Worst concert

Controversial (I know many love him) but Gary Numan was full of himself and I just didn’t ‘get it’ I just saw a 3rd rate Bowie rip-off

also Badly Drawn Boy, not without talent, but just him and a backing track would’ve looked more at home in a WMC than at a festival

 

Seen Madness on a few occasions, and even now they can get a crowd rocking.
But on one occasion, all they did was play their upcoming album in it’s entirety, but as it hadn’t yet been released, everyone stood in silence not knowing a single song.
Then someone attempted to liven things up by chucking beer about, some went on the PA system and the ‘nutty boys’ stormed off stage with the face on.
Underwhelming!!!

 

Saw the chillies in Manchester who were good but the support was a "band" called baby metal the worst I've ever seen

 

Seen Journey 3 times but if the last concert had been the first it would have been once. Thunder saved the day for me. (Sheffield arena)
Gloria Estefan city hall. But the equipment kept failing. Went to Sheffield arena when she returned a couple of years later. Should’ve stayed at home.

 

I was in Bergamo in Italy in 1991. My Italian girlfriend had just dumped me on New Years Eve and I saw a poster for a concert - 'New Order'.
I loved New Order back then, so hung around in Bergamo for a few hours, took a coach to the venue.
Concert began and several local acts came on. It got to about 11pm and a heavy metal band were playing. I asked some people when New Order were coming on, and they told me that the heavy metal band that were playing was in fact New Order, at which point I realised my error. Next issue was to get back to Milan where I lived. The taxi driver, who I asked to take me to Bergamo station, told me that the last train was quite early but he'd try and get me there. Once inside the car, I realised he was a bit of a nutter, celebrating New Year while drinking beer and driving. It turned midnight and people started firing fireworks off their balconies while the driver was weaving in and out shouting and laughing. I got to Bergamo station in one piece but had missed my train, so slept in the waiting room till 6 am until the next train next day.

 

Status Quo Glasgow about 92. They were pished or over dozed on drugs and just messed about. People leaving not wanting to watch to the end

 

Dreadzone at Knebworth, whole place switched off, never seen an audience so uninterested.

 

Never been to what I would call a bad concert. Never been a fan of Doves so them supporting Travis at Sheffield Arena wasn't great.

Richard Ashcroft supported Oasis at Lancashire County Cricket Club and sang Bitter Sweet Symphony without the violins which the brilliant tune is most known for.

 

Arctic monkeys... last year? At Sheffield arena. Seat at the back, and they played so much from the latest “acquired taste” album. Most of the audience stood about talking in the corridor and having overpriced crap pints....

 

My Vitriol at the Brudenell a couple of years ago was total *****.

 

The late, lamented Sparklehorse, Debaser Medis, Stockholm, 2006. It was the end of October and there was a massive early snowfall that caught everyone out and public transport ground to a halt (don't believe the hype - it happens over there too). I trudged through the snow to the gig and met up with my mates whom I'd talked into also braving the conditions to show up. Because of the delays they didn't appear on stage until after midnight and I'm guessing they had to skip most of the soundchecking or whatever they do because it was awful. My mates had got bored and had been hitting the tequila in the bar so I endured a disappointing night, knackered from a long day (I'd been at work since 6am) surrounded by drunks to whom I kept apologising. And of course Mark Linkous shot himself in the chest with a rifle in 2010 so this was my one and only Sparklehorse gig. There are actually some videos from that night on YouTube. The sound quality is pretty much how I remember it.



The next night I saw Yo La Tengo at the same venue, on my own, stone cold sober and running on fumes, energy-wise and it was the second best concert I've ever seen. Isn't that the beauty of live music, though?

 

Any number involving kids and schools

 

Seen lots in Dodeth club and Top House (now shut). Difficult to pick a winner, or loser!

 

Erasure 1988 / 1989. Utter *****.

 

Uriah Heep at Sheffield City Hall in 77. Someone later described heavy metal as sex, drugs and wizards. I took a mate to see Television and he took me to see Heep. They were Spinal Tap before their time.

Skunk Anansie were awful too unless you like someone screaming at you for half an hour.

Sometimes things just go wrong on the night. The Last Poets' bass amp packed in and roadies spent all night trying to fix it during the gig. Gil Scott Heron described how he had flown over the Atlantic using just spirits and Babybird had a breakdown, walking off between every song in a very large huff. These were all Tap after Tap.

 

Super Furry Animals in Sheffield around 97/98. Rocked up on stage absolutely pilled off their tits. Played a set of mostly obscure tracks, absolutely shambolically, for 35 minutes. Then ****** off. Everyone expected an encore, but was probably pretty glad that the band, and the encore, never materialised.

 

Saw them at Newcastle City Hall 1974, brilliant.