• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Not Good Live Bands

#241
Camel - Even David Paton's amazing playing could save them from sending half the audience to sleep. Dull. Dull. Dull.
Soul Asylum - Santa Barbara bowl. The same venue that gave us Jaco's wonderous playing with Joni Mitchell (Shadows and Light). Just terrible. No redeeming qualities.
Def Leppard - in their defense, it was "THAT" show (Hammersmith meltdown). Horrible.
Frankie Miller - TV show appearance. So drunk he couldn't tune. So drunk he couldn't stand. "Sorry, Frankie...another time...."
Venom - different TV show. Wall of rubbish noise. Which, thankfully, was highlighted by one of them stagediving into an unwilling crowd that parted like the Red Sea.
Accept - Donnington 1984. Bottled off in about five minutes.
Motley Crue - the very next band, didn't last a lot longer (rest of the bands were wonderful)
Wicked Wisdom - Jada Pinkett-Smith's "Black Metal" band (they are black, and they play metal...do you see what they did there?). Opening for the wonderful Alice Cooper. Wall of noise and screaming. I will never forget the face of my friend. I'd never seen his jaw drop that much. He couldn't take it in it was so bad.
Fabulous Thunderbirds - going through the motions so Kim Wilson could relive his glory days. Uninspiring.
 
#242
Papazita said:
Worst show I've ever seen? Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
They're ok on record, and have a rep for being a killer live act, so I was suprised at how bad they were. It might have just been an off night for them, but it made quite a first impression. That was the only show I've ever walked out of. :atoz:
Click to expand...

I have seen the Bosstones 5x over a 10 year period and while Dickey's voice isn't great, the band has always been tight.
 
#244
BigOldHarry said:
Back in the day, Aerosmith was widely known as a terrible live act - always loaded as hell, sloppy... just bad. Great recording group... and I understand that they are a MUCH better band live now than they were back in... well, I first say them in '77 (and they could barely get on stage!) - -
Click to expand...
I saw them a few years ago. They were horrible. They played like they were using again. Easily one of the worst, dissapointing shows I've ever been to. The only redemption that night was Lenny Kravitz. He opened the show, and KILLED.
 
#245
Im sorry, the Grateful Dead had more than 5 good years. I know a lot of poeple dont get it, but they are the american rock band.

The Black Crowes can go either way. The last time I saw them two years ago they were AMAZING. Wiser times alone was worth the price od admission.

Slightly Stoopid more than slightly suck. Ive seen them twice playing with other bands. How they got so big I will never know.
 
#247
troy mcclure said:
+1 for Cheap Trick, I saw them in 2003 and they were awful. Just sounded empty, no low end and BUN E Carlos might be the worst drummer ever. I don;t even think he is still with them.
Click to expand...

Bun is awesome, my college was not far from Rockford. They use to play at our sock hops ( don't ask) back in the early 70s.

Rick's son plays now, Bun retired.

Blue
 
#250
I have two, made worse by the fact that I'm a big fan of both.

I adore Johnny Winter, always have, so I was really excited to see him when he toured here, I'm guessing early 80's (don't quote me). He stumbled around in circles knocking stuff over, trotted out some tired old clichés and wandered off after about 30 minutes to a collective sigh of relief. I was so sad I nearly cried :(

I've seen Deep Purple numerous times with various lineups and always enjoyed them until the last time when I think they all played immaculately (probably) but in a mix completely destroyed by Don's Hammond. I love a Hammond as much as the next man, but I literally didn't hear another instrument for the entire show except for their individual solos. Good band let down by atrocious sound.

Mike
 
#254
Never saw Zeppelin live, but the live performances I've seen recorded (and their Song Remains the Same movie) were hard to watch.... Now seeing John Paul Jones with Them Crooked Vultures on You Tube - that I really liked....

Stanley Clarke live was tedious, enjoyed the opener, violinist Noel Pointer, - (Rest In Peace brother) - tremendously
 
#255
I've been to some Grateful Dead shows that were putrid, but the worst show I think I ever attended was Ray Charles back in 1992 or so. He mumbled through every song, had a very uninspiring band, and left me feeling sad that such a gifted musician could poop the bed so badly.
 
#256
"Gigs" that surprised me:
I got dragged to the 2009 honda civic tour when No Doubt was headlining, Paramore was opening that tour and I didn't even know who they were, but they put on a REALLY good show, good energy, sounded clean, was really impressed for a rookie band. Actually bought there album just from the performance alone.
DJ Tiesto: Not really a "band" but I saw him perform in Coachella in 2007, and was surprised how awesome trance sounded live, never really cared for trance but that showed converted me alittle.
Dre and Snoop (2012): They tore it up in Coachella this year. Dre's hired backing band was phenomenal, super tight, clean, all the old 90's classics reinterpreted with a live band sounded good. Was surprised.

Shows that let me down:
2007 & 2011 Incubus tours - I'm sorry, but when Dirk lance (old bassist) left the band, there Live gigs went down a notch, they sounded great, just boring - no energy. Probably won't see them again.
Deftones: I LOVE these guys in the studio, but the one Live show I went too was just a screamo fest, and was totally bad sounding, and just the overall show was slobby and mixed bad. That was in 2005 though, there more recent stuff is much more toned down.
At the drive-in: For such a short-lived yet legendary band, there live show in Coachella this year sucked ass, I was really disappointed, they sounded awful IMO and just didn't gel at all. It had a very "We are only doing this to get paid so **** off" vibe to it.

For the most part I've never really been to a show I've walked out on, i always stay through, and I've seen a ton of bands so i can't remember all of them, but most live gigs are pretty decent, the ones I mentioned above were the only "Stand outs" from my experience.
 
#257
Peepaleep said:
I've been to some Grateful Dead shows that were putrid, but the worst show I think I ever attended was Ray Charles back in 1992 or so. He mumbled through every song, had a very uninspiring band, and left me feeling sad that such a gifted musician could poop the bed so badly.
Click to expand...

That's really hard to hear. I saw him around the same time, give or take a few years, and he played like a god, his voice was exquisite from a whisper to a shout, and every song seemed like it was the first time he had played it live. Just a magnificent experience in every way, full orchestra and some Raelettes as well.
 
#258
MysticMichael said:
Well if that's the case, BOH, then your "back in the day" must be several years after my "back in the day" - because I attended an Aerosmith show in 1973, during their "Get Your Wings" tour - and was just blown away with how tight, focused, and totally in control they sounded.

If they were loaded for that show, it didn't show. Because they completely rocked that house like I'd never heard before - or since. :bassist:

MM
Click to expand...

Aerosmith could be awesome live. I was never particularly a fan but seeing clips of the live was an eye-opener at the time, also earlier in their career.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back