Gig disasters

A couple of people started posting tales of their gig disasters in the Gary Glitter thread, but I think it's a bit of a waste them being buried in there, so I thought it best to start a separate one.

My concert record is generally pretty good apart from having tickets to 3 REM shows that got cancelled (out of a total of 8 they cancelled across their whole career).

My pinnacle was when I went to see New Young Pony Club at an outdoor event a few years ago, which was part of a wider summer music festival which took place in St Petersburg every summer. The venues change every year, and this was no exception. We made the mistake of arriving around 7, with NYPC due on stage at 9. But at this particular venue there was really absolutely nothing to do apart from drink the bar dry, which we duly did. The support act appeared around 8, and although they were a bit lame, I decided to stay at the front as I wanted a good view. Although there was very little need to do this, as there was hardly anyone there. This should have set the alarm bells ringing, but I just decided that even among the hipster crowd, not too many people in St Petersburg were into obscure art house bands from England.

The "support act" carried on playing until about 9.30, which I thought was odd, but just assumed that NYPC had decided to be fashionably late. By this time I was pretty hammered, as my mate (who has no interest in music whatsoever) had been shuttling to the bar and back keeping me supplied with vodka, as I jealousy guarded my place next to the stage. I spent the next 30 minutes or so shouting "come on ponies!" at an empty stage, much to the amusement of the few remaining people near me. Eventually at around 10, I started asking people if they knew anything about New Young Pony Club's whereabouts, and whether they were late or had even cancelled. Cue bemused looks, and several suggestions that maybe I should check out the main stage, located inside the massive white building near the main entrance, that I had somehow completely failed to notice. I stumbled in to find it absolutely packed and NYPC returning to the stage for their final encore, which consisted of a grand total of one song. I stayed until the end and then promptly vomited and then realised that I'd lost my wife and most of my mates and that my phone was out of battery. Managed to find vodka supply friend who took me back to sleep at his place, via an off-licence where we bought a couple of beers to alleviate the effects of the vodka. The next day was a joyous mix of immense disappointment at missing the gig, disbelief at myself for my utter stupidity, a mixture of rage and worry from my wife about my going AWOL, and the worst hangover of my life. The only saving grace was knowing what a tremendous story it would make.

 

Watching Richard Ashcroft supporting Oasis at Lancashire County Cricket down ruining Bitter Sweet Symphony by singing a version without violins.

 

Excited to be on the website for U2 tickets I was buying for Sheffield, I’d mistakenly bought for Cardiff instead.
Announced to the Mrs; managed to get tickets but they’re a long way from the stage in Sheffield! How far? About 200 miles

 

We went to see Tom Jones at Market Raisen,,,,,
And got in!

 

Went to a music festival out in the Fens near Cambridge (1981 ish) which appeared to have had the stage powered up from a single 13amp socket with an extension cable. The first band came on, played 3 power chords and the power failed. Two attempts later they walked off in disgust and the whole thing was canned... We still got blathered though.

 

Had a similar thing happen with a Killing Joke gig at the Leadmill, in the 80s. It was a really warm evening and inside the building the temperature was sky high. The band came on, but after 4 or 5 songs they were dripping with sweat and struggling. They went off for 10 minutes while a couple of roadies rigged up some big fans next to the stage. Back come the band, started up again and the power went off. That was that.

 

Has to be this one at an Oasis gig at Knebworth.

A hot afternoon. Queues for the beer tent were so long I just couldn’t be bothered to join one. Obviously, anyone who did wasn’t buying just a pint or two. Watched as one bloke carefully walked out with a cardboard box stacked with plastic glasses full of ale.

Suddenly the bottom fell out. The lot went.

He just stood there staring at his feet. Everyone looked on in quiet horror. Then one bloke walked over and gently put his arm around his shoulder. We mourned as one.

