The Worst Show I've Ever Seen

[Horned Gramma]

There have been some reeeeeal stinkers. Bands have off nights sometimes, and sometimes you just aren't in the right headspace to enjoy a show you would otherwise, but sometimes you see a performance SOFA KING awful that it changes your opinion of that artist forever.

So who was the fucking WORST ever? After much consideration, I think that honor, for me, goes to The Decemberists around the time of The Crane Wife. Here on their home turf in Portland at the Crystal Ballroom, everything about this show was dismal beyond belief. The sound was even worse than usual at the Crystal, plus it was UNBELIEVABLY loud. There was a full forty-five minutes between the second opener and the time the Decemberists took the stage, and in that time the P.A. system blasted the entirety of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf at the highest possible volume. All the way through. Twice. You think you hate the sound of a piccolo? Try it at like a gazillion decibels. That particular musical selection has come to symbolize the miserably frilly pageantry the Decemberists continue to use as their 'gimmick'.

By the time they got on-stage I already wanted to kick Colin's ass, but his smug, crushed-velvet pirate routine just put me over the edge that night. The setlist actually contained several songs that I really, really love -- but since they took so damn long to take the stage they played them at almost twice the correct speed so they wouldn't be guilty of playing a half set.

It was miserable. I've seen some real cold, dead shit-shows in my life but the wreath goes to that one.

K yous guyses turn.

[stamper]

I have a Top 5, really... interestingly enough, most of them occurred at various music festivals.

1. Interpol: Music Midtown 2005. - Was like watching a high school garage band practice - but without the humor
*2. TV on the Radio: Bonnaroo 2009 - WAY too much base and little balance in the audio.
3. Pavement: Sasquatch 2010 - Try rehearsing first next time.
4. The National: Bonnaroo 2007, The Tabernacle - ATL 2008, Lakewood Amphitheater - ATL 2008, Lollapalooza 2010. MATT BERNINGER ON STAGE = COMAS
5. Dave Matthews Live at Piedmont Park, 2007 - 80,000 people crammed into Piedmont Park is not a good idea... especially when Dave's setlist was a C- at best

*This one bums me out the most, as I love TVotR to pieces... but the sound for that show was horrendous

[Horned Gramma]

Gah. Dammit, wait. Forgot about Pavement; that was light years worse than even the shittiest Decemberists show.

Pavement. /thread

[StormyPinkness]

That Pinback show was pretty awful. Aspects of Physics is quite possibly the worst opening act I have ever seen in my life. Then Optigonally Yours was supposed to play and they didn't. Then Pinback sounded super emo and it was just a crap show.

[Cbats]

JJ at the Crystal opening for the XX was unbearable. I like JJ quite a bit but this was their first tour and it made me unable to listen to their cd's for a solid year or so. Their live "show" basically consisted of the lead singer doing bad karaoke withcheesy beach shots of on a screen behind her.

Toro y Moi this February was also horrible because the sound was just a disaster. Band of horses in Eugene right before Infinite Arms came out was also fairly horrible. The combination of them playing a bunch of new songs from an album that was clearly going to be horrible and a shockingly large contingent of screaming 16 year old girls made it really hard to enjoy. I heard their Sasquatch set last year was pretty solid which is kind of disappointing because I made sure to be as far away as possible.

[Lump]

WEEN WERE FUCKING AWFUL.

jklolz guyz.

I don't think I've ever been to a show I've truly disliked. There's been some indifferent ones, but nothin' too bad.

[J-Dawg]

I've never been to a live music show that was truly awful. Some mediocre ones sure, but nothing awful.

Live theatre on the other hand, I've seen some serious steaming piles of failure.

[Deleted]

I took my sister to an Angels and Airwaves concert for her 16th birthday. I think I would rather be 16 forced than do that again.

[Blacksmile]

For me it would have to be Green Day during the Insomniac Tour. Tickets were $60, they had a shitty Ramones wannnabe band opening, they blew one of the left side speakers during the opening song, played a 40 minute set, no encore and just sounded like garbage!

I have yet to see them again since then.

[weenie]

The Killers (I know) right after Hot Fuss came out. They literally got up on stage and played the album once through. No other songs, no deviations on setlist. Fucking boring as hell.

[mrlahey]

It is a tie between Rehab (I was bribed with free booze and tickets) and Coheed and Cambria in a mall parking lot.

[Pea]

Jul 18, 2011 9:00:51 GMT -8 weenie said:

The Killers (I know) right after Hot Fuss came out. They literally got up on stage and played the album once through. No other songs, no deviations on setlist. Fucking boring as hell.

I saw them on their last tour before going on hiatus and thought they kicked ass haha.

Oop. Secret's out. Pea likes teh Killers.

[davers]

I read this thread a while ago and couldnt think of a show I really didnt like until I was driving yesterday and the Kings of Leon came on the radio.

KoL sucked hard at sasquatch 09. Before seeing the show, I was so-so on them. I liked Because of the Times and was lukewarm on the new album at the time (you know, the one with the song about STD's). They come on stage, look terribly unimpressed, play some songs, pretend to give a shit and make a few hollow comments about how they are excited to be here.

I couldnt take it. I had heard lots of other people tell me they are great live, so maybe they were just having an off show. But then again people I talked to the next day said they were amazing, so who knows. All I know is, it was brutal in my opinion. I left half way through and caught the end of Crystal Castles, who saved me from wanting to complain about KoL when I got back, instead I could say how fun CC was.

That show basically ruined them for me. I was never that into them to begin with, but now I cant stand it when their songs some on the radio.

[Lump]

That was actually the second time I saw them, and that was BETTER than the other time.

Yeah, if I had to list any band, it would have to be KoL. That's what I get for seeing a band just after listening to their first album and not their latest.

[Horned Gramma]

Jul 21, 2011 15:04:57 GMT -8 Lump said:

That's what I get for going to see Kings of Leon.

[Deleted]

I liked Kings of Leon the first time I saw them! I was in the nosebleed section of the arena, but I had an awesome time with my sister. The sound was terrible where we were and we couldn't here a god damned thing, but for some reason it was my most memorable show where I had a seat. We're going again in October and we have floor tickets this time. I think it will be fun.

[know ID yuh]

Oh yeah, that KOL show at Sasquatch was dreadfully boring. It looked like they just woke up about after partying all night, which is quite possible. This has been posted before, but it's been a year or so, and we have some new regulars who will enjoy it.

This performance is much better than they displayed at Sasquatch, but is still pretty bad:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOF1FJ7wGhw

[Deleted]

That sounds like it can't be real... But it is fucking hilarious.

[know ID yuh]

Haha, of course it isn't real, that is why it is so funny.

Although, as bad as KOL are live, I wouldn't be surprised if it was real.

[DeadPunk]

The Used at Endfest 2007. Holy suck. I didn't even like them in the first place but they were so fucking bad.

I'm sure they have all killed themselves by now.