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Worst Concerts You Have Attended ??

I just left a remark about a favorite band of mine back in the day - April Wine - that I saw in concert and was disappointed. Could have been that it was an off night for them, or maybe they were never good in concert. Maybe the lead guitarist had too much to drink? April Wine was not the worst, however. I remember Neil Young in the 1990's who was on his one-man acoustic show type of tour that many artists were taking advantage of (perhaps for financial reasons) during that time. While a friend of I had near front row seats at Desert Sky Pavilion (now Ak-Chin) in Pheonix, the crowd was just roused up into a frenzy by the warm-up band (James) and here comes Neil and his guitar/harmonica. Wow, what a sonic letdown. I remember getting up and leaving and feeling Neil's glaring eyes on us as we ushered out. I think, to this day, he probably still remembers me. We all can remember the great live concerts we attended, but what were the worst and why?
goodlistening64
petg60
1,486 posts
 
Yes, Brighton back in 1980 touring for Drama, boring and without spirit, but spot on on title.

G

barts's avatar
barts
707 posts
 
Hot Tuna with Papa John Creech (fiddle), OMG I couldn't stand it with my fingers jammed in my ears the PA was so loud. Had to leave.

Rick Wakeman Journey to the center of the Earth.  Played it very well and then announced that was the only song they knew, so they played it again!  

Grateful Dead at Madison Square Garden, they played very sketchy as if they were trying to get on the same page.  To top it off, MSG management never turned the lights off, every friggin' light was on the entire time.

One of the very best:  Ella Fitzgerald at Radio City Music Hall, smooth as silk and powerful, simply amazing. 
cincinnatipete
43 posts
 
Worst sound system--Drive By Truckers in a club type venue. Lots of energy, but could not understand a single word they were singing.
Since the lyrics are a big component of their package, that was kind of disappointing. 

Worst effort--B.B. King, circa maybe 1987.  smallish venue, Austin, TX. His guitar playing was in good form, for maybe 28 minutes. 

Then his bass player, younger understudy, whatever, started trying to urge a standing ovation out of the audience. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mister BB King. BB King, Ladies and Gentlemen, Mis-ter B. B. King." 

Roommate at the time and I still keep in touch, and we still talk about the 28 minute concert. No doubting his talent, but we weren't paying to give him a lifetime achievement award that night. He must have eaten some bad Tex-Mex. 

lwin's avatar
lwin
569 posts
 
Bob Dylan again. It was about 7 to 10 years ago in a hockey arena in Maine. The acoustics were horrible. In the seventies I remember going to a concert in Boston that was so loud it was painful. I can’t remember the group but I was very disappointed that my friends and I all agreed we couldn’t take anymore and left after two songs.
winnardt
171 posts
 
I have two. Frank Zappa at the Agora Ballroom in Columbus, OH, 1979 I think. The music was OK, but Frank played with his back to the audience for at least 80% of the show. They had the lights set up so he cast this big shadow on the wall and I guess that was supposed to make up for it, but it really didn’t work. The other was Genesis in Ohio Stadium in 1992. I blame it entirely on the sound mixer because that dufus had the bass turned up way too loud and it totally drowned out the other parts of the music. But Pink Floyd at Ohio Stadium in 1988 was fantastic. The worst one I ever had to watch was the Black Eyed Peas Super Bowl halftime show so of course that doesn't count as attended. But it was an assault on my ears.
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