Your Worst Music Concert

[Oldhippy]

Steely Dan were the same, album perfect but no audience interaction.

 

[figbat]

I went to see Paul Weller at Westonbirt Arboretum a few years ago. I’m not a huge fan but my wife likes him. Absolutely no interaction at all, just played the songs and left.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Herbie Hancock at a Greek amphitheatre in Sicily.

Watched for 35 minutes as he and the other musicians were tuning up their instruments, only to realise they were actually performing.

Sounded like a fire in a pet shop.

When Herbie started swinging a length of vacuum hose around above his head whilst blowing into the other end, we saw that as our cue to leave.

 

[cyberknight]

Took mini ck 1 to a concert last year , she paid for the tickets but after about 20 mins i walked out and sat in the bar for the remainder of the concert as korean boy band pop i have found every single song sounded the same and surrounded by screaming girls and women .......

 

[AndyRM]

Napalm Death and Cathedral at the Marquee. Awful.

Because they were bad or just not your thing? Seen them both a couple times and they've always been excellent, but I wouldn't recommend Napalm Death to just anyone. Cathedral are a bit more accessible.

 

[palinurus]

I can't think of many gigs that I got nothing out of. I've seen a lot of fairly unknown/ local bands, and some of those were terrible- mostly in that I had no interest in what they were doing- but those don't count.

Years ago (late 80s) I got a free ticket to see The Who at the NEC, I didn't enjoy that- mainly because I don't like big venues. I walked out of The Vortex once when John Etheridge was on (I like jazz- I've been to that venue quite a few times, his set was boring)

 

[Beebo]

Because they were bad or just not your thing? Seen them both a couple times and they've always been excellent, but I wouldn't recommend Napalm Death to just anyone. Cathedral are a bit more accessible.

I’m amazed they are still going.
They came to my university in 1994, and were a well established band then, you didn’t go along without knowing what you were letting yourself in for.
If someone told me they would still be going over 30 years later I would have laughed at them.

 

[AndyRM]

I’m amazed they are still going.
They came to my university in 1994, and were a well established band then, you didn’t go along without knowing what you were letting yourself in for.
If someone told me they would still be going over 30 years later I would have laughed at them.

The lineup has changed quite a lot. None of the original members are still in the band. See also Cattle Decapitation, who are essentially the American equivalent.

Cathedral packed it in a few years ago, but are they're all still going with different bands, mostly associated with the grind/thrash scene.

I think it's kind of cute that (mostly) they're all still pals and like making music together.

 

[CarbonClem]

I went to see Paul Weller at Westonbirt Arboretum a few years ago. I’m not a huge fan but my wife likes him. Absolutely no interaction at all, just played the songs and left.

Weller isn't the most interactive frontman in any case, but him at Westonbirt is funny.

'Sup up your craft beer and collect your punnet of strawberries, there's a row going on, down by the the falafel stall '

I always go and see him when he plays there as its so local and a 'nice' summer evening out, but its not right.

Worse gig for me in recent memory was Echobelly. Lead singer seemed furious the crowd weren't as lairy as they'd been in the 90's. Berated the audience constantly over it and completely distanced herself from them. Never seen anyone torpedo an atmosphere quite as effectively.

 

[rockyroller]

first year high school, major band performed at the school, I helped get them to come by saving gum wrappers, it was a competition, whatever school saved enough of a certain gum wrapper, won the lottery off sorts of where the band would play. can't remember the name of the band. anyway, walked to school w/ friends, got there & couldn't find my ticket. friends went in & I walked back home I told my Father. he drove me to the school & explained to the door monitors who then let me in. I guess it worked out, but that's my worst concert memory

 

[swee'pea99]

Close call. Friend and I once drove miles to see John Martyn at some tiny pissant venue in the Lake District. Which we did. But not for long. He was late on stage, alone, pissed and pissed off, and left the audience of at least 136 in no doubt that on the whole he'd rather be at the dentist, for about 40 minutes, then left the stage, never to return. Then there was Rick Wakeman, doing his whole symphonic War of The Worlds type stuff, but all of it on backtrack and no-one but him on stage, in a cape, mincing around in front of a keyboard you didn't even know if you were hearing. That one lasted just over an hour. Then stopped. Which was a mercy.

