Topic: Bands that Dissapointed You Live (Read 37874 times)

gospel · « **on:** 18 Sep 2008, 10:24 »

Most bands tend to impress me live, especially those I would think would be studio-only bands (i.e. NIN). I even had the pleasure of ease dropping on Lollapalooza--which had quite the indie list. At any rate, sometimes the opposite happens. I was getting into The Walkmen lately, and by all intents and purposes their albums were good. Despite all that, I couldn't listen to them live.

At first I thought it was the small venue or the equipment, but Okkervil rocked the house. It just seemed like the new album wasn't arranged well into the rest of the set, and he didn't quite have a grasp of his own vocal range live. I wasn't the only person who walked out for a smoke break either. He really wasn't working the crowd. It was just "We are the walkmen [song] We are the walkmen, this ..[song]."

QQ

doombilly · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 11:12 »

Mogwai

rynne · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 11:26 »

Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Sigur Rós.

I’ll admit that the first time I saw GYBE!, I was thoroughly impressed. This was between the Slow Riot … EP and Lift Yr. Skinny Fists… releases. But the second time, it dawned on me that they were intensely boring to watch. I love their music, but standing around while a bunch of musicians huddle over their instruments, barely acknowledging the audience, playing one extended crescendo after another for 90 minutes was tedious to the extreme.

Likewise with Sigur Rós, during the ( ) tour. Boring, boring, boring. Their stage presence was non-existent, you couldn't really dance or move to the music, so the show became like a torturous stand. The friend I went with and I both agree, even years later, that it was a thoroughly awful show, memorable most for our intense back pain afterwards.

tigrar · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 11:52 »

Maybe they got better since you saw them because some friends of mine saw them on the Takk tour and said it was an amazing show. Then, I saw them at Bonnaroo this year; and it was possibly the best night of my life. I have heard of people being disappointed at their shows though.

TheFuriousWombat · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 11:57 »

I've seen them three times (once was an acoustic set so I don't think that really counts) and thought they put on a great show. I don't recall finding myself bored for a moment. To be fair, their music since () is much more conducive, with the exception of a few songs, to a live setting. () is not the kind of album I'd necessarily want to see played through live.

michaelicious · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 12:18 »

I've only been disappointed by bands who cancelled their show. I was supposed to see Wax Mannequin last week and was disappointed that he cancelled at the last minute. Same thing happened with Fleet Foxes over the summer.

rynne · « **Reply #6 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 12:26 »

I certainly think that I would've had a better experience with Sigur Rós if I didn't have to stand through the whole show. One of my friends saw them in Boston a day or two before at a seated venue and she had a good time. But at the same time, the band did nothing that helped the situation.

Liz · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 12:28 »

Quote from: gospel on 18 Sep 2008, 10:24

At first I thought it was the small venue or the equipment, but Okkervil rocked the house. It just seemed like the new album wasn't arranged well into the rest of the set, and he didn't quite have a grasp of his own vocal range live. I wasn't the only person who walked out for a smoke break either. He really wasn't working the crowd. It was just "We are the walkmen [song] We are the walkmen, this ..[song]."

I am guessing they just had a bad show, because I just saw them on Monday and it was spectacular. Maybe the show you saw was a fluke?

orangepeas · « **Reply #8 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 18:28 »

Sigur Ros

KvP · « **Reply #9 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 18:40 »

Man, I got tickets to Sigur Ros and I barely listen to them on record. Y'all are making me nervous.

orangepeas · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 19:00 »

I wouldn't worry about it. It's good to see them at least once.
Who am I to talk, I fell asleep during part of their concert...

Beast · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 20:11 »

Andrew Bird

imagist42 · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 21:30 »

Quote from: Misconception on 18 Sep 2008, 12:28

Quote from: gospel on 18 Sep 2008, 10:24
At first I thought it was the small venue or the equipment, but Okkervil rocked the house. It just seemed like the new album wasn't arranged well into the rest of the set, and he didn't quite have a grasp of his own vocal range live. I wasn't the only person who walked out for a smoke break either. He really wasn't working the crowd. It was just "We are the walkmen [song] We are the walkmen, this ..[song]."

