What's the worst concert you've seen in person?
- Thread starter JuleZ '02 HEEL
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First set of a Phish show, late fall of 1995, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They played in a hockey stadium and apparently there was an issue with the HVAC because the humidity was so bad it felt like it was raining inside. Also, the drummer was a click behind the rest of the band so they sounded horrible. Might have had something to do with the sound bouncing off the cinder block walls that the stadium was built out of.
(Not sure what happened at intermission, but the second set was fantastic. Night and day from the first set.)
(Not sure what happened at intermission, but the second set was fantastic. Night and day from the first set.)
Sounds like they had trouble tuning the PA to account for the poor acoustics. Or maybe his dress was a little too tight?
Probably not the worst show but I saw Robert plant do a set at Lockn and it was extremely disappointing. They changed up all the guitar riffs to leave out one or two notes (licensing issue?) and it just sucked. You don’t mess with Jimmy Page’s guitar work. That’s blasphemy.
Who/where/when? One of those God-awful American idol concerts about 10 years ago in Charlotte.
Why did you go? For my daughter's 13th birthday.
What made it so bad? do I really need to answer this one?
However... before the show, we waited for hours for the performers to walk by and talk to the crowd. My daughter had a crush on one of those dudes. He wished her a happy birthday and gave her a hug. The smile on her face was priceless. I will cherish the photos I took of that moment forever.
Why did you go? For my daughter's 13th birthday.
What made it so bad? do I really need to answer this one?
However... before the show, we waited for hours for the performers to walk by and talk to the crowd. My daughter had a crush on one of those dudes. He wished her a happy birthday and gave her a hug. The smile on her face was priceless. I will cherish the photos I took of that moment forever.
1. Outkast at Carmichael Auditorium, 2000. I was really excited about my first rap show and to see a group I still think is one of the best of the rap genre. But the sound quality was terrible to the point of pops and crackles that were physically painful, and the performers were obviously upset and thrown off by the issues. Couldn't really hear a word they said anyway. They ended up doing a pretty short set and called it quits.
1a. Edwin McCain at Cat's Cradle. I went with/for a girl. It wasn't worth it.
1a. Edwin McCain at Cat's Cradle. I went with/for a girl. It wasn't worth it.
probably Blood, Sweat and Tears in Pensacola FL in the mid 70s.
Just didn't sound good.
I've been pretty lucky with concerts most I've been to have been pretty good.
Do warm up bands count?
Just didn't sound good.
I've been pretty lucky with concerts most I've been to have been pretty good.
Do warm up bands count?
Same here. I've been pretty selective with the concerts I've gone to, and for the most part they've all been good-to-great.
However I have seen some shitty opening acts: Powerman 5000 tops that list.
I am totally unsurprised by this. She might be nice to look at but her voice is so overly produced that the truth would be exposed if she was singing live music.
At that time, my eyes and ears are focused on watching her. No need for earplugs.
I saw George Jones at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center in 2001 (I think). I loved The Possum but I was really disappointed in the concert. I have a live CD of George's - Live With The Possum. He sang every song on that album - in the exact same order. He did not stray from that set list in any way. No additions or subtractions. No little stories in between songs or anything. So basically I paid $50 to go sit in a big room and listen to a CD I already had.
I guess the "worst" was just bad because it was cut short. Drivin'N'Cryin' were supporting their Fly Me Courageous tour, it was 1991, I think (did I mention I got to play with them live on WQDR radio in 1993? I sure did!). It was at the Ports Authority in Charleston, or something. It was a weird room. Anyway, for some reason, there was a LOT of pushing up front, apparently. Me and about 4 other buddies were much further back. Every time they played a song, the security up front was constantly pulling-up young girls onto the stage who were getting crushed up front. So, after every song, Kevn Kinney would plead to stop shoving up front. It was very strange. As soon as the band would start again, the crowd pushed forward. So, he said "They're going to make us cut this short if you don't stop pushing!" So, now we're pissed because we wanna see a full concert. They got to maybe the 4th song and then started playing "Straight To Hell" and it was out of control. They played "Fly Me Courageous" and left the stage. 6 songs... that was all. Mutherfvcker!
Here they are at Farm Aid:
Here they are at Farm Aid:
They're playing here in Charlotte on Friday night. Right up the street from me. Likely to be a much more subdued crowd if you need a do-over.
I've seen them several times since. They'll be at the Fox Theater in September. And, Boiling Springs in a few more days.
