnoticed. He still believes he's God, but most of his followers stopped listening a long time ago. (Heather Crumley)
Bono (U2, 1980-present) In the early eighties, U2 had the market cornered on earnest anthems. Bono's power as a frontman, even in his youth, was proved at Live Aid when this Irish band showed that they were surely destined to play massive stadiums like Wembley in their own right. However, at the dawn of the nineties, after his fantastic character turn as The Fly on the PopMart tours, everything went wrong. Becoming less a rock singer and more an irritating politician, the modern day Bono shamelessly schmoozes all comers be they musical or political (or in the case of Bob Geldof, both), while simultaneously remaining so incredibly arrogant and wrapped up in himself that he forgot his wedding anniversary, necessitating the terrible video for 'The Sweetest Thing' (I think if any bloke decided to hire circus elephants in order to prove to me how sorry he was, I think I'd forgive him - Ed.)
Till Lindemann (Rammstein) - Until very recently, Mainland European metal rarely succeeded in cracking into wider public consciousness. Rammstein steadfastly remained an exception to this. Despite singing in his native German, Lindemann's resonant lumberjack tones remain one of the most recognisable voices on the dancefloors of rock clubs around the world. Rammstein's live shows are no less legendary thanks to Lindemann's skills in pyrotechnics and fire-breathing - oh, and a tendency to simulate buggery on the band's unfortunate keyboardist. And they say Germans don't have a sense of humour. Sadly, the only reason for his absence from the main list is that I was outvoted.
(Ruth Midget)
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Click HERE for PART TWO, where we ask your favourite bands who they think should have made the list
Click HERE to enter our competition to win copies of the new FREDDIE MERCURY anniversary releases
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