Worst band I have ever seen

[steve1]

My first gig was a double bill of Hawkwind and Man at Slough Community Centre in June 1972. Since then I have seen bands and artists in venues from the back rooms of pubs to Wembley Stadium and everywhere in between. There have been so many I have lost count.

 

Last night the support act to Paul Heaton & Jacquie Abbott (who were excellent) at Leeds Arena were a trio called Trudy. They were, without doubt, the worst band I have ever seen anywhere. The singer-guitarist was absolutely cr*p, the other two were barely adequate . Every song sounded the same and what I could hear of the lyrics were trite. They so bad we walked out and waited for the interval before returning to our seats.

 

I would advise everyone to AVOID THIS BAND AT ALL COSTS!

 

steve

[BlackRat]

You've never seen Crass then....

[njee20]

I feel sorry for support acts, I've seen some decent ones who've sounded dreadful, as everything is set up for the main act.

 

Being as music is personal though, I'll politely disregard anyone random opinions to "avoid" any specific artist.

[mike morley]

Van Halen at the Rainbow. 

One of the brothers had apparently fallen off the stage and broken his nose during the soundcheck so had needed taking to hospital.   Only no one bothered to tell the audience that until we'd been waiting hours and hours and were already ready to riot. 

Then when finally they came on, they were awful.

We endured three numbers before walking out and taking refuge in the pub opposite (The Duke of Sutherland?) to find half the audience had already beaten us there.

[inglenookfan]

Radiohead, stockholm in the late 90's. Most awful depressing time i have had at a gig.

 

Inglenookfan

[peanuts]

frankie goes to hollywood live at the royal court liverpool when they were at their absolute height of fame gig in their home town  would and should of been a triumphant return utter utter dross of the highest order couldn't even mime convincingly !thank fully didnt pay for my ticket as a freeby for escorting a friends younger daughter for the night totaly awfull night only Alison moyets two song appearance after being two hours late on stage at the manchester apolo comes close 

[Ian Smeeton]

McGoo, Rutland's most enthusiastic Irish band had their first mpromptu gig at my pub, some years ago.

 

It was supposed to be acoustic only, as it was (is) only a small pub. Full amplificationj with a small audience soon clkeared the audience and all of the diners. I was not a happy bunny.

 

A couple of weeks later, I had a letter from the councl, threatenng dire consequences and large fines, reminding me that I did not have a public entertanment licence and that live music was not alllowed.

 

I wrote back:

 

Dear sir,

 

If you had been here that night, you would have realised that what took place was in no way musical, and more to the point, could not be descriibed as entertainment.

 

I rest my case,

 

Yours etc.

 

 

McGoo have had a lot more practice now and are rather good at it now.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[DOCJACOB]

Did once suffer Baron Rojo. Truly dreadful and best part was during the drum solo, clearly he was aware the crowd were restless so he stopped and a plaintive little voice could just be heard saying something very rude (one word pertaining to copulation and the pertaining to travel)

 

Place just burst into hysterics!

[pete_mcfarlane]

Student union end of term balls seemed to throw up some shockers:

 

- Gina G. She did 3 songs - her one and only hit ('Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit'), followed by another song that sounded very similar to it (presumably the B side). Then as an encore she did 'Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit' a second time. And that was presumably her entire repotoire....

 

- Black Lace. Utterly utterly awful, and even worse than you'd expect. 

['CHARD]

For most new bands it's a fair commitment getting up there and doing it in front of a potentially indifferent or openly hostile audience, so fair play to them for that.  

 

Equally, each to their own, taste is a deeply personal thing... however, I've been to some right howlers over the years.  Worthy of special mention being:

 

 

TOM ROBINSON - acoustic and in the round (seated only gig) at Coventry Tic Toc Club in 1990.  This was such a dire predicament we walked out after about two tracks.

[BoD]

The singer-guitarist was absolutely cr*p, the other two were barely adequate . Every song sounded the same and what I could hear of the lyrics were trite.

steve

That perfectly describes the Bob Dylan I saw a few years ago.

[Killybegs]

A band that had the lead singer from The Stranglers were the warm up act for Pat Benatar some time in the early eighties, probably 83. Most of the audience, including us, walked out and came back for the main event. PB was great but my ears rang for a week!

['CHARD]

A band that had the lead singer from The Stranglers were the warm up act for Pat Benatar some time in the early eighties, probably 83. Most of the audience, including us, walked out and came back for the main event. PB was great but my ears rang for a week!

 

There's something wrong here.  Hugh Cornwell was still in The Stranglers in 1983 and they never supported Pat Benatar (that's unthinkable quite frankly!!!).