I am guessing they just had a bad show, because I just saw them on Monday and it was spectacular. Maybe the show you saw was a fluke?

I am pretty sure he is talking about The Walkmen. His reference to an entirely separate Okkervil River show was for comparison (i.e., the venue is perfectly capable of hosting an awesome show). Unless The Walkmen are touring with Okkervil River and no one told me!

overtone · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 22:06 »

Andrew Bird is ONLY good live I think. His albums and songs are generally pretty ordinary... I mean, he's got his compositional niche, but there aren't enough hooks. Watching him live though, up close with a looper and that violin, is tight.

Skibas_clavicle · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 22:19 »

Quote from: doombilly on 18 Sep 2008, 11:12

Mogwai

And yah, I heard Andrew Bird is fucking fantastic live. I still really regret not going to watch his set at Coachella 2007. But I really have to disagree with him being "ordinary on record". I think his stuff, especially Armchair Apocrypha, is really pretty and lovely to listen to, and in fact quite distinct!

FireAarro · « **Reply #15 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 00:10 »

Yeah Andrew Bird is awesome live. Some of his recorded stuff is real good, but live is better.

Zingoleb · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 01:54 »

I was forced to sit through a Puddle of Mudd concert. It was awful wrapped in disgusting dipped in shit.

Lummer · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 03:38 »

Quote from: Zingoleb on 19 Sep 2008, 01:54

I was forced to sit through a Puddle of Mudd concert. It was awful wrapped in disgusting dipped in shit.

But wasn't that kinda what you expected?

valley_parade · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 03:56 »

Guys stop saying Sigur Ros is disappointing. I'm seeing them tonight. =(

Thrillho · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 04:23 »

Muse.

Sure, it's epic, sure it's a stage show.

But it was a heartless display of noise, and my ears are still ringing five years later, and I'm still bitter about it.

Green Day were hugely disappointing (in contrast to blink-182, who I expected to suck but were amazing). It wasn't a gig, it was a stage show, right down to him saying 'remember to always be an individual!'

...a line I'd seen him say on TV, at a gig from the same tour.

...and read about him saying in a Q magazine gig review.

Plus, there was too much audience participation. I love 'King For A Day,' but goddammit that song doesn't need to be eight minutes long. We came here to see YOU sing, mmm'kay?

KickThatBathProf · « **Reply #20 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 07:30 »

Quote from: doombilly on 18 Sep 2008, 11:12

Mogwai

This really disheartens me about the show that I'm driving 5 hours to see in a week

tuna ketchup x · « **Reply #21 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 07:45 »

Agree on Green Day 100%. I saw them on the Warning tour and they played maybe... 15 songs. Interspersed with "jam sessions," shoutouts to the audience, and the audience participation thing. It took like ten minutes for them to select "band members" and get them up there, so they could play for two seconds. I thought it was just because we were the last stop on the American tour so they decided to make a crap of it, but if they're like that all the time I won't bother seeing them again. But it's also been several years so maybe they grew up by now.

Daft pun · « **Reply #22 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 08:36 »

LCD Soundsystem are pretty boring on stage.

suitupletsgo · « **Reply #23 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 08:45 »

Quote from: KickThatBathProf on 19 Sep 2008, 07:30

Quote from: doombilly on 18 Sep 2008, 11:12
Mogwai

This really disheartens me about the show that I'm driving 5 hours to see in a week

they're amazing, don't fret. I'm seeing them again tonight and its going to rule, I assure you.

benji · « **Reply #24 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 08:53 »

Quote from: Daft pun on 19 Sep 2008, 08:36

LCD Soundsystem are pretty boring on stage.

