Best/Worst Concerts you've attended

Best:

Boris w/ Clouds and Torche at Baton Rouge, LA. I got the drummer from Clouds to sign a broken drumstick that flew across the stage (he said, "Uh...why do you want me to sign this?"), the lead guitarist from Torche came down and allowed the crowd to play his guitar (I got two hands on the guitar neck :D), and Atsuo, Boris' drummer, decided to stage dive off a ~5 ft. high stage into me, a 6'7'' dude. I nearly fell on my ass while the rest of the crowd got him to the top.
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Worst:
Puddle of Mudd. I went to a musical festival when I was twelve or so to see the awesome local blues musicians. My father had other plans. Ugh.

The best concert I've attended was Cursive in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (I think it was 2-3 years ago). While the recorded albums are superb, hearing the band live was almost magical. On the final song the band stretched out a 4 minute song into 9 minutes. The band actually handed the microphone and guitar out to two audience members to play for a few minutes while the band members rotated on some of the instruments. (My friend was handed the guitar and he was ecstatic because he knew how to play all of their songs. To this day he brings it up whenever he can.) Cursive has a really great stage presence and you could tell that everyone was really having a great time.

As far as worst concert, I haven't been to enough concerts to really have one. Although I guess I could say seeing Bright Eyes live was pretty gay. I had a horrible time because my then-boyfriend was a complete ass and made me hold all of his merchandise that he bought before the actual performance. I was in a shitty mood the whole time.

Best:

The Darkness at Wembley, December 2004.
I know they're epically gay and incredibly cheesy, but they put on a hell of a show.
The sound was incredible quality, they're brilliant players.
Justin interacted with the crowd in a great way, everyone was laughing and cheering from start to finish.
And of course, how can you speak ill of someone who plays a solo while sat on a giant arctic tiger, suspended no more than 6 feet above the crowd!

As for the worst I've only been to a few gigs, and none have been "bad" as per say.

Best: RZA as Bobby Digital

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Front row. Stone Mecca was the live band who played for him. They also played a set before he came out. RZA passed a 5th of belvedere and I took a swig from the same bottle as him. Great moment in my life. They also sprayed a bunch of champagne into the crowd.

Best:

Regina Spektor, playing a college band-fest. She wasn't the headliner, so she didn't get a huge amount of press at Longwood. I would say there were only about 75 people there, just standing, while she played. She bantered with the audience back and forth, and afterwards just kind of hung out. I had to leave - Cartel was the headliner and fuck me, they're whiny and I didn't want to stay, but it was a very cool, very personal show.

Worst:

Oppenheimer. And it was not their fault. They couldn't fill the venue - which was small to begin with. I'd liked Oppenheimer since I saw them open for They Might Be Giants a few years back and was looking forward to hearing them again, because they were bitching live. They played primarily the same set (despite having just put out a new album), but the audience had dwindled down to the double digits by the time Hot Lava left the stage. They were the stand outs - and it was cool, because that was my cousin's band.

But the show was brought down by the fact that there were a bunch of JUST TURNED 21 beer beER BEEEEERRRR frat boys right in front pretty much yelling at the band the entire time. Rocky and Sean knew how to handle them, but they just kept trying to talk to me and my sister. The crowd wasn't receptive at all, but I still enjoyed it.

Runner up for the best:

The Format on one of their last shows on their last tour as an actual band before breaking up. They played all of "Dog Problems" and a few tracks off "Interventions and Lullabies" before coming out and playing a fucking 9 song encore, which was pretty awesome. The place was packed, but the audience was so very fucking into it. The band rotated instruments and had their openers come out and play different songs with them. Not to mention Steel fucking Train opened, and they're pretty goddamned good with the whole guitar/vocals/playing live thing.

And Nate threw his hat into the audience. Nate fucking loves his hats, too, man.

Piebald also opened for them, but they were drunk and surly. And Limbeck was supposed to open, as well - which I had gotten pumped about - but their singer and guitarist were both sick (AIDS?) so they couldn't come on.

Runner up for best:

The Old 97's. Awesome fucking show.

Hmm, Puddle of Mudd actually put on a pretty great show when I saw them. It's funny because they're a terrible band.

The best I've been to was probably either Tool or the first time I saw Breaking Benjamin.

The worst....I really don't know, I've been to some terrible shows. I'll go with any of the Christian bands I've seen.

Best:

Iron Maiden at Earls court Dec 2006. They sure know how to put on a show as it was fucking awesome. They mainly played their newest album as well as had some good banter with the crowd.

