What is the worst concert you have ever been to?

[begin_within]

For me, Ted Nugent, Portland, Oregon, in 1982. Completely inane nothingness. Sammy Hagar as the opening act only slightly better. An utter waste of an evening. I would have had more fun watching paint dry.

Worst free concert, "Sounds of Africa" at the Spreckles Organ Pavilion in San Diego 2 summers ago. They played for 20 minutes, then took a 20-minute intermission, while they went back stage and smoked something, and we sat there and waited in silence for 20 minutes, then they came back out again and wailed about Africa for 20 minutes and that was it. Although it was free, I still felt ripped off.

[Fenris]

1. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead

in Austin at Emo's last spring. Bad sound, horrible audience, crowded as all get out.

[Kali]

2. Sadly, Johnny Winter a couple of years ago

Prop the poor guy up with a stick.

[Alleycat]

3. REM at the Troc in Phila

Has to be at least 15 or 16 years ago, maybe more. I loved REM but our seats were right in front of a huge wall of speakers up front and off to the left side. Everything was so loud and distorted. I swore I couldn't hear right for a few months after.:head bang:

[GalleryGod]

38. Probably in 1986..more like 20 years ! I loved the Troc back then.

:bounce:

[momophile]

49. The Troc in the 80s. That can only mean one thing!

The Dead Milkmen!!!

Okay, I have to admit that I have never been to the Troc, but didn't they play there often?!

[JPZenger]

54. REM Concert Cancelled Because of Lack of Ticket Sales

In 1984 I was going to go see REM at a 2,000 seat venue in Philadelphia. But it was cancelled because of lack of ticket sales.

[Spirochete]

4. Also Ted Nugent, also Portland

but the year was earlier - like 1976. He played so loud, my ears hurt for several days afterward. In fact, all the bands that played that day, with the exception of REO Speedwagon, were banned from playing there again. And they even decided to ban a few more acts that didn't play, but that they deemed too noisy or attracting a troublesome element - such as Johnny Winter, Carlos Santana, and Robin Trower. All because of Ted Nugent.

[begin_within]

20. Sounds like a "must miss" concert. Intensities in ten cities, my ass.

[djeseru]

5. Squeeze, Bronco Bowl in Dallas, 1988.

10,000 Maniacs opened for them and was the far better show than the headline. I think we made it through six or seven songs then left to go get something to eat.

[SaveElmer]

68. Must have been a bad night...I'm a Squeeze fanatic...

Saw them in Madison Square Garden...Flock of Seagulls opened for them...it was a very 80's evening!

[lizziegrace]

6. Frank Zappa in Memphis

over 25 years ago? Sound in the auditorium was awful and the crowd was almost dead.

[LostinVA]

7. Barbara Mandrell -- 1986 -- Greensboro, NC

Not a big fan, but someone gave me tickets, so we went. It was 90 minutes long. She only sang FOUR sangs... TALKED the rest of the time. Okay, I know it was her first tour after her bad car accident, but still... I would have been PISSED if I had paid for the tickets!!!

[Gatchaman]

8. Robert Palmer

This was the tour for the album that had Simply Irresistable on it, so it was pretty much the zenith of his popularity. Saw him at the fieldhouse at Penn State (this was years before they built a proper stadium). Went because they only brought in one concert a year or so.

Anyhow, it was the most boring thing I ever saw. The opening act was some forgetable australian act who played for 6-7 hours. Well, it seemed that long anyhow. Finally, Palmer came out. Played one rock song, maybe two, then played an hour and a half of material no one had ever heard of from his catalog. Zzzzzzzzzzz. Came back at the end with Bad Case of Loving You, and that was about it. I'd been better off going to see Hybrid Ice or Harpo at the local metal bar or something.

[EstimatedProphet]

9. The New Christie Minstrels

I saw them as a kid in Kansas City at a free concert. they truly define lame. The parody group 'The New Main Street Singers' from A Mighty Wind is supposed to be them, I am convinced.

[Ava]

10. nsync

why, oh why?