 

I believe that Brian Connolly from The Sweet supported, fronting his band of the time.

 

http://www.raysgigs.com/gigs.php?year=1983

[teaky]

Van Halen at the Rainbow. 

One of the brothers had apparently fallen off the stage and broken his nose during the soundcheck so had needed taking to hospital.   Only no one bothered to tell the audience that until we'd been waiting hours and hours and were already ready to riot. 

Then when finally they came on, they were awful.

We endured three numbers before walking out and taking refuge in the pub opposite (The Duke of Sutherland?) to find half the audience had already beaten us there.

I'm not alone then.  Van Halen at the Manchester Apollo, 1980ish.  Terrible performance and sound turned up so loud it was impossible to hear anything properly.

[APOLLO]

Many years ago, I was the piccolo player in a band that toured the world, playing in venues great and small.
One night in Istanbul, we played before a wealthy pasha, and when we were done he gushed: "Oh, for giving me a night of such wonderful music, I will fill each of your instruments with gold coins!"
The tuba player was pleased, he got rich.
The double bass player was pleased, he got rich.
And there was I, with my little piccolo.

A week later, we did a performance in a concert hall in Bavaria, and afterwards an old duke came backstage to praise us: "That was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had! I will fill each of your instruments with jewels!"
The tuba player was pleased, he got rich.
The double bass player was pleased, he got rich.
And there I was with my little piccolo.

A few days after that, we stopped over at a theater in the west of Ireland. To be honest, it wasn’t the best performance we’d ever done — we were pretty tired from touring — and at the end of the concert, there was only a bit of faint applause. Then a voice came from the back of the hall: "Jaysus, yez all sounded terrible. Yez can stick yer bloody instruments up yer arses!"
The tuba player tried, but couldn’t do it.
The double bass player also tried, couldn’t do it.
But there I was with my little piccolo…

 

 

Brit15

[jonny777]

My first gig was a double bill of Hawkwind and Man at Slough Community Centre in June 1972. Since then I have seen bands and artists in venues from the back rooms of pubs to Wembley Stadium and everywhere in between. There have been so many I have lost count.

 

 

 

Slough Community Centre?

 

You might have been there at the same time as me, although I never saw Hawkwind.

 

I always thought it rather sad that some of the less well known bands were playing their hearts out to about 100 interested people sitting at the front, while most of the locals were chatting each other up very loudly at the back.

 

I saw Greenslade there, and maybe Rory Gallagher but some of the others are a bit of a blur and I'm not sure where I was.

[Horsetan]

You should never meet your heroes. You'll only be disappointed.

[jonny777]

I'm trying to think if Ginger Baker's Airforce played there.

 

The worst person I saw live was Leo Sayer. He was a support act for Rick Wakeman at Crystal Palace but seemed to be singing completely out of tune to me and I was glad when he finished; although a few teenage girls at the front seemed not to notice how bad he was.

[sp1]

I'm trying to think if Ginger Baker's Airforce played there.

 

The worst person I saw live was Leo Sayer. He was a support act for Rick Wakeman at Crystal Palace but seemed to be singing completely out of tune to me and I was glad when he finished; although a few teenage girls at the front seemed not to notice how bad he was.

Leo Sayer and Rick Wakeman? That's almost like getting the Monkees to support Jimi Hendrix

Oh wait......

[newbryford]

Ozzy Osbourne at Manchester Apollo sometime in the mid-1980s. Dire.

 

Half way through his set, the audience were asking for the support band - Ratt - to come back on.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[jonny777]

Leo Sayer and Rick Wakeman? That's almost like getting the Monkees to support Jimi Hendrix

Oh wait......

 

It was a record label set up. They were trying to make Sayer into an international superstar, so thought it would be a great idea to have him high up the bill between Procol Harum and Wakeman, but he went down like a lead balloon with everyone but those under 20.

[Jol Wilkinson]

Thin Lizzy a couple of years ago at the Ipswich Regent. We went with friends who thought they weren't a patch on a TL tribute band that they had seen in a local pub a few weeks before.

[sp1]

Thin Lizzy a couple of years ago at the Ipswich Regent. We went with friends who thought they weren't a patch on a TL tribute band that they had seen in a local pub a few weeks before.

A couple of years ago?????

[Jol Wilkinson]

A couple of years ago?????

Yes, still going although they have become much more "hard rock". Didn't play any of their decent songs of old.

[sp1]

Yes, still going although they have become much more "hard rock". Didn't play any of their decent songs of old.

Didn't realise that! Don't see how they can really be Thin Lizzy without a certain singing bass player...