Whats the worst live band you have ever seen ?

A lady friend dragged me along to see spandau ballet many years ago , that was bad 👎

But as a rock fan The Micheal Schenker Group at sr davids Hall in 1983 took some beating

Great guitarist in his day but his last studio album was dreadful and got a lathering in the rock press

That night he was so pissed he had to be pushed onto the stage , couldn't string three chords together and walked off after an hour , getting booed

Van Morrison was a superb performer in his time but his pathetic moodiness and tantrums ruined several gigs that I went to and his cardiff performance in 1993 was the end for me , I paid 30 quid to watch him act like a spoilt kid . Miserable fecker belted through the hits and walked off early , no encore

Van the man ?

Van rental more like

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

A lady friend dragged me along to see spandau ballet many years ago , that was bad ��

But as a rock fan The Micheal Schenker Group at sr davids Hall in 1983 took some beating

Great guitarist in his day but his last studio album was dreadful and got a lathering in the rock press

That night he was so pissed he had to be pushed onto the stage , couldn't string three chords together and walked off after an hour , getting booed

Van Morrison was a superb performer in his time but his pathetic moodiness and tantrums ruined several gigs that I went to and his cardiff performance in 1993 was the end for me , I paid 30 quid to watch him act like a spoilt kid . Miserable fecker belted through the hits and walked off early , no encore

Van the man ?

Van rental more like

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I agree with you about Van Morrison.
I saw Pink Floyd when they toured Animals and it put me right off. They played most of Dark Side of the Moon without appearing to notice that they had an audience, said "we're going to take a break now", came back 15 minutes later and played Animals, walked off, came back and played Money as an encore. Every song was played exactly as it was on the record. I could have just sat at home and played the records with the volume turned up.
When I go to see a band at a gig I expect things to sound different to the highly produced recordings, I expect them to interact with their audience, there was none of that with Floyd, it was sterile.
It was long time ago, can you tell that I still haven't got over it? And don't start me on Richie Blackmore....

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Originally Posted by RichardM

I agree with you about Van Morrison.
I saw Pink Floyd when they toured Animals and it put me right off. They played most of Dark Side of the Moon without appearing to notice that they had an audience, said "we're going to take a break now", came back 15 minutes later and played Animals, walked off, came back and played Money as an encore. Every song was played exactly as it was on the record. I could have just sat at home and played the records with the volume turned up.
When I go to see a band at a gig I expect things to sound different to the highly produced recordings, I expect them to interact with their audience, there was none of that with Floyd, it was sterile.
It was long time ago, can you tell that I still haven't got over it? And don't start me on Richie Blackmore....

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Never like Floyd

Blackmore was a fantastic guitarist over the years but when I saw him in his final years with rainbow , bent out of shape tour cardiff , he was a miserable twat

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

Never like Floyd

Blackmore was a fantastic guitarist over the years but when I saw him in his final years with rainbow , bent out of shape tour cardiff , he was a miserable twat

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I said don't start me on Richie Blackmore, as you say, miserable twat, played about half an hour at Wembley Empire Pool, then walked off stage, with a load of flying seats landing on the stage not far behind him.

Chuck Berry. Played 40 minutes and toured with a band he had never previously met.

Demis Roussos. A friend managed to get a pair of free tickets for this ex-member of Tangerine Dream who I had never heard of. Turns out to be a fat bloke making sheep noises.

Groundhogs/Dr Feelgood/Hawkwind. Every track sounded the same by each of those combos.

Probably The Happy Monday’s At the 930 Club in DC or The Stone Roses at the Reading Festival around 96.

I saw the Stone Roses at The Rivermead in Reading about 6 months before that and they were fantastic.

Saw Black Grape too and they were great.

Saxon St Davids Hall , dreadful ,still to this day I don't know why I purchased a ticket and went .

Was the Van Morrison show at St David's? I went to that and was working there at the time. At the end of the set he walked down one of the aisles through the audience (flanked by security) and out the back door. The following day I learnt he carried on to the stage door and into a waiting car with the band still playing and the audience cheering. Didn't even say goodnight, not to the audience nor the stage door guys, who compared him very unfavourably with Des O'Connor and Roger Whittaker. That's my Van anecdote (Vanecdote?) - there are worse, apparently, but they all centre on him being a miserable git. The show was alright though.

To answer your question: Badly Drawn Boy at the university, early 2000s. He was probably high and kept stopping mid song to wander about the stage. Only time I've walked out of a gig, I think.

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Originally Posted by Wash DC Blue

Probably The Happy Monday’s At the 930 Club in DC or The Stone Roses at the Reading Festival around 96.

I saw the Stone Roses at The Rivermead in Reading about 6 months before that and they were fantastic.

Saw Black Grape too and they were great.

