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Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: Boiled Dove on 29 Mar 2013, 09:20

Title: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Boiled Dove on 29 Mar 2013, 09:20
I've not seen this as a topic anywhere and I thought it might be fun. We all like to talk about the amazing shows we have seen but what were some of the worst? If you go to a lot of shows that have to be some really awful ones in the mix.

for me the worst one in recent memory was Das Racist, I saw them twice thinking that perhaps they were pissed off about something the first time. but no, they were just awful to see live. they seemed to think they were doing us a big favor by showing up and getting on stage rather than us doing them a favor by giving them our money. I know they have split up now but I doubt anything will ever top how bad that was.

Incidentally Danny Brown opened up for them once and even though I had never rally listened to him he put on a very enjoyable show.

Some of the others that deserve dishonorable mention would be Smashing Pumpkins-they played around here a lot before they hit it beg and were always disappointing and a Soundgarden and VoiVod show in the early 90s. They must have been sick of being on the road together because it seemed like the bands were fucking with each others sound systems.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Thrillho on 29 Mar 2013, 16:46
I saw Muse, and aside from the fact that it gave me tinnitus I still can't shake over ten years on, it was a soulless, 'meh' show that actually killed my appreciation for the band. It sounded like the records exactly so no real fun element to it, they didn't talk to the crowd even once and it was basically soulless.

Once, I had tickets to go see Green Day and blink-182 within a few months of each other, blink first. I expected blink to suck and Green Day to be awesome.

It turned out at the time to be blink's last UK gig before they went on hiatus. It was a fantastic show. Just the right mix of old stuff and new stuff, with a brilliant medley in the middle to mop up a lot of old classics (including 'Dumpweed' which I really wanted them to play).

I thought, fuck if blink are that good, when they're usually a terrible live act, Green Day will be great!

...Green Day were terrible. It was an overly rehearsed, cringingly stale show, which amusingly included Billie Joe saying 'remember to be an individual!' at a show that was identical to every show on the tour (he even said exactly that every night, I know because I read the reviews). And 'King For A Day' lasted for ten minutes. After a certain point I was like I CAME HERE TO HEAR YOU SING, NOT THE AUDIENCE.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: HappyHavoc on 29 Mar 2013, 20:08
Mine was an August Burns Red show.

They sound really bad live and you can't mosh. All the people there where hardcore dancing.

Don't see them live.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: IDMG on 29 Mar 2013, 23:35
Guitar Wolf.

Just... ugh, maybe I should have known what I was getting into but Seiji was so drunk that I'm convinced they didn't actually play any songs. It was just shrill icepick-to-the-ear guitar played at random drowning out everything else.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: idontunderstand on 30 Mar 2013, 06:42
Iron and Wine played Malmö last year and it was so bad we actually walked out halfway. And I LOVE I & W. Amazingly boring show.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Boiled Dove on 30 Mar 2013, 07:47
That reminded me of one time I went to see Sonic Youth, I think it was on the Goo tour. Red Cross opened up for them. So bad we went out to smoke a few while they finished their set.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Radical AC on 31 Mar 2013, 13:52
I saw My Chemical Romance in the mid 2000s before that Black Parade album at Warped Tour.  Still the worst live act I have seen (I have been to my share of shitty house shows, but at least those are fun).  The raise your middle finger gimmick felt uncomfortably juvenile even when I was 18.  Gerard Way wore a bullet proof vest and sounded like an annoying prepubescent boy.  The whole thing was just weird and off.  The Offspring came on right after, so that was cool.