[elshiva]

11. Dick Cheney sings his greatest hits somewhere in Wyoming

[GOPisEvil]

12. I've said this a few times before but, The Cars. Two words: Bo-ring!

No interaction with the audience, just the songs. They sounded good, but too good. I should have saved my money and listened to my cassettes at home.

[djeseru]

13. Hmm, this is sounding familiar.

But then, I'm sure my post seemed just like deja-vu.

:hug:

[GOPisEvil]

15. Deja-vu all over again!

:hug:

[NashVegas]

32. So True

I saw them in 1984 and must agree. Note perfect, but no connection to the crowd.

[HuskerDU]

14. Neil Young on Greendale tour a couple of years ago.

It was the first show of the tour I believe and he performed his entire 'Greendale' album complete with stage play sequences.

I had seen NY at Farm Aid years before, but he only played a couple of accoustic songs so I was pumped up to actually see a whole NY and Crazy Horse show. I don't remember being more pumped up for a show in years. As NY played the concept album 'Greendale' I was disappointed and wondering when he would start churning out his classics. Too little too late. I still love NY, but NEVER would've paid a dime for the 'Greendale' show had I known what I was in for.

At least half the crowd was booing at one point. While I didn't boo, I understood why they did- that show cost a lot of money and was billed as NY and Crazy Horse in concert, not NY performing a stage play and maybe 15 minutes of what the fans expected. I never felt more ripped off in my life- and by of all people one of my heros.:( Again, I am still a huge fan, but that was the worst show I ever saw!

Ironically, one of the top 10 concerts I ever attended featured Ted Nugent. IMO he is as great a rocker as he is horrible a human being.

[Frank Cannon]

16. Don Henley

He played for about twenty-five minutes, spent an HOUR talking about Walden pond, then played one more song and bailed. What an asshole.

[maveric]

17. Pat Travers. 1980

He was so boring that people were falling asleep. This is the only concert that I ever walked out of.
He was very dissapointing live.

[Roon]

18. Rainbow opening up for BOC

What a stinker that show was, if it wasn't for my friends,I would have left.

[Rabrrrrrr]

19. Heart, on the "These Dreams" tour. Autograph, a shitty band, opened,

and then Heart, which I had always liked until this concert, came out and managed to maintain the same shitlevel that Autograph offered, but with more shit on stage.

Wonderfully played and in tune, but totally uninteresting concert. Very, very boring. Not bad, in terms of them playing like shit or anything, just really boring. Like they randomly put songs together, and for the most part the playlist went ampin' tune - ballad - ampin' tune - ballad - ampin' tune - ballad, and so on, so one could never actually get into a mood.

Awful.

[underpants]

31. "This has to be the longest commercial I have ever seen"

That was said by myself and all my friends as we watched Head Banger's Ball EARLY one weekend morning. It was Autograph but at that time we couldn't figure out why this stupid pen commercial seemed to be taking FOREVER!!!

[Tikki]

21. Some poor little girl named....

Rachel Sweet got promoted poorly to front billing on a concert with Graham Parker....We wanted to see Graham so we went and it was so sad... this little girl was just plain awful....Parker was amazing, though.





Tikki

[kid a]

22. The CARS, Candy O - ATL (OMNI) 1979

horrible sound

[FuzzySlippers]

23. Vladimir Horowitz. He sucked!!!

I keed. I keed.:P

[swag]

24. Loverboy w/ Quarterflash, Missoula, MT, 1982

Have seen a lot of very shitty shows, but this one at the Harry Adams Fieldhouse was the worst by far, even though I got in free and was well primed.

[begin_within]

25. The weird thing about Quarterflash,

is that they were a very good local band in Portland, Oregon in the early 80s, called "Seafood Mama." Some idiot producer/promoter repackaged them as "Quarterflash" and ruined them.

[Initech]

26. Ozzfest 2005 in Devore, CA

This is of course, the infamous show where Iron Maiden (the band I shelled out $55 plus Ticketbastard's fees) to see, and Sharon Osbourne gets audience members to throw eggs at them, while cutting off their sound. Maiden handled themselves really well for the 40 minutes they played. But needless to say after that, I'll never attend another Ozzfest again out of spite.