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I saw The Fall in Bradford , dreadful

Glastonbury they were fantastic

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Originally Posted by life on mars

Saxon St Davids Hall , dreadful ,still to this day I don't know why I purchased a ticket and went .

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Saxon , Crusader Tour , St Davids Hall was like watching spinal tap

But a great metal band on their day

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Originally Posted by Bluebirdman Of Alcathays

Was the Van Morrison show at St David's? I went to that and was working there at the time. At the end of the set he walked down one of the aisles through the audience (flanked by security) and out the back door. The following day I learnt he carried on to the stage door and into a waiting car with the band still playing and the audience cheering. Didn't even say goodnight, not to the audience nor the stage door guys, who compared him very unfavourably with Des O'Connor and Roger Whittaker. That's my Van anecdote (Vanecdote?) - there are worse, apparently, but they all centre on him being a miserable git. The show was alright though.

To answer your question: Badly Drawn Boy at the university, early 2000s. He was probably high and kept stopping mid song to wander about the stage. Only time I've walked out of a gig, I think.

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Thats the one

I said to the bloke sitting next to me what a cnut eh ?

He said yep

As we walked out we had a chat and he told me he was a priest

Foul mouthed ****er

I've seen bands I like play badly. Like the Fall and the Gun Club. But one that stands out is UB40 who I'd never heard of, supporting the Pretenders at the Top Rank. They were shit.

I saw Hole in about 2006. Absolute shit.

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Originally Posted by NYCBlue

I've seen bands I like play badly. Like the Fall and the Gun Club. But one that stands out is UB40 who I'd never heard of, supporting the Pretenders at the Top Rank. They were shit.

I saw Hole in about 2006. Absolute shit.

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Talking of the Pretenders, I was looking forward to watching them much more than U2 at that concert at Cardiff Arms Park in 1987 I think it wa. They were one of my favourite bands at the time, but I had to admit they were awful - they obviously didn't give a shit that day and couldn't wait to get off.

The Rolling Stones were dreadful at Ashton Gate in 1982 - in fact, the whole afternoon was.

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Originally Posted by NYCBlue

I've seen bands I like play badly. Like the Fall and the Gun Club. But one that stands out is UB40 who I'd never heard of, supporting the Pretenders at the Top Rank. They were shit.

I saw Hole in about 2006. Absolute shit.

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I saw UB40 at the NEC when they were famous. They were still shit.

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

Chuck Berry. Played 40 minutes and toured with a band he had never previously met.

Demis Roussos. A friend managed to get a pair of free tickets for this ex-member of Tangerine Dream who I had never heard of. Turns out to be a fat bloke making sheep noises.

Groundhogs/Dr Feelgood/Hawkwind. Every track sounded the same by each of those combos.

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I saw Chuck Berry in 1982 on my 21st birthday day. I knew it would be a short set and formulaic, but I really enjoyed it.

I've seen Dr Feel good a few times, great band.
Hawkind once, that was enough.

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

Chuck Berry. Played 40 minutes and toured with a band he had never previously met.

Demis Roussos. A friend managed to get a pair of free tickets for this ex-member of Tangerine Dream who I had never heard of. Turns out to be a fat bloke making sheep noises.

Groundhogs/Dr Feelgood/Hawkwind. Every track sounded the same by each of those combos.

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I saw Chuck Berry at the Clapham Grand and it was shambolic. He apparently used local back up bands as he was so mean. Great songs though.

Was Demis Roussos really in Tangerine Dream?

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Talking of the Pretenders, I was looking forward to watching them much more than U2 at that concert at Cardiff Arms Park in 1987 I think it wa. They were one of my favourite bands at the time, but I had to admit they were awful - they obviously didn't give a shit that day and couldn't wait to get off.

The Rolling Stones were dreadful at Ashton Gate in 1982 - in fact, the whole afternoon was.

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You and I have talked about this gig before on here - lol

I enjoyed the Stones at Ashton Gate in 82. It was my first stadium gig though I think......

Saw the Coral in Cardiff years ago, I think they only had about 10 songs at the time.
Started off brilliant, but they ran out of things to play about 35 minutes later.
So during their last song they did an extended instrumental break which literally was them just cocking about on their instruments for more than 20 minutes, it was terrible. The place was absolutely electric before that, and after it was like a morgue. Everyone just shuffled quietly home, there were no calls for an encore, people were just relieved to have finally been released from the final unending song.
Had I left one track before the end I'd probably have it somewhere on the list of best gigs I'd been to.

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Originally Posted by Wash DC Blue

Probably The Happy Monday’s At the 930 Club in DC or The Stone Roses at the Reading Festival around 96.

I saw the Stone Roses at The Rivermead in Reading about 6 months before that and they were fantastic.

Saw Black Grape too and they were great.

