The one where you went into a concert thinking you were going to love it and came wishing a plague of boils on the band, roadies, audience, bar staff and passers-by. We've all had one, right? Any nominations?
Your worst gig?
- Thread starter Priene
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There was one that was cut short by a stabbing just out of the doors. The Polish Hall then closed its doors to any electronic music show on its polka floor. I miss that floor.
When I was about 17 I was outside a gig waiting for my Dad to pick me up and there was a punk and a skinhead fighting it out with scaffolding poles looted from a building site. I think the band was Girlschool but their show was nothing in comparison.
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Violent Femmes.
Never seen a band so bored, and the attitude was infectious. I remember them finishing a song, and... silence. The singer looked out and said, "Okay, you can clap now."
Only concert I ever walked out on.
Never seen a band so bored, and the attitude was infectious. I remember them finishing a song, and... silence. The singer looked out and said, "Okay, you can clap now."
Only concert I ever walked out on.
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Not sure if this really counts (I haven't been to a huge number of gigs, so I don't think I've ever had a really terrible one...), but the most aggressive mosh pit I've ever been in was for Slipknot. There was plenty of pushing and shoving, which was to be expected, but when I left the pit after their hour was up, I noticed to my dismay that my favourite pair of pants had been ripped all the way up the back of both legs, right up to just below my arse. And this was during the year or so that I decided to go commando... Eek!
So yeah. I was walking around with a lot more exposed flesh than I would've liked. And honestly? Slipknot weren't even that good live.
But that doesn't compare to a stabbing, I guess.
So yeah. I was walking around with a lot more exposed flesh than I would've liked. And honestly? Slipknot weren't even that good live.
But that doesn't compare to a stabbing, I guess.
Back in the early nineties I went to see this new American band that was starting to get noticed, and they were absolutely gobshite. Couldn't play, couldn't sing, their fans were wankers and their music made me come out in pustules. I walked out in the middle.
A couple of years later I was in a cafe that kept playing a fantastic song. When I asked it unbelievably turned out to be by the same band. The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
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To be fair, getting debagged is probably quite normal behaviour at a Slipknot gig.
A couple of years later I was in a cafe that kept playing a fantastic song. When I asked it unbelievably turned out to be by the same band. The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
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To be fair, getting debagged is probably quite normal behaviour at a Slipknot gig.
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LOL, yeah. I mean, it was kind of bad at the time (felt very exposed, and there were still a few more bands to see before the festival was over, plus traveling on public transport to get home on such a crowded bus that I was standing up the whole time...), but it's actually a really awesome memory when I look at it a different way. I also had only half a head of hair, but that's another story entirely. Some guy in the men's room line asked if I did that (the hair and the pants rippage) for the festival, but I had to admit it was just coincidental. 
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I've never come away angry. There were two where the band was hours late, but not their fault--air travel issues--and then were great once on stage. The only one I can think of that I wish I hadn't attended was the last time I saw Frank Sinatra. I believe it was '94. He looked tired, he would die a few years later. He couldn't get all the words right, even with the help of the teleprompter or his audience that lovingly cued him. So I left a little sad that this great performer was clearly at the end of the lonesome road. The one highlight was when he sang, "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry." He was in his prime again. It was transcendent.
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I was pretty peeved at the end of Kate Bush last year. She sang no songs at all from five of her first six albums but did the entire dull second CD off Aerial in order. Once I twigged she was doing this I realised the gig was over bar the encore, and when her last encore song was some tedious shite from her most recent album I was just about ready to start hurling glasses.
Instead I wandered off into the night recalling Johnny Rotten's parting words: 'Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?'
Mind you, I did get to see a full-sized woodland giant dropped trunk first through a piano, which is the most Prog stunt that has ever been done or ever will.
Instead I wandered off into the night recalling Johnny Rotten's parting words: 'Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?'
Mind you, I did get to see a full-sized woodland giant dropped trunk first through a piano, which is the most Prog stunt that has ever been done or ever will.
I've been lucky, never been to a gig I haven't enjoyed. Even when the band is a it new and rough-around-the-edges, I've had good fun in good company.
I guess I've been lucky and haven't been to any really terrible gigs. My Dad's worst was Bob Dylan a few years ago, who was apparently rancid. Didn't sing, didn't interact with the audience, didn't give a shit. And demanded the venue turn off the cameras, so no one up the back could even see him.
