Who's the worst band you've seen live?

[TheRev]

Whatever excuse for a band that Rhys Ifans fronted. Utter shambolic bollocks.

[Alex Tootstick]

axel rose download 07 (I think) . Well it was GNR minus everyone but him. Can't even remember how they sounded to be honest. Was too concerned with the way they kept having hissy fits and walking off stage.really Embarrassing the bassist threw his bass at the crowd because he got upset about something. They came on half hour late. Then went off for another twenty minutes.

I heard they were upset because the majority of people were at prodigy on the second stage. I wish I'd gone prodigy.

[fretmeister]

Queens of the Stone Age.

Seen them twice and they were awful both times. Sloppy timing and a terrible mix.

Shame, because I do like the records.

[Dad3353]

The late '60s/early '70s had their share of 'less than talented' acts, but the most memorable walk-out event was quite deafinitely 'The Ox', playing a college in Berkshire. The room was far too small, and made smaller by the amount of gear stacked up against the back wall. A low stage, no crash barriers and a towering mountain of PA at each side. With a few friends, we were able to withstand the opening numbing number, but couldn't bear the sheer sound pressure, not helped by an interminable shrill saxo. We had to mime to each other that we were leaving, and could only gesture our intent to the band, oblivious to everything on stage. Physically assaulted by the volume, stomach too upset for pints; we all went home. A wasted evening.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Dad3353

[Naetharu]

Its a tie for me:

(1) Some odd band that were supporting Placebo at the Brixton Academy around 2002 - they were basically one chap yelling in cockney-slang while pogo-dancing, a drummer on an electric kit that sounded pretty bad and a guitarist who just made lots of odd noise with a multi-fx/looper. They were so bad that we took a few mins to realise that they were not just some kind of crazy sound-check.

(2) Queen Adreena at the Colchester Arts Center. The whole band were totally off their faces on drugs from what I could gather. The drummer and bass player were having a great time just jamming stuff and otherwise going way off in the middle of songs. And the singer spent most of the gig mumbling into a mic, often with the wrong lyrics and/or just made up stuff. For the grand finale she popped off stage, came back with a DIY step-ladder, stripped naked, climbed the thing and then dove into the audience. It was...erm...interesting.

Oh, and a third...

(3) Saul Williams at Reading around 2003ish for being a totally condescending and arrogant plonker. The guy is pretty political but simply spending half you gig railing at your audience because you assume that you know more about certain conflicts in Africa than they do is just a bit off really. Shame as musically he was tight.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Naetharu

[Graham]

[quote name='Alex Tootstick' timestamp='1447961326' post='2911908']
axel rose download 07 (I think) . Well it was GNR minus everyone but him. Can't even remember how they sounded to be honest. Was too concerned with the way they kept having hissy fits and walking off stage.really Embarrassing the bassist threw his bass at the crowd because he got upset about something. They came on half hour late. Then went off for another twenty minutes.

I heard they were upset because the majority of people were at prodigy on the second stage. I wish I'd gone prodigy.
[/quote]

You could have seen both as GnR were late.

The Prodigy were great

[LayDownThaFunk]

Good question! I have seen loads of turgid local acts...

Hollywood Undead were shocking if anyone remembers them.

Friends were pretty bad.

Florence & The Machine - utter dog s***e.

All American Rejects circa 2012.

[6feet7]

I'm afraid I've left quite a few gigs over the years but the big names that spring to mind were Deep Purple In Brighton just when Ritchie Blackmore was about to jump ship again in the early 90's. You could tell that they were going through the motions but hated being on the same stage together. Joe Bonamassa a couple of years ago at Hammersmith. The drum and bass were so loud I felt physically sick, and the last one was Slash and the Conspiritors supported by Glenn Hughes California Breed at Wembley (was that this year or last? Time flies). Glenn Hughes just screamed all the way through his set and then kept telling everyone he was English (I suppose for those people who thought he wasn't) and there was absolutely no chemistry at all with Slash' lot. I didn't even stay for Sweet child of mine it was such a lack lustre experience

Edited November 19, 2015 by 6feet7

[The Admiral]

2 for me ; John Martyn at the Lowry about 8 years ago, maybe more. Came on late, pissed and couldn't play. The band tried to cover for him, and his Les Pqul was turned right down, but after 20 minutes we gave it best. We weren't alone - plenty were leaving and comparing notes, as seasoned Martyn fans observed, he was always mercurial, but if he was having a shocker, you were best just to write the night off and go home.

The absolute worst was Bad Manners at Oxford Poly in about 1985. Shambolic, and Buster Bellend was very pissed and in a belligerent mood. The room cleared after bout1 0 minutes - which is impressive at a summer ball, as everyone is up for a party, but the bar was sardine like, until the band finished and the Poly in house Blues Brothers tribute act took over, when it went bananas. Good night in the end - in fact, IIRC, a very good night in the end IYKWIM!! Oh to be young again.

Edited November 19, 2015 by The Admiral

[discreet]

[quote name='The Admiral' timestamp='1447965761' post='2911959']
...a very good night in the end IYKWIM!!
[/quote]

Yes, I do.

[phil.c60]

A gothy/proggy-type band in around 1979/80 at The Greyhound Fulham Palace Rd. I was living in Fulham at the time so used to just drop in with a mate on a Friday/Saturday to see who was on. I thought they were still tuning up/sound checking until I realised after about 15 minutes that this was what they actually played like. We might have even left without finishing our beer. Can't remember who they were (if I ever knew, tbh), but they were absolutely the worst thing I've ever seen on a stage. And I've seen some things, I can tell you.

