# Worst live concert you ever attended. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 5, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250 "2013-06-05T22:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/121 "2013-06-07T19:15:07Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > **Capt** - sounds like we should compare notes sometime. A few points: > > - I can’t speak to Aerosmith, whom I assume is the Boston Band. Love their first few albums, enjoy the guitar, have heard interesting things about working with them, but nothing first hand. > > - I know a guy who was the guitarist in Steve Pearcy’s non-Ratt band. When I was a wee player, I installed some pickups for the guy thinking he was badass. Apparently those shows are just a sloppy paycheck… > > - I have stated on this board before that I have been bandmates and friends with a guy who produced one of Cyndi Lauper’s albums. He would agree with EVERYTHING that **Capt Kirk** said. Well, to be clear - Cyndi has a great voice - no need to question her talent. But she is apparently her own worst enemy and so dysfunctional in the studio that it makes working with her traumatic. This friend is the nicest guy - worked with Elvis Costello, Paul Carrack, Vince Clark (Depeche Mode, Yaz, Erasure), Neneh Cherry; heck he produced Tricky’s great CD _Maxinquaye_ - and is known for keeping things light and easy in the studio. He found the only way she would buckle down and produce results was if he engaged her antagonistically - she needed that drama and tension and would lash out if it wasn’t happening. He won’t mention her name either. Well, I SAID after 30 years, you’d think word would’ve leaked out. I guess it is taking longer than we thought, after all. 😉 Thanks, WordMan. One wonders what effect this had on her career, if she might have done better than she has. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/122 "2013-06-07T19:15:11Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Tricky cancels more shows than anyone I’ve ever seen. Let me introduce you to Morrissey… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/123 "2013-06-07T19:22:51Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > Well, I SAID after 30 years, you’d think word would’ve leaked out. I guess it is taking longer than we thought, after all. 😉 Thanks, WordMan. One wonders what effect this had on her career, if she might have done better than she has. I would humbly suggest it has had a profound effect. Remember, she was bigger than Madonna for a bit, or at least in contention. Madonna is a sharp business person, regardless of any other considerations… And **FLIB** , this is inside stuff. You may not hear that so and so is tough, but see if they get business and longevity. Cyndi has great songs and great talent; but has struggled to find her place. More power to her with Kinky Boots. But Look at her vs Madonna or Bonnie Raitt. Look at, I dunno, Elvis Costello vs Joe Jackson or Joe Satriani and Steve Morse vs. Yngwie the biggest Putz around. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/124 "2013-06-07T19:29:17Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Let me introduce you to Morrissey… Hey, I’ve had tickets to three Morrissey shows and saw him twice. The third time, my wife was in the hospital so we had to sell them. Both great shows (with a good number of Smiths songs in the setlist). I know lately he’s been cancelling a lot of shows because of some serious health problems, which is actually quite concerning to me. Hopefully he’s alright. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/125 "2013-06-07T19:56:57Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Yngwie the biggest Putz around. Sorry, but Prince has that title locked up. His name is engraved on the trophy. ---
**Author:** ![kbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/126 "2013-06-07T20:05:34Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Having heard Mr. Loaf’s dulcet-toned rendition of “America the Beautiful,” I am reluctant to accept your claims. Just watched that on YouTube. ouch. Now imagine 2 1/2 hours of it. :-/ ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/127 "2013-06-07T20:37:08Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Sorry, but Prince has that title locked up. His name is engraved on the trophy. That’s because Prince is better than mere mortals. I’m not happy about it leading to dickishness, but I totally respect his place at the top of the pantheon. He can be a Picasso Jerk, and the world is still better off due to his presence. Yngwie, on the other hand, \*types fast. \* ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/128 "2013-06-07T20:40:15Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Sorry, but Prince has that title locked up. His name is engraved on the trophy. I worked a show with Prince, I’d heard all the rumours so I was shocked when he snuck up behind me and politely asked for a bottle of water! Meh…maybe he’s mellowed over the years. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/129 "2013-06-07T20:57:39Z")
> [@Capt\_Kirk](#): > > Thank you **WordMan** , > > I will concede that CL can sing but now when I hear it, well I cringe. > > I did not mean to imply that it was any band from Boston or Boston the band. I was referring to the marathon bombers. They should not be famous and IMO neither should CL hence my refusal to speak/write their names. > > I have worked with many “difficult” artists over the years, never a real problem. Demanding performers can be just that but most of the time it is so worth it. Anything worth doing will at times be hard but there is no need to make it difficult “just because” you are a special snowflake. Most artists get this some do not. > > I would like to give a few quick examples of hard gigs that I have worked where the artist is pure gold > > Springsteen “the Boss” super complicated setup, hard gig. The nicest