Music: Worst concert experiences?

[The Marquis]

Crowd crush leading to my first ever panic attack at an of Montreal show in Philly on Halloween. Thankfully my girlfriend's sister recognized that something was wrong and got me out of there and helped me breathe again. The soon-to-be ex was upset that this 'ruined' her chance to see her favorite band...we'll just ignore that part where she didn't budge from her spot and had seen them live at least half a dozen times in the previous 3 years.

Suffice to say the relationship didn't survive the night...yet I'm still friends with her sister 15 years later.

Weird story from a person named Big McLargeHuge (I know this is your real name, don't try and pretend with us. It's cool). Usually the bigger folks, particularly the Big Large Huge folks don't get crushed in a crush. Also super weird to have experienced a crush at an of Montreal show. Granted I'm sure there have been some near crushes at Streisand shows too.

I actually had a crush experience as well at a show at a tiny venue in Portland, Oregon that is LONG gone. It was the Get Up Kids in 1998 and I (all 200 lbs of me at the time) was pinned against a side wall, a couple inches off the ground for nearly the entire show. I think there were 600 people in a venue with a capacity under 200. I actually LOVED the show, so it doesn't apply here, but it's my chance to share my crush story.

 

[The Marquis]

Now that I think about bad shows. I've had some weird moments that some people would hate at hardcore punk shows over the years, like getting hit in the face with a gallon of milk or spat on, or terrible smelling people etc... but that was a different time and I loved those shows.

That said, the only show I truly recall being a bad experience wasn't because I got slighted in some way by a shortened set, intoxication, crush, etc... it was because they were so terrible live that the songs were barely recognizable (it COULD have been intoxication as I was in high school at the time and didn't know better)... but Candlebox was absolutely horrific musically when I saw them live back in the 90's. I wasn't a big fan, got the tickets for free, but was at least familiar with their record (their first, which was newish at the time). The guitars were out of tune, drums were off, vocals were incredibly off pitch. Might be the only concert I've ever been to that I didn't enjoy... and it was free.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Death By Stereo was one of the bands, and I was front row. I got hit from behind due to the pit that was going on, and the singers mic cord got wrapped around my neck. He ended up choking me out, but it worked out in the end.

Is this for real? You were seeing a band called “Death By Stereo” and were almost killed by an audio cable?

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Is this for real? You were seeing a band called “Death By Stereo” and were almost killed by an audio cable?

Haha yup

 

[NyQuil]

I saw Queens of the Stone Age open for RHCP and the levels were horrid.

You couldn’t hear any of the vocals, it was just a wall of noise.

Made me appreciate how important a good sound check and sound tech can be.

I later saw Josh Homme with Them Crooked Vultures and it was terrific.

I also saw the Rolling Stones on one of their tours in Ottawa but my seats were so far away that it was like I was watching it from some other location entirely which kind of ruined the vibe.

I saw the band Watchmen on a warm-up gig at the Engineering pub at Queen’s University and there was no stage - you could literally walk up to the lead singer as he was singing and give him the thumbs up.

That made me appreciate how much your seats or vantage point matters as much as the music.

 

[Behn Wilson]

I was kind of hoping to hear from stories from Gathering Of The Juggalos here, I bet there are some pretty funny stories.

R.I.P. Ass Dan!

 

[Boris Zubov]

I went to a Motley Crue concert in 2005 when I was 15 years old. Tommy Lee pulled out a camera and got multiple woman to show their breasts. As a gay man I was absolutely disgusted.

Oh the horrors.

Honest question....Were you not a fan of the band or know anything about them or their history before the show? Regardless, naked tits at metal shows, especially the Crue, has been a thing for over 40 years.

 

[Behn Wilson]

Oh the horrors.

Honest question....Were you not a fan of the band or know anything about them or their history before the show? Regardless, naked tits at metal shows, especially the Crue, has been a thing for over 40 years.

Kind of like beads and Mardi Gras.

Sadly the largest breasts at a Motley Crue concert nowadays are on Vince Neil

 

[Boris Zubov]

Kind of like beads and Mardi Gras.

Sadly the largest breasts at a Motley Crue concert nowadays are on Vince Neil

He probably has a perkier rack than half the chicks in the audience these days, unfortunately.

 

[Behn Wilson]

He probably has a perkier rack than half the chicks in the audience these days, unfortunately.

Poor Tommy Lee. Went from hooking up with Heather Locklear & Pamela Anderson to a fat dude with a perky rack.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Poor Tommy Lee. Went from hooking up with Heather Locklear & Pamela Anderson to a fat dude with a perky rack.

Oh well. At least he still has all those good mammaries.

