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The Eagles at Wembley in 96 on their Hell Freezes Over tour. The sound and acoustics were terrible but at least I got the chance to see one of the greatest bands ever
The Streets, came on stage and tries to fight the audience for an hour, interesting but made for a shite gig.
Ian Brown at glasto 1990something I knew there was a good chance he'd be a bit out of it but it was almost as if he was deliberately trying to miss every single note.
Tbh I've seen a lot of live bands and I've always come away happy the only exception was Pantera at the Astoria I was very young and so excited smashed through 4 cans of cider and a few joints I have no recollection of that gig at all
Almost as disappointing as Machine Head a few months later, it was Xmas, Astoria again they were throwing out gifts into the crowd one was a VIP pass to come on tour with them to their next gig in Germany it wasn't till I was on the night bus home that I read the back of the sticker I'd found out n the floor....
Just for balance I'll add that I've seen the Yeah Yeah Yeahs a few times and they've never been less than excellent. Also saw the John Squire era above and he was great (must have got him on a good day) and Motley Crue recently were awesome.
I'll agree that the non-slash G'n'R were pretty ordinary and Kings of Leon c. 2003 were bloody awful live.
Kings of Leon, glasto 2004. Dreadful. Really liked youth and young manhood, massively looked forward to seeing them. Utterly arrogant and boring as hell. Walked away and didn't listen to them for ten years.
Other experience was jack Johnson. Saw him at Nottingham arena. Possibly worst gig I've ever been to. Haven't listened to him since.
The Happy Mondays, walked out before the end and never really bothered listening to their stuff again, in fairness it was the reunion tour and they all looked like that this was just to get one more mortgage payment done before calling it quits.
[i]in fairness it was the reunion tour ..[/i]
there's your answer - avoid reunions. See new stuff!
I was disappointed by audioslave. Until the encore which Chris Cornell had clearly been saving himself for, which blew me away.
The lead singer walked out on stage, started on the opening song, and the first thing that jumped into my mind was, "What a prick".the editors
And that was it. Terrible gig.
Why would you even begin to think that going to a Jack Johnson gig would be a good idea? Utter no-talent shitehawk.Jack Johnson
GNR-Without-Slash were awesome at Leeds in 02... And I was well up for standing up the back taking the piss. Dire in 2010 though, IIRC they opened with Shackler's Revenge ffs.
Every band I've ever seen live has sucked except the verve. I've stopped going to live events because they're always guff in comparison and I have the same "over it" response.
Flew out to see Alt-J in Berlin last November with big expectations. Have rinsed their albums over the last couple of years and convinced myself they are on some kind of higher plain with their amazing sound - however, live, I found them lacklustre and completely devoid of any 'cool'. Sound stage didn't meet my critical standards either unfortunately. Wasn't until last handful of tracks did I feel they had properly warmed up and I found myself immersing with the music.
Actually, pains me to say it, but Faith No More at The Roundhouse last year was also a bit flat. Great venue, just didn't rock out half as much as I expected. Didn't even sell out which I couldn't believe, this probably contributed to atmosphere.
Saw them at Brixton in 09 for the second coming reunion which was excellent though.
Coffee king - I take it you haven't been to a Flaming Lips gig?
Guilemots, Brixton Academy 2007(ish) - the band seemed completely disinterested in the audience - as became the audience in them. People were eventually talking amongst themselves and ignoring the band.
Made me realise just how cynical The Guilemots - or rather their lead singer - was. Never listened to them since - and I believe they pretty much disappeared From view soon after that.
Orbital in Brixton. Conversely Phil Hartnoll's side project Long Range were amazing at Glade.
Foo Fighters.Ditto. Both great live performers IMHO.
I saw the Foos in Milton Keynes last year and they were good. (Although I was quite literally freezing to death after the sun went down and hoping that they'd not play on much longer than the two hours I was expecting. Also I hate the MK Bowl with a vengeance - terrible, terrible venue.)
However I first saw them in Cardiff in about 2002 and they sounded terrible. Could have blamed it on the venue but I saw the Manics there two weeks later and their sound system was perfect.
Van Morrison. Torn-faced auld bastard.
