Group who (massively) disappointed live
Discussion
The Jayhawks - I had a load of their CDs, really enjoyed their music. Saw them (either Gateshead Sage or Newcastle City Hall, they came over as a bunch of spoilt arses. Never played a CD by them since
Robert Cray - again a load of CDs loved his guitar playing and singing with great songs. Gateshead Sage, clinical performance, no atmosphere, the encore (which would usually be an up tempo number for most performers) was a miserable semi political durge.IIRC. Never played any of his music since.
Robert Cray - again a load of CDs loved his guitar playing and singing with great songs. Gateshead Sage, clinical performance, no atmosphere, the encore (which would usually be an up tempo number for most performers) was a miserable semi political durge.IIRC. Never played any of his music since.
We went and saw Elbow at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff about 10 years ago, Guy Garvey is a fantastic artist and frontman, it did feel like a special unique experience (even if it probably wasn't).
A lot of big established bands just phone it in, especially after decades of touring, yes they are well remunerated for their trouble, but even the appeal of cash, groupies and unlimited drugs must pale a bit after a few years on the road.
Poor venue acoustics or sound engineering can ruin a performance though, so it isn't always the band's fault if it sounds crap or they are out of sync.
A lot of big established bands just phone it in, especially after decades of touring, yes they are well remunerated for their trouble, but even the appeal of cash, groupies and unlimited drugs must pale a bit after a few years on the road.
Poor venue acoustics or sound engineering can ruin a performance though, so it isn't always the band's fault if it sounds crap or they are out of sync.
Muppet007 said:
mike80 said:
Slipknot. Don't know why, just wasn't particularly good.
Agreed. Went to see them in London 2020, the display was OK but the audio was dreadful. Megadeth have always been underwhelming live for me. Love the records, but live... nah. Same with Slayer (tho only seen Slayer when they've supported Maiden. Gave their farewell Wacken set a miss)
lord summerisle said:
Saw Slipknot at Glasgow Barrowlands in 2000 on the first UK tour. was really disappointed, took em an age to get on stage (all 10 of them shuffled onstage individually to a loop of "the whole thing I think is sick") and once they'd then done Wait and Bleed and Surfacing the rest of the set kinda got padded out with lots of just feedback and strobe lighting. Their support - Kittie were far better. (but then Kittie didnt need to pad 40mins of material into a headline set)
Megadeth have always been underwhelming live for me. Love the records, but live... nah. Same with Slayer (tho only seen Slayer when they've supported Maiden. Gave their farewell Wacken set a miss)
Megadeth on the Gigantour in Chicago (06/07?) were pretty disappointing, but I saw them a few years later in London, the day after the Bataclan attack and it was a really good gig.Megadeth have always been underwhelming live for me. Love the records, but live... nah. Same with Slayer (tho only seen Slayer when they've supported Maiden. Gave their farewell Wacken set a miss)
devnull said:
Nothing by Thieves, Bristol O2, a day or two after they were accused of sexual abuse. That was a dire gig, we left after 30 mins.
Should the opportunity ever arise again, I would urge you to give them another crack. I sort of know the family of Joe (guitarist) and know that that whole episode shook them all to bits. How they played at all so soon is anyone's guess but they are a fabulous live band and deserving of greater recognition than they've mustered so far.lord summerisle said:
Same with Slayer (tho only seen Slayer when they've supported Maiden. Gave their farewell Wacken set a miss)
I saw Slayer four times in the 90s and thought they were brilliant.But you could criticise them for just playing the songs as they were recorded on the albums I guess, there was never any theatrical stuff.
lord summerisle said:
Megadeth have always been underwhelming live for me. Love the records, but live... nah. Same with Slayer (tho only seen Slayer when they've supported
Maiden. Gave their farewell Wacken set a miss)
Megadeth most certainly not my thing - but I was surprised at how thin(?)/weedy they sounded when they supported Scorpions a few years backMaiden. Gave their farewell Wacken set a miss)
kev b said:
I saw Jools Hollands Big Band at Belvoir Castle and they were superb, excellent sound balance, one of the most enjoyable shows I have seen.
Next time I went along they were in the City Hall, Hull and the sound was appalling, very disappointing.
Friends went to the previous night in Skegness and reported the same experience.
From memory, the sound at Hull City Hall was never very good! Next time I went along they were in the City Hall, Hull and the sound was appalling, very disappointing.
Friends went to the previous night in Skegness and reported the same experience.
paulguitar said:
smn159 said:
S
I saw Dire Straits once and subsequently had no desire ever to do so again - yawn.
That's a shame, you witnessed a genuine legend there in Mark Knofler and the rest of the band were killer musicians too. What year did you see them?I saw Dire Straits once and subsequently had no desire ever to do so again - yawn.
smn159 said:
Yes, I know and I'm a fan of their stuff in general. Early 90's I think and being right at the back of a huge arena obviously didn't help, but I might as well have stayed home and stuck the CD on. No engagement with the audience, just going through the motions is my recollection.
