Most disappointing band/musician seen live

[theDudesmummy]

I am starting this on the back of another thread about best live performances. How about bands/performers you loved and thought were going to be great live, only to be disappointed for one reason or another?

I will start:

Neil Young, Royal Albert Hall 2003. I love his music, absolute soundtrack of my later years at university, but this concert was unbelievable in its shitness. Half of it was some unlistenable concept album. Never felt the same about him after that.

Van Morrison, some concert at a stately home type of place, maybe fifteen years ago? (Have blocked out the details). The booze completely ran out before we got to the bar for the first time (and no, we weren't late, he hadnt even come on stage yet). I guess that wasn't Morrison's fault directly but you would think he would employ/contract people to make sure this doesn't happen. DH and I soberly listened to two songs then shared a look and left to find a pub.

Nina Simone, probably also Royal Albert Hall, some time in the 1990s. Sorry, I know she is dead now, and was a legend, but when you sit right over to one side of the stage, practically in the wings, for the whole show, completely hidden by the piano so only half the audience can see you, then you are going to pass off even your most ardent fans. I never even caught sight of her.

(Bob Dylan pissed me off at the Brixton Acedemy circa 1990 by never taking his hat off, so I never saw his face, but I forgave him because he is Bob Dylan, and at least I saw the rest of him).

"Run DMC at the Forum (or whatever it's called now) Kentish Town in the mid 90s. Came on late, did about 2 mins of each of their hits then just started shouting on repeat 'he's Run! he's DMC!' for the last minute of every fucking song. Really disappointing."

Always like to see this story!

Some festival at Alexandra Palace at least 20 years ago. Various bands on the bill, including Squeeze iirc. But top of the bill were The Kinks. They played a couple of classics then Ray Davies went off stage and came back on dressed as a parody of a dinner lady and played a very long boring set/musical fantasy/concept about this dinner lady. Or some such. Absolutely disappointing old shite.

When bands don't want to play what made them famous but only sing "a few songs from our new album" it's like some sort of captive audience punishment for ever liked them in the first place.

Almost everything I've seen, I've loved but...
Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club. So dull - we left and went out to the bar along with half the crowd. In fairness they knew the crowd was there to hear their only hit, and they played it - twice!

Not a music gig but Mark la fucking marr. Went to see him at leeds grand - should have been a full length set. He did about 10 (unfunny) minutes and then led a 'conga line' out of the theatre and never came back. the remainder of the audience were just sitting there politely for about 20 minutes wondering what to do before eventually shuffling out when it was clear there was no more gig.

My Chemical romance. Their in between song chat was as irritating as thrush, and the music was nothing to write home about either.

And others that were just boring - vampire weekend, primal scream, field music - might as well have stuck the CD on at home as I would have had the exact same experience.

The Cure at Hyde Park a few years back. I was so so bored. No atmosphere, some of their best songs were dull and I just lost the will to listen to them.

Christina Aguilara in London was dire. An hour late on, then only half sang songs before wandering off stage for another outfit change. Had no interest in being there. I was so disappointed as clearly she has a great voice and can sing if she actually wanted to. Was a flipping expensive ticket too.

Justin Bieber about 9 years ago?? Took my then 6 year old for her first concert only for him to be 1.5 hours late so she fell asleep and missed the whole thing. He was totally rubbish. She wanted tickets for his tour next year. Thankfully they were sold out 🤣

Britney, it was more of a dance show than anything else. But then her documentary came out and you find out she was forced to do it so don't blame her really!

Girls Aloud. They were performing at an outdoor stately home type gig. They did 5 songs then left. The whole audience waited awhile as we assumed they'd be back out on stage, considering they were the headliner...nope.

Ben Howard at symphony hall Birmingham. He was really good but had rejected all of his first album, an album which held a lot of love and memories for me. He was playing more concept stuff which DH liked but it was just really self indulgent. Arcade fire Birmingham arena.