 

[Behn Wilson]

Oh well. At least he still has all those good mammaries.

Tommy did some time in prison, any port in a storm.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Oh the horrors.

It's like those people that go to f***ing Phish concerts and bitch when they smell weed.

 

[AlanHUK]

Gorillaz they were just terrible, the only redeeming thing about the show was the de la soul opened

 

[tarheelhockey]

3 come to mind, all from the mid-late 90s.

1 - I saw Cake when they were at the height of their popularity. I guess the act just didn't translate to a live, outdoor format. But they were really really bad. They were opening for Bush, so it wasn't quite an ideal pairing of acts and the crowd was kind of thin to begin with... I've never been to a show where a name band just outright bored everyone into silence. It was a rough set.

2 - Hilarious moment that I know happened in 1996 because it was the week of the Panthers/Packers playoff game. C&C Music Factory was playing a stage at a festival and my friend convinced me to go for the cheese appeal. Midway into the one song everyone knows, their backing vocal tape broke. Like you could actually hear it do the weird sound that a cassette tape makes when it breaks. To their credit, they kept their cool and managed not to get roasted by the crowd. When it became obvious that it would be a long delay, they started up the crowd in a "**** the Packers" chant

3 - Everclear when they were at the top of their fame. The music was fine, but it's the only show that I've ever been to where the lead singer really rubbed me the wrong way with vulgarity. Alexakis spent most of the show yelling obscenities left and right for no reason, telling the women to show their tits, etc. This was not Motley Crue cheekily egging on a crowd, but more like some unfunny guy on the street just yelling at people. Knowing a bit more about him now, it strikes me as less offensive than sad. But at the time I really didn't want to

 

[Telecaster]

Been to a lot of shows especially in the late 80's and early 90's. One that was both the worst and best was Guns N´ Roses in Stockholm in ´91. Axl was about 2 and a half hours late... But when they got on, damn. I was so pissed off, but when they started playing, so good. Skid row was the opening act, and they were amazing.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Haha yup

You realize you came that close to being on a million Buzzfeed lists?

 

[MarkusKetterer]

You realize you came that close to being on a million Buzzfeed lists?

I’d prefer to be on a million Buzzfeed quizzes

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

My wife is a huge Bon Jovi fan, and one year I surprised her with tickets to go see one of his concerts on her birthday.

The bad part of the story is I had to go to a Bon Jovi concert.

 

[Behn Wilson]

My wife is a huge Bon Jovi fan, and one year I surprised her with tickets to go see one of his concerts on her birthday.

The bad part of the story is I had to go to a Bon Jovi concert.

since you bought the tix she assumed you loved them so for your birthday she got you two tix to them

 

[islesmb]

Been to a lot of shows especially in the late 80's and early 90's. One that was both the worst and best was Guns N´ Roses in Stockholm in ´91. Axl was about 2 and a half hours late... But when they got on, damn. I was so pissed off, but when they started playing, so good. Skid row was the opening act, and they were amazing.

I saw Guns n Roses 3 times including that tour with Skid Row. Axl ticked me off back then but you are right they put on a hell of a show.

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

3 come to mind, all from the mid-late 90s.

1 - I saw Cake when they were at the height of their popularity. I guess the act just didn't translate to a live, outdoor format. But they were really really bad. They were opening for Bush, so it wasn't quite an ideal pairing of acts and the crowd was kind of thin to begin with... I've never been to a show where a name band just outright bored everyone into silence. It was a rough set.

2 - Hilarious moment that I know happened in 1996 because it was the week of the Panthers/Packers playoff game. C&C Music Factory was playing a stage at a festival and my friend convinced me to go for the cheese appeal. Midway into the one song everyone knows, their backing vocal tape broke. Like you could actually hear it do the weird sound that a cassette tape makes when it breaks. To their credit, they kept their cool and managed not to get roasted by the crowd. When it became obvious that it would be a long delay, they started up the crowd in a "**** the Packers" chant

3 - Everclear when they were at the top of their fame. The music was fine, but it's the only show that I've ever been to where the lead singer really rubbed me the wrong way with vulgarity. Alexakis spent most of the show yelling obscenities left and right for no reason, telling the women to show their tits, etc. This was not Motley Crue cheekily egging on a crowd, but more like some unfunny guy on the street just yelling at people. Knowing a bit more about him now, it strikes me as less offensive than sad. But at the time I really didn't want to

so what happened? did the girls still show any tits?

 

[tarheelhockey]

so what happened? did the girls still show any tits?

Yep, but that doesn’t meet the criteria for “worst experience”

 

[Behn Wilson]

so what happened? did the girls still show any tits?

 

[kook10]

not a worst concert per se, but this seems like it might belong best here: