# Bands that were great in the studio but suck live. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2019, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-were-great-in-the-studio-but-suck-live/840225 "2019-09-14T17:49:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-were-great-in-the-studio-but-suck-live/840225/41 "2019-09-17T20:38:17Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > … your comment reminded me of one band I saw where acoustics didn’t even exist: The Beatles, August 1966. > > Their lips were moving and they seemed to be playing their instruments but damned if I could hear anything. Well, anything other than the loud (and I mean LOUD) uninterrupted screaming of 20000 peripubescent ‘youngsters’. Apparently I’m an exception to the rule, but I saw them in August 1965, San Diego, and despite the screaming I had no trouble hearing what they were playing. I was 14. First concert I ever went to. It was wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-were-great-in-the-studio-but-suck-live/840225/42 "2019-09-17T22:35:13Z")
The Jefferson Airplane never sounded good on any tape of their live stuff I’ve ever heard. They did meticulous production on their albums, but the live shows always sounded like they were recorded through a string attached to a tin can. Most live stuff of that era sounds weak, true, but Santana still managed to sound incredible live on tape. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-were-great-in-the-studio-but-suck-live/840225/43 "2019-09-17T22:49:48Z")
> [@UndisputedKingofNothing](#): > > I heard NOFX sucks live. They’re not _that_ horrible. My only issue was that even though I have 4 albums by them they only played 2 songs I knew. They weren’t super-amazing but they were neither worse than their studio albums nor completely the same. Great crowd energy, though. The entire floor was one big pit the entire show. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-were-great-in-the-studio-but-suck-live/840225/44 "2019-09-17T23:02:49Z")
> [@UndisputedKingofNothing](#): > > I heard NOFX sucks live. > [@Ludovic](#): > > They’re not _that_ horrible. My only issue was that even though I have 4 albums by them they only played 2 songs I knew. They weren’t super-amazing but they were neither worse than their studio albums nor completely the same. Great crowd energy, though. The entire floor was one big pit the entire show. [Whoosh](https://fatwreck.com/products/i-heard-they-suck-live)?? ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-were-great-in-the-studio-but-suck-live/840225/45 "2019-09-17T23:05:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > To be fair, wasn’t “no mid range” part of their sound for their early career? I seem to remember it all being about scooped-mids for them back before, say, the Black Album. Metal guitar _is_ scooped mids. Or at least the Metallica/Megadeth/Slayer version. Take 1K (or so) and pull that shit down as far as you can go. Turn up the gain as high as you can and go. However, in live situations it can muddy things too much. When I record I crank the mids down quite a bit. When playing with a band I bring them up some to cut through the drums/bass. Slee ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-were-great-in-the-studio-but-suck-live/840225/46 "2019-09-17T23:20:14Z")
Willie Nelson, in Kansas City a few years ago. No energy, he just talked the lyrics, left the stage after about 45 minutes. My wife said, “Well, remember how old he is.” He acted too old to be in concert. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-were-great-in-the-studio-but-suck-live/840225/47 "2019-09-17T23:53:15Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The Jefferson Airplane never sounded good on any tape of their live stuff I’ve ever heard. They did meticulous production on their albums, but the live shows always sounded like they were recorded through a string attached to a tin can… Agreed. And in terms of their musicianship, I think they were terrific on much of _Bless Its Pointed Little Head_, but far less impressive on any other live recording I’ve heard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-were-great-in-the-studio-but-suck-live/840225.md?page=2)