| Best and worst gigs you've attended 16:39 - Apr 7 with 22691 views | QPRSteve |
For me, my best gig has to be Thin Lizzy at the Marquee in the early 70's. A rumour went round that Gary Moore (then of Skid Row) was filling in for Eric Bell who was ill. I later heard there was around 900 people there in a club that was only supposed to hold around 300. Fantastic atmosphere.
A close second was seeing a then unknown Clannad performing in the foyer of Wandsworth Town Hall to an audience of no more than around 20.
Worst gig has to be Devo at the then Hammersmith Odeon that a friend persuaded me to take my girlfriend to. Spent most of the concert watching them on a screen before they finally graced us with their presence on stage for a whole 20 minutes! What a pile of crap they were too. |  | | |  |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 21:40 - Apr 7 with 3165 views | RamseyR |
Best for me were both the Dead Kennedy's, at the Music Machine and Lyceum. I think I've seen them on every UK tour since 1979.
Worst was last year. Bauhaus at the Roadmender in Northampton. Shit sound, band didn't seem arsed, and a sea of people holding up camera phones. This alone makes me want to stop going to gigs full stop. |  | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 21:52 - Apr 7 with 3148 views | CliveWilsonSaid |
Quite a few 'almost' best gigs for me. Oasis at the old Wembley Stadium around 2000 supported by Doves and Happy Mondays. Madness Early-mid 90's in Wembley Arena Supported by Carter USM (who were pelted with missiles by a group of skinheads during there performance). BB King 2010ish also Wembley Arena. Beck Hammersmith Apollo 2005. Beta Band Hammersmith Palais 1999.
Best Gig was last year ELO at the O2. Totally blown away by how good they were. Jeff Lynne is my absolute fcking hero!
Worst gig I was struggling with but then it came to me...
Muse. Can't even remember when or where it was. Awful.
*Edit - Fairly sure I saw the Klaxons at some stage too... [Post edited 7 Apr 2020 22:11]
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 01:36 - Apr 8 with 3046 views | bob566 |
Best u2 (have it down to a tee) also Metallica touring their first album. Worst without doubt was the damned | | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 01:57 - Apr 8 with 3040 views | SydneyRs |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 17:24 - Apr 7 by charmr |
Brilliant idea for a thread
Up there is the Idles here in Baltimore not that long ago, blew me away. Immense Rock and Roll show.
Most disappointing was the smiths at Brixton Academy. Think it was one of their last gigs before Johnny pulled the plug. Makes sense now
Honorable mention, James also at Brixton Academy. The band couldn’t start playing their next song(s) because the audience wouldn’t stop cheering and clapping after they finished their Previous song. Hairs on the back of the neck stuff. [Post edited 7 Apr 2020 17:28]
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Saw James a few times but the pick of these was the Alton Towers gig they did when at the peak of their popularity in 92. Drive up there took ages as both weather and traffic were horrible.
The gig nearly got cancelled due to the weather but went ahead and it was a brilliant night. Took 2 hours to get out of the car park afterwards and we were thankful for the motorway being quiet going back to London as we were swerving between lanes as our driver was falling asleep! He was quickly replaced by another mate less likely to kill us all and we got back in one piece.
Other highlights:
- Oasis in about 2001 in Sydney. They played a small venue that holds maybe 3,000 (Enmore Theatre for anyone that knows it, lived down the road from there at the time) and were immense. Loads of English there and the crowd sung every word.
- Saw Coldplay in the same venue not long after their first album, before they got big and went all stadium. They were really good.
- Arctic Monkeys same venue again not long after their first album, brilliant.
- Stone Roses. Again in Sydney a few years back. Had always wanted to see them and finally did.
- Specials twice in Sydney.
- Prodigy at Brixton late 90s.
- Carter USM gigs at Brixton in the early 90s were unreal, amazing atmosphere.
- Madness the first time they did the Finsbury Park reunion thing.
- The Pogues live are fantastic. Saw them a few times.
Can't really think of any I didn't enjoy. One Madness gig at Wembley Arena wasn't great as the crowd seemed to be full of aggressive dickheads looking for a fight. [Post edited 8 Apr 2020 10:42]
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 02:56 - Apr 8 with 3014 views | timcocking |
I tended to find any big gigs i attended an anti-climax. Pixies the best, My Bloody Valentine the worst (they were supporting the Jesus and Mary Chain who i like, i wouldn't have chosen to go and watch My Bloody Valentine).