I saw them open for Arcade Fire last year and thought they were pretty good. Maybe not as good as their album, but still fun to watch.

imagist42 · « **Reply #25 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 08:58 »

Quote from: Daft pun on 19 Sep 2008, 08:36

LCD Soundsystem are pretty boring on stage.

FIGHT YOU, sir
(I done seen the same tour as benji, and even when a third of the stage wasn't visible to me from far stage right because of sound equipment, they were really fun. Especially James Murphy. Oh boy there goes my man-boner again)

Liars are probably the only band I've seen I regret seeing (and I didn't even go to the show for them). This may be because they played a whole heck of a lot of songs off their "experimental" records that weren't "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack," and were therefore terrible songs to begin with, but they were also too over-the-top in their stage mannerisms for me.

Thrillho · « **Reply #26 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 09:14 »

Quote from: tuna ketchup x on 19 Sep 2008, 07:45

Agree on Green Day 100%. I saw them on the Warning tour and they played maybe... 15 songs. Interspersed with "jam sessions," shoutouts to the audience, and the audience participation thing. It took like ten minutes for them to select "band members" and get them up there, so they could play for two seconds. I thought it was just because we were the last stop on the American tour so they decided to make a crap of it, but if they're like that all the time I won't bother seeing them again. But it's also been several years so maybe they grew up by now.

You do realise I'm talking about their most recent tour?

But then that was three years ago. Honestly, I'm fascinated by what they have planned for the next album.

gospel · « **Reply #27 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 09:34 »

Quote from: imagist42 on 18 Sep 2008, 21:30

Quote from: Misconception on 18 Sep 2008, 12:28
Quote from: gospel on 18 Sep 2008, 10:24
At first I thought it was the small venue or the equipment, but Okkervil rocked the house. It just seemed like the new album wasn't arranged well into the rest of the set, and he didn't quite have a grasp of his own vocal range live. I wasn't the only person who walked out for a smoke break either. He really wasn't working the crowd. It was just "We are the walkmen [song] We are the walkmen, this ..[song]."

I am guessing they just had a bad show, because I just saw them on Monday and it was spectacular. Maybe the show you saw was a fluke?

I am pretty sure he is talking about The Walkmen. His reference to an entirely separate Okkervil River show was for comparison (i.e., the venue is perfectly capable of hosting an awesome show). Unless The Walkmen are touring with Okkervil River and no one told me!

They were paired together for just one show in Madison.

pinkpiche · « **Reply #28 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 09:44 »

Sigur Rós are amazing live, absolutely brilliant.. I don't know what these guys are talking about, but the three times I've seen them (following ( ), Takk and the new album which I can't spell) both Jonsi, their brass band and everything about the shows were great. At the last show they even had big white orbs behind them that lit up with the music. They were dressed up (feathers in their hair, uniforms, balloon animals in their pants), happy and sociable.. Even though Jonsi spoke mostly Icelandic... Best show of my life.

Daft pun · « **Reply #29 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 10:38 »

Quote from: imagist42 on 19 Sep 2008, 08:58

Quote from: Daft pun on 19 Sep 2008, 08:36
LCD Soundsystem are pretty boring on stage.

FIGHT YOU, sir
(I done seen the same tour as benji, and even when a third of the stage wasn't visible to me from far stage right because of sound equipment, they were really fun. Especially James Murphy. Oh boy there goes my man-boner again)

Maybe I should elaborate a bit here. The first time I saw them was a couple of years ago at a festival, where they had to play at some silly time like 1 pm. It wasn't particularly helpful that they'd partied with the Soulwax guys the night before, resulting in everyone reaching for the OJ every five minutes and them generally having as much charisma as the mud we were standing in. During their gig at another festival last year I was probably too high to remember most of their set, which isn't very helpful either.

parm · « **Reply #30 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 10:50 »

Quote from: KickThatBathProf on 19 Sep 2008, 07:30

Quote from: doombilly on 18 Sep 2008, 11:12
Mogwai

This really disheartens me about the show that I'm driving 5 hours to see in a week

They were great when I saw them.