and most professional crew you can meet. That only comes from the top. They were at the Moody last year for SXSW, I was TM for someone who sat in. The crew chief was waiting for me on the dock, got all of my people in including record label folks and made sure I got dinner because he thought I looked hungry. Great show, no that doesn’t do it justice, fantastic show. > > Bon Jovi, same basic story plus the guys were a riot. They played the Houston Rodeo several years ago. The band and SO’s were sitting watching the goings on from the stage and kept asking me to explain what was happening, so nice. Awesome performers and who knew that they all could sing so well, amazing. > > Queensryche, big set up, long and hard day. Very exacting crew and band. After the show spent a half hour or so with Stone, the newer guitar player, smoking cigs. Most humble, nicest cat I have met in a while. > > I don’t like any of the aboves music but I would bend over backwards to work with any of them. > > Sorry for the hijack > > **Capt** **Capt Kirk** , please remind us what you do. By the way, we’re getting the vestiges of hurricane Andrea, I’m enjoying a beer and playing some slide guitar on a 1930’s cheap-ass archtop. Mercury Blues by David Lindley and El Rayo Equis to be precise. That felt relevant for some reason… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/130 "2013-06-07T21:04:04Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > **Capt Kirk** , please remind us what you do. > > By the way, we’re getting the vestiges of hurricane Andrea, I’m enjoying a beer and playing some slide guitar on a 1930’s cheap-ass archtop. Mercury Blues by David Lindley and El Rayo Equis to be precise. That felt relevant for some reason… By the way, this live performance totally rejects the OP: > **[YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/?app=desktop)** > > Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Sorry it’s a mobile link… ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/131 "2013-06-07T21:15:54Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > I worked a show with Prince, I’d heard all the rumours so I was shocked when he snuck up behind me and politely asked for a bottle of water! Meh…maybe he’s mellowed over the years. I shoot concert video. Obviously the copyright on the song belongs to the songwriter, but the vast majority of songwriters have accepted that people are going to perform their songs and put videos up on YouTube. And in return for this violation of their copyright, YouTube puts ads for their music up next to the cover video. It’s a good deal for both parties. But some bands have decided that nobody should cover their songs but themselves - Led Zeppelin is in this category. They cause YouTube to mute the audio. And there is a tiny number of douchebags who not only don’t allow people to cover their songs, they issue DMCA copyright violation notices, removing the entire video. If you have a YouTube channel, you get three DMCA violation “strikes”. On the third, you lose your entire channel. I have nearly 300 videos up of kids performing songs, and in one night, Prince issued two DMCA takedown notices against me. I pulled all my Prince covers down, but I am one strike away from losing all my videos, and worse, all the comments. The kids did an amazing version of the song [“The Undertaker”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreleased_Prince_projects#The_Undertaker), an unreleased Prince track, it got nearly 10,000 views and some amazing comments. And it is not as if the availability of this cover had the slightest impact on sales of _an unreleased track_. Yes, it’s his song…but issuing a DMCA takedown notice is, as Frank Zappa told the US Senate “the equivalent of treating dandruff with decapitation”. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/132 "2013-06-07T22:43:02Z")
> [@campp](#): > > My ex wife made me go to see [Paul Young](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Young), who was a heart throb pop act at the time. Paramount Theater, Seattle, 1985. > > SHRIEKING teenage girls at a decibel level that would drown out Deep Purple forced me to spend the concert sitting in the lobby with fingers in my ears. So long and painful. I’ve mentioned this before, but the loudest single noise I have never heard at a concert was Shawn Cassidy at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. I was selling t-shirts at the time, and when he came on stage, bursting through a big paper circle, the screaming pre-teens made a noise that had to be louder than a jet engine at take off. And I worked the notorious Ted Nugent concert at Arrowhead that got noise complaints from several miles away (and where I learned that the vast majority of Ted’s stage guitar amps were fakes.) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/133 "2013-06-07T23:22:23Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > The last couple of Ralph Stanley shows I saw were painful. Most of the show was carried by his no-talent hack of a son, Ralph II, and most of the rest was Ralph doddering on about how great he is, or how great his son is, or doing interminable comedy bits with the band that were ultra-hacky when he started doing them in the 70s and are even worse now. > > By the last time I saw him his arthritis was so bad he never even picked up a banjo. His voice was still awesome, but the little bit of it you got to hear wasn’t worth sitting through so much bullshit. That reminds me of the Jan & Dean concert I attended many, many, many years ago — 1985 or so. I’d completely forgotten about that one. It wasn’t a _bad_ show, per se. The music was well done and they played all their hits. But Jan wasn’t really all there, what with the brain damage from his 1966 car wreck. For most of the show, he’d start out singing each song, and then sort of just wander away from the mic, and the group’s guitarist would step up to