Lauren Harris (Steve Harris Iron Maiden Basists daughter). Fuck she's attractive and looked so hot running around the stage in her tight leather! http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl...-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Worst:

80's B line Match box disaster June 2005. Lets just say they got booed on stage and booed / bottled off.

Avenge Sevenfold supporting Maiden Dec 2006. They sucked ass and were booed off. Their lead singer nearly got his head kicked in when he jumped into an angry section of the crowd. He was lucky the security guards were quick to pull him out. It was also the basists birthday and the singer tried to get everyone to sing Happy Birthday. No one sang and they stormed off for a few mins!

Well the best would either be Supervillains/Mad Caddies, Streetlight Manifesto or Bad Religion. I would have to say Streetlight though, I mean they are simply amazing live, and that combined with their new music coming out, makes for an amazing concert.


As for the worst, my friend tricked me into going to see a screamo band. Eww. It sounded like lynyrd skynyrd and norma jean had a retarded baby with fetal alcohol syndrome.

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Originally Posted by gabetar

As for the worst, my friend tricked me into going to see a screamo band. Eww. It sounded like lynyrd skynyrd and norma jean had a retarded baby with fetal alcohol syndrome.

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LOL

I can only imagine what that must have sounded like.

The best for me was Blue Öyster Cult at a pirate festival in Lake Charles, LA. It was a free show, but they didnt care. They rocked out for 2 hours and came back for an encore. I was lucky enough to be against the railing in front of the stage.

Worst for me was Bob Dylan last year in Austin. I really think he had a stroke on stage. I ended up leaving before his set was finished. Afterwards, I was talking with a friend that had seen him a few times before and was told that Dylan always sucked live.

Best:

Rage Against The Machine at Reading Festival 2008. Was an excellent set, they had the most epic opener. All 4 band members in orange guantanamo bay jumpsuits and black bags over their heads, spotlights glaring at them. Then they played Bombtrack with the bags still over their heads. Crazy stuff, best gig i've ever seen.

Muse in London: 2nd best live band i've seen. Flawless performance, excellent sound. I saw them pre-black holes & revelations which is a good thing for the most part cos I got to see songs which are often left out now like Muscle Museum (a favourite of mine).

Editors at Reading Festival (again). Me and a friend got pretty close to the front for this, they were really great. Put on a good show, and there was a hot girl not wearing much in front of me so I was pretty happy.


Worst:

I could list bands i've seen that I didn't like previously anyway... but that's not really fair. I'd think its pretty hard to enjoy a live show if you don't like the music. Every band i've seen as a fan of their music have been pretty good. We Are Scientists were slightly disappointing, but i'm not really sure why. Keith Murray's vocals were a bit off but it didn't ruin their performance. I'm still a big fan and was glad I saw them.

I've remembered a best and worst gig at the same time.

Slagsmalsklubben, who were the support band, for the support band - the headlining band I don't even remember their name. We turned up to see SMK play, which was totally awesome, a crowd of about 50 people if that, so we were at the front the whole time going wild.

After that the support band Late of The Pier came on and sucked epically, not even 20 people watched, everyone else either left or went to the bar - at which point we went home. Shortest, best and worst gig ever.

Saliva puts on a spectacular show as well.

BEST: Wilco and Ratatat are tied for first.
WORST: Low. They opened for wilco...and to put it plainly. BLAHHHHH..shit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MalReynolds

Oppenheimer. And it was not their fault. They couldn't fill the venue - which was small to begin with. I'd liked Oppenheimer since I saw them open for They Might Be Giants a few years back and was looking forward to hearing them again, because they were bitching live. They played primarily the same set (despite having just put out a new album), but the audience had dwindled down to the double digits by the time Hot Lava left the stage. They were the stand outs - and it was cool, because that was my cousin's band..

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Best: They Might Be Giants. Those guys are so fucking witty. It was just a fun and relatively small concert. Oppenheimer opened for them and they weren't bad, which is part of the reason why I quote you.

Also I guess this is a runner up but mostly it's just another weird difference of opinion. Anyway, I saw Piebald open for mc chris a while back and they were awesome. This was the night the ATHF movie opened, so everyone followed mc chris over to the theater afterwards and watched it. Pretty good times

Also also, there are two shows I regret missing this summer, and one was the Old 97's. They were doing a New Years show somewhere in Texas and I was going to drive out and see them, but my car broke down the night before I was going to leave. I was pissed. Also missed the Hold Steady not long after that. I'll bet that would be my favorite show had I been able to make it.

