Bad Music Gigs/Concerts that you've been to.

I saw Kate Bush in the 70s in Mannheim. The music was probably fine, can't remember, but the whole concertt was choreographed to the nines and there was absolutely no audience interaction or even recognition that there was an audience there. She may as well have sent a videotape.

About the same time and at the same venue I saw Elton John. I went straight after work to get a good (free) parking space. As I passed the back of the Rosengarten Concert Hall, I saw him going down the steps to the back entrance. Just him with a small briefcase, arriving 2-3 hours before kick-off. He was, and, I think, is still, pretty conscientious.

In those days, he only had the Greatest Hits, and it was a rollicking evening. About 40 years later saw him again - still a great entertainer. By the later date I wasn't so interested in his music any more but it was such a good show, you couldn't help but enjoy it.

P.S. Another John Martyn fan, never saw him live, but love the "Solid Air" album.

Very weird gig, 70's, Fripp and Eno. We didn't even realised they'd started, just came on stage and started playing very odd music, with a totally inconsequential video running in the background

Oh, I just remembered that we saw Ginger Baker's Airforce- it/he was awful.

We went to see the Mavericks a couple of years ago in the concert hall in Glasgow. Now, I'd seen them a couple of times before and they gave a fabulous night of entertainment, so was really looking forward to seeing them again.
I'm not sure whether it was the crap seats the skinflint husband had bought (all that was left he told me!) but the acoustics were really dreadful.
Might just have been our seats, way up front looking down at the side of the stage, as the body of the kirk seemed to have a great time!

Worst EVER was Randy Crawford at a venue in Croydon. My son bought 2 tickets and I went with his (then) wife. Afterwards, we agreed not to tell him how absolutely awful it had been. I still regret not demanding his money back. She came on very late, in a stained t-shirt and skirt, obviously roaring drunk, sang a few bars of some song nobody had heard of and then morphed into a conversation with an invisible friend. She spent about an hour on stage altogether with an increasingly embarrassed band before staggering of and not coming back. I spoke to a staff member who said it had a week long nightmare and they couldn't wait for it to be over.

Best ever was Hall & Oates at Hammersmith - Brilliant!

Julie Andrews in London a few years back. She'd got no voice to speak of, and spent half the evening plugging some project her daughter was doing.

never been to a bad gig, thankfully. Saw David Bowie many many times and was never disappointed.

Our only disappointment was flying from Ireland to my home town in England a couple of years ago to attend a music festival. The main attraction, Imelda May (not turn up) decided the night before to fly to a boxing match to sing the Irish national anthem. Thankfully we still had a good evening even though most people decided not to turn up and the atmosphere wasnt great.

fevertree

We paid a small fortune to see Crosby, Stills and Nash at the Royal Albert a few years back. They sang all their hits, (fine, even if their voices are getting a bit reedy) but in the between-song 'patter' David Crosby told the same joke twice (at different times during the evening). Past it!

Yes I saw this one as well. It was not very good which was a shame as I had loved them. But later saw Graham Nash who was fine on his own

Worst - Fleetwood Mac, Tusk. They were obviously in the middle of a row and were so obviously not enjoying themselves that the audience didn't either. Best - 2 or 3 Super tramo, David Cassidy in the early 70s (sigh), John Denver (twice) and on

We had that weather when we saw Elton John at a local football stadium, Dinahmo. He and Lulu actually put on a great performance that night and if we were in the cheaper seats in the stand we’d have been fine. Unfortunately we’d paid extra for seats on the pitch and there was no escape. I don’t think I’ve ever been so wet in my life.

Not a bad gig but a very wet one. Jefferson Airplane did a free gig on Parliament Hill. It poured with rain and the small number that attended stood under the trees watching the band. On reflection it was good of them to play in the rain.

I too am another who thought Van Morrison was dire and grumpy (Hexagon, Reading). Phoebes I saw a band at the Toby Jug in Tolworth, but can’t remember who they were. Also saw Ginger Baker at South Hill Park - excellent drummer but he was scary.

We had seen Chuck Berry a number of times and loved his music however the last time we saw him he was playing off key. We wondered if he was doing it on purpose as he was a bit if a difficult character. We left early in the end very disappointed.

We’ve seen Stevie Wonder on a number of occasions and he was brilliant each time ?

I too saw the Beatles in Birmingham, they were supported by Dusty Springfield. Sadly I never heard a word of the Fab 4 but it was an experience I’m glad I had.

