Most unexpected cover song in a live set ever

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The stuff that makes you go "what the......???"

I'd say Radiohead's 'Lucky' as performed by Saul Williams.
Or maybe Zero 7s version of 'Hot Fun in the Summertime' by Sly Stone. What's yours, y'all?

― Jay K (Jay K), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:08 (twenty years ago) link

At the time I was amazed to see P-Funk cover Sly's "If You Want Me To Stay" - totally unexpected, but not exactly out-of-bounds material for them.

Also on the Sly tip: Jane's and Ice-T covering "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey" on the first Lollapalooza tour was an unexpected stroke of genius.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:16 (twenty years ago) link

The Darkness' perfect speed metal cover of Radiohead's Street Spirit, actually.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:17 (twenty years ago) link

Robbie Fulks doing a blistering version of "Billie Jean" a couple years ago was a total/wonderful shock to me.

― Sloan Kohler, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:21 (twenty years ago) link

Cincinatti - The Roots doing the WKRP TV show theme song.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:28 (twenty years ago) link

Actually now that I think about it, The Roots also played a Steely Dan song at that same show! I can't remember which one, but the groove was sampled in a hip-hop song that was really popular back then, the title to which - surprise surprise - I can't remember. But it was like "ah they're playing this song!" and then a couple bars later, we're all like "HOLY SHIT NO THEY'RE NOT! THEY'RE PLAYING STEELY FUCKING DAN!?! UNBELIEVABLE!"

That was a great show.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:33 (twenty years ago) link

you're not thinking of "Peg" (sampled by De La for "Eye Know") are you?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:36 (twenty years ago) link

Probably "Black Cow"? (The basis of "Deja Vu".)

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:39 (twenty years ago) link

"Black Cow"! That's the one!

That De La song that sampled "Peg" is still one of my favorite hip-hop songs of all time, btw.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:45 (twenty years ago) link

Roots also played some heavy metal song one time I saw them--can't remember which one. they didn't hip-hopify it...they rocked out and shit

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:49 (twenty years ago) link

- The Sisters of Mercy doing "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd.
- Mr.Bungle (circa `91) doing "The Stroke" by Billy Squier
- Public Image Ltd. (circa Album) doing "Kashmir" by Zeppelin.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 18:01 (twenty years ago) link

The Dillinger Escape Plan playing Nine Inch Nails' "Wish," which was something like what would happen if Cannibal Ox covered "Bust a Move" but even more awesome.

I saw the Roots do the "Cheers" theme once, which was also pretty great.

― Tom Breihan (Tom Breihan), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 18:10 (twenty years ago) link

Crooked Fingers covering New Order's "Age of Consent" for during their last show.

hardly anybody reacting, except for the big guy near the stage taking pictures who screamed out "OHFUCKYEAH NEW ORDER!", which got the other guitar player to grin at me.

then again, the band has been known for their covers, so perhaps it's not so surprising. would anybody be surprised by any cover performed by Yo La Tengo, f'rinstance?

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 18:27 (twenty years ago) link

when elf power (who im not to keen about) opened for wilco, they covered eno's "needle in a camel's eye" and did a great job. come to find out it's on one of their albums, but since i didn't know that it made me happy.

― Felcher (Felcher), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 18:35 (twenty years ago) link

Love & Rockets -- "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place"

...and i once saw a bar band cover Frampton's "Do You Feel Like We Do?" ---ack!

― christoff (christoff), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 18:50 (twenty years ago) link

I saw Cop $hoot Cop do a ripping version of "Loose" by the Stooges that thoroughly rocked a new part in my hair.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 18:52 (twenty years ago) link

Crooked Fingers covering "Promised Land" by Bruce, which wasn't surprising in song choice, but surprising how much it thoroughly rocked. More than Bruce, certainly.

― ham on rye (ham on rye), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:01 (twenty years ago) link

Springsteen doing 'Street Fighting Man' early in the BITUSA tour.
Flaming Lips doing 'Suspicious Minds'
Punk band The Restraints doing 'There's A Place.'

― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:12 (twenty years ago) link

Sun City Girls doing "Alone Again Or" on the recent tour was killer.

Soundgarden doing "Earache My Eye" on the Louder Than Love.

Royal Trux doing "Lookout Joe" sometime in the early 90's.

Prince doing "Soul Sacrifice" at an after-show jam about three years ago.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:15 (twenty years ago) link

Medeski Martin and Wood doing "Crosstown Traffic" hella surprised and uber-hella-rocked me.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:18 (twenty years ago) link

Clem Snide, doing a hillbilly version of "Why Can't I Touch It?"

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:27 (twenty years ago) link

shit, i forgot about that one. i wish Clem Snide would cover Feelies tunes. It seems so appropiate.

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:29 (twenty years ago) link

Didn't Joan Baez sing "Shout" at some benefit concert or other in the mid-80s? Or was this just a horrible dream?

― Salmon Pink (Salmon Pink), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:32 (twenty years ago) link

Shudder to Think doing Journey's "Lovin', Touchin' Squeezin'" was not terribly surprising, per se, but it was just so fitting and beautiful.

― Ben Boyer, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:37 (twenty years ago) link

the rapture covered Gary Glitter's "rock and roll (part 1& 2)"

― JasonD (JasonD), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:39 (twenty years ago) link

I saw the Afghan Whigs do "If I Only had a Heart" from Wizard of Oz torch song style on the Black Love tour

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:42 (twenty years ago) link

I was fairly surprised to hear Heather Nova do "Stayin' Alive".

― Siegbran (eofor), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 19:56 (twenty years ago) link

Flowered Up did a fantastic version of "Stay With Me" a coupla times back in the days.

― darren (darren), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 20:01 (twenty years ago) link

Calla doing U2's Promenade.

― Xii (Xii), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 20:09 (twenty years ago) link

I saw the Afghan Whigs do "If I Only had a Heart" from Wizard of Oz torch song style on the Black Love tour

Well, they actually put that out as a b-side. But during the same tour the Whigs also covered "Cocksucker Blues" at one show...I was so bowled over they had to sweep me off the floor.

― j.lu (j.lu), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 20:50 (twenty years ago) link

DNA's final show apparently ended with a cover of "Whole Lotta Love." Given that I don't think they'd ever done ANY covers before, that has to qualify as especially unexpected

J0hn D. has busted out with a couple of covers I really wasn't expecting, notably Pet Shop Boys' "Red Letter Day" and Radiohead's "No Surprises."

Uncle Wiggly once did a radically mutated psych-rock version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now."

Melt-Banana now have more or less a tradition of playing some seemingly inappropriate but totally effective cover as an encore, so it's not THAT much of a surprise, but the first time I heard them do "Surfin' USA" it sent me straight up. Ditto for "My Generation," actually.

― Douglas (Douglas), Thursday, 3 July 2003 01:29 (twenty years ago) link

I saw Ladytron do Tweet's "Oops (oh my)" (kind've appropriate, they both being popular about a year ago but probably never again).

― Dan I., Thursday, 3 July 2003 02:16 (twenty years ago) link

I saw Cat Power do "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" this year (in Seattle).

― David A. (Davant), Thursday, 3 July 2003 04:26 (twenty years ago) link

Sonic Youth performing "Calling All Girls" by Half Japanese in Baltimore last year. Or 20 seconds of it, anyway

― jenn benningfield (jenn), Thursday, 3 July 2003 04:31 (twenty years ago) link

The Darkness: the only contemporary British band that Wire's Colin Newman approves of.

― Samuel Bloch, Thursday, 3 July 2003 05:22 (twenty years ago) link

Kelis doing smells like teen spirit at glastonbury 2 years ago. It was shit. Especially the bongos.

Smog doing both Sabbath's 'Paranoid' and 'Lean on me' by whoever it's by in the same chroncially drunken but magical set at All tomorrow's Parties last year.

― neil, Thursday, 3 July 2003 09:46 (twenty years ago) link

Red House Painters - White Christmas, Little Drummer Boy and Keep On Lovin You.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Thursday, 3 July 2003 10:29 (twenty years ago) link

Coil doing Cher's "Bang Bang".

― OleM (OleM), Thursday, 3 July 2003 10:52 (twenty years ago) link

Van Morrison breaking into a rendition of "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go" was a bit of a surprise.

― James Ball (James Ball), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:15 (twenty years ago) link

Goldfrapp doing Olivia's 'Physical' at the end of a fantastic set round the Felt Mountain time.
Jaws dropped.

― russ t, Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:17 (twenty years ago) link

Does it count if it's unexpected by the band themselves? I caught the tail end of a drunken Yo La Tengo show in which they were playing only (new wave) covers...ten minutes afterwards I walk past Ira outside having the following exchange with a fan.

Fan: "That was a great version of "Church of The Poison Mind."

Ira: "Uh...we played 'Church of The Poison Mind???'"

I thought this was pretty funny...

― M Specktor (M Specktor), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:24 (twenty years ago) link

Stiff Little Fingers doing I Was Born Under A Wanderin' Star

Aztec Camera doing (Van Halen's) Jump

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:24 (twenty years ago) link

Phish closing out a set in Dayton in '97 with "A Day in the Life" really caught me off guard, especially considering how fucking THICK it sounded.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:37 (twenty years ago) link

Pulp doing "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", final show of the Hardcore tour 1998

― Robert Moore (treble), Thursday, 3 July 2003 13:07 (twenty years ago) link

I've seen the Flaming Lips twice and both times they played surprising covers. First time, they opened their set with A Flock of Seagulls' "Space-Age Love Song". The next time it was Queen and Bowie's "Under Pressure".

― boldbury, Thursday, 3 July 2003 13:34 (twenty years ago) link

I saw The Mission in Columbus, Ohio in about 1987.....wherein they tossed off sloppy, casual covers of "Rain" by the Cult and "Orion" by Metallica.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 3 July 2003 14:33 (twenty years ago) link

five months pass...

Just saw Scout Niblett play versions of "Uptown Top Ranking" and "These Arms of Mine".

― Snnap Dragon (snnap dragon), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 00:13 (twenty years ago) link

I heard some play 'Freebird' once. I didn't know it was an actual song. I just thought it was something that comedians would yell when they went to see bands play.

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 00:17 (twenty years ago) link

highway to hell, american music club, 1992

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 00:19 (twenty years ago) link

I'd say Radiohead's 'Lucky' as performed by Saul Williams.

How is that surprising at all? Both are vaguely-alternative, anti-corporate guys who tour the same circuit to the same folks.

― David Allen, Tuesday, 23 December 2003 00:34 (twenty years ago) link

josh rouse cracking out the smiths and cure songs was an unexpected delight

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 02:36 (twenty years ago) link

I have live recordings of Bjork doing Petula Clark's "Downtown" and Elliott Smith covering Oasis' "Supersonic".

― tiiiiiiiiiim (tiiiiiiiiiim), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 02:44 (twenty years ago) link

I mentioned this elsewhere, but Bic Runga performing "Stop" by Royal Trux threw me for a loop.

― dlp9001, Tuesday, 23 December 2003 02:49 (twenty years ago) link

A country cover band doing "Lose Yourself" by Eminem (it segues nicely into "Mama Tried").

― Viva La Sam (thatgirl), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 02:50 (twenty years ago) link

The Buttless Chaps (or whatever they were called) broke out into a straight cover of Mr Roboto. It was brilliant.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 02:50 (twenty years ago) link

some local performer here in melbourne that i was only paying about 20% of my attention to last night cracked out the Magnetic Fields' "book of love". a really lovely version to. impressed i was.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 02:53 (twenty years ago) link

The Buttless Chaps

Ugh

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 02:53 (twenty years ago) link

It's better then the Assless Mules.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 03:10 (twenty years ago) link

the Dismemberment Plan used to go into "Back That Ass Up" during the breakdown of "Ok Jokes Over."

