Worst Concert Ever?

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 19 Jan 2010 1:19 pm

back in the late 70s and early 80s I was contracted with an amusement park to back up any uncontained Artist with my band..We did many and actually wound up with only two that were embarassments mostly to their own image. One was a Half "S" relative of a popular Artist who could not match talent of locals working for 30 bucks a nite. And the other who had a few charted hits he had one very popular song.The Embarrasment did not happen during the Park shows but afterwoods. Very much of course related to the boucoup amounts of Alcohol consumed between shows. While sitting in the Artist trailer at the park,at least two fifths of VO and plenty beer were consumed by the band and guest dropping by. It was a cold day and late in September which made the last show at 7 feel like mid December.So Anti freeze was consumed all supplied by the park. But it was afterwoods I took the one with the One hit as I always did to a local club that some friends of mine were playing at..It was while he was up on the stage that he insulted the drummer during a song he was singing that the drummer had never heard before and had no prep before the song started..I can state that this drummer was a very good one, but trying to follow a drunk singing out of key and meter himself and to be insulted loudly over the Mike even Gene Krupa would have had trouble...I got him aside after he was done and asked him one question..Did you leave your professionalism in Nashville?.Maybe not in those words I'm sure I was very profane if you get the picture..He got a little huffy but I reminded him I had to pick him up and take him back to the, airport in the AM..If he did not want to buy another seat on the plane that he would need for the body parts he'd lose messing with me, he had better calm down or apologize to the drummer..I don't know if he did the latter..

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 19 Jan 2010 2:36 pm

George Jones... I love the guy to death, and at least he showed up both times I've gone to see him. But he cut both shows short for the exact same reason, blaming the sound man and faulty monitors. It seems like it's become part of his act. The medley thing can get old too.

Wilco nearly put me to sleep the one time I saw them.

Whiskeytown... Ryan Adams actually picked a fight with someone in the audience mid-set. He jumped offstage then scrambled right back up when he saw who he was up against.

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 15 Mar 2010 5:12 am

1978 saw the Doobies in Market Square Arena, Indianapolis -- and they played just fine, but what destroyed the show was some big hippy with huge platform shoes sitting in back of us. He took off his shoes and kept clacking the heels together quite loudly...it was the worst torture I've ever, ever had to endure...besides hearing the same country song every year with a different title.

James Allison · Post by **James Allison** » 23 Mar 2010 7:08 am

Any, and I mean any Grateful Dead show

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 23 Mar 2010 7:33 am

How many times did you see them James and what years?

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 23 Mar 2010 8:09 am

Curtis Mayfield at Wingate Field in Brooklyn, NY in the summer of 1990. Curtis went on during a windstorm and was paralyzed when lighting equipment fell on him. That, my friends, is THE worst concert ever. Make my eyes tear up thinking about it.

James Allison · Post by **James Allison** » 23 Mar 2010 8:53 am

Howdy Bill, I saw the Dead more times than I can count. Having a personal connection to the crew I ended up seeing them with all their different members for many years. I tried to like them and just couldn't figure it out. I can understand the social aspect but I never understood their musical appeal. There is room for all tastes in music ( I used to love atonal jazz). so I don't fault or question Deadhead taste. Keep on Trucking...

Steve Becker · Post by **Steve Becker** » 31 Mar 2010 5:50 pm

One of the worst performances I ever saw was not the band's fault, but was due to 'technical problems'. It was an Eagles Tribute band called Hotel California, that played in Madison WI a few years back. They all were using in ear monitors and were completely oblivious to the fact that for half of the show, there were no guitars coming out of the mains, and not even any on stage bleed, as they didn't have amps. They of course were all giving their best rock poses and faces, but nothing was coming out!! Just air guitar. I was really embarassed for them, and felt bad for the soundman, until I noticed that he wasn't doing anything AT ALL to remedy the situation! Just sitting there staring off into space not realizing that anything was wrong!. People were screaming at him. I talked to one of the guitar players after the show and told him what had happened and man was he ever pissed. I'm always a little wary of using in ears after seeing that!!

Carson Leighton · Post by **Carson Leighton** » 12 Apr 2010 5:22 pm

Travis Tritt,,,soooooooo LOUD my wife and I got up and left right after first song...

Charlie Daniels,,,does he ever tune that fiddle?

Faron young and Merle Haggard,,,Faron's show was good..Can't say the same for Merle's though,,,seemed awfully grumpy,, and the show was very short....