I also saw local band Scarf at the Treefort Music Festival.  Scarf was musically the worst thing I have ever seen.  It was a girl standing awkwardly to the side shrieking obscenities while a guy freaks out on an organ and the drunkest and least coordinated drummer I have ever seen bangs away on a tiny kit.  Scarf is what would happen if Bomb the Music Industry couldn't hold their liquor.  It is an indignant mother looking angrily back at the stage as she drags her small child out of the room.  Scarf makes me happy.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: idontunderstand on 31 Mar 2013, 14:01
I was about to say Scarf sounds like a cool band.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Jimmy the Squid on 31 Mar 2013, 19:39
I saw Purity Ring at the Oxford Art Factory, a small venue in the extremely fashionable end of Sydney this year. They were fantastic but I had a terrible time because the crowd was a bunch of fucking children who've never been told "no". We must have been the oldest people there (at 26, 25 and 24) and I feel like while I really like Purity Ring for their lyrics, everyone else was there because all gigs at the Oxford Art Factory are dancey/club kind of stuff and all these fucking 18 year olds dressed like children wearing their parents' clothes were just there because they wanted to get incredibly drunk on shit beer (they were selling Fosters, which no one drinks in Australia except for Japanese business men) and dance like wankers. Maybe I'm too used to going to metal shows where you can just push annoying people out of the way but I had to make sure I didn't start a fucking fight by shoving away dickheads getting into my personal space.

I also went and saw Opeth recently. They were incredible but Katatonia were supporting. They were...OK? Just really boring. Technically proficient, all very obviously talented musicians but absolutely no stage presence and very little interaction with the audience.

A number of years ago I saw KoRn. I was 16 and I went with my highschool girlfriend. It was probably the worst show I've ever seen. No interaction with the audience on any level. They just got up, played their set and left. I may as well have listened to the CDs. Even then I knew they had fucked up but I couldn't put my finger on why.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: TheEvilDog on 31 Mar 2013, 20:41
This wasn't the worst show in terms of music, but rather how it was set up. Saw the Fun Lovin' Criminals a couple of years ago, wasn't a huge concert, in fact it was in the school of music, and there was about 150-200 people. Great songs, the warm up act was good... But I wish I brought my sunglasses with me...to a darkened hall...in the middle of the building. Whichever bright spark they had brought with them hadn't counted on the venue being so intimate and kept blinding the audience every few minutes with a ridiculous set. Thankfully I'm not epileptic because the lights would have definitely induced a seizure otherwise. It was a great show, but a lot was taken away by those bloody lights.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: KingOfIreland on 01 Apr 2013, 12:39
I think it might have to be stars for me.

They were all on coke, and everything just sounded off. I actually threw all the stuff I liked by them (maybe three songs?) out of my playlist because the live act ruined it for me. The 80's were thirty years ago guys, and it really shows.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: hepcat on 01 Apr 2013, 14:34
I went to see Avenged Sevenfold in high school, it was awful. They felt so... disengaged? It just didn't feel genuine and they looked super bored. Definitely ruined them for me.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Boiled Dove on 01 Apr 2013, 14:48
A few years ago, when my oldest daughter was 14, she wanted to see SLAYER so I took her to the Mayhem Fest. SLAYER and Cannibal Corpse were good but Bullet For My Valentine and Marilyn Manson were just awful.

Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Cire27 on 02 Apr 2013, 06:19
Back in around 2006-2007 I went to a Cute Is What We Aim For show.  It was the most boring show I've ever been to.  I fell asleep standing up which isn't as hard as it sounds when a bar has that many scene kids in it.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: valley_parade on 02 Apr 2013, 09:21
Screaming Females.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Algernon on 02 Apr 2013, 20:32
Cults at Webster Hall.  Sound was shit and I was right behind a couple of drunk assholes.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Bluesummers on 14 Apr 2013, 15:04
H.I.M in Hartford during Projekt Revolution 2007. God, the lead singer was such a douche onstage, taking drags of a cigarette when there should have been lyrics, and not really putting any soul into the music. It was below "meh". It was "feh".