INCREDIBLY loud. Astonishingly, unbelievably, earbleedingly loud. And awesome.

Yakob · « **Reply #31 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 12:14 »

I don't know from personal experience, but I remember there was a thread on here a while back all about how awful Animal Collective are live.

allison · « **Reply #32 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 13:45 »

Jason Mraz.
He had great openers who all brought a fantastic show (Bushwalla and Justin Kredible, especially) and pumped up the audience a lot. Tons of energy...but when Jason came on, he seemed out of it and played a lot of his really mellow, slow stuff. It just seemed like he wasn't into the show at all, and from what I had heard, he usually puts on a really upbeat, fun show. I hope that if I go see him again he actually puts effort into it.

valley_parade · « **Reply #33 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 20:11 »

HEY FUCKS.

SIGUR ROS WAS GOD DAMN MOTHER FUCKING AMAZING.

Quite honestly the best show I've been to in a LONG time.

KickThatBathProf · « **Reply #34 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 21:58 »

Quote from: parm on 19 Sep 2008, 10:50

Quote from: KickThatBathProf on 19 Sep 2008, 07:30
Quote from: doombilly on 18 Sep 2008, 11:12
Mogwai

This really disheartens me about the show that I'm driving 5 hours to see in a week

They were great when I saw them.

INCREDIBLY loud. Astonishingly, unbelievably, earbleedingly loud. And awesome.

And now I am quite possibly the most excited i've ever been for a show. Ever.

E. Spaceman · « **Reply #35 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 22:20 »

Mogwai is both pretty loud and pretty good live! The loudest show i have been too though, is definitely Justice.

Thrillho · « **Reply #36 on:** 20 Sep 2008, 04:55 »

Quote from: Yakob on 19 Sep 2008, 12:14

I don't know from personal experience, but I remember there was a thread on here a while back all about how awful Animal Collective are live.

Based on the live album I've reviewed, they're fucking appalling.

However, they seem to try and improvise as much as possible at every show so you never get the same show twice, so at least they suck for an admirable reason.

windinthewires · « **Reply #37 on:** 20 Sep 2008, 10:51 »

The first time I saw Islands... they were pretty lacklustre, but I've seen them twice since then and both of those times were excellent.

Tapes 'n Tapes, Modest Mouse, M83, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Wilco... all disappointing.

Menomena were also mildly disappointing. I expected them to be a lot more fun, but they were good.

Halitosis · « **Reply #38 on:** 20 Sep 2008, 11:52 »

I saw NIN a couple of weeks ago. The lights were good, but we got a pretty bad setlist and the worst opening band of the tour.

valley_parade · « **Reply #39 on:** 20 Sep 2008, 12:06 »

I heard Boris is hopping on their tour for a few shows. That's bound to only end awesome.

KvP · « **Reply #40 on:** 20 Sep 2008, 12:47 »

Boris and HEALTH. Not at the same shows, though.

imagist42 · « **Reply #41 on:** 20 Sep 2008, 16:55 »

Quote from: windinthewires on 20 Sep 2008, 10:51

The first time I saw Islands... they were pretty lacklustre, but I've seen them twice since then and both of those times were excellent.

They really have come into their own with this album, or maybe since Jamie left. That's not to say that Jamie was holding them back or something, because he was influential in the best songs off Return to the Sea, and he still had a lot to do with the songwriting on Arm's Way, but for some reason they are a more cohesive, tight and all around engaging group now.

october1983 · « **Reply #42 on:** 20 Sep 2008, 18:05 »

I've seen Animal Collective live a couple of times, and it's pretty hit and miss. The second time they were pretty awesome and I had a lot of fun and thought they put on a great show in general. The first, however, was not so great. Seeing them live kind of reminds me of watching a David Lynch film: sometimes you just get it and it's great, but others it's more like witnessing something that's supposed to be awesome but actually just feels self-indulgent and far too long winded (the first time I saw them they went on for SO LONG. I'd much rather see a relatively short show and be left wishing for more than have a band overstay their welcome).

Also, I'm going to reiterate the point that Andrew Bird is great live. He's good on record, too, but his live show is pretty outstanding and generally a lot of fun.

Phaedra · « **Reply #43 on:** 20 Sep 2008, 18:32 »

Andrew Bird was probably the best concert I've ever been to.

As for shite acts, Sunn O))) made me physically ill and it's the only concert I've actually been forced to leave early. Four Tet was exceedingly dull on his Rounds tour (which is a shame, because that album kicked ass). The Jesus and Mary Chain were pretty disappointing. The first time I saw Modest Mouse, they were abhorrent, but they made up for it the second time round.

LucyStag · « **Reply #44 on:** 20 Sep 2008, 22:29 »

I knew one Andrew Bird song, and he was still GREAT in concert. So much fun, so gooooood.

One of the most disappointing shows ever would have to be Against Me! this year. They were amazing in '05 (seriously amazing), but they just didn't do it for me this year. Plus, I realized I was finally an old fan, and that was alarming. I am always late for bandwagons, and don't want to be a snob, but I was still thinking "you stupid teenagers, don't you understand that you're supposed to freak out to and know the WORDS to 'Reinventing Avl Rose', 'Those Anarcho Punks are Mysterious', and 'Baby, I'm an Anarchist'? Not to songs from the new mediocre album? DON'T YOU CHILDREN UNDERSTAND?'"
Then I wept.

Also, they stopped the show at like 10 PM and the venue turned into an under-21 night club and a bunch of 14 year old started pole dancing. It was sad.

the Goat · « **Reply #45 on:** 20 Sep 2008, 23:04 »

The Plot to Blow up the Eiffel Tower.

They were good, but not as good as I was led to believe they were a wild, uncontrollable force of nature onstage. Instead, it was a pretty good hardcore show.

Compared to the most insane shows which were Leftover Crack (who, outside a few songs, I don't really like-they nearly started a riot), and Bane (who have one album I like) and it makes the disappointment that much more sour.

look out! Ninjas! · « **Reply #46 on:** 21 Sep 2008, 01:15 »

Quote

Green Day

I saw them on the American Idiot Aussie tour, and despite not really liking the album they were touring for, it was a good show. They managed to play a fair whack of their old stuff, and while they stayed largely on the political stuff everyone seems to be doing it wasn't too overbearing.
Their old stuff is still great, and they're good showmen. I entirely didn't mind the bit where they drag some randoms from the crowd up to play along. I thought it was quite cool.

Except for Simple Plan. Oh God why fucking Simple Plan.

Trollstormur · « **Reply #47 on:** 21 Sep 2008, 02:50 »

GWAR, the fourth time. I don't get to go to a lot of shows because bands I like don't come here. (and I'm too cheap to drive anywhere for music.) GWAR seems to come every year, some times twice but how many times can you watch big foam celebrities get disemboweled.

parm · « **Reply #48 on:** 21 Sep 2008, 08:14 »

Oh, I know! I went to see Jars of Clay. Yes, yes, I know; but the thing was, they play this sort of bland, introspective soft-rock acoustic guitary sort of music - except during the gig they were acting like BIG AMERICAN ROCKSTARS and telling the audience to JUMP C'MON JUMP all the time and I was, like, maybe if you play something you can actually jump to rather than just strumming an acoustic guitar then we might. So they were disappointing.

David_Dovey · « **Reply #49 on:** 21 Sep 2008, 11:10 »

Quote from: Phaedra on 20 Sep 2008, 18:32

As for shite acts, Sunn O))) made me physically ill and it's the only concert I've actually been forced to leave early.

That's not their fault though, is it?

You obviously just need to grow a pair.

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Author Topic: Bands that Dissapointed You Live (Read 37874 times)

overtone

Zingoleb

tuna ketchup x