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Worst live band you have ever seen

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PaulBizkit

Member
Motorhead 2011. The sound was terrible and Lemmy's singing was atrocious (i know i know, R.I.P. godfather of metal whatever... but his last years were not good at all).

Linkin Park 2010. First time in Argentina, stadium show. The hype was HUGE. All the people that grew up on Nu Metal (it was a big thing in south america) was there. They come up to the stage, the crowd went nuts and they proceeded to....
sing only 4 Hybrid Theory songs, 3 from Meteora and everything else from their 3rd and 4th album. The volume was low, they barely talked to the audience, and they finished with a Thank You Argentina and left. It sucked. And they didn't sing Somewhere I Belong!!!

Limp Bizkit, no question about it. Sounded like complete and utter shit. Saw them in a line up with Metallica who played later, which only accentuated how shitty they sounded.

Damn, when was that? I saw them in 2011, 2013 and May this year; they were phenomenal.
 

bjork

Member
My Morning Jacket opening for Foo Fighters in 2001 or 2002. They sounded like a Battle Of The Bands semi-finalist in town of 50000 people

My only experience with My Morning Jacket was at the Bridge School Benefit in 2013. I don't know that they were bad musically, other than I didn't really like the singer winding up and hitting these big/long notes early into a song... like, let it build a little before you just wail, dude. But I can't fairly say anything because I don't know their studio work, and they were keeping me from seeing Tom Waits as I stood on the grass on a pretty chilly night, so I completely acknowledge that my opinion is biased and unfair.
 

RangerX

Banned
I saw Mastodon twice and both times they were pretty awful. They're pretty static and Brent really can't sing live. He sounds like a cat being strangled.
 
Deftones weren't very good when I saw them in 2003, but they've definitely improved over the years. They were a lot better at the Family Values Tour several years later, and then when I saw them at Wakestock.
 
Of all the bands I've seen I still think Weezer takes the cake for worst performance I've ever seen. It wasn't bad from a musical perspective, but they were so terribly boring. Zero emotion in any of the songs. I don't know if a member moved more than 1 foot from where they stood. Just awful and so happy I didn't pay for them.

I probably saw tons of hardcore bands perform terribly live, but there is something to that being ok due to the chaos.

In high school I saw the band "Senses Fail" in Modesto CA. It was a terrible show. The band themselves were pretty bad and several fights broke out in the crowd, but the most off putting thing about the night was that the band was badmouthing their opening act pretty aggressively. IIRC it was because the band was trying to sell some of their CDs outside of the venue, which meant that the venue didn't get a cut? Regardless, it was just a weird experience seeing an established band trying to turn a crowd against a smaller, unknown band.

Just left a bad taste in mouth. I stopped listening to their music shortly after.

This sounds about right for them, esp. if this was 03/04. The singer, and the whole band, was not well liked among the "scene" in NJ (where they're from). He, the singer, had a known track record of being an ass and the whole band being a bunch of entitled jackasses. Supposedly the guy has turned a leaf, and in an AP story explained why he acted how he did then.

Gotta be FATA (From Autumn to Ashes) saw them back in 05'? I think. Don't really remember, all I know they showed up almost an hour late and played like 8 songs and wouldn't do a encore. Oh, and they were the headlining band. They had little energy and seemed like they didn't want to be there.

Rumors circulating in 03/04 were they were heavy into drugs, IIRC coke, so I wouldn't be entirely surprised if this was why. Again, national recognition can really fuck up how you approach performing.
 

devonodev

Member
This sounds about right for them, esp. if this was 03/04. The singer, and the whole band, was not well liked among the "scene" in NJ (where they're from). He, the singer, had a known track record of being an ass and the whole band being a bunch of entitled jackasses. Supposedly the guy has turned a leaf, and in an AP story explained why he acted how he did then.
Yep, who would have thought 10 years ago we'd have a Buddhist bisexual Buddy fronting a much heavier Senses Fail singing about finding peace.
 

Gigarator

Member
Deftones weren't very good when I saw them in 2003, but they've definitely improved over the years. They were a lot better at the Family Values Tour several years later, and then when I saw them at Wakestock.

They were shit merely 3 weeks ago when I was subjected to some of their set at Download Festival. Can't believe they're big enough to sub a headliner.
 

jmdajr

Member
Mortician. Lead singer was totally wasted! It was all pretty funny.