― Ian Johnson (orion), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 04:25 (twenty years ago) link

Redd Kross doing the theme from Good Times (Movin' On Up)

― Speedy Gonzalas (Speedy Gonzalas), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 06:56 (twenty years ago) link

R.E.M. doing "Word Up" by Cameo, Rupp Arena, Lexington, November 1989.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 23 December 2003 07:06 (twenty years ago) link

i wish my band was capable of even one third of the crazy cover ideas i've had.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 08:01 (twenty years ago) link

Death Cab for Cutie did "Here Comes the Rain Again" by the Eurythmics. Heh, my folksinger friend Eric also does "Word Up."

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 08:14 (twenty years ago) link

"You Can't Hurry Love" by Burzum.

Oh hang on. I'm still asleep.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 10:35 (twenty years ago) link

I can't believe nobody meantioned 'easy' by lionel ritchie as performed by faith no more.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:08 (twenty years ago) link

Duran Duran doing an instrumental of The Doors 'The End' while Simon got his mike fixed. Not at all bad.

― Zora (Zora), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:37 (twenty years ago) link

* "Anarchy In The UK" by Megadeth
* "Box Elder" by Wedding Present (remarkable at the time as only Slay Tracks had come out)
* whoever does the bluesy cover of "Fell In Love With A Girl" I heard in Vintage Vinyl this afternoon

Belle & Sebastian have done tons of unexpected covers live. I would've especially liked to hear their live versions of "If You Leave Me Now" (by, uh, Chicago) and "Tighten Up."

― mike a (mike a), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:43 (twenty years ago) link

Mercury Rev covering Mose Allison's [via the Who]
"Young Man Blues" in '95 and Moby's "Feeling So
Real" around the same time.
Sisters Of Mercy covering Hot Chocolate's "Emma" in, hmm,
'85?
Gang Of Four covering "Sweet Jane" in '81, right before
Solid Gold dropped.

― Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:57 (twenty years ago) link

whoever does the bluesy cover of "Fell In Love With A Girl"

Joss Stone, I assume.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 03:18 (twenty years ago) link

One night I saw Buzz*Oven and they played "Red/Green" by the Big Boys. I think I was the only non-bandmember there who realized it was a cover tune.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 14:33 (twenty years ago) link

i don't know about EVER but in the last year it would have to be cass mccombs at the monitor/ insound party at sxsw last feb. --

that bitch did a version of "sexual healing" with the oxxxes backing him up that was spot on, beautiful, spine-tinglingly great. i get blown away just thinking about it!!!

― yetimike (McGonigal), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 14:46 (twenty years ago) link

Los Straitjackets' surf instrumental version of "My Heart Will Still Go On."

― John Fredland (jfredland), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 15:51 (twenty years ago) link

Rob Crow's solo acoustic set a couple of months ago included a pretty remarkable reinterpretation of "Minor Threat."

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 17:30 (twenty years ago) link

On their "No Quarter" tour, I saw Page and Plant do "Riders On The Storm" in Atlanta...I found that VERY unexpected...I wish i could find a recording of that.

― wallace carothers' repentence, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 00:54 (twenty years ago) link

John Mayer singing "Area Codes"

― sym (shmuel), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 07:04 (twenty years ago) link

Finally, a cover that would be truly unexpected. Am I the only one who doesn't get surprised when some indie act pulls a top-40, obscuro or "wacky" cover out of their asses during a show?

― may pang (maypang), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 07:19 (twenty years ago) link

The Unicorns covered 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P" at a show with Hot Hot Heat and Metric a couple months ago, in Edmonton, AB.

― Rollie Pemberton (Rollie Pemberton), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 07:38 (twenty years ago) link

Wonderbraed song by Madhouse

― lucas (lucas), Thursday, 1 January 2004 04:50 (twenty years ago) link

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