But Julien-K was a nice mood changer, and Linkin Park knocked it out of the park to close the night. So, the day wasn't all bad.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Patrick on 25 Apr 2013, 23:50
The new Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist just loves to sling his cum all over my cherished youthful memories, and I hate him for it
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Thrillho on 26 Apr 2013, 11:49
My word I would very much love some elaboration on that.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Patrick on 26 Apr 2013, 12:08
you know how Frusciante was chock full of tasteful leads, knew exactly where mayhem was appropriate, chased tones instead of notes, and was generally 300x the guitarist this new young replacement is?

well, this new young replacement is awful and I hope he gets hit by a fucking meteor
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Thrillho on 26 Apr 2013, 14:34
I may generally hate the Chilis, but I'll say this much - Frusciante is an incredible musician, particularly on the recent stuff where he kinda went 'fucket iwonner play gitarrrrr'.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: idontunderstand on 28 Apr 2013, 04:30
Josh Klinghoffer is a very good drummer though. So I wouldn't say he's a shit musician or anything. The Peppers should have called it quits ten years ago btw.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: BeoPuppy on 28 Apr 2013, 06:39
They should have called it quits ... just before under the bridge. What a load of wank.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Masterpiece on 28 Apr 2013, 08:58
I might be the only guy that likes the new Peppers album... but yeah Josh is horrible live.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Bluesummers on 28 Apr 2013, 18:35
I might be the only guy that likes the new Peppers album... but yeah Josh is horrible live.
I listened to a couple tracks from Toto's "Live in Amsterdam" album...yeah, keep it to the studio, boys. I'm sure you like being on stage, but my ears have a objection. >.<


Ironically, the word "Amsterdam" reminds me of a Counting Crows song...and I have none of their music? How could I let this happen? I must remedy this malignment.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: IDMG on 28 Apr 2013, 18:53
I thought Josh was pretty good live ...
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: TheEvilDog on 28 Apr 2013, 20:45
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were a band I did really like....when I was 14... Really, the best song they had after Californication was Fortune Faded, which isn't saying much, but they are a good band to listen to when you want just something playing.

It really tells you how much attention I paid to the band that this was the first I heard of John Frusciante having left the band....

Actually, I read Anthony Kiedis' autobiography and it took a month for me to read it. The whole book could be summed up as "he had sex, got high, had more sex, tried to get clean, got high" for about 400 pages.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Patrick on 29 Apr 2013, 01:36
I am basically only okay with the Chili Peppers as long as it's Frusciante-era. By The Way isn't the most solid album ever but it's got some of their best songs, and absolutely some of Frusciante's greatest guitar work. "Dosed" is a perfect example. Not sure how many tracks he laid down for it, but it's gotta be at least 3 or 4, and it doesn't sound overkill.

New guy makes it sound like too much with just one fucking guitar.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: idontunderstand on 29 Apr 2013, 08:41
I like how the Peppers are a common thread among TONS of young people and young musicians nowadays, and no one really likes to admit to liking them.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Patrick on 29 Apr 2013, 12:35
I liked them better when they were good.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Thrillho on 29 Apr 2013, 12:59
They are a great band for when you're learning guitar because you can learn some of their riffs and stuff relatively easily.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Torlek on 17 May 2013, 00:04
Soundgarden this past weekend in Indianapolis. The woofers were turned up to where I felt more music than I heard, Chris either mumbled or screeched all the lyrics, the bass player was obviously bored as all get out and spent the entire set glaring at the audience and after the last song (I couldn't even tell which one it was) Chris spent a good minute and a half positioning his guitar on the amps to produce the most annoying feedback possible, flipped off the audience and ran off stage while the band looked on with their best "wtf" faces. I didn't think anyone could be so utterly contemptuous of an audience.  Thank god Bush had a great set otherwise that day would have been completely wasted.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: BeoPuppy on 17 May 2013, 00:50
Chris Cornell has a diva attitude? I always pictured him more ... enlightened as all that. For some reason.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Welu on 17 May 2013, 06:37
They are a great band for when you're learning guitar because you can learn some of their riffs and stuff relatively easily.

Most of my tweendom/early teens was listening to my brother learn their stuff on bass.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Thrillho on 17 May 2013, 08:36
Thank god Bush had a great set otherwise that day would have been completely wasted.

