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Gig that most disappointed you


Crazy Diamond
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I've got one or two.

 

My absolute hero Bob Dylan let me down big time at the O2 arena in 2009. Couldn't understand a word he said, couldn't even see him until I moved into a vacant VIP seat halfway through the show, couldn't tell what songs he was even playing. Paid near £60 for the privilege. I can however say I have seen Bob Dylan live, which is a big plus.

 

Maximo Park at Southampton Guildhall. That was a wrong'un. Their second album wasn't that good if you ask me (although 'Our Velocity' is a great song) but I wanted to see them. The best thing about the night other than Our Velocity and 'Apply Some Pressure' was someone throwing their shoe at the lead singer and being told the Liverpool - Chelsea score in the Champions League semi-final.

 

I also recall going to the Portsmouth Pyramids to see The Rakes (great band, two solid albums, one pile of ****e) and having to bear witness to the genocide of modern music that was 'White Rose Movement' warming up for them. I only remember their name because I came up with the nickname 'Sh*te Bowel Movement'. I was so disgusted with them that when I found their album in HMV in Winchester, I threw it under the display shelf so no one could find it.

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I've got one or two.

 

My absolute hero Bob Dylan let me down big time at the O2 arena in 2009. Couldn't understand a word he said, couldn't even see him until I moved into a vacant VIP seat halfway through the show, couldn't tell what songs he was even playing. Paid near £60 for the privilege. I can however say I have seen Bob Dylan live, which is a big plus.

 

Maximo Park at Southampton Guildhall. That was a wrong'un. Their second album wasn't that good if you ask me (although 'Our Velocity' is a great song) but I wanted to see them. The best thing about the night other than Our Velocity and 'Apply Some Pressure' was someone throwing their shoe at the lead singer and being told the Liverpool - Chelsea score in the Champions League semi-final.

 

I also recall going to the Portsmouth Pyramids to see The Rakes (great band, two solid albums, one pile of ****e) and having to bear witness to the genocide of modern music that was 'White Rose Movement' warming up for them. I only remember their name because I came up with the nickname 'Sh*te Bowel Movement'. I was so disgusted with them that when I found their album in HMV in Winchester, I threw it under the display shelf so no one could find it.

 

I was at that very same Rakes gig and I remember it for the very same reason. It was more torture than entertainment. Goldfrapp at Guildhall, although I didn't really fancy it anyway but a free ticket persuaded me, I found myself at the fat cat 20 minutes after she come on stage. Plenty others to talk about, but not at this te of the morning when I have an away day torrorow. :) COYS!!!

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Amy Winehouse here iin Dubai earlier this year - absolute disgrace, mumbled the lyrics, no eye contact with audience, keep looking at her finger nails and arms, or had her back to the crowd and was in discussion with band members during songs ..... and that was when she was on stage!!

 

She left her backing to fumble along without her for 3 songs.... I didn't cough up 50 quid (cheapest tickets!!) to see a backing group FFS.

 

Songs like Valerie, Back to Black and Rehab were barely recognisable.

 

All blamed later on a sound problem .... the backing singers managed well enough.

 

People were leaving in droves after 2 or 3 songs. It really was that bad.

 

I dare you to watch this and see what we had to put up with. *****.

 

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Muse - Wembley Arena, just after BH&R had come out. They played that entire album from start to finish, and then about 3 other songs, and f*cked off home. They sounded great, but the setlist really frustrated me!

 

Stevie Wonder - Saw him at the O2 in November 2009, he played about 2hrs of stuff that nobody seemed to know that well, and then did a 30 minute medley of all the songs that people had paid £50 to see him play! FFS.

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I was at that very same Rakes gig and I remember it for the very same reason. It was more torture than entertainment. Goldfrapp at Guildhall, although I didn't really fancy it anyway but a free ticket persuaded me, I found myself at the fat cat 20 minutes after she come on stage. Plenty others to talk about, but not at this te of the morning when I have an away day torrorow. :) COYS!!!

