Disappointing live gigs....

[ZedZed 2112]

Hey all,

I've seen a 'best concert you've been to' thread. How about a 'worst concert you've been to' thread, or maybe the 'most disappointing', and why.

I'm talking about bands that are well known and you expected them to kick some ass, but you left disappointed.

I'll go first.....

Rush - time machine tour - Dublin

By far and away my favourite band and just an amazing live act. Seen them loads of times and my wife bought me a surprise bday present and took me to Dublin to see them. Don't know if it was the seats I had (at the back - central) but the gig was boring. Even Rush looked bored. Sound was poor (not even loud) and the set list was so so..... My wife doesn't even like them and had to sit through it and I couldn't even justify my fake smile at the end.

I should also mention The Rolling Stones - Twickenham Stadium - No idea of the date, but around 2002. It was like watching a bar band play. I was bored after the 5th song. So disappointed. Like statues in a stage.

And Bon Jovi when they did their 'residents' gigs at the O2 in London. For a band that were arguably the best live act on the planet in the late '80's up to mid '90's, they were also boring. You know when it's going to be a bad night when the frontman opens the show with an acoustic guitar to 'Blood on Blood'.

Anyway, I'm sure you all have some experiences of big band gigs that didn't hit the mark.....

 

[bodia]

Mine would be Guns-n-Roses in Iowa City at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena, March '93. Brian May opened for them. He is one of my all time favorite players, and he was awesome. I was really looking forward to G-n-R. Of course, the diva decided he needed to wait more than 90 minutes to take the stage. By that point I was pissed. After that wait my expectations were sky high. They failed to meet them, and I left underwhelmed. In today's speak, they were meh. I haven't given them a dime of my money since, and passed multiple opportunities to see them again.

 

[Boogie]

I'm guessing that you aren't the only one that had 'the diva' crap in their Wheaties. I'll buy Slash's work all day, but not if Rose gets any royalties.

 

[ZedZed 2112]

Never seen GnR but would assume they would be a decent live act. But Rose was/is a bit of a dic*.

I'd watch Slash and Myles all day long (although I'd take Alter Bridge over that duo too)

 

[bodia]

I'm guessing that you aren't the only one that had 'the diva' crap in their Wheaties. I'll buy Slash's work all day, but not if Rose gets any royalties.

Agreed on Slash. I've liked almost all of what he's done post Guns. Duff was in a band called Walking Papers that released a CD a couple of years ago. I dug it.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

The only time I got to see Prince, he sucked. Maybe that's too strong a word, but I was disappointed.

It was the Musicology tour and he chose to jam out on "What A Wonderful World" for 25 mins and then do a 5 min. acoustic medley of all the tunes I wanted to hear. He did that awful arena rock thing where he let the audience sing all the choruses to the songs. It was so bad my friend and I kept side-eyeing and laughing that it was starting to pissoff the people around us.

We decided to leave early and it was raining cats and dogs hard outside, so much so that you could feel and hear the rain and thunder over the gigantic PA during the concert. We opted to run through the enormous parking lot (drenched from head to toe) and sit in the car (which was blocked in, stadium parking style) and marvel at how horrible we thought it was.

We did get to see The Time open though... That was rad.

 

[ZedZed 2112]

I'm sure Prince was 9/10 times brilliant. Never saw him tho. Didn't see the attraction at the time. I do now

 

[jay]

I was a bit disappointed by Yusuf/Cat Stevens, in 2014.
I have been waiting for him for 18 years, since when I discovered "Catch bull at four", at the age of 15, among my dad's CDs. I thought it would have remained a dream, going on his website many times per years, always with the same response.
When my wife gave me the tickets I wasn't even aware he was coming to town and I almost cried. Then, well ... it wasn't terrible, but the volume was too low and the performance was "flat". I don't know how to say it but it was not much different than just watching it on tv and my expectations were up high so I was finally disenchanted.
Plus, I hate to be sitting at concerts, unless we are talking jazz or classical, but I was sitting there (and in many years the only ones where I stood up were Metallica and R. Waters (best one ever) )

"Worst one overall" is easily won by Oasis, when I was 16. That was something to expect, I presume, but, to make it 100% disappointing, Noel was missing as he just fought with Liam), so a Scrabble evening with my grandma would have been more exciting.

 

[mad monk]

Black Crowes in DC, around 2008? Didn't even acknowledge the audience until the 4th or 5th song. Seemed as though Chris thought the crowd should be grateful that they were playing. Had a new, or fill-in 2nd guitarist who was reading chord charts, and was in constant contact with the bassist for song start/stop, and counting off the jam sections. No energy, no show. Just played the songs. Almost like a rehearsal.