[Beware the Beast Man]

36. Sharon Osbourne is a rotten, manipulative person.

[Initech]

55. I think Sharon's going to lose a lot of money on Ozzfest '06

For one thing, Ozzy is only playing 10 shows and two, the lineup um, SUCKS!!! It's nothing but crappy metalcore and hardcore bands. The only band worth going to see would be Strapping Young Lad, but I wouldnt want to pay $80 for the show, $20 for parking, and $10 for beer and stand out in the blazing hot sun just to see one band play a 15 minute set. :puke:

[WCGreen]

27. Michael Bolton.....

It was free and it still sucked.....

[Initech]

65. I wouldnt attend Michael Bolton even if it were free...

:puke:

[WCGreen]

70. It was my first night on the job as an accountant at

a top 30 radio station.....

I kinda had to go.....

[HughBeaumont]

28. Hole. 1995. Nautica Stage. Opening for NIN.

Shitbad songs. Crapola sound. Poor lighting. The heroin and fake tit laced abomination called Courtney Love. I can think of five BAD local bands that deserve to be signed before Hole and I live in CLEVELAND, ferchrissakes. That was without a doubt the worst show I've ever seen, bar none, and I've seen some pretty craptacular bands (some that way on purpose).

Runners up -
Limp Bizkit (Would qualify for the absolute worst, but let's face it, you can't top the Queen. Unbelievable that these Jacksonville mooks sold as many records as they did playing such horrid fourth-rate Korncrap)
Marilyn Manson (Nice guy, great views, but his music is below average and live show very overrated)
Mushroomhead (bad Faith No More played in makeup and jumpsuits)
Slipknot (ham-fisted, horrible sound, stopped their show two songs in to get in a fight with Mushroomhead fans. Stupid)
The Bronx (boring boring BORING-ass three-chord fratcore band that inexplicably seems to regularly open tours of bands I like. Singer is a Bewsh supporter, so fuck them)

[rbnyc]

30. LOL

I swear, I didn't read yours before I posted.

Limp Bizkit sucks too!

[HughBeaumont]

44. Eccch, both shows were total train wrecks.

Makes you even wonder if talent is less of a requirement to get signed to a major than connections and a whole lot of fans that share the same brain.

[rbnyc]

29. Hole, Austin, Tx 1995

They couldn't get through a single song. Stop and go and stop and go, and screeching and whining for drinks. Ugh!

[LynneSin]

33. I'd have to say the Grateful Dead

Mind you, I loved their music and I had a ton of fun at all the pre-show festivities. But the concert itself just bored me to tears by the second half. I'm suspecting that if you weren't stoned or tripping on LSD then you just weren't going to get that second half. Since I don't do either of them we ended up leaving early

[NashVegas]

34. You're Right In Your Suspicion

First time I saw them I had the same experience you did. After a while even people-watching got boring.

Second time, not only could I get into every single note Jerry played, but I could also walk through the spinners' section without bumping into or getting clubbed by anyone.

[NashVegas]

35. I Don't Remember the Really Bad Ones

I just walk out.

[Beware the Beast Man]

37. Megadeth, June 1987.

Dave Mustaine was a wasted mess. It took him 30 minutes to "change a string" between songs. The sound was awful. They hurled insults at the audience the whole time. total crap.

[LaraMN]

39. Warrant/Trixter/Firehouse, 1991?

Made all the better by the fact that my friend's stepdad attended it with us.:eyes:

[Richardo]

40. Todd Rundgren/The Tubes; Boulder, CO 198_

First show of the tour that year and it sucked bad. It was more like the first rehearsal. I willed myself to sleep through Utopia. x(

[Kali]

56. really? that sounds like it would have been good

I saw Rundgren outdoors back in the late 80's and I would say it was one my top 5 concerts. He is amazng.

[Richardo]

58. We thought it sounded good too...we were big Tubes fans back then.

Rundgren - not so much. But GOD he was infuriatingly horrible. Like he was daring us to hate him. I took the dare.

[patcox2]

41. REM, 2004

Michael Stipe is so condescending, so pompous, it takes all the joy out of their music. He has such an attitude, looks down his nose at the fans, acts all put out that people want to hear the old classics.