😀 What year was this?
Todd Rundgren in Glasgow, 10 years ago.
Todd may be God, but live he was utter shit.
Katastrophy Wife Hahahahahah! I NEED to know where and when this was. I know her old backing band from when she was based in Brum.
I have no doubts they would agree with your review mind, I don't think the mayhem was confined to that gig. Probably the cleverest name for a band ever though.
Archie Bronson outfit, about 2007, not sure if it was just a dodgy pa but the sound was awful, especially considering the album derdang derdang was so so good, still one of my favourite albums of all time despite the live gig...
Radiohead!
I'm surprised nobody has said it already. I know they are a bit marmite anyway - but even the 30% or so of their catalogue that I think is genius just sounded crap when I saw them in Manchester about 10 years back. I was gutted. Maybe it was because I was seated quite far back.
Also, whenever I've seen them live on telly they've sounded crap as well. Maybe that's why they haven't released many live concert DVDs... they know they sound bad! :-0
The Pogues 1988 Edinburgh Playhouse. Just shyte really apart from when Kirsty McCall came on was like they all started paying attention or something.
Prince Wembley arena 1990 I think just a 2hr medley.
Carlos Santana 1989 Hammersmith, he may be a technical guitar God but his stage presence was mince.
Kasabian 2009 Dundee Caird Hall like a pish wee local school band and utterly lacking in any depth or presence. Too reliant on their sound engineers. I've also come to the conclusion that they are dicks.
It can work the other way too. I have zero interest in Feeder for example but really enjoyed them in Cardiff. Funny how it works out sometimes
+1 for Chilli Peppers - Reading 1996 - arrogant, little interaction. BSSM was such a great album too.
REM - their songwriting is great but it doesn't quite carry through live. Glastonbury 2003 I think was the last time I saw them, really not enough engagement with the crowd. Shame as I still love their music.
Both times I've seen the Rolling Stones it felt like I was watching a Rolling Stones cover band trying to be like the Rolling Stones. Last time was when they headlined Glasto a few years ago and I wandered off to see Bootleg Beatles and they were amazing - having obviously never seen the Beatles live it was great to hear it...
On the other hand Seasick Steve is amazing live - a massive racket of proper blues, his random homemade guitars are an added bonus. But his character and performance never quite come through when you're listening at home.
The Waterboys were my late 80s idols - saw them in a big tent at Broadford on Skye in ?89? and they were well underwhelming. The four hour wait in the rain to make the electrics safe may have contributed to a flat atmosphere.
The Pogues - I saw them at Barrowlands just after Jock Stein died and it was an immense gig: eight years later at the Demonfort hall with Strummer singing they were crap. There's a career trajectory/fan relationship thing which means loads of bands are on a hiding to nothing after a couple of years/albums.
Surprisingly shit: faithless (although that may have been the hundreds of bellends trying to record everything on their phone)
Counting Crows. As above, August...is one of my favourite albums, but Adam seems to need to **** off vocally when he's in front of a crowd
Wedding Present. This was 89/90, and the first time a singer wound me up
Nirvana. Loved Bleach, but they were total shit live. mudhoney blew them off the stage.
Surprisingly good: James (I think it was reading). Never been interested in their music, but they can put on a show
The Beards. A novelty band singing about beards...I wasn't expecting much but they were brill
Manic Street Preachers. They played at our local, and at the time had a few column inches in sounds/mm/nme. I went along thinking they would be the new Birdland...turned out they were OK. Obviously went a bit MOR after that.
Ocean Colour Scene. Definitely not a favourite band, infact I never really listened to them. But for some reason I went to watch them live. Good god, truly dreadful. Their support act was just them, sans the drummer and the bassist. THe dads looked like they were enjoying it though.
The Damned; what a mess. But granted, they weren't in their prime.
Bad Religion. I was probably not in the mood, but I didn't enjoy them. THey were great at Rebellion festival though, and Tested is a great live album.
Biffy Clyro at the AECC in Aberdeen. God they were sh1te.
On the other hand Counting Crows at the Colston Hall in Bristol were simply amazing, well worth the flight down.