A sentence so unlikely it tore a hole in the space time continuum.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: lepetitfromage on 17 May 2013, 13:36
I'm a die hard Peppers fan so I'll just kinda hang out over here in the corner by myself....  :-P

Josh is most definitely not as good as John, but he was almost passable at the last show I went to. I miss John's voice though, Klinghoffer might be able to replicate guitar riffs, but will never be able to contribute vocals the way John did.


Worst shows I've ever seen have got to be Amy Winehouse & Mars Volta. I'm sure I've mentioned this elsewhere on the forum....but yeah. Mars Volta was similar to what I would imagine marbles, silverware and a megaphone sound like when you throw them all in a dryer together. And Winehouse was...well, in a word- wasted.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Zingoleb on 18 May 2013, 12:48
nice alliteration!
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Lupercal on 18 May 2013, 16:25
Oh God. RHCP. 'My' band for a good two, three years of my mid teens. As Gareth said, I started playing guitar at that age. Riffs were easy! Then John went from stripped down, to laying down about 4 guitar tracks per song, to being a flashy lead player. And then Josh came in, with his fucked up Phasers and horrendous backing vocals and kind of shat on any nostalgia I had for that band. Also thought Flea's bass lines on the new album were rather boring.

Next, why Nickelback keep selling so many records...
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Thrillho on 18 May 2013, 17:15
Nickelback get far too much shit.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: BeoPuppy on 19 May 2013, 01:45
There are worse things out there.

Like Iggy Pop.
(Couldn't resist, sorry.)
(Hi, Unicorn!)
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Lupercal on 19 May 2013, 15:22
For a band that gets so much hate, it's surprising they're so successful. It could be worse, they could be 4 guys in their 30s who all sing as a boy-band. At least this way they only ruin the guitars they use (EMG IN MY LES PAUL, EMG IN MY CUSTOM 24, EMG IN MY FLYING V, EMGEMGEMG)

I don't know if this is a legit complaint for this thread but went to see Eric Johnson recently and he was supposed to be supported by Joanne Shaw Taylor, she didn't show up and there was no explanation as to why. Is this a bad thing, or doesn't it matter seeing as they weren't the headline act anyway?
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Zingoleb on 19 May 2013, 18:35
There are worse things out there.

Like Iggy Pop.
(Couldn't resist, sorry.)
(Hi, Unicorn!)

you vastly overestimate how much i care about your opinion
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Patrick on 20 May 2013, 00:18
Nickelback get far too much shit.

what was that about space-time continuums
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: BeoPuppy on 20 May 2013, 02:31
There are worse things out there.

Like Iggy Pop.
(Couldn't resist, sorry.)
(Hi, Unicorn!)

you vastly overestimate how much i care about your opinion
Nope, I know you don't care. And I'm enjoying every minute of it.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: kelpy on 01 Aug 2013, 08:32
John Farnam. When I was 5. And tired. that's the only one I've been to.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Thrillho on 01 Aug 2013, 09:56
John Farnam. When I was 5. And tired. that's the only one I've been to.

*Scanners gif*
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: kelpy on 01 Aug 2013, 11:40
what, concerts are loud and scary places, I'll go one day.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Welu on 02 Aug 2013, 04:09
I've never been to one (excluding musical comedians) and have my first planned later this year. Hopefully I won't be back in this thread talking about it.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: lepetitfromage on 02 Aug 2013, 09:43
Went to my first one when I was 15 and I try to go to at least one a year. If not, I start to get cranky.  :-P
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Welu on 02 Aug 2013, 13:35
I'm like that with comedy gigs. So I guess I'm still into shows, just not music so much.  :mrgreen:
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: 94ssd on 22 Sep 2013, 18:55
I've seen a lot of shitty local and indie bands. I've seen just as many good ones before anyone flips out on me.