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it wasn't really the stone roses, it was Ian Brown and Mani with Aziz Imbrahim and Robbie Maddix, as Reni had left the year before and Squire just recently had his big falling out.

Kraftwerk for me. totally uninspiring live.

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Originally Posted by Bluebirdman Of Alcathays

Was the Van Morrison show at St David's? I went to that and was working there at the time. At the end of the set he walked down one of the aisles through the audience (flanked by security) and out the back door. The following day I learnt he carried on to the stage door and into a waiting car with the band still playing and the audience cheering. Didn't even say goodnight, not to the audience nor the stage door guys, who compared him very unfavourably with Des O'Connor and Roger Whittaker. That's my Van anecdote (Vanecdote?) - there are worse, apparently, but they all centre on him being a miserable git. The show was alright though.

To answer your question: Badly Drawn Boy at the university, early 2000s. He was probably high and kept stopping mid song to wander about the stage. Only time I've walked out of a gig, I think.

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Talking of Van Morrison anecdotes.....
My brother is a huge fan and spotted Van the Man at a nearby table attached to café at an airport in the States. Not wishing to bother the 'great man' but wanting memento, my brother appropriated the remnants of the sandwich that the moody one was masticating on. As soon as my brother could do so, my brother, who was working with plastics at the time, placed the morsel in a vacuum-sealed, transparent plastic box for posterity. Unfortunately, it didn't remain in the condition that he had hoped.

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Originally Posted by Bobby Dandruff

I saw Chuck Berry at the Clapham Grand and it was shambolic. He apparently used local back up bands as he was so mean. Great songs though.

Was Demis Roussos really in Tangerine Dream?

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Sorry! I meant Aphrodite's Child. I stand corrected :-)

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

A lady friend dragged me along to see spandau ballet many years ago , that was bad ��

But as a rock fan The Micheal Schenker Group at sr davids Hall in 1983 took some beating

Great guitarist in his day but his last studio album was dreadful and got a lathering in the rock press

That night he was so pissed he had to be pushed onto the stage , couldn't string three chords together and walked off after an hour , getting booed

Van Morrison was a superb performer in his time but his pathetic moodiness and tantrums ruined several gigs that I went to and his cardiff performance in 1993 was the end for me , I paid 30 quid to watch him act like a spoilt kid . Miserable fecker belted through the hits and walked off early , no encore

Van the man ?

Van rental more like

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I've been lucky in that most gigs I've been to have seen, at worst, workmanlike performance, but nothing stinking the place out. Perhaps Kasabian in the CIA around 2005/06, Tom Meighan way too far off his tits.

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Originally Posted by Fatty Thornton

I've been lucky in that most gigs I've been to have seen, at worst, workmanlike performance, but nothing stinking the place out. Perhaps Kasabian in the CIA around 2005/06, Tom Meighan way too far off his tits.

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Think I was lucky with Van Morrison. I knew he could be a moody prick but enjoyed each of the 3 or 4 times I saw him.

Groundhogs mentioned above - loved them live - but I was about 14 at the time!

Worst - Dexys Midnight Runners. Walked off the stage because their crowd was 'too studenty' - (....err at Reading University?...)

Absolute worst - that knob Paul Weller and his Style Council in Zurich. Arrogant and thick to his Swiss audience.

A mention for Echo and the Bunnymen who simply didn't show up for a gig in Basel. (Since forgiven them though :-))

Saw Eric Clapton about 3-4 years ago in Dubai.
Came on, played about 10-12 songs, then said goodnight and walked off. Didn’t even introduce the songs.
Talking to a few people after the gig and they said he was well known for not talking at all during a concert.
I left feeling robbed. Good guitarist but zero personality

Leo Sayer.
He was booked at my uni, then had a hit single, tried to get out of the booking , didn't want to be there. On stage for 20 minutes.
Big-headed kent

Hawkwind.

Drew the short straw and dragged along to look after my 12 year old daughter, and her two friends of similar age, to see McFly at the Motorpoint. Frantic windmilling of guitars a la Pete Townsend that bore no resemblance to the pre-recorded music coming out of the speakers, with them trying to be edgy for the pre-pubescent crowd who thought they were the best band ever. Jesus Christ it was f**king torture

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Originally Posted by Bobby Dandruff

You and I have talked about this gig before on here - lol

I enjoyed the Stones at Ashton Gate in 82. It was my first stadium gig though I think......

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I think we had almost exactly this same thread about six months ago.

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Originally Posted by fingers

Drew the short straw and dragged along to look after my 12 year old daughter, and her two friends of similar age, to see McFly at the Motorpoint. Frantic windmilling of guitars a la Pete Townsend that bore no resemblance to the pre-recorded music coming out of the speakers, with them trying to be edgy for the pre-pubescent crowd who thought they were the best band ever. Jesus Christ it was f**king torture

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Winner.