Mel Tillis,,,very good show,,excellent sound......

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 12 Apr 2010 7:20 pm

It was 1972 or 73......I was working & going to school in Los Angeles.....and I had been playing dobro for about a year.....so when I found out that Josh Graves was going to be playing at The Palomino Club....I was excited......except I worked evenings 'til 10......so I knew that if I closed the shop promptly at 10 and bee lined straight from San Fernando Valley to The Palomino (I forget which town it was in), I could catch the last set....

So I get there and Josh is on his second set....drunk out of his mind....slurring, dropping his bar, couldn't play....so the band pretty much took over.....Josh kept commenting how great the steel player was, as he was doing the lion's share of the playing....it could have been JD Maness, not 100% sure....

So yes,.....that was one of the worst concerts....because this guy was a hero to me....and I knew how great he was....but not this night....what a dissappoinment....

Another suck fest was Blood Sweat & Tears.....not because they played bad....musically they played well.....this was in 1969.....BS&Ts had released their first album which I loved....and they were going to play at CW Post college in NY.....so I'm there and can't wait to see them with Al Kooper, who prior to his being in BS&Ts, was in The Blues Project, a ground breaking group in NY......so they come out....and no Al Kooper....but David Clayton Thomass...."What goes up, must come down, spinning wheel got to go 'round".....I almost hurled....I was pissed......I was expecting this cutting edge, raw yet over the top rock/blues/jazz......and I got pop....

The only saving grace that evening was that the opening act was Johnny Winter who introduced for the first time.....his brother Edgar....WOW!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 12 Apr 2010 7:34 pm

Howard, I grew up in Nassau county Long Island. CW Post had many good concerts. I saw The Byrds there with Clarence White. The Blues Project after Al Cooper was a TOTALLY different sound. DC Thomas was Mr. Commercial. I was disappointed also. By the way, Al Cooper played organ on Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone".

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 13 Apr 2010 9:07 am

Kenny Chesney, Jacksonville, FL, 2007.
LOOOOUD! BOOOORING!
Free tickets __ left really early.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 13 Apr 2010 9:23 am

Speaking of opening acts being better than the headliner, I've seen a number of those.

I went to see John Hammond Jr. at a local club and opening for him was Jeff Lang. I have never seen anyone play slide as well as Jeff: he was on fire. Hammond was week as dishwater next to him.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 13 Apr 2010 2:15 pm

when the alt.country rage just started in the early 90's there was HUGE press in my area about a band called Whiskytown - which featured a 20 year old Ryan Adams who has now gone on to fame in both songwriting and in dating/marrying movie stars - he was supposed to be Gram Parsons reincarnate and the band was featured in all the hip music mags, NY times, etc. so, being interested my musician friends all went to the show. worst band i've ever seen, they didnt even bother to TUNE their instruments - it was basically a Punk band playing country sounding "i'm drinking you off my mind" kind of stuff - no musical talent AT ALL - not only did we leave after 30 mins but OUR CAR GOT TOWED (along with 10+ others) as we parked in some unmarked area.
we still rant about that night to this day.

James Cann · Post by **James Cann** » 13 Apr 2010 7:31 pm

Not really a concert, but like a couple of others, I was forced by lust to attend a performance the thought of which still makes me shudder. I saw "Cats" on Broadway.

Lust aside, I'm afraid I'm one of the others. I saw it last weekend, to this effect as we left the theater:

He sees enough who sees it once.

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 15 Apr 2010 6:15 pm

That would had to have been Sly and the Family Stone at Michigan State University back in 1969. They came on after being two hours late and after being booed soundly stated that: "Keep that pp and we you might scare us away". Louder booing ensued. Their arrogance hardly endeard them to the audience and the concert was all downhill from there. They did not play badly but the mood was a bit spoiled.

While not a concert, my wife and I did walk out of a musical, "Les Miserables" London. 1987. The title said it all but it has had a 25 year run there, so it must have been our fault. Except for that, I've never walked out of anything. stevet

Ben Feher · Post by **Ben Feher** » 16 Apr 2010 1:39 pm

Drove 6 hours to see Robert Randolph, got their an hour late, paid $8 for a beer in a plastic "bottle". Looked around, saw everyone was sitting and looking melancholy. The band started and realized I was at a christian rock concert. I tried to listen, but it was the lamest of the lame gospel-lite-rock. Asked someone and found out that RR and the family band were the opening act, that we missed. It didn't even occur to us that Robert Randolph wasn't the headliner. Left one song later.