As for major shows, in retrospect probably Good Charlotte. That was not a good time in my life musically speaking, okay?
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Jotunheim on 22 Sep 2013, 21:03
Worst show recently has got to be Brutal Truth at Copenhell a few years back. I'm not a huge fan of their music as is, but they played it so poorly that you couldn't even make out what the hell was supposed to be going on. Add ot that that they were stoned out of their skulls -and- trying to mooch weed off the audience (Yes) it was kinda lame. Opeth at Copenhell was also pretty underwhelming.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: IDMG on 22 Sep 2013, 21:08
Circa Survive were pretty dreadful (but the band I went to see made up for it).
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Whitey Fats on 14 Oct 2013, 08:56
I'm a die hard Peppers fan so I'll just kinda hang out over here in the corner by myself....  :-P

Josh is most definitely not as good as John, but he was almost passable at the last show I went to. I miss John's voice though, Klinghoffer might be able to replicate guitar riffs, but will never be able to contribute vocals the way John did.


Worst shows I've ever seen have got to be Amy Winehouse & Mars Volta. I'm sure I've mentioned this elsewhere on the forum....but yeah. Mars Volta was similar to what I would imagine marbles, silverware and a megaphone sound like when you throw them all in a dryer together. And Winehouse was...well, in a word- wasted.

I like them, as well.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: thedevilissix on 04 Apr 2015, 08:24
Not so much the worst gig as the saddest:
Cat Power, pre-The Greatest and in hindsight this may've been the time she was experiencing problems with booze.

It was a completely solo gig for just her and piano/guitar for a festival in Glasgow ages ago (Tramway? Triptych?). She ended up stopping halfway through several songs and we couldn't really hear her. She looked more and more uncomfortable as the set went on and 40mins into the set I think she ended up stopping a minute into a song, saying in a really frustrated way how sorry she was and walking off stage.
The audience clapped her for about a minute afterwards before the system music came on quite abruptly and made it clear that she wasn't coming back on. I wasn't so much annoyed as sad for her.

As for genuinely disappointing, Yo La Tengo a few ATPs back were sadly boring. My friends and I collectively questioned whether we should stay, but the collective conclusion was "....Nah."
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: hedgie on 04 Apr 2015, 08:41
Without a doubt, the worst I have ever been to was a Sisters of Mercy concert.  Fuck, it was so bad that I ended up walking out.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: KingOfIreland on 04 Apr 2015, 09:23
An acquaintance/nemesis of mine.

Dude wasn't born to sing or play guitar.


Actually, scratch that. My own first ever performance where the other guitarist and I hadn't practiced the songs enough out of sheer boredom and were just reading the chords off a sheet of paper draped across the mic stand. We'd spent all the practice times just showing off to each other.

Also, the vocalist got out a harmonica in the wrong fucking key and started blasting that alongside our playing.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: A_S00 on 04 Apr 2015, 18:48
Saw R.E.M. in 2008.  They were great, but Modest Mouse opened for them.  I'd heard, like, maybe two Modest Mouse songs before that point, and my impression was basically "they seem alright."

Jesus they were bad live.  Ended every song just flailing tunelessly on their instruments for a minute and a half.  You can end, like, one song that way per set.  You don't want it to be your thing.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: wlewisiii on 04 Apr 2015, 19:56
Phish at Alpine Valley, WI. My ex was into them; I found it to be a nearly deadly bore and was thrilled when the show, such as it was, was over.
Title: Re: worst shows you have seen
Post by: Active Madness on 05 Apr 2015, 04:42
Worst thing I have ever seen was Marilyn Manson at Soundwave 2012. It's an Aussie music festival.

I'm a Manson fan from way back, but hearing him slur his way through songs, forget the lyrics and then stop mid-song and demand a stage hand come put a jacket on him, it made me really, intensely dislike him.

Also saw Nine Inch Nails once, when halfway through their set the power went out because the venue hadn't done what they should with the power. The power sort-of went on after 20 minutes and they charged through the rest of their set regardless, so that was good.