Oasis. One of their last gigs in Singapore, really poor
Nina Simone was a little dissapointing but she was very old at the time so can't be unexpected.
^ I have heard so many counting crows live songs that sound brilliant. I think I was at a shit night.
(Although round here/thunder road was incredible)
On the other hand, a band whose think are pish but who are consistently incredible live, are Chase & Status.
Recorded stuff is chavtastic humdrum but somehow, I've seen them three magic times.
sc-xc. First time I've seen them live took a chance & flew down to Bristol from Morayshire, was easier/cheaper than the trip to Glasgow (go figure that out) Terrific gig though Adam does sound different live & does tend to mix the songs up a little.
Great couple of days. Loved the gig. Thoroughly enjoyed visiting Bristol, the Colston Hall was a cracking venue & the nepelese across the road was one of the best I've ever been to.
REM at Manchester cricket ground not good but at least the support band the zotons were fantastic!!!!
If we are adding bands that were surprisingly good, the Pretenders - never keen on them on the whole, absolutely fantastic when I saw them at Gateshead, and they were on after Gun and Jimmy Barnes, both of whom were great as well.
Years ago I was really into the first Del a Soul album.rushed down the front at Glastonbury,they were absolutely pitiful.shame.
After being part of one of the best gigs of my life(supported by Soulwax) ,LCD Soundsytem stank when they did the wireless fest few years ago..
🙂Apart from mbv of course.
Re Count Zero's stranglers crack ,I would not fancy a slap from JJ Burnell!!
I also saw the chilli peppers in 88 ,@Newcastle riverside, I still have john frusciante's chilli pepper baseball hat! 🙂
[i]I also saw the chilli peppers in 88 ,@Newcastle riverside, I still have john frusciante's chilli pepper baseball hat![/i]
Hilel was on guitar when I saw them. Supported by a just post-Housemartin's Norman Cook on the decks. 🙂
[i]LCD Soundsytem stank when they did the wireless fest few years ago..[/i]
Crikey, that's a shock! - their Brighton gig stands out as one of the very best I've seen. Wonderful. Hoping to see them again seeing as they're making more music.
Pretty much anyone I liked back in the day that reformed years later for a tour.
@dezb,I've just checked ,I was wrong ,it was 1990. 🙂
That sounds like a quality evening and possibly another thread along the lines of the best gig line ups you've ever attended......?
Could be, but I've got loads! That RHCP gig... Soho (remember "Hippychick"??) were also on the bill. Klub Foot, London. Was marvellous!
I remember Soho & Klub Foot. Syndrome was the place ....indie pop star hangout par excellence...
My fave ever was Daft Punk at Stoke uni. The support was Andrew Weatherall . For me ,heaven.
I saw RHCP around that time (positive mental octopus?)
That daft punk / Andy weatherall gig would be top of my wishlist
Prince at Wembley Stadium in the early 90s. Occasional flashes of brilliance buy mostly an impromptu jam. May have worked in a small venue but alienated the audience and many left before the end.
Ozric Tentacles. Unbelievably dull gig.
Simple Minds - it was about 5 or 6 years ago; very disappointed
Surprising how people's experiences differ (or bans have good and bad gigs). My main rule is to avoid comeback gigs and bad venues - anywhere larger than Brixton Academy (outside of a festival) is unlikely to be a good experience.
Alt-j at Williams Green (Glasto) a few years back were great - didn't expect their music to work live at all but it did that night. I saw Guillemots at the Astoria and remember them being excellent. LCD Soundsystem at Brixton were superb(although one of the triggers for my tinnitus)
Primal Scream have been most variable. I've seen them when they've been brilliant but also bad enough I'd vowed never to see them again (their last Glasto Pyramid performance was embarrassing.)
Worst? Nearly any hip hop act I've seen - really hard to make it work live. Grandmaster Flash dj ing. So much for the wheels of steel - had to wait while he rebooted his Mac.
Hot Chip have never done much for me live - their music just feels roo lightweight to work over a whole gig.
Saw Florenece and her machine as support for MGMT before she'd had any exposure and left for the bar very quickly. Wailing atoanal hippy.