You Decide: Living Colour vs. Tesla vs. UFO

I think Living Colour fits the Rocklahoma schedule much better than UFO. Moreover, I think Tesla can blow both bands away.

I suppose I'll be able to judge for myself when I see all three bands at Rocklahoma. While it's not clear, I'll go ahead and assume all three bands are playing on Sunday, July 13th. I thought it would be fun to pit them against each other here on Bring Back Glam!

The rules? Show a live performance from each band. Then you decide which band is better. Not which band has more "hits" or more famous members. Just which band performs better live.

Here's Living Colour performing their very famous song "Cult of Personality" around 1989.

Here's Tesla performing "Signs" in 2006.

Finally, UFO performing "Rock Bottom" in 1995. *Note: you will not see Michael Schenker at Rocklahoma lest there be any confusion!

So, what is your ranking? Who comes out on top - and why?

Comments

[Joe]

Tesla hands down...Tesla are so underrated too..AWESOME live band..super cool guys too.

[Rob Rockitt]

Tesla! No question about it.

[Billie]

Tesla! I saw them live (in Sacramento - I believe)when they were are top. Really tight band.
Then a few years back I met Frank Hannon in a local bar where he played with his band Kaleidoscope. He;s such a down to earth normal guy, as is his drummer Robbie Furiosi. Frank is an awesome guitar player too!
So, yes....the answer is TESLA!!

[Rhodeislandrock, Heavy Metal Addiction]

UFO

I'll bet that many people won't know many UFO songs. Not anyone's fault, UFO wasn't big in the U.S. during the MTV '80s. UFO is one of my favorite bands so I'm biased but they are great live with a deep catalog. With or without Schenker, they are really great.

Tesla is a close second. Nothing wrong with them playing Rocklahoma, it makes sense. Tesla has always put out solid records but I have issue with 'Signs'. I am so sick of hearing that song and I am so sick of everyone thinking its a Tesla song when the Five Man Electrical Band released it in 1970. OK, rant over.

Living Colour.....not interested. Didn't dig them back in the day and I still don't now. Its a payday though and they will get some exposure.

Steve
Heavy Metal Addiction
http://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/

[Pat]

Given that 'Strangers in the Night', in my opinion, ranks amongst the top 3 or 4 live albums of all time I'll have to plump with them. I had planned to catch them last summer at Chepstow Castle (incidentally, they were on a bill with Thunder - another great live band), but my dire student finances put pay to that idea.

However, I will admit to knowing very little of Living Colour beyond "Cult of Personality"..

[Pat]

Er.. Apparently I neglected to mention 'UFO' in my comment. That was who the first paragraph was supposed to be about. :P

[Kenny Ozz]

Tesla, at one time, would of been the easy choice. But did anyone see them on the benefit show for the Station fire in Rhode Island? Wow... They were HORRIBLE!!! Jeff Keith's voice is completely shot, the band looked lazy andbored, and Tesla just isnt Tesla without Tommy. I'll take Living Colour.

[Xandra73]

Jeff was ILL on that day. I saw them last November and his voice was fine. Excellent concert, btw.

I think UFO and Tesla are quite close, hard to decide from just watching the clips.

Living Colour can be good, it depends on their setlist. I checked out a couple of their videos on YouTube and they seem to have a lot of non hard rock stuff.

[aXe mAn]

TESLA!!! Not a big Living Colour fan, but UFO is pretty good.

[Jason R]

Tesla - just - over UFO who are back at their best and adding Vinnie Moore on guitar has really revitalized them. But Tesla live never disappoint :)

[Vicky]

TESLA!!!! Love them. Always have. I love Jeff's voice.

[tommydahl]

TESLA ONE OF THE BEST BANDS EVER so let it be written so let it be done

[lepfan]

Ummm.. ok, it's about stage performance from what I gather. This is where it hurts to be honest... From what I see (and hear) I'll actually have to say Living Colour first, and I was going to say UFO second, but then Vinnie Moore did his solo, so I'll have to say Tesla second, and UFO third. Tesla is second because there's really NO action. I don't go for stage acts that are performed on a barstool. Maybe a comedy show, but a band.....?? No.

[missy]

Tesla, totally. Why? They're my favorite band, and have been since I was 12 (uh...20 years now...I'm old). At 13, 'Great Radio' convince me that staying on this earth might be a good idea. I kinda owe my life to them...don't wanna be jinx'd! :)

[red6ixx]

was never a fan of UFO - i remember liking 1 track from living colour but again they werent my kind of thing - Now Tesla on the other hand - i did think they were a great band .

[Don]

tesla all the way. you'll have to let me know who was better because after saying that the last 3 bands would be the biggest of the era rocklahoma then announced living colour and ufo, 2 bands that were so incredably far from being the biggest, that i have decided to walk away from it this year. there are not enough bands that i am interested in on 1 day let alone 3 so after many broken promises i have decided to vote with my feet and i won't be there. if there is a rocklahoma 09 perhaps they will have learned their lesson about fulfilling promises and not screwing over the ticketeholders just to make a buck.

[Valentine]

Having been managed by the guy that discovered Tesla as "City Kid" in Sacramento, I'm was privy to some good stories... Like Jeff Keith stepping down from driving a dump truck to audition for the band and blowing them away... Anyway, you couldn't meet a nicer more down to earth bunch of guys... Jeff's a little redneck-y, but whatever... With Tommy gone, however, they don't retain any of their edge anymore. Jeff's vocals can be iffy sometimes but show me any singer his age that's still doing it who's perfect every night... They were definately the shit back in the day - and a nice diversion from lots of hair spray and making sure your clothes looked perfect. They just strapped on, smoked up and rocked.

Living Color: They were great live back in the day, but Vernon Reid did too much acid and became a "spokesman" for Blacks in Metal and lost some cred. Corey Glover has a great voice but his recent stint as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar just made him look pissed off.. ZERO stage presence in a role that is all about stage presence and connecting with the audiance... So, just for that... thumbs down.

UFO: Now these guys didn't write the whole book but they certainly phoned in some chapters. Way awesome back in the late 70's and early 80's and they have some simply great songs. If they were all original and all 20-30 years old again they could blow anybody off the stage... but unfortunately, they're not even close.

I'd say on a good night Tesla headlining, UFO support, and Living Color playing a quick, 20 minute set.

[Rob Rockitt]

Kenny,
Don't judge Jeff Keith's voice on that VH1 performance. He was ill for most of the dates on the last tour (including Cincinnati). He did sound pretty bad on the VH1 show, he sounded a little better in Cincy, but he was obviously sick. He was coughing throughout the local Tesla show.

I saw them back in September 07 and they were amazing.

[Tommy]

I used to have Living Colour's Vivid, but the only song that is memorable is "Cult of Personality". I kinda remember "Glamour Boys", but the song isn't something to write home about. I have not listen to Tesla since junion high or my freshman year of high school, but I did like listening to them I just did not care to listen to the guy saying that Telsa was the greatest band in the world.

[Chris Fish]

Tesla!!! all the way, beats those otheR 1 hit wonders