The venue certainly makes a huge difference, and a band like Dire Straights were really not suited to a big arena/stadium. The problem is, they were pretty much the biggest band in the world at that time, so it was never going to be realistic to try to play in theatres. That's why Knofler wound it all up, apparently. The venues really worked against them doing what they did. I think it is fair to say those huge venues are simply inappropriate for music with a decent amount of subtlety to it.I must admit I've enjoyed nearly every live music event I've been too, except one that I felt was a truly awful and two that were rather disappointing.
The awful one was Bob Dylan at the O2, probably about 10 years ago - Horrible venue, he mumbled incoherently through odd arrangements to his famous songs and did (I was going to type performed, but there was no sense of performance) a load I'd never heard of (equally bad). He never once acknowledged there was an audience present - Honestly, it could have been a tramp off the street in a fancy white suit and hat for all I know - Truly dire.
The disappointing ones were in the early 80s and were Madness (Just a bit of a mess back then, although people say they're pretty good these days) and Spandau Ballet (Their flaw was that, live, they sounded exactly like their records - No excitement, no improvisation - They could have been miming and it was a remarkably flat gig at the, then new, Bournemouth International Centre, which seemed like a football stadium at the time as I'd never been in such a big venue back then).
M
The awful one was Bob Dylan at the O2, probably about 10 years ago - Horrible venue, he mumbled incoherently through odd arrangements to his famous songs and did (I was going to type performed, but there was no sense of performance) a load I'd never heard of (equally bad). He never once acknowledged there was an audience present - Honestly, it could have been a tramp off the street in a fancy white suit and hat for all I know - Truly dire.
The disappointing ones were in the early 80s and were Madness (Just a bit of a mess back then, although people say they're pretty good these days) and Spandau Ballet (Their flaw was that, live, they sounded exactly like their records - No excitement, no improvisation - They could have been miming and it was a remarkably flat gig at the, then new, Bournemouth International Centre, which seemed like a football stadium at the time as I'd never been in such a big venue back then).
M
crofty1984 said:
lord summerisle said:
Saw Slipknot at Glasgow Barrowlands in 2000 on the first UK tour. was really disappointed, took em an age to get on stage (all 10 of them shuffled onstage individually to a loop of "the whole thing I think is sick") and once they'd then done Wait and Bleed and Surfacing the rest of the set kinda got padded out with lots of just feedback and strobe lighting. Their support - Kittie were far better. (but then Kittie didnt need to pad 40mins of material into a headline set)
Megadeth have always been underwhelming live for me. Love the records, but live... nah. Same with Slayer (tho only seen Slayer when they've supported Maiden. Gave their farewell Wacken set a miss)
Megadeth on the Gigantour in Chicago (06/07?) were pretty disappointing, but I saw them a few years later in London, the day after the Bataclan attack and it was a really good gig.Megadeth have always been underwhelming live for me. Love the records, but live... nah. Same with Slayer (tho only seen Slayer when they've supported Maiden. Gave their farewell Wacken set a miss)
I've now taken to wearing earplugs at gigs.
I saw the Mingus Big Band at the Fez Under Water in New York (IIRC) back in the late nineties. It was painfully apparent that it was little more than a superannuation fund for Sue Mingus and the band could barely be arsed to go through the set. There was not even a glimmer of the old Mingus magic, just cynical commercial exploitation of a depreciating asset. And, yes, I should have known better.
It was also (at SM’s insistence) the first smoke-free jazz club I’d been to which IMO kind of missed the point if you could actually see the band (and in the case of Ronnie Scott’s if you can see what they are expecting you to eat...)
What with legal smoking bans coming in, it’s all changed and everywhere is smoke-free.
It was also (at SM’s insistence) the first smoke-free jazz club I’d been to which IMO kind of missed the point if you could actually see the band (and in the case of Ronnie Scott’s if you can see what they are expecting you to eat...)
What with legal smoking bans coming in, it’s all changed and everywhere is smoke-free.
Johnnytheboy said:
lord summerisle said:
Same with Slayer (tho only seen Slayer when they've supported Maiden. Gave their farewell Wacken set a miss)
I saw Slayer four times in the 90s and thought they were brilliant.But you could criticise them for just playing the songs as they were recorded on the albums I guess, there was never any theatrical stuff.
First time was on the "Tattoo the Planet" at Wembley Arena in 2001. They were booked to headline with Pantera (one of my other favourite bands), Vision of Disorder, Static-X, Biohazard, Therapy? and Cradle of Filth were on the bill as well. A big group of us booked to go.
Then 9/11 happened, and Pantera, VOD, and Static-X pulled out. As did all of my mates... so I went by myself on a coach from Suffolk as I still wanted to see Slayer and Biohazard. Also I had the lurgy, so felt like crap all day.
Anyway, Slayer were really disappointing that night, there was just no atmosphere, the place was half full, and they just didn't seem to want to be there. Biohazard and Therapy? were awesome though. Cradle of Filth were... Cradle of Filth. Still pissed off I never got to see Pantera live!
Then I saw Slayer at Ozzfest at Donington Park in 2002. They were OK then, but I'm not really a fan of massive festivals, being miles from stage etc.
Final time I saw them was at the Astoria in London, probably 2002 as well, and they absolutely tore the place up. Best gig I've been too. Met them as well!
So definitely depends on the venue and general atmosphere I think.
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