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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
label19
36 posts
 
Bob Dylan, Olympic Stadium, Detroit, 1978.  On stage with an electric guitar backed by a female chorus dressed in glitter.

Dylan: "like a rollin' stone"
Chorus: "ooo - ooo - ooo"

(The late and lamented Olympic stadium - a horrible place for a concert but best ever for hockey.  Love the octopi.)
rcronk
52 posts
 
So many candidates for worst of the worst.  I see with many posts already in that nobody named Zappa & the Mothers!  Of course, how could anybody who ever saw Zappa live say that?! Only "awesome" when that meant 'full-of-awe'.  
In 1999 Santana and crew played in Minneapolis at the Target Center.  Into the second or third song the new Gov. Jesse 'the body' Ventura slid onto the stage and stood in the back and slapped at some drum they gave him.  I wanted to puke.  It was like watching Ted Nugent trying to upstage Wayne Kramer and MC-5.  Kramer is still great.  Ted still sucks and I saw him when it was still the Amboy Dukes.  Santana peaked at Woodstock.  Jessie 'I got no brain' Ventura made it all the worse.  In 1999 in Mnpls. he should have been playing with Otto's Garage!  
jacksky
102 posts
 
Worst.. Boz Scags at the beacon, the entertainment was watching stage hands hand him a different guitar after every song.... The Stones at the Meadowlands, Jagger paced left to right on stage  and shouted the words to every song without changing pitch....Van Morrison at the Apollo, drank between every song, belittled his own band, included anti Semitic slur that the crowd went crazy with positive applause.
best moments: took my 12 year old son to PNC for ELP, Deep Purple (Steve Morse was superb ) and Dream Theater. My son was 2 years into drum lessons and he got to see Carl Palmer, Ian Pace and Mike Portnoy - they all delivered but you can’t beat youth. Portnoys energy made everybody pay attention.
22 years later my son returned the deed and surprised my by taking me to Radio City Music Hall to see King Crimson. They performed with 3 drummer s and played every song true to every note - oh so classy. They even dressed in black/white formal.

emcallaway
8 posts
 
Ben Folds with yMusic, at Live on the Green in Nashville, maybe 2017?  It was apparently his birthday, so he could be as drunk as he wanted to be.

Also, Five Iron Frenzy in 2019 at Exit/In in Nashville.  I had such high hopes for a high-energy show despite them not having played in a while, but Reece couldn't remember the words and had a guy holding an iPad down front with cue cards.  Barely tried to hide it.  I didn't find it amusing.
sat7
23 posts
 
Two worst shows. Aerosmith 1977 with opening act Nazareth. Nazareth killed it. Incredible performance. Aerosmith was too loud, too drunk, incapable of performing.

The Who. Apr 28, 1980 in St. Louis with The Pretenders opening. Chrissie Hynde. Awesome performance. This was my third Who concert. Keith Moon had passed in 1978. This was not the Who. Totally bummed. My faith would be renewed when Simon Phillips joined in 1988. Phillips put in a performance that was absolutely incredible. Phillips played Kieth Moon. Phillips owned this night. -
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