Unexpected musical partnerships that rocked the charts
In 2014, French accordionist Richard Galliano was one of the artists to play on the crater of the Vesuvius volcano in Italy, during the Pomigliano Jazz Festival.
In 2006, singer Katie Melua performed at the bottom of the Statoil Troll A platform gas rig, off the coast of Bergen, Norway, in the North Sea.
Melua set a Guinness World Record for the deepest underwater concert in the sea at 303 m (994 ft) below sea level.
In 2014, UK metal band Unfathomable Ruination played inside a soundproof steel box in London's financial district. They played until they ran out of oxygen and then opened the door to, well, breathe. The project was created by Portuguese artist João Onofre.
In 1978, psychobilly and punk rock legends The Cramps played a show at a psychiatric hospital in Napa, California.
In 2007, the Donetsk Philharmonic Orchestra performed for about 350 people in a salt mine in the city of Soledar in eastern Ukraine.
While not a gig as such, but a performance nonetheless, in 2013 Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield played a cover of David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' at the International Space Station.
Sources: (Radio X) (Alternative Press) (NME) (Louder)
See also: Albums recorded in bizarre locations
In 2004, a number of artists, including Cyndi Lauper (pictured), played the Wall of Hope 2004 Festival in China.
In 2007, Jamiroquai performed in a Boeing 757 jet at 33,000 feet (10,058 m). The band set a new Guinness World Record, but it has been broken since.
The Hoff was in fact a huge star in Germany. His 1989 single 'Looking for Freedom' remained in the number one spot on the charts for eight weeks in a row!
David Hasselhoff performed at the Berlin Wall on New Year's Eve 1989, shortly after its fall. How epic is that?
On New Year's Eve 1999, thousands of people welcomed the turn of the century to the sound of French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre at the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
Cash went on to play few more prison gigs. Here he is playing for 800 inmates at the Cummins Prison Farm in 1969.
But prison gigs were not just something done across the pond. In 1976, the S** Pistols performed at Chelmsford Prison in England. Their performance was recorded and turned into a live album called 'Live at Chelmsford Top Security Prison,' which was released in 1990.
In 1969, Johnny Cash made history by performing and recording the first ever album in a maximum security prison—Folsom State Prison.
U2 once performed on the rooftop of Clarence Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, for the BBC show 'Top of the Pops.'
Metallica are pretty cool, but they became even cooler (both literally and figuratively) in 2013, when they played in Antarctica. Metallica earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the only band ever to play all seven continents in one year.
The Irish rockers also played a gig on top of the BBC building on Regent Street on February 27, 2009, in London.
And then in March 2019, the Red Hot Chili Peppers also played a legendary show at the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The Fab Four played for 42 minutes, before the police showed up and told them to turn it down. This was the group's final public performance.
Korn played for a handful of MTV contest winners and US soldiers, as well as for the cabin crew. The gig took place during a flight between New York and London.
Back in 2001, director Michael Moore captured a historical moment. Rage Against the Machine's gig was so epic that they managed to shut down the New York Stock Exchange.
On January 30, 1969, the Beatles performed on the rooftop of their Apple headquarters in London.
With their instruments plugged into electric amps and Jonathan Davis' vocals going through the airplane's PA system, in 2005 Korn played a show at 37,000 feet (11,277 m).
Back in 1971, Pink Floyd played four nights in the 2,000-year-old amphitheater at Pompeii, Italy, though there was no audience. Their performances were recorded and turned into a concert film and album.
The band played a full 23-song set in preparation for their upcoming shows in Mexico City.
About a month later, the Man in Black performed and recorded yet another live album, at San Quentin State Prison.
The S** Pistols also played on the River Thames in London on June 7, 1977, during their Silver Jubilee Boat Trip.
The band's vocalist, Lux Interior, told the audience: "Somebody told me you people are crazy, but I'm not so sure about that. You seem to be all right to me."
Jean-Michel Jarre and RHCP were not, however, the first ones to play at one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Artists such as Frank Sinatra and the Grateful Dead had already done so years before.
On August 1, 2024, British singer Craig David gave a surprise performance in a London laundrette in collaboration with laundry detergent brand Persil. The event was dubbed the 'Fast Wash & Rave.' He performed a brief 15-minute set featuring some of his best hits as Londoners danced in the packed-out launderette.
Music should have no boundaries, and live performances can really be special when they're held in unique places. But we're not just talking about incredible venues. Some music artists have performed live shows in really intriguing locations. Concert audiences ranged from prison inmates to psychiatric hospital patients, cabin crew, and everything in between!
Curious? Click on to discover the most bizarre places where music artists have played gigs.
Back in 2012, the Foo Fighters played a surprise gig at Rock & Roll Pizza in Woodland Hills, California.
The weirdest places music artists have played gigs
Unusual and iconic venues where artists have taken the stage
MUSIC Curiosities
Music should have no boundaries, and live performances can really be special when they're held in unique places. But we're not just talking about incredible venues. Some music artists have performed live shows in really intriguing locations. Concert audiences ranged from prison inmates to psychiatric hospital patients, cabin crew, and everything in between!
Curious? Click on to discover the most bizarre places where music artists have played gigs.