 

Decent band weren't they? I was sad to hear they'd split up, but I heard one or two tracks from 'Klang' and thought it wasn't worth buying. I saw them at the Guildhall too on the 'Ten New Messages' tour - great album. They were a good live act, first got into them when I saw them warm up for Franz Ferdinand in 2005. White Rose Movement though? Christ...

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Decent band weren't they? I was sad to hear they'd split up, but I heard one or two tracks from 'Klang' and thought it wasn't worth buying. I saw them at the Guildhall too on the 'Ten New Messages' tour - great album. They were a good live act, first got into them when I saw them warm up for Franz Ferdinand in 2005. White Rose Movement though? Christ...

 

I saw them at the Guildhall on that tour as well, they were very good. I did get to see them for one final time at Glastonbury 2010 before they split up though, so that was good.

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Black Sabbath at the Hammersmith Odeon (as was then). Total carp. Also Deep Purple at Wembley Area with some bloke called Tommy Bolin on guitar. Also total carp and I think he died soon after. Not fit to tie Ritchie Blackmore's shoe laces.

 

I'm envious that you saw those two in the first place - both favourites of mine. Well, up to certain points. Anything post Ozzy and Gillan for the respective bands I find hard to listen to. Plus you can't really have Deep Purple without Blackmore. If at all. Sabbath did alright with Dio on Heaven and Hell but they were never going to hit the heights of Paranoid etc.

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both times I saw Siouxsie and the Banshees consisted of 1 hour, 1 single encore, and thats your lot. Good stuff, but really didn't put a huge effort in.

 

musically, probably Echo and The Bunnymen, at hammersmith Odeon, in their heyday. mind you, the odeon was good for making bands seem rubbish.

 

as someone else said, its nearly impossible in a big arena, my only time seeing the Jam was at Wembley arena..was a good night, but against the odds really.

 

and as for venues, Earls court really is the pits.genuinely like a bus depot.

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Van Morrison at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1975! I don't think I ever fully recovered from that disappointment. Never been to see him since.

 

Saw Van the Man at Broadlands a few years back. A disappointing gig made bearable by a fantastic horn section. He seemed to be in a mood with the audience. Hardly spoke a word. Apparently he's renowned for either being truly fantastic or the complete opposite and nothing in between. Would love to see him on a good day but can't take the risk.

 

Saw R.E.M. around '95 at Milton Keynes bowl. They were terrible. No energy and didn't seem like they wanted to be there. I'd been a fan for years and it really lowered them in my eyes. Blur, who opened for them were superb.

 

R.E.M. played the MKB the next night too and that was broadcast live on Radio 1. Despite my disappointment from the previous night I tuned in and Michael Stipe opened up by saying something to the effect of "We were s*** last night, we're going to be much better tonight"!

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Shed Seven at the Pyramids on their "lets reform for cash not for the art" tour a couple of years back. Rick Whitter was off his head, pished up Im almost certain of it. Loved them in the early 90's and wished I'd kept it that way, as a memory

 

Meatloaf in the mid 80's, during his "Midnight at the Lost and Found" tour. I was young, my first proper gig and didnt really understand the reason most artists tour is to promote new material. I just wanted to hear Bat from start to finish.

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Editors at Brixton. Never been a big fan but they were just so formulaic, left after 30 minutes.

Not always bad then. One of the best gigs I've been to was Editors at Ibiza Rocks when they wer held at Bar M.

 

Not sure when you saw them but in Ibiza they did only have the one album at the time though, which is a class above compared to the stuff since imo.

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Not always bad then. One of the best gigs I've been to was Editors at Ibiza Rocks when they wer held at Bar M.

 

Not sure when you saw them but in Ibiza they did only have the one album at the time though, which is a class above compared to the stuff since imo.

 

Saw them in 2007 which I think was shortly after the release of the 2nd album. Brixton normally generates a decent atmosphere but it was very bland that night.

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I saw the Editors and the Rakes warm up for Franz Ferdinand in 2005. The lead singer of the Editors was a bit weird, I swear he kept staring at me throughout. The Rakes on the other hand were fantastic.

 

Oh and speaking of the Rakes, I've been in contact with Alan Donohoe their lead singer, I'm interviewing him soon about some new material he's working on.

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