Used to love (still do) watching local bands in little venues. For a start, in a bohemian area like cool old Kernow there was usually a plethora of cracking bands around. Moondragon, in particular...world class.
Amazing and brilliant to see you can listen to Moondragon on youtube nowadays. Still one of the finest bands ever. Not bad for a Cornish band from the 80s. Even if they have the names of the songs not actually corresponding with the correct songs.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=tFBfNJMC_cw&list=PLPKgrDgsaZDFBVwcBijBwmDoCr2W [Post edited 8 Apr 2020 3:16]
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 08:03 - Apr 8 with 2954 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 01:57 - Apr 8 by SydneyRs |
Saw James a few times but the pick of these was the Alton Towers gig they did when at the peak of their popularity in 92. Drive up there took ages as both weather and traffic were horrible.
The gig nearly got cancelled due to the weather but went ahead and it was a brilliant night. Took 2 hours to get out of the car park afterwards and we were thankful for the motorway being quiet going back to London as we were swerving between lanes as our driver was falling asleep! He was quickly replaced by another mate less likely to kill us all and we got back in one piece.
Other highlights:
- Oasis in about 2001 in Sydney. They played a small venue that holds maybe 3,000 (Enmore Theatre for anyone that knows it, lived down the road from there at the time) and were immense. Loads of English there and the crowd sung every word.
- Saw Coldplay in the same venue not long after their first album, before they got big and went all stadium. They were really good.
- Arctic Monkeys same venue again not long after their first album, brilliant.
- Stone Roses. Again in Sydney a few years back. Had always wanted to see them and finally did.
- Specials twice in Sydney.
- Prodigy at Brixton late 90s.
- Carter USM gigs at Brixton in the early 90s were unreal, amazing atmosphere.
- Madness the first time they did the Finsbury Park reunion thing.
- The Pogues live are fantastic. Saw them a few times.
Can't really think of any I didn't enjoy. One Madness gig at Wembley Arena wasn't great as the crowd seemed to be full of aggressive dickheads looking for a fight. [Post edited 8 Apr 2020 10:42]
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There was a quiet a few of us Rangers fans at those Madness gigs. The one I went to was on a Saturday and we'd been to see Rangers play earlier that day (at Arsenal?).
Madness were excellent, but Morrissey was a strange addition to the line-up and his fans and some of the more violent skinhead Madness fans were at it throughout the day. Wrecked the fun a bit. |  |
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 08:39 - Apr 8 with 2925 views | TheChef |
Led Zeppelin reunion gig in 2007 at The O2. Was incredibly fortunate to get a ticket for it and the evening was as amazing as I could have wished for. Playing 'In My Time of Dying' was the absolute icing on the cake.
Worst gig was The Vines at the Islington Academy. A drunk/stoned mess. |  |
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 08:48 - Apr 8 with 2913 views | Gloucs_R |
I saw the Prodigy in November 2018, 3 months before Keith died. Amazing gig with a really weird crowd... Old skool ravers, punks, rockers.... All having it large.
The worst was their warm up any, hated them. Think of thrash metal being rapped. 😬 |  |
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 08:48 - Apr 8 with 2916 views | MrSheen |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 08:03 - Apr 8 by BrianMcCarthy |
There was a quiet a few of us Rangers fans at those Madness gigs. The one I went to was on a Saturday and we'd been to see Rangers play earlier that day (at Arsenal?).
Madness were excellent, but Morrissey was a strange addition to the line-up and his fans and some of the more violent skinhead Madness fans were at it throughout the day. Wrecked the fun a bit. |
Some schoolfriends had tickets to see Madness at the Camden Electric Ballroom when they first broke through. Every one of them was hunted down by skins outside the venue and had their tickets taken. £2 was a lot of money then. |  | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 09:00 - Apr 8 with 2904 views | joe90 |
The worst gig, somehow I ended up seeing Elbow twice. I also worked at a few festivals one summer which for some reason Snow Patrol seemed to be headlining everywhere I went!
When I was younger I went to a lot of punk gigs to see bands like Rancid that was always fun. Crammed into small, sweaty venues around London. |  | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 09:03 - Apr 8 with 2896 views | RangersDave |
Best: Muse (seen them 17 times now) on their 'Black holes and revelations' tour. Quite extraordinary and never beaten, even by them.
