-Shane in Q Magazine (March 30, 2010)

[James]

1) Liam Gallagher - He's not my definition of a frontman. His brother's a better singer. In fact, I'm a better singer. To take the cliche'd view, the first two Oasis albums were great and the last two were very good, but there's a lot of chaff to work through in between.

2) Bono - He's good at what he does, but he's hardly the second best of all time. He isn't, for example, 18 times better than James Brown.

3) Freddie Mercury - I don't personally like his music, but he was undeniably a great frontman.

4) Damon Albarn - If it were songwriting, yes, he's better than average. But onstage, he just plays about and might deign to jumping up and down on Song 2.

5) Chris Martin - Fuck off.

6) Matt Bellamy - I've no interest in Muse's music, but everyone tells me that they put on a great live show.

7) Jim Morrison - Very good.

8 ) Bob Marley - Great.

9) Paul McCartney - I like him.

10) John Lennon - I like him more.

11) Robbie Williams - What band does he front? Again, he's good at what he does but I've got very little interest in him.

12) Debbie Harry - Fair play, she had charisma coming off her like spunk in a whorehouse.

13) Mick Jagger - Urgh.

14) Morrissey - I like the Smiths, but I don't like Morrissey's lyrics, vocals, demeanour, behaviour or attitudes. The only time I've seen him onstage (and not, you know, queering about on a bicycle) is in the Panic video and it's just ridiculous white-boy jive. Thinking about it, he was sort of fronting in the Irish Blood, English Heart (top tune) video, and that understated bit worked a lot better for him. When he cultivated a more thug image, that I could get behind.

15) John Lydon - Good stuff before 1981.

16) James Brown - The best on this list.

17) Bruce Springsteen - I run hot and cold on his music, but live he's astonishing, especially at sixty.

18) Robert Plant - Fuck off Zeppelin.

19) Tom Meighan - I know if this list had been taken a few years previously Ricky Wilson from the Kaiser Chiefs would have been on here. It just shows that the public in general haven't got the memory or imaginaton to make these kinds of decisions. I like Kasabian a lot, by the way.

20) Joe Strummer - Gives James Brown a run for his money.

No Paul Weller? Buddy Holly? Elvis? Wilson Pickett? Eric Burdon? Otis Redding? Aretha? Hendrix in the top 20?

[James]

Iggy Pop! This is a nation that thinks Robbie Williams puts on a better show than Iggy.

Re-reading my post there, it may seem that I'm dead against effeminacy in male singers. That I want them in the mould of Henry Rollins or nothing at all (Henry Rollins! Where was he compared to Chris Martin?).

If you've got the charisma to pull it off, then it can be a lot more interesting. Bowie, Marc Almond, Brian Molko, Robert Smith (in the eighties. That eyeliner and tight trouser stuff is a young man's game. Noel Fielding needs to get out of it soon, too) are all great at what they do.

[KathleenwithaK]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQzFK8dd_b8

[MissWalshy]

Suck up ha, I'm kidding...

[firehazard]

Where's Cave on that list? Cave fronting the Bad Seeds is totally stunning on his day (or night).

And where's Patti Smith? Patti with her band is still quite possibly the best I've ever seen.
I keep going on about Patti currently, or so it would seem.

[Mike from Boston]

[quote="Smerker"]

12) Debbie Harry - Fair play, she had charisma coming off her like spunk in a whorehouse.

My vote for best analogy of 2010 so far!!

[James]

A good picture of Shane here

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/ind ... 75008.html