I only have one of their albums, because "Straight to Hell" was a college anthem among my crowd.
I mentioned van halen in the other thread for being too loud, second worst would be the cars in chapel hill. Obviously just studio musicians. No stage presence and they sounded nothing like their recordings. People were literally looking at each other with “wtf” looks entire time.
Once saw marshall tucker band in asheville at a nightclub. For their opening act this guy comes out with a big mullet and muscle tee shirt, ripped acid wash jeans and hi top white sneakers. He seemed like such a poser we laughed. Couple months later he was making millions with a number one song. (Billy ray cyrus)
Once saw marshall tucker band in asheville at a nightclub. For their opening act this guy comes out with a big mullet and muscle tee shirt, ripped acid wash jeans and hi top white sneakers. He seemed like such a poser we laughed. Couple months later he was making millions with a number one song. (Billy ray cyrus)
I think that was everyone's anthem. It is a great song though. I believe that album is Mystery Road, right? Honeysuckle Blue was another off that album that we continuously played on weekends while drinking at dead ends around town. Some serious nostalgia with that album.
I went to high school with his sister, Angie. Angie Ray Cyrus. Just kidding, her name was just Angie but their dad Ron was a state senator from Greenup County, Kentucky.
Yeah, I really liked the Cars back in the day, but their music just doesn't translate well in a live setting. I saw them in Greensboro in '85(?), right after they got super MTV popular from that video with Paulina Porzikova in it... anyway, it was the first stop on the tour and they definitely weren't in sync yet as to the set list. The music sounded ok but I will agree that they have no stage presence at all.
I have a Rockpalast concert of them and it's really good.
Here's a YouTube video of one song:
Probably the worst for me would be an Elton John concert in Charlotte (mid 80's @ the Hornets Coliseum). To be honest, I was still pissed that the original show was cancelled & rescheduled (after we drove 2 hours there, paid for parking, sat in our seats for another hour or so before we were notified, then had to drive 2 hours home!). Needless to say I wasn't thrilled about returning a few months later, and his mediocre performance didn't make it any better.
Flatwoods, KY? My grandmother lived there for 50 years. I know it's the home of Billy Ray Cyrus because the city erected a sign on the way into town telling everyone, like they're proud of it or something.
Yes, they were from Flatwoods. Angie and I attended Russell Middle School and High School together.
Have we discussed this? I now feel like I knew you were from my grandmother's town. Did you know a really old woman named "Mema"?
Both of those sounded pretty good. Like I said, musically they were good when I saw them but they basically played a song, said "Thank You", and then started another song. Just no real connection to the audience; it's just their personality I guess.
Anyway, I always thought Elliot Easton was a damn good guitarist, and he was the highlight of the concert for sure.
ETA: RIP Ben
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Yeah... Ben Orr, that was rough. There was an added interview at the end of the DVD with the whole band, not long before he died. He was wearing a Cleveland Browns jersey and it swallowed him.
He came to asheville in the ‘70’s and i had some friends who went and said he looked drugged out
I believe it.
I saw both my worst and best concerts at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary.
The worst one had nothing to do with the music being played, it was the group of girls sitting behind us. It was a Paul Simon concert. We couldn't hear the music because this group of grown ladies were jabbering and giggling like a bunch of teenagers. I turned and asked them why they even shelled out the money for the tickets if they had no interest in listening to the music and that they would have been better off going to a bar. We would turn and complain to them and they would be quiet for about 30 seconds and start right up again. They finally got the message and switched seats with their husbands who were quiet, but would periodically make snide and sarcastic remarks about needing to be quiet or they would be called out for it.
Like said the best concert was at the same venue with the Tedeschi-Trucks Band. The North Mississippi All-Stars and Los Lobos opened for them. Everyone was into the music and the bands put on a wonderful show.
The worst one had nothing to do with the music being played, it was the group of girls sitting behind us. It was a Paul Simon concert. We couldn't hear the music because this group of grown ladies were jabbering and giggling like a bunch of teenagers. I turned and asked them why they even shelled out the money for the tickets if they had no interest in listening to the music and that they would have been better off going to a bar. We would turn and complain to them and they would be quiet for about 30 seconds and start right up again. They finally got the message and switched seats with their husbands who were quiet, but would periodically make snide and sarcastic remarks about needing to be quiet or they would be called out for it.
Like said the best concert was at the same venue with the Tedeschi-Trucks Band. The North Mississippi All-Stars and Los Lobos opened for them. Everyone was into the music and the bands put on a wonderful show.