Unexpected best gig: I was walking past a stage outside Fox Studios in Sydney and the Foo Fighters came out on stage to do a 'sound check', by launching into Monkeywrench. The went on to do an entire set in the sunny mid afternoon, for free.
Unexpected best gig: I was walking past a stage outside Fox Studios in Sydney and the Foo Fighters came out on stage to do a 'sound check', by launching into Monkeywrench. The went on to do an entire set in the sunny mid afternoon, for free.
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I used to work at a venue so I saw a lot of so-so gigs. One that stands out as bad was The Vines - the crowd was all hipsters with little interest in the band and plenty of interest in the meeja-types hanging around. Very much a crowd that were there to be seen rather than to see anything. They were rude to us staff, rude to each other, and we broke up more fights that night than any other gig we did that year.
A couple of months later we had Napalm Death playing, and a lot of the staff were pretty nervous, partly because we mainly put on indie stuff and this was outside their experience. I was relatively relaxed, having been to more metal shows than the rest of them, and reassured them it would be fine. It turned out to be one of the most polite crowds we ever had, despite the ferocity of the moshpit, and zero trouble. After, the band came for a drink in the main public bar rather than going to their dressing room. Top blokes and a great night.
A couple of months later we had Napalm Death playing, and a lot of the staff were pretty nervous, partly because we mainly put on indie stuff and this was outside their experience. I was relatively relaxed, having been to more metal shows than the rest of them, and reassured them it would be fine. It turned out to be one of the most polite crowds we ever had, despite the ferocity of the moshpit, and zero trouble. After, the band came for a drink in the main public bar rather than going to their dressing room. Top blokes and a great night.
I saw Arcade Fire at Earls Court and it was like one massive brawl.
Actually, I'm lying. It was full of blokes with odd facial hair who knew every single word to every single song and insisted on singing them all.
Actually, I'm lying. It was full of blokes with odd facial hair who knew every single word to every single song and insisted on singing them all.
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I think the only time I've ever felt cheated by a gig was when I saw Ungkas play. (As far as I know, they were a local band that never made a name for themselves.) Well, the gig itself was quite good, and they ended with a song played entirely on drums. As in, the drummer was going nuts, and the other guys in the band had a few drums to bash around on too. At that point, I was just starting to think about learning an instrument, and was leaning towards drums. So that final song was awesome in my mind. So I bought their CD.
The CD did not, in fact, have such a drum track on it. Boo! Hiss! In fact, they were one of the few bands who I think are better live than they are on their properly-mastered albums... So yeah. Felt a bit cheated afterwards.
The CD did not, in fact, have such a drum track on it. Boo! Hiss! In fact, they were one of the few bands who I think are better live than they are on their properly-mastered albums... So yeah. Felt a bit cheated afterwards.
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Oh yeah, I've been to gigs like that. I remember seeing a French metal band doing a support slot in a dive venue a couple of years back. My friend and I were both so impressed that we went and bought their album at the merch desk. Listening the very next day, it was like a different band. I could tell some of the songs were the same, and all the members were the same, but the vocals weren't the same tone and the production was very strange. It's disappointing to this day, because the sound they were making in that gig was fucking awesome.
I remember seeing Blank & Jones at the Sportex. That was lousy. Supposedly a great set but there comes a point where European djs are doing what European djs do and let a tape roll by. Anne Savage was marginally better but the Ron Reeser set prior to those two was a very good set, especially for a concrete floor like the Sportex. I spent the rest of the night in the second room which was much more packed and much smaller.
The best surprise set was a three-hour surprise set by Chris Liberator at a dingy afterhours club. Now I've listened to quite a few SUF mixtapes but I have not heard a set by any of those crew that let the silverbox just overwhelm their sets like he had in his set. And ― oh ― I love me my silverbox.
The best surprise set was a three-hour surprise set by Chris Liberator at a dingy afterhours club. Now I've listened to quite a few SUF mixtapes but I have not heard a set by any of those crew that let the silverbox just overwhelm their sets like he had in his set. And ― oh ― I love me my silverbox.
Some bands are just better live. Back in the 80s I saw a band called Magnum live a few times and they were great, but their recorded stuff was, well, a little substandard