[mrtcat]

Eric Clapton at the Albert Hall on the "From The Cradle" tour. Refused to play any real classics and droned on with a load of self indulgent dull blues crap that made me want to top myself. Since then I can't stand the guy and every time he turns up at someone else's gig to do a "guest turn" I head for the bar.

[Luulox]

Evanescence at the arena in sheffield. Got a free ticket from a mate because his missus wouldn't go. Support band were a poor nirvana type who were on for over an hour playing bad shouty stuff. Evanescence came on, played for 30 sterile, tepid, out of tune minutes said thank you Sheffield and left. I still think I paid too much.

[discreet]

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1447967686' post='2911977']
...every time he turns up at someone else's gig to do a "guest turn" I head for the bar.
[/quote]

Bit like Jools..? Shame about Eric though, because of course he's very capable when he's not being boring.
Too much time and money on his hands, obviously...

[RockfordStone]

Wheatus.
not only did they sound outdated and like they were going through motions, they just sounded awful. the guitars felt out of tune, the singing was awful. I had to leave the room in the end. Lucky they were only supporting.

[Cato]

The Eagles at Birmingham NIA about 15 years ago.

It was partly the venue,the NIA isn't great & there was a distinct lack of atmosphere at the back of the back tier where we were.

It wasn't helped by the band stopping after every song to change guitars, or by the fact there was a bit of band politics in the set list - every member had to perform a number from their solo career whether anyone had ever heard it or not. Don Henley did a song he'd written for an episode of Miami Vice and there just generally seemed to be a lack of passion from the band.

Years later I saw a documentary where it was mentioned that there were a few tensions in the band during that European tour,so maybe that was a part of the problem,

[inthedoghouse]

A very long time ago, Supertramp. In fairness it could be that they were ok but I found them so boring. Why did I go then? A couple of friends offered me a ticket if I gave them a lift so I thought it might be worth a look. Zzzzzzzzzzz ...

Sham 69 back in the day were really bad, but quite entertaining.

[Subbeh]

RHCP at Reading were up there for me, I know it was the tail end of a long tour but there was nothing, endless uninspired jamming with zero chemistry.

Marilyn Manson, I'm not really a fan but I've wound up seeing him a few times and at Leeds festival he was dire, contempt for his
audience couldn't have been more obvious and he was clearly only onstage long enough to fulfil the contract. An absolute disgrace of a show.

[White Cloud]

I have seen Rush six times over the years....one of my all time favourite bands, but the sound quality/mix has been consistently diabolical.

Strange that one of my favourite bands gigs should have proved some of the biggest disappointments.

[tauzero]

Back in the late 70s, I was going to see Black Sabbath. A friend told me that the support band were absolutely fantastic, with a demon lead guitarist. So I went, Dickens-like, with great expectations, only to be sorely disappointed by Tanzder Youth (Sabbath were good though).

It turned out there had been different support bands, and the one I'd missed through going on the wrong night were called Van Halen.

[steve-soar]

Madness. Naff as f*** and the crowd was full of racist dickheads.

[dougieb]

Barclay James Harvest at the Glasgow Apollo 1975, so dire and boring I fell asleep.

[sharkboy]

There was a local band who opened as part of a Raging Speedhorn/Amen double header. Their name has long since dropped out of my memory; their performance, unfortunately, hasn't. The singer's idea of performing was literally to insert the head of the SM58 into his gob and roar into it, while the band appeared to play 4 different songs behind him. For 30 minutes. To his credit, his singing was responsible for the strangest request from a singer to the sound guy when Raging Speedhorn took the stage - "Can I get a new mic up here? This one just smells of puke". Ah...the look on the soundguy's face...

In terms of named bands, the only gig I've ever walked out of due to boredom was The Waterboys in Bangor (Northern Ireland) around 1986-7. I'd already seen them 3 times by this stage and they were never less than entertaining. Unfortunately by the time of the Bangor gig, Mike Scott had gone all "I'm an Irish folk troubador, me" and the gig basically consisted of the band coming on pissed as farts and trying to out-Riverdance Michael Flatley. After about half an hour of boring as hell diddly-dee music and some very dodgy Irish dancing displays, we all decided that enough was enough and retired to a nearby hostelry to reminisce about when the band used to be good.

Edited November 19, 2015 by sharkboy

[Woodinblack]

Guns and Roses, without a doubt. massively late, came on, 4/5 songs with appalling timing and talentless, 5 minute yell at the crowd for not being impressed by that sub bar band performance and a hissy fit off stage following by the crowd trashing the venue.

Gary moore, first performance when he went 'blues', came on, years ago, Portsmouth guild hall. full gig was just over 45 minutes. Very good for that time but very short.

The Mission a few years ago. Saw them loads of time and they were great. Took my wife (begrudgingly) to see The Mission and the Fields of the nephilim, told her that the mission were great on stage and FOTN weren't. Turned out to be completely the other way round, the mission spent their time moaning about everything.

[ednaplate]

The first gig I ever walked out off was Badly Drawn Boy at Manchester Academy shortly after he'd won the Mercury music prize. He was being a prize dick and I wasn't the only one who thought that as the place emptied. The Jabez Clegg saw a lot of business that night. Another was a Monaco reunion at The Ritz in Manchester. Peter Hook was unrehearsed, unprofessional and basically crap. He couldn't remember the words to his own songs and when he wasn't effing and jeffing every other word he seemed uninterested. His other half in Monaco, David Potts, basically carried him through the set and looked thoroughly pee'd off with Hooky. The final was The Cult a couple of years ago at Manchester Apollo - just dire.