 

[Dan Lotus]

Okay folks, there's a thread for the best, what about your worst or at least most disappointing concert?
I'll start the ball rolling with Elbow at Leeds Arena, love Guy Garvey but it was a tedious concert, he's a great singer but not the best frontman for a gig.

My partner bought tickets to see Elbow, probably Bournemouth or somewhere similar.
We got ready to go, and by some stroke of luck, she double checked the tickets (This was in the time of physical tickets) and spotted she had gotten the date wrong, and the gig we had paid money for was actually the day before.
Obviously disappointed at the time, but it would have been far worse had we had a 2.5-3hr round trip to find out the same thing, so felt like we got off lightly as it were, and had a bonus evening to do what we wanted to do - was pre children as well.

Can't really think of any specifically bad gigs, I suppose my partner sometimes persuades me to see jazz type gigs, and sometimes they have no vocals at all, where as I like some vocals even if I don't know the songs, so I tend to avoid those ones now - she's a proper muso, sax/piano/flute player, so has a far more detailed appreciation of musicians and how they play than little old basic me.
Those gigs aren't bad though, just beyond my appreciation.

We did see Paolo Nutini (If anyone remembers him?) a LONG time ago, and that is the only one I can think where we were both disappointed - the venue was small, Oxford perhaps, but iirc, that was one where there was no real interaction with the crowd, which for me makes or breaks a life long memory or not.
Ah one more I remember - ELO maybe 5 years ago, Birmingham - I'm pretty certain virtually no interaction at all with the sizable crowd, but that is likely just his personality I suspect, I don't think he's considered an extrovert in anyway.
Another one springs to mind now! Red Hot Chilli peppers in a park in London, Hyde park perhaps, beginning of this century.
I don't recall the musical performance being that good, but the crowd was probably 90% p1ssed off their heads, and not there for the music it would seem, so the atmosphere was rubbish basically.
I'm not one for leaving concerts early, but I think we might have done that time, to miss the drunken rush.

The vast majority of gigs I heartily enjoy, usually because they are people I want to see and know a lot of their music.
Four or five gigs last year, only 3 booked so far this year, including an anniversary present of Del Amitri which should be interesting.
I've bought my partner and me tickets for Jools Holland and Roachford (Amongst others) as her birthday present, but she won't find that out until November.
Olivia Dean booked for June, which I just know from watching & listening to her other live performances will be Magnificent.
Much as I like the O2, I'd have preferred a smaller venue, but now she has rocketed in popularity, I fear that ship has sailed for many years.

 

[richardfm]

I don't remember if I posted about this one before, but Ritchie Blackmore at Wembley Arena, late 70s or early 80s.
He came on, played about 25 minutes and then went off and didn't return.
The music didn't create an impression on me but I still remember the angry audience ripping seats up and hurling them at the stage.

 

[briantrumpet]

I walked out of The Vortex once when John Etheridge was on (I like jazz- I've been to that venue quite a few times, his set was boring)

I've done a gig on stage with him guesting at the Teignmouth Jazz Festival, and have to admit that his style didn't do much to draw the listener in (from what I remember - it was about 15 years ago).

 

[Pblakeney]

(I might have said this before)
I saw the David Gilmour Band (AKA Pink Floyd) on the Momentary Lapse of Reason tour, and whilst i was overwhelmed at the time, I soon began to think that the sound was so perfect that it just lacked the feeling of watching a live band because it sounded too much like the CD... and not only that... I wasn't watching a live band, I was watching a big round telly and sh!t loads of lights and lasers and the occasional inflatable thingy.
(and Rachel, of course)

Saying that... sometimes I'd prefer a band doesn't try to interact with the audience. Fun Loving Criminals were great at the Sugarhouse in Lancaster in 200?... but I could have done without Huey's awkward and chronic sh!t jokes in between every song.

I had exactly the same conclusion after seeing Bryan Ferry in the late 80s.
Slick, polished, perfect rendition of the CD (Boys and Girls). I may as well have stayed home.