Glass always half full at gigs! I find it hard not to find something interesting to watch.

The worst/best time for underground bands must of been in the mid/late 90s, gigs where either packed or totally empty.

An example being, for those who remember the UK band Pulkas, they used to play a lot of shows around the UK. One show they played in Bogiez (Cardiff) to about 5 people (this including a friend who also came to see them with me). Still, they played their asses off. That was such a buzz.

Dead Kennedys a few months ago. The bass was way cranked up and it pretty much ruined the entire show. I couldn't even tell most of the songs apart.

I've never been to any I've considered 'awful.' Actually I'd consider myself pretty lucky for having been to some really awesome concerts. The only one I didn't like was when my sister got me to see Snow Patrol with her (while I have never liked them, for mainstream pop music I suppose they are decent). Their latest album had only been released for a few months so I bought it and listened to it hoping I could try to enjoy the gig somewhat if I could recognize some of the songs. They didn't play anything off the new album and I only ended up knowing one or two of the songs the whole time, which was a bit disappointing. Also the strobe lights were killing my eyes - the lighting for the show was really awful & I had a major headache for hours afterward. The singer was alright but nothing that great, his conversation with the audience was kind of annoying & I felt like he was trying too hard. Needless to say I didn't have a terrible time but compared to other pop/soft rock bands I've seen I wasn't very impressed with Snow Patrol. I tried to enjoy it though, and my sister had a good time. She's the one who wanted to see them, so I guess that's what was important.... xD

Although it still wasn't a bad gig, the most disappointing gig I've been to was Iron Maiden six years ago. Wait wait Maiden? Disappointing? Unfortunately yes just a little bit. I'd already seen them a couple of years before and they were absolutely amazing so my expectations were riding very high on this. My friends and I got to the gig early and queued for hours in the freezing cold so we could get a good spot near the front, which we most certainly did.

There were two support acts. First was Lauren Harris, daughter of Steve Harris. Although she is a beauty and I'd certainly lay a bit of pipe in her, her brand of boring, dated hard-rock didn't exactly set the place alight. Next up were Trivium, whom I couldn't give a flying fuck about. I decided to go moshing during their set just to keep myself amused, I had no interest in actually listening to them.

Maiden were touring A Matter Of Life and Death, which was a good album but it couldn't hold a torch to their classic albums. I was expecting them to play a handful of songs off the new album and belt out plenty of classics. But instead they decided to play the entire album from start to finish which took up the majority of their set. People were into it at first but seemed to lose interest after a while. On top of that the sound in the venue, the old Point Theatre in Dublin (now the O2), was terrible and you could just about make out what songs they were playing. I was dying for them to play some older material, and they did just that with a few classics at the end of the set and of course they brought out Eddie. The gig ended on a high but it took a long time to get there, I went away with a strange feeling of having seen a good gig but really wanting more.

I've seen hundreds of shows over several decades and only one stands out in my mind as being disappointing...

The Allman Brothers Band on 8/1/93 at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA.
Dickey Betts had been arrested the day of the show and wasn't going to be able to play that night, so the band got Zakk Wylde to take his place at the last minute. He played along reasonably well, but just wasn't a good fit for the band musically or otherwise. It was like a member of Spinal Tap had been inserted into an Allman Brothers show.
He strutted around the stage with his black & White bullseye guitar between his crotch for most of the night, making faces and looking more like a heavy metal cartoon character. At one point he stood on the edge of the stage and stuck the guitar between his legs and started wanking it, while sticking his tongue out at the crowd like he was trying to be Gene Simmons at a Kiss concert.
Two of the three friends I was with, walked out halfway through and I wound up leaving with the other friend before the show was over.
They should have just postponed the show until Dickey got bailed out of jail and was in the mood to play.


And there is another thread on this same topic...

http://www.musicbanter.com/general-m...ever-been.html

Worst concert I ever saw wasn't really a bad concert, I was just sick as hell at the time. It was Lamb of God, supported by GWAR. I was sick enough that I didn't wanna go, but not so sick that I couldn't go. I had already bought my ticket like a week before the show, so I couldn't just waste thirty bucks, and I couldn't unload it on anyone. I don't know why, I knew some people that were going, and they couldn't even be arsed to go a few minutes out of their way to pick up a FREE ticket. Dumbasses. Anyways I ended up going hopped up on antihistamines and cold medicine. Kept me from being completely miserable, but I still spent most of the gig sitting on a stool at the bar since I was a little weak, which blows, since I love to mosh and scream my lungs out at a show, and I just couldn't. It should have been awesome, cause GWAR killed a giant foam headed Barrack Obama, but I just couldn't enjoy it like I should've.

hahaha scary :)

Radiohead at the Telewest Arena in Newcastle in 2003. They started their setlist with The Gloaming which, I thought, was a terrible mistake.

Most of the tracks from Hail To The Thief just didn't work and the band, as a whole, never got the crowd going. Compared to when I saw them on the Kid A tour, it was a pretty dull night.

I've never had any interest in watching Radiohead live since.

Just commenting on your post. I have no bad concerts to report. I went to see Maiden this year for the premier show of their Maiden England North American tour in Charlotte, NC. It was a phenomenal show. The setlist was killer, and since it was the first show of the tour, they were very fresh, rested-up, and energetic. The sound was very good at the show and I a had perfect seat. I'm sorry your Maiden expereince wasn't so good. You know, with Maiden, you know your always going to get something different every tour. One tour they will do a very large production with a classic setlist, and the next it will be stripped down with mostly new material. Lucky I caught them on the tour where they brought back the setlist and stage set they used on the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son tour in 1988 with a few differences and surprises, but no new material. That's all I wanted to say. Lol

Oh yeah, I'm going to see Aerosmith tomorrow for their Global Warming tour. I'll be happy whether or not its good. I work 10 hours a night and I'm on the late shift, just having the night off work rocks for me. Throw in Aerosmith and a few beers and you got a winner with me! :D

Red Hot Chilli Peppers right after Stadium Arcadium released.

It was like watching a GAP commercial. Just so disappointing.