Saw Peter Green in his latter years and he shuffled on stage and the rest of the band supported him physically and mentally, however when his hands touched his guitar the magic music came out.

We saw Tanita Tickerama or whatever her name was. She was support singer for The Blues Band. She was absolutely dreadful. In fact I felt sorry for her as the audience showed their dislike of her and her music.

We paid a small fortune to see Crosby, Stills and Nash at the Royal Albert a few years back. They sang all their hits, (fine, even if their voices are getting a bit reedy) but in the between-song 'patter' David Crosby told the same joke twice (at different times during the evening). Past it!

Paddyanne OK you've given me a lot of new (to me) stuff to check out I'll get back to you when I have. It's why I post on music threads, to get the heads up on something different to listen to.

Stephenmarra have you heard the tribute album to John Martyn ? Its called Johnny Boy would love this ,and has all sorts of unlikely people singing his songs ,people who probably weren't alive when he was at his best some fab versions on it

Danny Thompson plays with Ross Wilson AKA Blue Rose Code ,terrific voice and great songs ,DT also acompanies Eric Bibb on Scottish tours if you dont know Eric have a look on youtube and you'll find Danny on a lot of the TransAtlantic sessions made by BBC Scotland ,lots of great artists on that .We spend a lot of time at gigs ...usually .I like to find new folk though, not always folk from my youth ...King Tuts is brilliant for new exciting acts

I honestly can’t say i’ve seen any bad/disappointing concerts, apart from Showaddy Waddy some years ago. The main singer’s voice had gone well past its sell-by date. I remember a friend telling me, though, that he saw Bob Dylan in concert and BD was so grumpy that he sat in stage with his back to the audience. These big names are so popular because the fans have put them there, so I think it’s very bad form if they don’t do their best to give a good concert. We all have our off days, but surely they can put on a brave face and a concert worthy of the ticket price? Am I asking too much perhaps?! I’ve seen Michael Buble in concert 5 times and he always gives a wonderful show with his beautiful voice and some good-natured little stories and humour sprinkled in.

Paddyanne. So good to see someone who has heard of John Martyn.
Loved his early stuff with fellow drunk Danny Thompson.

I don't remember a bad gig and have seen a lot of bands both in concert and at festivals from the mid 60's onwards. The stand out moments of festivals are all to do with the weather - torrential rain and mud slides

Stand out concerts were Queen at Knebworth, INXS in a tiny venue in a college venue and Foo Fighters at Etihad. Probably the worst time was for all the wrong reasons when I got caught in a crush at Leeds Festival just as Kings of Leon came on when two sets of fans converged from different stages - they finally opened the barriers at the back and I got swept out of the site in the crowd and never saw the band! Very scary experience. I did see them in concert a couple of years later.

A funny moment was seeing Metallica who were playing right through their Black Album and the guy at the side of me was saying what the next song would be every time - I finally realised he was reading it off the tee shirt of the person in front of us Happy days!

Another vote for Bob Dylan. Saw him in late 90s and as others have said we couldn't recognise what the song was he was mumbling.

The Rolling Stones, Birmingham Odeon in the early '60s. Brian Jones having a wee into a beer bottle. Nice.

1990 ish - The Pogues - Cornwall Coliseum - Shane McGowan totally off his head on drink/drugs. He tried to sing but could hardly stand and eventually was led off stage. A complete waste of time and money.
1993 ish - Ginger Baker playing in a smallish venue in Bonn. He was rude and obnoxious; an amazing drummer but a really nasty, rude person. I think he assumed that Germans don’t speak English...

Myself and OH went to see Dr Hook & the Medicine show at a local venue. Unfortunately it was after Dennis Locorierre had left the band so the guy with the eyepatch took the lead. He was abysmal, he was so drunk he couldn't hit a note and couldn't remember any of the lyrics. We walked out at half time.

We also went to see UB40 at a venue in Manchester. Ali Campbell was so drunk he had to be virtually carried onto the stage. He couldn't hit a good note either!

We had tickets to see Amy Winehouse but her gig was cancelled due to 'ill health' - yeah right!! We heard the next day she had been partying all day & all night in Liverpool and was too drunk to even make it to the venue.
I've since watched the online videos of her concert in Germany, absolutely awful to see her in such a state. It must have been heartbreaking for her Mum to watch her baby girl fall apart with all the world watching.