Probably the worst big concert: Tool. They had cool stage effects, but it was in a domed stadium with kind of shitty acoustics. What made it the worst is that I didn't realize why people always bitch about their fans until that night. I was surrounded by some downright annoying pricks

Best:

Pixies: Leeds Festival in erm about 2005 I think. They were amazing from start to finish. The Killers were on before them (who I purposely missed) but their crowd were all ignorant 15 year olds who fucked off before the Pixies took the stage. They completely blew me away though, they're so intense and simplistic.

Iggy & The Stooges: Same year at Leeds Fesival, missed the first few songs but got there just as they started playing 'I Wanna Be Your Dog'. Every second just got better. He's unmatched as a performer and hasn't lost anything despite all the years and the band were unbelievable.

Sigur Ros: Not so much into them any more, but they put on one hell of a show. The closest thing you could get to seeing Pink Floyd in their Heyday.

Worst:

Tool: don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan and everything but they were boring as hell in concert. There's no comradery between the band and they basically play everything as if you're listening to the album on very loud speakers. The effects/lights were good but not that amazing or anything and to be honest I would have rather spent the £45 on a night getting drunk (which was the alternative). Perhaps it just suffered from Phantom Menace syndrome (over-hyped, too many effects but not enough substance etc.) and I know every band is allowed an off-day but I wasn't impressed.

Green Day: The first concert I ever went to see was Green Day and I have to say they were amazing. I still think that. I was 14 but I still believe they were genuinely good. Problem is I saw them about 4 years later with my then-girlfriend for her birthday and, despite having a new album out, it was the exact same concert. Just add American Idiot and a couple of the other 'new songs' on there and you've got the same thing. Same jokes (or lack of), same 'karaoke' bit where they bring up a guitarist, drummer and bassist from the Audience, same covers, same banter and, once again, for £50 of my (parent's) hard earned cash it just wasn't worth it.
Plus, by that point I hated the bitch I was with and Green Day just reminded me of that fact.

The Worst concert I've ever been to is a Seal concert.

The best concert I've been to is a two way tie. Yonder Mountain Spring Band opening for Robert Randolph and the Family Band is the first, and the second is Elastik Soul opening for the Jeff Coffin Experience (I think that's what Jeff was calling the ensemble at the time)

Worst and kinda the best was at a local metal band rally. My friend's band was going to perform and my brother and me were at the edge of the mosh pit. Some punk trying to be hard core and kicked at my brother, who in turn, dropped him with a punch. Before we knew it, huge brawl and we were kicked out after we broke one of the security guy's nose.

Oh, and we never did see my friend perform. Eh, still, it was a blast.

Best: Medeski, Martin and Wood. Hands down.

Worst: Mudvayne (is that even how you spell it? Don't ask. I only went because I am friends with a venue guy and was in town to say whats up so he threw me a free ticket)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by no_brains_no_worries

Worst and kinda the best was at a local metal band rally.

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Well if we are including local bands for best/worst concerts, then I've been to a fuckload of worst concerts than the one I first listed (Bright Eyes).

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Originally Posted by Mang

Best:

Worst:

I could list bands i've seen that I didn't like previously anyway... but that's not really fair. I'd think its pretty hard to enjoy a live show if you don't like the music. Every band i've seen as a fan of their music have been pretty good. We Are Scientists were slightly disappointing, but i'm not really sure why. Keith Murray's vocals were a bit off but it didn't ruin their performance. I'm still a big fan and was glad I saw them.

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Really? We Are Scientists were amazing when I saw them a few weeks back. The on-stage banter between them was hilarious.

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Originally Posted by simonj

Tool: don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan and everything but they were boring as hell in concert. There's no comradery between the band.

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they generally group hug or sit together when taking a break; there is great camaraderie within the band but not toward fans, many of whom are idiots
songs like schism, stinkfist, and prison sex have extended bridges when played live

Ben Folds was probably the last GOOD concert I went to. When I say good, I mean it was orgasmic.

Let's see how Death Cab puts on a concert tomorrow night.

Best:
A Thorn For Every Heart, february 2007 in Pomona.

my friend is the lead singer in the band, so I went to go see them when they had their first headlining show in a year. Plus the opening bands were great. On top of this, since they're pretty famous around here, there was a great turn out and everybody really got into it, and I had a great time, plus got a drumstick as a souvenir.

Worst:

Poison The Well/ Heavy Heavy Low Low/ May 2007

For one I didn't know any of the bands performing, but my friends asked me to go. I wasn't really into metal or anything or...whatever genre that was. and on top of that, i had mono. I don't know why I thought i could make it through the show. but i couldn't. and about half way through i just had to sit down. and its not wise to sit down in the middle of a large crowd like that. My stomach felt like it was about to explode, and i ended up spending 12 bucks on little cups of sprite to try and calm it down, but that didnt help. I ended up leaving early without even realizing it.