the mic and finish singing Jan’s part. Like I said, it wasn’t a bad show, it was just kind of sad to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/134 "2013-06-08T02:40:52Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > **Capt Kirk** , please remind us what you do. > > By the way, we’re getting the vestiges of hurricane Andrea, I’m enjoying a beer and playing some slide guitar on a 1930’s cheap-ass archtop. Mercury Blues by David Lindley and El Rayo Equis to be precise. That felt relevant for some reason… FOH, concert sound for those who don’t know. I am that guy dressed in black twisting knobs. Tonight is Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk they have their own guy so I am babysitting. Gotta run the opener is on. **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/135 "2013-06-08T04:21:40Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I’ve mentioned this before, but the loudest single noise I have never heard at a concert was Shawn Cassidy at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. I was selling t-shirts at the time, and when he came on stage, bursting through a big paper circle, the screaming pre-teens made a noise that had to be louder than a jet engine at take off. And I worked the notorious Ted Nugent concert at Arrowhead that got noise complaints from several miles away (and where I learned that the vast majority of Ted’s stage guitar amps were fakes.) ZOMG, when I was a tween, he was my first “love”. Unfortunately, he has not aged well. ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/136 "2013-06-08T04:32:56Z")
The Jets in the 80’s at Knott’s Berry Farm. We went for my sister’s birthday and waited for several hours in line. When the doors opened, there was a mad rush for seats. People were being shoved against the doors, seeing other parents trying to navigate their kids in while someone shoves their child , etc. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/137 "2013-06-08T11:30:49Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I shoot concert video. Obviously the copyright on the song belongs to the songwriter, but the vast majority of songwriters have accepted that people are going to perform their songs and put videos up on YouTube. And in return for this violation of their copyright, YouTube puts ads for their music up next to the cover video. It’s a good deal for both parties. > > But some bands have decided that nobody should cover their songs but themselves - Led Zeppelin is in this category. They cause YouTube to mute the audio. > > And there is a tiny number of douchebags who not only don’t allow people to cover their songs, they issue DMCA copyright violation notices, removing the entire video. If you have a YouTube channel, you get three DMCA violation “strikes”. On the third, you lose your entire channel. > > I have nearly 300 videos up of kids performing songs, and in one night, Prince issued two DMCA takedown notices against me. I pulled all my Prince covers down, but I am one strike away from losing all my videos, and worse, all the comments. The kids did an amazing version of the song [“The Undertaker”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreleased_Prince_projects#The_Undertaker), an unreleased Prince track, it got nearly 10,000 views and some amazing comments. And it is not as if the availability of this cover had the slightest impact on sales of _an unreleased track_. Yes, it’s his song…but issuing a DMCA takedown notice is, as Frank Zappa told the US Senate “the equivalent of treating dandruff with decapitation”. By the way, **gaffa** , this stinks and I’m sorry to hear it. Prince is obsessed with controlling his music, apparently to the point of being a jerk. He’s still Prince. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/138 "2013-06-08T16:57:11Z")
A couple stinkers come to mind - the first was Jorma Kaukonen at some cabaret in NJ in the early '80s. The opening act was a comedian, then Jorma came on, went off, came on, went off, like he was running off stage to do lines or something. Just disjointed and rushed and not much to enjoy about it. The other was Laurie Anderson at the Orpheum in Boston sometime in the '80s. I think the problem was more unfulfilled expectations than anything else. I had seen her in Denver previously around the time Mr. Heartbreak came out, with a full band like in the Home of the Brave video. That concert was an awesome life-changing event. The show in Boston was just her, a keyboardist, and three backup singers who barely knew the material. One of my concert-mates called it Laurie Anderson and the Pips. I was like ‘okay, the warm-up is over, bring out the rest of the band’. Plus I felt kind of lousy anyway. Big disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/139 "2013-06-08T17:08:30Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > By the way, **gaffa** , this stinks and I’m sorry to hear it. Prince is obsessed with controlling his music, apparently to the point of being a jerk. He’s still Prince. [Here’s a story from Prince’s recording engineer about working with him](http://gaffa.org/moments/2_2j.html) on the Kate Bush collaboration _Why Should I Love You_. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250/140 "2013-06-08T17:30:49Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > [Here’s a story from Prince’s recording engineer about working with him](http://gaffa.org/moments/2_2j.html) on the Kate Bush collaboration _Why Should I Love You_. Yep, he’s an ego-loaded guy. But I read the writer’s disclaimer that Prince was hard to work with because he treated everyone like he was better. But, he’s _Prince_ - he is better. I wish that didn’t give him permission to be a jerk - it doesn’t affect some geniuses that way - but if anyone had a case, Prince would be on the shortest of lists… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-live-concert-you-ever-attended/660250.md?page=8)