I don't like their music any more, he was that bad, he ruined it all for me. Made snide comments between songs, lectured the audience like we were three-year olds. F-him. He should be grateful he has produced art that people love, remember, and want to hear.

[AlCzervik]

42. The Cars, terrible live, best for them to stay in the studio.

[Deep13]

43. Cincinnati Tone-Deaf Chorus

[BigMcLargehuge]

45. Pink Floyd "Momentary Lapse of Reason" Tour (1989??)

Paid $60 to see them at Foxborough Stadium. Walked out after an hour.

Crap sound, crap album to support, crap stage show. Seats that would have been better if I'd stayed in the parking lot.

A year earlier I saw Roger Waters at "The Living Room" (I think) in Providence, RI supporting Radio KAOS and it was amazing.

Floyd without Waters, suckball adult contemporary band.

[Ron Mexico]

46. Aerosmith's "Done With Mirrors" reunion tour, about 1985 or 1986.

They sounded like a bad cover band. Aerosmith never much impressed me live anyway, but this was truly ridiculous.

[ProfessorGAC]

47. Same Band. Different Year

I saw them in (just guessing) 1976? Horrible sound, incredibly sloppy. I could barely tell which song they were doing, until i got to a guitar or vocal hook at the chorus. And yes, they were basically doing the album version, so i wasn't confused by their exploring new territory. They were just awful.
The Professor

[ProfessorGAC]

48. Stupid Mulitple Posting

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The Professor

[Rabrrrrrr]

51. I've never heard of that band. Did they open for

Dreadful Flamebait Thread?

[ProfessorGAC]

52. Good One

Thanks for the chuckle.
The Professor

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

50. Shania Twain

I need say no more on the subject.

[MissMillie]

53. Stevie Ray Vaughn

when he was so drunk he really couldn't play.

He opened for The Moody Blues. The Moodies were fine. SRV was just terrible

[Kali]

57. Stevie Ray Vaughn and the Moody Blues???

Now there is a strange combination. Both greats but together? Kinda grates the teeth.

[Maddy McCall]

59. Exact opposite experience....but I saw him after he sobered up.

Saw him in Jackson, MS, shortly before he died. One of the five best concerts I've ever attended.

Joe Cocker opened for him...Cocker was awesome that night, too.

[eyepaddle]

64. He had cleaned up by then, on some levels it's tragic

that he died shortly after getting his act together (well, really it's tragic when anybody dies, but...) but even when I heard about the chopper crash I felt sorta glad that at least he went out on an upnote. Y'know, got to experience happiness and all before he passed.

[callous taoboy]

60. REO Speedwagon, Austin, 1982

[ContraBass Black]

61. My own orchestra's performance

December 2001.

[TommyO]

62. Howard Jones

many years ago at the Garden State Arts Center (before corporate naming rights). Walked out on the show, it was that bad. Fortunately, his opening act was Midge Ure so at least it wasn't a wasted evening.

[Taverner]

63. The Grateful Dead

Oakland Colesium, 93. They were a great band, once. But by this concert, Jerry had become a mere shell of what he once was. Let me put it this way - Jerry didn't play a single note until Space - and after that, he didn't play anything.

Funny, because the Dead played the 2nd BEST show I have ever seen - which was back in 85 - Jerry's COMEBACK concert at the Greek in Berkeley.

[eyepaddle]

66. AC/DC Fly on the Wall tour, it really wasn't that

terrible, just the worst I've been to. It was in the Met Center in Bloomington MN (since torn down) which was the total hockey arena-type-place. Tin roof and everything. The roof rattled so badly I had no idea which song was being played.

The other two times I caught AC/DC they were great.

[bullwinkle428]

67. Another vote for Nugent - there is a caveat, however...

my brother and I were there for Alcatrazz, the opening act, as we were big fans of Yngwie Malmsteen, their guitarist from Sweden. We just stayed around for Nugent to see what would get for our money, I guess, and were completely underwhelmed. Horrible sound mix, crappy stage presence, you name it, it sucked.

[KFC]

69. U2 - Nashville

Fairly soon after they released October. Monotonous, every song sounded the same. Walked out after about 1/2 hour.