All time best music concerts in Australia

Performing live gives the music an aura of mystery and seriousness. The joy it brings us may sometimes remain in our hearts for years after the event has passed, and this is why it is so powerful.

A great show is much more than just the music selection or the quality of the performers. It is the people we're with, where we're at in life, the anticipation we have in the days and weeks leading up to it, or even just the atmosphere.

The events of the last several years have shown the significance of live music to our well-being. We want to make a big deal out of it because of this.

Listed here are fifty shows that you missed but really should have seen. These are the shows that we keep thinking about and talking about with our closest friends. Those concerts had a profound effect on our growth as listeners and, in some cases, as people.

You won't find the top 50 concerts of all time on this list. It would be quite difficult to compile such a directory. These are the accounts that have been sent in by musicians, photographers, reporters, Double J listeners, and members of the Double J team.

You'll hold your own shows that you'll feel as if we missed out on seeing. Our curiosity has been piqued by their introduction.

This is an open love letter to the performing arts. Remembering those times—the late nights, lazy afternoons, and early mornings—when it seemed like the whole world disappeared and nothing else mattered.

Those sets left us with an experience that can only be had at that particular event, but which we will strive for at every concert from now on.

Australia's Sidney Myer Music Bowl features Amyl & the Sniffers

Seeing Amyl and the Sniffers play live is one of the nicest things you can do for yourself. A Melbourne band gave us a taste of life-affirming music in this beautiful amphitheater as part of an event commemorating the end of COVID lockdowns in October 2021. After such a long time without hearing live music, the concert seemed like a redemption for both the artists and the audience.

Amy Taylor seemed like she was having a blast as she pranced about the stage in a bikini, tall boots, and a blue satin sports bra. In all likelihood, she was having a wonderful time. The band sounded great as we roared along with them, and I enjoyed their ferocious performance.

The Sydney Opera House ANOHNI show

The Sydney Festival-sponsored Leonard Cohen tribute concert Came So Far For Beauty had an all-star cast to begin with. Many of Cohen's contemporaries, including Nick Cave, Beth Orton, Rufus Wainwright, and Jarvis Cocker, gathered for a concert organized by Hal Wilner to play his unparalleled catalogue.

An unnamed performer in a shredded black hoodie and a long dark wig put on the most spectacular show, however.

I could make out some of the audience members laughing and muttering as she made her way across the stage. Next, ANOHNI, who had been posing as Antony so far, opened her mouth and started singing. The collective gasp from the whole Opera House has stayed with me all these years. There was complete silence once she stopped. And as we fought for air, the loud roar of a standing ovation. It was a sight to see.

This year's Big Day Out on the Gold Coast will include a performance by the Beastie Boys

One of the best parts of the show was the unexpected musical interlude that occurred halfway through. Ad Rock, MCA, and Mike D began out with a lot of energy, bouncing around the platform, fast switching between each other's lines, and setting the crowd on fire with the classics. Then they made a 180-degree turn in strategy.

They changed out of their sweatpants and into 1970s disco clothing, and picked up guitars to play lounge-funk on a circular stage. It caught me off guard, and I thought it was awesome. The crowd had no idea what to make of the event after its rocky start.

Bjork performed at the Big Day Out event in Melbourne

The thrill of finally getting to meet one of my idols is something I'll always remember. The sunshine streaming onto the stage made everyone, performers and spectators alike, feel giddy. We sat in the first row with some friends.

The horn section came up onstage wearing brightly coloured ensembles. For want of a better word, let's just say that it was fantastic. The crowd went absolutely berserk when Bjork took the stage after that. I just couldn't fathom it. I remember getting shivers all over when I finally met someone I had looked up to for so long.

She was wearing an exquisite gold outfit with crimson feathers wrapped around her arms, and she was singing all of her standards. For me, her most impressive performances were during "Hyperballad" and "Hunter."

To whoever it may concern: Sarah Blasko Taking the stage at Sydney's State Theater

It's a treat and a privilege to be able to watch some of our favorite musicians perform live again. It's the energy that keeps us going through the boring parts of life. In 2009, when Sarah Blasko and her stellar band performed their whole album, As Day Follows Night, live, it felt like a big burden had been lifted off my shoulders. Perhaps it was the depth of emotion that went into recording the album, or maybe it's just been that way for the last several years.

Anyone who doubts her ability has clearly never seen one of her shows. She may win you over with her efforts at self-deprecation, but tonight, it was her fierce pride that shone through.