The best is hard to say but the worst by far was Whitesnake.. It was rly sad.

I've only been to one concert and that was Sheryl Crow about 4+ years ago and Michelle Branch opened up for her. I think it was a decent concert, but not probably the best that I could have gone to.

Best was either Jimmy Buffett (every time) or Ben Folds

Worst was the entirety of Warped Tour whatever year I went there (2005?)

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Originally Posted by Atmosfear

Ben Folds

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He does put on an amazing show, doesn't he?

Is it weird I have never been to a concert?

Not really, I haven't been to many. I think I can count them all on one hand. It all depends on the mediums that you want to hear your music through.

I am not a "concert person" at all and I'm actually surprised at the number of concerts I've been to

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Originally Posted by Crysack

Really? We Are Scientists were amazing when I saw them a few weeks back. The on-stage banter between them was hilarious.

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Like I said I am kinda nitpicking. They were by no means terrible, I just kinda expected them to be amazing, and they were only good. If you get what I mean.

They were pretty funny though, yeah. Just the musical performance wasn't what I expected it to be.

Best - Maps & Atlases

Worst- MeWithoutYou, who played after Maps & Atlases.

best- HORSE the band. I was right in front of the stage during this show and pretty high so it was awesome. It was my first time seeing them live and I'm surprised I didn't lose my voice after the show.

worst- Dethklok. There were way too many little kids running around to make the show enjoyable.

runner-up for best- GWAR with The Red Chord and Municipal Waste. Just because all three of those bands are awesome and are nothing short of amazing live.

Best - A ska band called Fandangle who played in my home town (which is kinda amazing because it's tiny and pretty shit.) The lead singer pulled me up on stage and skanked with me before I stage dived off into the audience. Good times.

Worst - Fandangle again. A different night when the band got up on stage to announce the whole thing had been called off because someone in the audience had been slashed with a knife. After that, everyone refused to leave until they got their money back or the gig carried on. I left before it got violent because I had to get a friend home who was off her head on Es and couldn't walk properly because she'd got an ankle tattoo the same day. I ended up carrying her home up a hill. Bad times.

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Originally Posted by piranhas

Worst for me was Bob Dylan last year in Austin. I really think he had a stroke on stage. I ended up leaving before his set was finished. Afterwards, I was talking with a friend that had seen him a few times before and was told that Dylan always sucked live.

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Yeah, I've heard he's really poor live too, to the extent people wonder why he bothers.

I've seen a few good gigs, but I think The Music at the Carling Academy in Bristol takes the biscuit; the band's style certainly lends itself to an excellent live performance, but I've never seen a band get the crowd on their side so easily and completely shatter them by the end. Met them after the gig too, and they're a nice bunch.

Second is probably the other time i saw The Music, this time at Cardiff Uni, but I'd probably plump either for Muse at Cardiff International Arena or Blood Red Shoes supporting Biffy Clyro (again at Cardiff Uni [I don't even study there])...

...which brings me onto the worst gig, which is between Biffy Clyro - who were boring as a stage presence and played their worst songs from their latest album - and Foo Fighters, who were just boring and for some reason insisted on screwing up their best songs with stupid witterings from Dave Grohl. Bit of a shame.

Best - Rock the Bells 2008. It was absolutely amazing. A Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang, Nas, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, EPMD, Dead Prez, even Jay-Z came. It was truly amazing. Lasted like nine hours, too.

Best: My Morning Jacking (August 2008, Louisville KY) - Epic 3 hour concert in the band's hometown, playing to the largest crowd the venue has ever held. Of course its gonna be incredible.

Runner-Up: Primus (2004?, Columbus OH)

Worst: Rihanna (May 2008, Chicago IL) - Part of the Glow in the Dark tour. Rihanna sucked, N.E.R.D. was pretty lame after a couple songs, Kanye was great, but Lupe Fiasco stole the spotlight from him IMO.

Best: Trans-Siberian Orchestra. In between each song, part of a story is told by a narrator so that by the end of the show, the whole story comes together. There were a couple narrators that switched off and on, but there was one in particular that was really great. This black man had such a powerful, booming voice that it resonated through the entire place and hit you like a ton of bricks.

And I guess the worst was John Mayer. It is only possible to withstand so much douche-baggery before you go crazy and want to leave. That, and all of the improvised solos that he played made you feel like you were hearing the same song the whole night.