Non - worst ever concert

RobTrent

RobTrent

UTC Legend
Too many worthy gigs on the other thread, so heres my worst:

I was blown away after seeing Diamond Head support April Wine at the Southampton Gaumont. Must have been early eighties. I bought their album at the concert with their autographs on it. (Its now got quite a value).

Anyway, I was so convinced that they were going to be the next big thing for NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) that I agreed to go and see them a few weeks later at the Taunton Odeon.

The support act were SilverWing. A glam-rock band, and they were truly dreadful. The highlight of their stage show was when they had what looked like a firework stuck to the guitar which emitted sparks. Astounding it was not.

Diamond Head were very good, but the Odeon barely had 100 others in their, and so as concerts went it was very flat.

At the end, the vocalist said the words "Thank you Taunton, you've been great!". In reality the night was a bit of a flop.
 
Most disappointing band seen was Prefab Sprout in the early '80's

Height of their fame, tickets like gold dust, at the Lyceum in the Strand.

Got offered silly money for my ticket, wish I'd taken the money and gone home.

Short set, obviously didn't want to be there, looked like they had had some kind of massive row, no encore.

a couple of days later I saw The Farmers Boys at the same venue; they go down as being one of the most entertaining live bands I've seen, matched only by the Sawdoctors.
 
I'm sure there have been a few really bad bar shows, and opening acts, but three big names stand out as either memorably disappointing or nerve-wracking ...

Doobies, October 2012
One of my favourite bands, so what happened? The Doobies were sailing through a great show when, about halfway in, they invited Randy Bachman to join them for a few songs, Bachman is a Canadian icon, and the crowd went nuts. So much so that after he left the stage, all the energy went with him. Shouts of "where's Randy" pretty much deadened the mood.

Steely Dan July 2018
Soon after Walter Becker's death .... maybe too soon. Steely was on a double-bill with the Doobies. The Doobies were terrific as usual. But Donald Fagan's set list was a lot of his own material, and there was hardly any homage to Becker. I left before it was over.

The Who, September 2019
First part of the show was Tommy material with symphony orchestra and it was great to hear it live after all those years. But part way through the next bit of the show, you could feel Roger's voice start to go, and it was like watching a highwire act through your fingers. He finally faded on Love, Reign O'er Me, which is understandable given the requirements of that song, and pretty much let Pete and the audience take it through the final few songs. It was harrowing, and I thought we might have seen the last of him if he blew out his vocal chords. Happily, he was back at it a few nights later.
 
Went to see Rhianna at the BIC some years back. Absolutely shocking considering she was huge in the charts. In fact she was worse than shocking.. Diabolical. Crowd got restless, she walked off after about 30 mins.
 
It's easier to pick worst bands seen, rather than best. Probably because my favourite music/band/song changes by the day and what mood I'm in.
By far the the most disappointing was Bob Dylan at the BIC about 15 years ago, voice is gone, reimagined songs, no engagement with his audience. The polar opposite to James Taylor, Neil Young, to his credit, strikes a balance between what he wants to play and what his audience wants to hear ( both of those would appear in my favourite gigs) : )

Primal Scream at Southampton Guildhall, around the Country girl time, not sure Bobby Gillespie knew he was there or even if it he knew he was awake : )

Support bands, White Chicks on speed, trying to hard to be edgy and lacking in talent. Heavy Metal Kids at Reading, mid 70s, I really took against them but it was easier to be black or white, when you're in your late teens, early 20s : )
Glasvegas, Hard fi, Eagles of Death Metal ( Don't think I'm in their demographic) Lordi, didn't get the appeal : )
 
Brian Ferry at a non-descript hall in Cleveland, OH circa summer 1997.

Not his fault tho', as the show was scheduled as an outdoor evening concert. The weather loomed dangerously and so it was quickly relocated to an indoors venue. Evidently the sound guy wasn't told!

Regardless, Brian battled thru' and good for him for doing so. A long time hero never sounded so bad ... but we still love him.
 
Here's another crap main act supported by an unbelievable support band. Golden Earring (who) supported by Lynyrd Skynyrd 1974 Winter Gardens. My god am I pleased to say I saw Skynyrd before they got wiped out in that plane crash. What an act, Earring should have packed up and gone home!
 
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