Before They Were Famous - Bands Playing Live In Their Early Days

It comes as some relief to anyone that’s ever slogged away in a mediocre group to know that all bands start somewhere. No-one, however talented or revered, springs up fully-formed and polished. They may display rare talent from early on but they always take a few misguided and haphazard baby steps before learning to walk.

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Radiohead are the latest band to see a spotlight shone on their early days. In 1986 they were known as On A Friday and while the two tracks aren’t that bad (there’s a definite line drawing of the Radiohead blueprint there, and I quite like the addition of some demented Roxy Music saxophone from erstwhile member Raz Peterson), they’d be unlikely to get an airing at Glastonbury in their current state.

It reminded us of this clip of Muse, playing “five songs they wrote themselves” in 1994. The band run through a selection of so-so post-grunge tracks that at least gets two people dancing. Loving Matt's V from … Vendetta haircut.

Here's a few more for your delectation, starting with Blur: The Baggy Jumper Years (when they were known as Seymour), courtesy of @cliqueclub:

Meanwhile, AstroLV offered this clip from MGMT: The Aceeeeed Years.

How about some vintage Rage Against The Machine, whose first gig sees them playing relatively tightly even if Zack seems scared to start singing, from @HENKsTim?

Here’s Lady Gaga, back when she was Stefani Germanotta, and didn’t wear cowpats on her head. In fact, she’s clad in the kind of outfit the hapless men on Don’t Tell The Bride buy for the bridesmaids with their last £17.50, and keeping the focus on her piano and Xtina-esque vocal gymnastics.

From the childhood vaults, Grizzly Bear singer Daniel Rossen does Elvis (see also Matt Bellamy on Luke's blog on a similar topic).

And let's not forget Billie Joe, aged 13 and 3/4, doing a Christmas medley that'd make Granmama proud. [via Jorge Liloy]

Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard covers The Sex Pistols...

...And finally, just for shits and giggles, Bethany from Best Coast does the conga with a poodle for a pizza commercial.

Have you got any more?

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