Plus to be fair. I don't know if alcohol even mattered or not.
 
Probably Die Antwoord for me. The show began with the DJ coming out on stage and looping the phrase "DJ Hi-Tek is gonna fuck you in the ass" over and over until the two members showed up on stage while flipping the bird.
 

kris.

Banned
Probably Die Antwoord for me. The show began with the DJ coming out on stage and looping the phrase "DJ Hi-Tek is gonna fuck you in the ass" over and over until the two members showed up on stage while flipping the bird.

hahaha that sounds exactly like how i'd expect a die antwoord set would go. you couldn't pay me to sit through that shit.
 

spyder_ur

Member
My Morning Jacket opening for Foo Fighters in 2001 or 2002. They sounded like a Battle Of The Bands semi-finalist in town of 50000 people

I quite literally can't believe what I am reading. MMJ is the best live American rock act going. Do not listen to this man.

Not sure if they were having a bad night but I saw them open for the Foo Fighters too. They were better than Foo Fighters. Much tighter performance. What city were you in?

Really? I saw My Morning Jacket open for the Foo Fighters in Edmonton in 2003. I had never even heard of them but I thought they blew away the Foos.

Phew - some people have taste at least.

Yup they had zero energy.

Kid Cudi and Nas were also pretty bad performers when I saw them at Bonnaroo. Nas was forgetting lyrics to his songs off Distant Relatives which was so disappointing because I was so hyped for that performance.

MGMT was great when I saw them at Bonnaroo 08 and then way less good at Roo in 2010.

Rap shows can be tough - I haven't been to that many rap concerts that were that good.


The worst show I've ever seen was Afroman at a club in Memphis. He sang 'Because I got High' 3 times. That was the worst concert I have ever seen.

Oh I was at the infamous Kanye 08 'Roo show where he was 2 hours late to a scheduled 2:45 am start time and played for only 40 minutes. What a dick.
 

Bread

Banned
MGMT was great when I saw them at Bonnaroo 08 and then way less good at Roo in 2010.

Rap shows can be tough - I haven't been to that many rap concerts that were that good.


The worst show I've ever seen was Afroman at a club in Memphis. He sang 'Because I got High' 3 times. That was the worst concert I have ever seen.

Oh I was at the infamous Kanye 08 'Roo show where he was 2 hours late to a scheduled 2:45 am start time and played for only 40 minutes. What a dick.
You sure it was 10? I was at the show in '09 and it was super boring. I also saw them open for McCartney at fenway and it was about the same.
 

Vkandrew

Member
Either Ozzy or Puddle of Mudd. Ozzy was just sad because of his age and how much he was struggling. Puddle of Mudd was sad because Wes Scantlin was so strung out he was almost incomprehensible. He was singing wrong lyrics and stopping and sitting on stage midway through songs. I really hope he gets some help because I hear he keeps getting worse and worse.
 

spyder_ur

Member
You sure it was 10? I was at the show in '09 and it was super boring. I also saw them open for McCartney at fenway and it was about the same.

No you're right, '09. Not sure why I said '10.

'08 MGMT show was great. I didn't know much about them - they were just coming up then and played in the perfect 'Roo spot for a band at that point - Thursday night headliner. I emerged from the Cinema tent after watching the Celtics complete the greatest comeback in Finals history and immediately was swept up in Time to Pretend followed by Electric Feel and Kids. I'll never forget that night.

'08 was my first, but that '09 Roo lineup is absolutely ridiculous. Stacked.
 

Bread

Banned
No you're right, '09. Not sure why I said '10.

'08 MGMT show was great. I didn't know much about them - they were just coming up then and played in the perfect 'Roo spot for a band at that point - Thursday night headliner. I emerged from the Cinema tent after watching the Celtics complete the greatest comeback in Finals history and immediately was swept up in Time to Pretend followed by Electric Feel and Kids. I'll never forget that night.

'08 was my first, but that '09 Roo lineup is absolutely ridiculous. Stacked.
I loved watching the finals on the huge projection screen in 2010, I remember them winning game 5 Sunday night after being down 2-1 and thought we had the series...
 
Left Cashmere Cat to go get in the crowd to see Chance The Rapper then immediately regretted leaving Cashmere Cat.