I saw placebo at a festival and they were great. Sometimes it is the luck of the draw

@TheTurn0fTheScrew
The Strokes - festival appearance. They were shitfaced and incompetent. We missed Massive Attack on the other stage for that rubbish and I still bear a grudge now.
Omg I was at that performance as well! I have to say that I enjoyed it . They were shitfaced and a state though

Does Badly Drawn Boy still wear the hat? He used to live near me and he was miserable and arrogant as fuck. So was the woman he was always with. She was always pissed and arsey. The rumour was that he was bald and so that’s why he didn’t want to take his hat off.

Debbie Harry. Sometime in the late 80s/early 90s. She was a bit unpleasant and the music wasn't great.

I'd been such a huge fan before that.

Errm this was about 15 years ago but crack on!

They weren't supporting the killers - didn't say that in my post?! I had paid good money just to see the Manics and yeah strangely enough expected them to play one of their biggest hits 🤷🏼‍♀️

Some people have mentioned Alanis Morissette. I’m going to see her tomorrow night so I’m hoping she’s improved.

John Fogherty at the RAH. He was filming a DVD, kept stopping for hair and make up and the front rows were full of extras. People started booing and were escorted out so as not to ruin the filming.

Didn't even do one CCR song.

@spongedog traffic management hasn’t improved at Hop Farm, we were there last weekend. Absolute nightmare getting out

Van M, on several occasions, shit, self indulgent, CBA vibe.
Neil Young. Ditto.
U2 and The Police - musically great but totally killed any vibe with their politics.

I've seen a lot of bands mentioned here many times and think they've been pretty damn good but I guess everyone is entitled to an off day 😬

@IReallyLikeCrows Yep I confess I enjoyed Gary Glitter too- if you left after the who you would have missed Clapton- Yep, if you didn't like Quadrophenia you were stuffed- luckily I love it. I work in music though and can honestly say Bob D and Alannis were truly awful!! And boy were those loos awful!!!!!!

I saw placebo at a festival and they were great. Sometimes it is the luck of the draw

i saw them when they released Without You I’m Nothing. Fucking brilliant.

i did see them a year or so later, much bigger venue, didn’t quite have the same vibe.

placebo about 8 years ago. Was so dull. The crowd barely moved just filmed it. Didn’t do any of their decent songs

phones have a lot to answer for. Stops people enjoying what they’re experiencing in the moment.

I’ve been lucky for the most part and even the gigs that haven’t been vocally perfect (fall out boy and my chemical romance… I’m looking at you) have still been really enjoyable.

The two awful ones that spring to mind though were Jake Bugg and Lost Prophets. I only knew two Jake Bugg songs but went with some mates who were huge fans. Thought it was bad but wondered whether it was just because I didn’t know the music. Got out of the gig and everybody was in agreement that it had been dire. No audience interaction. Just song after song after song of the same muchness.

Lost Prophets were awful in a different way. Extremely arrogant, got angry at the crowd for not singing along loud enough, not creating a big enough mosh pit, not worshipping them enough. Threatened to walk of stage and cut the set short if the crowd didn’t improve. I came home and said to my mum that Ian Watkins came across as a nasty twat…

Red Hot Chilli Peppers at Murrayfield a long time ago, one the worst gigs I've been to.

REM in Loch Lomond... all they did was talk?! Awful!

@Itwasntmeright i went to see Alanis Morrisette in Glasgow at the weekend and she was genuinely amazing! Totally blew me away!

You’ll have a great time as talking about Ryan Adams-used to think he was so talented and sexy. After that, I thought he was a knob. Interestingly, I’ve since heard some me too stuff about him

As a few have said.

Bob Dylan- couldn’t tell a word he said/sang and he never looked up.
My dad took me as said I should see him before he got any worse, circa 2004/2005 ( I was around 14)think it was already too late then!

Another bad one Fat Boy Slim Vfestival 2009.
Terrible.

I came to say Bob Dylan too (Wembley Arena few years ago)
No interaction with the audience at all, the only Dylan song I recognised all night was sung by a busker outside the tube in the way home

Paul McCartney. Saw him at the post race F1 concert in Dubai. He was boring, no stage presence, mostly sang new songs that no one had heard because they hadn't been released. We got so bored we left. Still can't believe I walked out on a Beatle.