Worst bands or solo artist you have seen live

[WestGorton]

They were but then nobody went to watch them. When I saw them in Venue Cymru in Llandudno they were outstanding. It’s all about the venue and audience.

Years ago my wife was into the American type lovers. Went to see Alexander O’Neal. He was dreadful. Mick Hucknall was sat next to us and he fucked it off, not far before we did. On the other hand we went to see another who I was not looking forward to. Barry White remains one of my all time top gigs, particularly because I wasn’t expecting much but he was brilliant.

Criticize Fake and Hearsay are classic but think big Al list his voice 30 years ago.

 

[chesterbells]

Wife says ,defo jet black , defo burnell and very sure Hugh .

Ah, ok, always thought they were a worthwhile outfit when he was with ‘em, but he could certainly be a cantankerous one, so your story doesn’t surprise me!

 

[roman totale]

The Fall

Just like someone posted earlier about New Order, they were either amazing, or frustratingly shite. I think the latter got more common late on. I saw ‘em more times than I can remember, but last time was Atlanta in 2003. They were notorious for having iffy support bands and several of the worst bands I’ve seen were from that slot. Can’t remember most of their names, but one that does stick in the mind as laughably bad was a ‘baggy’ band around 1989 called The Sandmen.

More recently, I went to see Fontaines DC with high hopes, but thought they were absolutely abysmal.

 

[manchester blue]

Criticize Fake and Hearsay are classic but think big Al list his voice 30 years ago.

That was when we went :)

 

[BillCarlisle]

yes mate - We Can’t Dance tour. Genesis were superb - they did a small venue tour a few months later and I saw them play the Wolverhampton Civic Hall - one of the best gigs I’ve been to

I was at the Roundhay gig. Runrig opened it, they were one of my favourite bands. Brilliant musicians. I saw them many times and have all their albums, but like Lisa Stansfield, they were out of place on that bill. It was a really hot sunny summer's day, as I recall. I was also at the Genesis gig at Roundhay in 1987 when it pissed down all day. The place was a mud heap.

 

[brummie blue]

yes mate - We Can’t Dance tour. Genesis were superb - they did a small venue tour a few months later and I saw them play the Wolverhampton Civic Hall - one of the best gigs I’ve been to

Spot on, seeing them in such a small place after them playing festival and arena venues for years was great, I worked that gig, photographing it for the local paper review. Actually got paid to go and snap a gig I wanted to, didn't always go that way.

 

[jay_mcfc]

I’m not a music nerd or connoisseur so I generally just have a top time when I go to gigs. That said I was surprised by just how terrible Ian Brown’s singing actually. But he makes unbelievable music so still had a bazzing time!

 

[blue44]

Re U2, again didn’t see that, but love that album, and the Red Rocks set from the tour before looked and sounded incendiary, when they were really hungry for it. It was the last time there’d ever be a chance to see them in a venue that size. Did you rate the Unforgettable Fire album?

Brilliant album, A sort of homecoming is one of my favourite U2 songs,after the next album,the joshua tree i lost interest in them.

 

[chesterbells]

It would have been early 80s, when Sunday Bloody Sunday was released

You’ve got me thinking there, and I’ve been looking it up, and I can’t find any record of that. There was a festival in 83 Werchter or PinkPop when they were both on the same bill, at a festival with Peter Gabriel, Eurtythmics and a few others, but I can’t find any record of them supporting U2 on War tour or any other. Maybe it was at another summer 83 festival.
It piqued my interest mainly tbh cos I’m a big Simple Minds fan but a bit lukewarm on U2, and back in the 80s for a while they were seen as bands on a par with each other.
The Alarm, Big Country are showing as support on that War tour, but not SM.
Was interesting to research anyway.

 

[blue44]

The Stranglers at the Apollo , boring and couldn’t be arsed the play their biggest hit .

i went to watch Jean Jaques Burnell,on his solo "euroman cometh" tour at the Apollo about 1979,i was 14 ,I remember only about 200 people being there and most of them ended up on stage with him,he had to end the concert early if i remember correctly.