Felt bad man :(

Cashmere Cat did a pretty good show when I saw him in 2015, though the only reason I was really at the concert was because I wanted to hear "Wolves" really badly and he'd been playing it only at concerts. Still, pretty decent gig.

On topic, I'd probably have to say the opener to SBTRKT's show in Terminal 5 in 2014. When I went there, there was a DJ opening up and he brought on a special guest from Atlanta that he said was going to blow up: Father. When Father went up on stage and performed "Wrist", he was dancing like Zoidberg and people started laughing a little bit because of how odd it was, me included. Little did I know, the guy would blow up in the underground segment of rap. It was so weird though that I just tuned out of it.
 
Just last night, saw Modest Mouse and Brand New at Redrocks in Denver. Not really the fault of the bands, but the sound was awful. Crazy distortion from every amp to the point you could barely hear the music, let alone lyrics. I can't think of another show at Redrocks where the sound has been so awful.
 
Just last night, saw Modest Mouse and Brand New at Redrocks in Denver. Not really the fault of the bands, but the sound was awful. Crazy distortion from every amp to the point you could barely hear the music, let alone lyrics. I can't think of another show at Redrocks where the sound has been so awful.

I find Brand new to be generally pretty bad live. No energy and the vocals sounded awful.
 
Just last night, saw Modest Mouse and Brand New at Redrocks in Denver. Not really the fault of the bands, but the sound was awful. Crazy distortion from every amp to the point you could barely hear the music, let alone lyrics. I can't think of another show at Redrocks where the sound has been so awful.
That happens whenever it is windy at Red Rocks. Still love every show I see there.
 
Just last night, saw Modest Mouse and Brand New at Redrocks in Denver. Not really the fault of the bands, but the sound was awful. Crazy distortion from every amp to the point you could barely hear the music, let alone lyrics. I can't think of another show at Redrocks where the sound has been so awful.

I saw modest mouse this year and I'd say it was the worst show I've been to
 

sycam0re

Member
Just last night, saw Modest Mouse and Brand New at Redrocks in Denver. Not really the fault of the bands, but the sound was awful. Crazy distortion from every amp to the point you could barely hear the music, let alone lyrics. I can't think of another show at Redrocks where the sound has been so awful.

I have tickets for this tour lol

Mostly for brand new who I saw kick ass last year
 

Interfectum

Member
It was years (decades?) ago at this point, but KoRn, easily.

They were so bad live I could barely tell what song they were playing at any given moment. It really stood out when they had their opening band, Staind, come out and play a Korn song for fun. They played Korn song lives better than the actual band.
 

spyder_ur

Member
I loved watching the finals on the huge projection screen in 2010, I remember them winning game 5 Sunday night after being down 2-1 and thought we had the series...

Yeah, it was a surprisingly festive, fun place to watch a game.


More on-topic, I wouldn't say 'worst' but RHCP was one of the more disappointing bands live for me after waiting years to see them.
 

MyBigBlackCup

Neo Member
Dope. The band was somehow sandwiched between Powerman 5000 and Static X.

The singer came out, cheered at the crowd and without missing a beat said 'Yeah we can't play tonight. A piece of our equipment got frozen on the way over here. But we'll see you in Oregon next week!"

After hearing their big single it was probably for the best.
 
I quite literally can't believe what I am reading. MMJ is the best live American rock act going. Do not listen to this man.

I hope you're right. I'll be seeing them for the first time in August at the Lockn festival www.locknfestival.com, and since it is a one-stage festival setup and they are the Saturday headliner (and only headliner I'm not really going there for), I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I hear they are a great live band overall.
 

spyder_ur

Member
I hope you're right. I'll be seeing them for the first time in August at the Lockn festival www.locknfestival.com, and since it is a one-stage festival setup and they are the Saturday headliner (and only headliner I'm not really going there for), I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I hear they are a great live band overall.

Enjoy. I highly doubt you will be disappointed. I thought about making that festival trip too, mostly to see them though the rest of the lineup is solid. They're my favorite band though, was lucky enough to catch them three times last year.

PM me if you want song recs - recent setlists should give you a decent idea what to expect.

Sorry, I'm a MMJ evangelist.
 