 

[11top]

The Rolling Stones at the United Center in Chicago (20 years ago?). Sound was horrible (largely due to the venue), and Jagger couldn't sing to save his soul.

 

[geese_com]

I saw BB King about 4 years ago in our nice music hall. There was a 15+ minute version of "You Are My Sunshine" complete with audience participation and BB just talking for a couple minutes in between. It was a 3 hour show but I swear they only played a maximum of 1 hour of music.

 

[Alan Manning]

Saw ELO Back in the 70s at Wembley Arena. Last of their World Tour. They were supposed to be The Band at the time.
They were ok I suppose but to me you could've just put a recording on and then added some cheering afterwards.
I found that so disappointing, you should expect a bit extra from a live gig.!!!

 

[Boogie]

My sons took me to see Chuck Berry play an anniversary show in University City, St. Louis, MO in 2011. We had the best time! The venue was very cool and totally sold out...cram-packed with people (think the same type venue PRS used for the Exp 2015 show) and literally standing room only. He sucked. He's a thousand years old (only about 5 years older than Les) and still calls musical audibles that throw his band off. But we still got to see him live and experience a piece of history.

 

[vchizzle]

Motley Crue Shout at the Devil anniversary tour(25th maybe?). Was pumped to hear that whole album live. Til I heard Vince attempt to sing. We walked out eventually.

 

[BrianC]

Van Halen in 1980. Drunk high.....terrible playing and couldn't remember the words.

 

[bodia]

Motley Crue Shout at the Devil anniversary tour(25th maybe?). Was pumped to hear that whole album live. Til I heard Vince attempt to sing. We walked out eventually.

Been there, done that with the Crue, twice. Once with Kiss about 5 years ago, and last year on their final tour. He sounded great in '87.

 

[bodia]

The Rolling Stones at the United Center in Chicago (20 years ago?). Sound was horrible (largely due to the venue), and Jagger couldn't sing to save his soul.

I was at this show too. You're right, it was bad. Although my funniest concert experience happened at this show. To make a long story short, a lady in the row in front of us took off her t shirt to flash her boobs. Kinds pointless, we were behind the stage in the 2nd level. When she attempted to put her shirt back on, she stuck her head through the arm hole. Being drunk, it took her three songs to get it back off.

 

[alantig]

I was at this show too. You're right, it was bad. Although my funniest concert experience happened at this show. To make a long story short, a lady in the row in front of us took off her t shirt to flash her boobs. Kinds pointless, we were behind the stage in the 2nd level. When she attempted to put her shirt back on, she stuck her head through the arm hole. Being drunk, it took her three songs to get it back off.

One of the funniest things I ever saw was at Ace Frehley last year (which was a good show, so it doesn't really fit here, but...). We were in the third row (that's important to know), and a few songs into Ace's set, the woman in front of us walked out. I assumed to go to the bathroom. A couple minutes after she came back, my buddy tapped me and leaned over and said, "She went and took her panties off. She just handed them to her boyfriend." A few seconds later, he threw them onstage.

Well, in the direction of the stage.

He barely got them on the front edge of the stage, about three or four feet on OUR side of the monitors. From the second row.

They spent the rest of the set trying to figure out how to get them back. They finally got them during the set break, then he threw them from right at the edge of the stage and got them to Ace. At which point, dim bulb girlfriend covers her face and acts all embarrassed.

Thirty-some-odd years ago, I saw a more successful, and somewhat more sordid display play out at a Ted Nugent show (but much farther away from me). Let's just leave it at Ted was much more exuberant in his appreciation. And, at three different shows, I did get to see various donations being made to the Frank Zappa panty quilt (again, from a distance).

 

[11top]

I was at this show too. You're right, it was bad. Although my funniest concert experience happened at this show. To make a long story short, a lady in the row in front of us took off her t shirt to flash her boobs. Kinds pointless, we were behind the stage in the 2nd level. When she attempted to put her shirt back on, she stuck her head through the arm hole. Being drunk, it took her three songs to get it back off.

Would have improved the show.

 

[bodia]

Would have improved the show.

Oh, most definitely did. She was in the front row of the 2nd level. It was a toss up on what happened; she got her head out of the arm hole, or she tumbled over the railing. To further set her condition, her "old man" offered us some shrooms from a big baggy earlier in the evening.