 

Never been to a big Gig, however, i av spoken about going, thats as far as it's got. Party in the Park Rotherham, Bridlington Music Festival, that was good, and that's it.

 

Our sports teacher at school used to take us to rock concerts in the school minibus in the eighties. Once in 1981 we went to Leeds Queen's Hall to see Motorhead. One of our group for some reason decided to steal a leather motorcycle jacket that somebody had taken off and put at their feet. The problem was this jacket was the biggest I had ever seen (Giant Haystacks size) and had a gang patch, Blue Angels or something like that on the back. This was about halfway through the concert and we spent the rest of the gig running around with this monster of a man criss-crossing the floor of the hall looking for his jacket. Why he nicked it I'll never know but the lad never came with us again.

 

Saw Rolling Stones Sheffield 1963(don't ask me why lol) in those days stage was middle of hall seats all round we were sat behind them only ever saw their backs only did 4 numbers never heard a word cos of screams Then saw them 1965 Floral Hall Scarbro bigger crowd same screaming but heard every word and note

 

Sorry Futurist

 

Michael Schenker Group at Sheffield Poly (as was) 1982 with Graham Bonnet as vocalist (ex Rainbow).
First gig playing together as a warm up before playing Donnington Monsters of Rock.
Band were good but Bonnet was absolutely hammered, came onstage swigging booze, couldn't remember the words, and a few songs into the set managed to split his trousers exposing his meat and two veg to the audience.
Schenker took him offstage and sacked him there and then, and played the rest of the set as instrumental with no vocals.
That was the sole time they played live together until some reunion shows in the last few years.

 

I was there.

 

Back in the early 90s, I was a big Pixies fan. My bedroom door had a big poster on. One day my then-girlfriend came back from university in Scarborough to visit, took one look at the poster and said "Oh, they played the Futurist last week. You should have gone..." (I knew nothing about it but iirc it was a pre-tour warm-up gig.

First year at uni, I wanted to go see a concert at the Hallamshire featuring iirc Mudhoney, Tad and a little known Seattle 3 piece called Nirvana. I couldn't get the night off work, so couldn't go. A friend from uni had a ticket, and forgot all about it until I asked him how it was the day after...

 

I was at that Pixies gig (and a few weeks later at the Crystal Palace show). You won't be pleased to hear that Scarboro's warm up was possibly the best Pixies gig I ever saw.

 

*Admins* where is the dislike button?

I have heard it was a good night, but at least I saw them a couple of times around then.

 

A mate of mine flew to Alabama to see Lynyrd Skynyrd only to find when he got to the venue they had cancelled the tour due to Gary Rossington ( guitarist) having a heart attack .
Most notable out of their head performers, Lou Reed at Sheffield City Hall in 70’s , incoherently off his trolley , his backing group were brilliant , and Captain Beefhearts guitarist at Knebworth 1975 , he collapsed half way through a song , got up two songs later playing the original song he collapsed to

 

1. Courteeners at Blackburn St Georges Hall about 2009. Overcrowded, rowdy gig with everyone in your arse. When everyone was piling out at the end, the street was a picture of confused drunken people patting themselves down. Turns out there were around 30 thefts of phones and wallets reported to the police. Mine ran up a £200 bill in calls to Romania before I could cancel it. Duly spent the weekend continuing to get pissed and having no house phone or method of contacting my then girlfriend of the time til I got home 3 days later (bliss!!)

2. Paul Weller at Benicassim 2009. A helluva gale was blowing in and the PA stack was swaying. Everything got pulled and Kings of Leon had to turn their helicopter around (Lol). Modfather was fuming. "F- the pen pushers!" and all this. We were told to go back to our tents and duly had to spend the night braving through a 90 mph hurricane. Somehow our tent stayed rooted in the ground and we made it through safely and didn't get hit by one of the falling lampposts. Most of the campsite were evacuated to the local sports centre which looked like a refugee camp but our tiny, bright orange £25 Tescos tent saved our skins!