Cake, I like there music, but they had no desire to be preforming live and it sucked. I also hear apparently they have said before that they hate preforming live. I also was at street scene where Fergie pissed herself after showing up 40 mins late, that was fun
 

KodaRuss

Member
My Morning Jacket opening for Foo Fighters in 2001 or 2002. They sounded like a Battle Of The Bands semi-finalist in town of 50000 people

Oh. My. God. No way I don't believe you. They are incredible live.

Worst I have seen was Cherub last year at ACL. Not really a band I guess but they were awful.
 

KodaRuss

Member
Toro Y Moi sadly.

When did you see him? I saw him at ACL a few years ago and dragged about 4-5 people with me that didnt know much of his stuff and they were all incredibly impressed. Some said the best show they saw that year. We were up fairly close but he really killed it I thought, totally chill right as the sun started to come down it was a great show.
 

Azzurri

Member
Can someone explain to me if these bands/ singers are so bad, how the hell do they get record deals? I mean I know when you record it's a million times better than live most of the time, but isn't being able to be good live something that execs would consider a high priority?
 

zsynqx

Member
Probably not the worst, but the one that sticks out to me was seeing Guns n' Roses at Reading.

After making us wait nearly 2 hours in the pouring rain, the set ended up being terrible.
 
Enjoy. I highly doubt you will be disappointed. I thought about making that festival trip too, mostly to see them though the rest of the lineup is solid. They're my favorite band though, was lucky enough to catch them three times last year.

PM me if you want song recs - recent setlists should give you a decent idea what to expect.

Sorry, I'm a MMJ evangelist.

I've heard quite a few songs. They play them a lot on JamOn. It's just one of those things where I'd rather kind of go in as blind as possible and have them blow me away then to go in with too high of expectations.
 

Mr. Doop

Member
Just last night, saw Modest Mouse and Brand New at Redrocks in Denver. Not really the fault of the bands, but the sound was awful. Crazy distortion from every amp to the point you could barely hear the music, let alone lyrics. I can't think of another show at Redrocks where the sound has been so awful.

I'm gonna see this tour in Massachusetts in a few weeks. Hope my show doesn't suck. Sorry to hear about your bad experience
 

Jzero

Member
Saw The National like 2 years back and it was easily the most boring fucking show I've ever been to. They have the on-stage charisma of a sedated sloth, and the whole crowd was just awkwardly swaying like those dumb blow-up swaying dudes outside of used car shops.

Their music is as depressing as it gets, that's their thing. I'm going to see them in July so i'll see if you were right.

Probably Die Antwoord for me. The show began with the DJ coming out on stage and looping the phrase "DJ Hi-Tek is gonna fuck you in the ass" over and over until the two members showed up on stage while flipping the bird.

I saw them last year and they were freaking dope.They played their best songs and there was so much energy that everyone was getting trampled.

Crystal Castles. Alice Glass can't sing a note to her life.

Good thing she got replaced then. I saw her play her solo stuff and she got booed off the stage so the next band could play.
 
Zakk Wylde on the Guitar Generations tour was at the same time bad and good. He spent like 10 min noodling on the pentatonic scale in the aisle which was fun but got tiring. Just put out a great album too so idk why he did that.

He always does. Saw Black Label a while back and he did this. The stamina was impressive, to just see him shred for 10 minutes straight. But, yeah. It was fucking boring and insane that he thinks it's an enjoyable thing to listen to.
 
In This Moment. Only time I've (knowingly) seen lip syncing live in person. She wasn't just using a backing track, either. She was clearly not singing a single fucking word. It honestly felt weird to sit there watching it for some reason, just knowing it was fake.
When was this? I've seen that band four or so times and am pretty goddamn sure she never did that. These were fairly recent performances too.
 
I saw Van Halen last year.....oooooffaaaa. What a shit show. David lee Roth phoned that shit in so hard I felt embarrassed (no one thinks your a sex symbol anymore dude). The rest of the band wasn't terrible and I didn't go expecting 1980s Van Halen, but come on, a little effort would have been better than what I saw on stage that night..
 
Death From Above 1979. It's cool that the drummer is also the vocalist but when put into practice it means that he's out of breath every 3 seconds and his mic often picks up errant drum sounds.
 

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
Probably New Order, saw them before RHCP in 2002 and they were woeful.

I was witnessed Linkin Park get booed off the stage before Metallica so they must have been pretty bad, I'm not a fan so wasn't paying attention to them.
 
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