AIBU to ask who is the worst performer/group you've seen live?

[Weston14]

Following on from a (very late-to-the-party) discussion about this year's Glasto with some friends over dinner tonight, where we all decided Lauryn Hill was an absolute let down, who is the worst performer or group you've ever seen live? Especially thinking of people you really liked who let you down here, not just "was dragged to see Take That with DSis and they were shite"

If you're not much of a music fan I suppose this stretches to comedians, actors, poets...anyone who gets up on stage and does a turn.

The only one I ever walked out of was French and Saunders. 50% of the gig was sketches on a big screen, and what they did on stage was just not funny.

Saw Bon Jovi at hampden and it was fantastic. Saw them doing the last concert at Wembley and it was shocking.

OH works at a venue where Rolling Stones played, he sent a video clip and it sounded bloody awful.

@ThighThighOfthigh

I saw OMD in the early 90s, beyond their peak fame and playing small venues. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.

Guns N Roses at (i think) it was Download about 10 years ago. They were an hour +late coming on, it was raining, Axl rose threw a strop and was refusing to come on, he demanded a carpet was laid. Then they started and it was shit. We went back to our tent and got drunk.

I've seen Metallica live 3 times and each time was amazing! All at big festivals so maybe others who've seen them at smaller venues haven't enjoyed it because of that?

Best by a long way though was the rolling stones in the south of France. They were great.

Also saw meatloaf in Glasgow a few years ago and I thought it was pretty good!!

Oh forgot i did see eddie izzard in some big stadium in london (I'm not good with the names) and he was only ok, was also ruined by the woman sitting next to me with the most annoying laugh.

Anyhoo I much prefer his very old work and watching them on video rather than going to a big stadium like that again. Plus I've gone off him totally since he's become all political and pro trans rights fucking over women...

Worst was Moby. Could barely see him on the stage behind all his gadgets and he kept his head right down. The only time I've ever fallen asleep standing up.

Second was The Libertines around 2005 supporting The Coral. Pete didn't bother showing up so the roadie stood in but it was crap. I believe this was the night Pete burgled Carl's flat.

Also surprised at B52's. They're in my top ten best all time gigs. Number one is Love (well Arthur Lee) when he did the tour with the orchestra and played Forever Changes in it's entirety. I will never forget as the whole audience was in tears by the end (comprised of mostly middle aged Scouse men!) Led Zep/Whitesnake tour 3 years ago was pretty special too.
I did see Green Day in the very early 90's (cost £1.50) and thought they were shit, so what do I know?!

Def Lep not Lef Zep. Ugh, Monday's.

Madonna a few years ago. She was awful!

I have two ( though I love them on albums)
John Martyn in 1970s played a university ball and was so out of it he simply mumbled a bit strummed his guitar and walked off! He was known for that though

Mary Margaret O'Hara who I worshiped played a set in London in the early 1990s in a small venue and appeared so crippled with stage fright or anxiety that she couldn't speak and you could hardly hear her sing. It was excruciatingly awful, I felt so terrible for her and I haven't been able to listen to her since . Worse, I'd persuaded a group of friends who didn't know her stuff to come with me...thinking about it now makes y stomach knot

@Horehound I was there! If memory serves people were so pissed off there was riot afterwards.

DH offered me tickets to Def Leppard this year but I'd seen a few live clips on YouTube and declined the offer. They didn't sound brilliant.

Bjork at Glastonbury 2007. A load of self indulgent twaddle.
RHCP at Reading 2007. They were just utter shit, out of time and forgot how to play so much!

@Losingthechubrub - agreed. We saw Mark Lamarr in Cambridge, and he just wasn't engaging with the audience as he obviously needed to for his set to work. He got quite shirty with us.

Also Julian Clary. My god, he was embarrassing, and not in a good way. My toes were curling for him. I'd have left - the relief would have been worth being pointed out to everybody - but I was with somebody who wanted to stay.

Marus Brigstock - totally misread the crowd. About as funny as a fart in a lift.

I have seen Marcus lots of times. The last Devil tour was poor.

In the previous tour I saw him at 1 venue and loved it. By chance 3 months later he was at a venue when I checked into a hotel and got a seat. Same tour.

Exactly the same script word for word, so he must learn it as a script. I was very disappointed as the audience was very different.

Also met Hugh F-W at a book signing years ago, miserable arrogant arse if I recall

The proclaimers, God they were awful, every song sounded exactly the same. I wanted to die of the tedium.
I wouldn't choose to see them they were just on at a festival I was at.
Boring, boring, boring.

Oh always love these threads!

Worst ever I've seen was some daytime festival at Alexandra Palace where The Kinks were on the bill. They did some classics. Fine. But then Ray Davies came on dressed as a parody of a cleaning lady () and sang a sort of rambling jazz odyssey load of "themed" songs. Just awful and embarrassing.

This must have been early 90s. Dh reminded me that we'd seen this once and obviously completely successfully obliterated it from my memory. Thank god!

Jake Bugg. My friend begged me to go and I was skint and people had offered to buy my ticket and I felt too guilty to sell so went. I've never hoped for a non emergency fire alarm more in my life. No crowd interaction. Just terrible really.

The most wasted on the crowd (you know when the band are giving it there all and the crowd just aren't bothering) was Cage the Elephant many many years ago in Bristol. Absolutely fantastically energetic live performers and the crowd responded as if rigor mortis had set in. Come to think of it I would love to see them live again now and see if they still put on a good live show.

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So sad to hear Bon Jovi wasn't good. I saw them many years ago and they were awesome.

Same for Van Morrison, loved their concert.

You do know they are both people, not bands, don't you?

Jon Bob Jovi is a person. Bon Jovi is a band.

Or Jon Bon Jovi even

Were Jon Bob Jovi’s parents fans of the singer?

Ah too slow pfft.

Worse female - Alexsha Dixon. She simply can't sing. She was also wearing such high heels she couldn't dance either. She was one of a number of backing acts for someone. I can't remember the headline act or other acts but remember her for being awful.

Worse male/group - Stone Roses. When the friend I was with realised they were one of the headline acts the first time I saw them she said something like "Oh no! Dear God they are awful!" She was right and we walked out. Unfortunately they kept turning up around Manchester at various gigs/festivals and we always ended up walking up.

In regards to comedians I've only seen people at very small venues so they have been very good. Some of them e.g. Greg Davies, Jack Dee have been there to try out new material.

Oh I found Alison Moyet boring too and hated the Rush concert I was taken to by an ex. Might of been because I was never a big Rush fan.

Glad no one has said Rammstein yet as I'm really looking forward to seeing them next year.

I've seen Ross noble a few times. He's brilliant. My worst gig musically was Ian Brown. He was as flat as a pancake but it was brilliant because I was very drunk and he was Ian Brown.

Not a surprise but -oh god - Jimmy Carr. I was persuaded by a friend to go because her DP had flu (sensible man), so had dropped out. I told myself he might be funnier live than on TV. Wrong. It was liked being trapped with that kid at school when you're all 13 who thinks it's clever to say the most disgusting/offensive thing he can think of. For 2 hours.

I'm an HCP, so I'm used to gallows humour, and it doesn't bother me if it's funny. But JC didn't have a shred of wit. The entire act was basically him saying 'incest' or 'child porn' and the sycophants in the audience laughing. Awful.

Rammstein are incredible live. You won't be disappointed.