And the award for the happiest band goes to...

As you've probably guessed by now, I love concerts. There's something about a band or DJ hanging it all out there for the audience. By baring their souls to the listener, the band gives the concert goer the rare opportunity to share a deeply personal connection, a 'moment' so to speak, with them, inspite of being surrounded by a sea of humanity. Concerts also allow bands to present a version of the song not constrained by radio edit requirements, so in effect listening to songs you know and love in a concert is like being reacquainted with a long lost friend who has changed just a little - sometimes for the better, sometimes not.

I've been to quite a few memorable concerts this year, which got me thinking - which ones did I enjoy the most and why? If I love all these bands shouldn't enjoy their concerts equally? So here's my list of great live bands that I have seen, and why you should see should the opportunity ever present itself.

The most intense concert - Soulfly. Hands down, no questions asked. They played a one hour set with no breaks at all. The audience was in a frenzy by the end of the hour. Moosh is not a heavy metal fan, yet she rates the Soulfly concert to be the best one she's ever been to.

The loudest concert - Slayer. I have never seen that many Marshall amps stacked together in my whole life. They music hit so hard, it physically drained you by the time the 90 minute set was over. Add to the fact that Slayer is just a great live band, and you have all the ingredients to be overwhelmed.

The most gifted band - Dream Theater. Dream Theater are musicians beyond compare. Every time I see them, I am simply blown away by their technical ability. Most technical bands aren't usually great concert bands, but Dream Theater takes technical ability to a whole new level and reels in the audience because of their sheer skill.

The happiest band - Tesla. This is an odd category. I've been listening to Tesla for a long time but only recently got a chance to see them live on their reunion tour. Tesla has to be the happiest band on the planet - genuine smiles and warmth just radiated out of these guys. Imagine going to a concert and coming back feeling elated!