Or loser I suppose.

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Originally Posted by NYCBlue

I think we had almost exactly this same thread about six months ago.

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:xmashehe:

As I was typing my post above I was thinking I must have churned out the same response at least 5 times in the 20 or so years I've been on here.

Adamski at the Newport Centre.
He stood for an hour bopping along to his pre-programmed keyboards, whilst the crowd hoped that Seal would turn up to sing the 1 track everyone knew. He didn't.
The evening was saved by the support act EMF, who had just started to hit the big time.

Wouldn’t say it was a bad gig but thought Noel Gallagher in the castle last year was a bit of a prick. Trying to have a bad attitude like his brother (you’d expect it from him at least) but just came across as a miserable twat.

I was at the that Schenker gig Sludgey, if it was the one where they were blown off by the support act Wildlife (later to morph into the band FM) with the god-like Simon Kirke on drums. Infact I do believe you have the great man's drumsticks in your vast vault of rock n'roll collectibles? I walked out after during the third or fourth number.

By far the worst band I have ever seen live was The Clash at Cardiff University in November '77. They were truly dreadfully shite. Despite being touted by the UK music weeklies the future of rock'n' roll they were an abomination. None of them could sing or barely play their instruments and were totally out of tune. Awful, just plain awful. Plus they ruined, absolutely ruined the soulful roots reggae classic, Junior Murvins 'Police & Thieves'. They steamrolled over that magnificent song and flattened it, just like the poor splattered fox I saw dead on the road earlier

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Originally Posted by RichardM

I agree with you about Van Morrison.
I saw Pink Floyd when they toured Animals and it put me right off. They played most of Dark Side of the Moon without appearing to notice that they had an audience, said "we're going to take a break now", came back 15 minutes later and played Animals, walked off, came back and played Money as an encore. Every song was played exactly as it was on the record. I could have just sat at home and played the records with the volume turned up.
When I go to see a band at a gig I expect things to sound different to the highly produced recordings, I expect them to interact with their audience, there was none of that with Floyd, it was sterile.
It was long time ago, can you tell that I still haven't got over it? And don't start me on Richie Blackmore....

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I saw The Orb in, I think '93, at Cardiff University. They played songs from their two released albums with no crowd interaction whatsoever. All the songs sounded just like their vinyl counterparts...zzzzzz.....

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Talking of the Pretenders, I was looking forward to watching them much more than U2 at that concert at Cardiff Arms Park in 1987 I think it wa. They were one of my favourite bands at the time, but I had to admit they were awful - they obviously didn't give a shit that day and couldn't wait to get off.

The Rolling Stones were dreadful at Ashton Gate in 1982 - in fact, the whole afternoon was.

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I'm with you there regarding the Stones, Bob. They just went through the motions that evening and looked bored to pieces. The J Geils band were pants too. The one good band were the opening act, a local to Bristol reggae act called I think, Talisman?

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Originally Posted by Mr Soul '68

I saw The Orb in, I think '93, at Cardiff University. They played songs from their two released albums with no crowd interaction whatsoever. All the songs sounded just like their vinyl counterparts...zzzzzz.....

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Just dug out my ticket for this one - 3rd December 92. I vaguely remember lots of lazers and dry ice but not much else. Could hardly see anyone who was on the stage.

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Originally Posted by The Bloop

Just dug out my ticket for this one - 3rd December 92. I vaguely remember lots of lazers and dry ice but not much else. Could hardly see anyone who was on the stage.

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You've got it in one. One of the most boring gigs I have ever been to. Wish I'd stayed at home

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

Saxon , Crusader Tour , St Davids Hall was like watching spinal tap

But a great metal band on their day

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Thank god its was pre lockdown and we had alcohol

Ted Nugent , Cardiff Capitol in the good old days. Only went to see the support act- Steve Gibbons Band who were very good. Ted Nugent, far too loud for the venue and couldn’t make any sense of it at all. Walked out after the 3rd song.

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Originally Posted by Ivortheengine

Ted Nugent , Cardiff Capitol in the good old days. Only went to see the support act- Steve Gibbons Band who were very good. Ted Nugent, far too loud for the venue and couldn’t make any sense of it at all. Walked out after the 3rd song.

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I was there and totally agree! Forgot that the Steve Gibbons band were the support act that night. Gig was roughly March '77?

Stereophonics at the Motorpoint (not the super spreader event they put on this year) were pretty poor. Late turning up on stage, very little personality, dreary and uninspiring

I saw Pretty Vicious in Newport when they were the next big thing and they were wonderfully shambolic. Bass player gave up playing and was just sat drinking a pint, fun but not a great performance

I remember seeing a mate's band play their first gig together and some strings on the lead guitarist's guitar snapped about two songs in