Runners up: Madness in Aintree. Small crowd, great atmosphere and the band seemed well up for it.
Harry Connick Jr at the Palladium. only 1 uk gig 2 years ago, was excellent. after the encore, 90% of the audience left, i played a hunch and it payed off as he came back on 10 minutes later to appease the 10% of gig squaters with another song. Then met him afterwards. Class
Biggest wastes of space: Bob Dylan a couple or so years back. totally crap, no words spoken by him the whole gig, never really looked at anyone and never really gave a shyte.
Barbara Streisand about 7-8 years ago in the O2. She sang for 25 minutes out of a 3 hour gig, refused to sing her famous songs as they 'brought back too many bad memories', had a trumpeter on stage for 25 minutes doing solo stuff, her son ditto. I left after 2 hours of the dross.
Biggest miss: Queen at Knebworth. My then girlfriend had 2 tickets, and we were going. Split up 2 days before the gig after an argument and i never got to see them. |  |
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 09:37 - Apr 8 with 2873 views | ngbqpr |
Plenty of bands I've seen a few times who always deliver(ed) - Gang of 4, Ramones, The Only Ones, Chemical Bothers, Killing Joke, Arctic Monkeys, Au Pairs are some who spring to mind.
I've seen New order be both brilliant and disappointing.
If I had to choose a best, I'd probably go for Trouble Funk at the Town & Country (86 I think - the JBs, same venue/era pretty damn good too).
Can't really think of a 'worst' - but remember being underwhelmed by a Siouxsie & the Banshees gig at Hammersmith Palais around 81-82 and leaving early.
From the 90s onwards done more clubbing than gigs tbh - maybe that's a separate thread for the Frankies |  |
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 09:39 - Apr 8 with 2869 views | Esox_Lucius |
Best Gig: Rolling Stones live in Hyde Park 1969?
Worst Gig: Magic Michael as support for Hawkwind. The management pulled the plug and security escorted him off stage after the crowd turned ugly at the garbage he was performing.
Favourite gigs; The Who at Hammersmith Palais around the time Tommy was released and Pink Floyd debuting The Wall at Earls Court. |  |
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 09:46 - Apr 8 with 2867 views | EastR |
Early 2003 I was on a boys trip to Las Vegas and discovered the House of Blues club/venue.
Second night there a little known local band were making one of their early career appearances- The Killers.
Most of the set appeared a year or so later on Hot Fuss, by which time I’d bored everyone stupid about how brilliant they were. | |
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 09:50 - Apr 8 with 2865 views | hantssi |
Thinking about it some more saw Elbow headlining Victorious a few years back, really looking forward to it, what a dirge, left early!
Last years headliners were New Order had been really looking to it as I hadn’t seen them for years, after about an hour the bloke next to me turned to me and said “have you heard of ANY of these”? to which I had to admit that I hadn’t.
We stayed for about half an hour more and I think they played 2/3 songs the whole time I knew.
Not crap just disappointed! | | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 09:50 - Apr 8 with 2862 views | terryb |
I admit to not having gone to that many gigs, so my choice is limitef!
Bset - I think it was Paul Simon at Wembley Arena in 2006. He was superb, but the gig was made better by realising how young the audience was, how much they danced & knew the words of all his songs. I had expected it to be a sit down with myself as one of the youngsters!
A mention also for Don Mclean at Ipswich Gaumont (this was a sit down!).
Worst - By the proverbial country mile Procol Harum 1970ish in the town that can't be mentioned. They were atrocious! | | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 10:15 - Apr 8 with 2849 views | robith |
Really tough question you know - always hard to detach the band, the performance and your own emotions
Glastonbury 09: not usually a Pyramid stage guy, but Neil Young, The Boss and blur all absolutely killed it. Bruce at Wembley on the River tour was powerful too.
The National either at ATP 2007 where they basically played Boxer in full, or at the Electric Ballroom the day before High Violet came out
Seeing Leonard Cohen with my dad was pretty special
Sufjan Stevens at Primavera in 2010 having won the lottery for tickets as it was indoors
Broken Social Scene at Shepherds Bush in like 2011? Played for 3 hours. A very special show
Worst - 2 spring to mind. Pavement at Brixton. Proper money job. They cgaf. Paul Simon at Glastonbury. Atomsphereless drivel |  | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 10:17 - Apr 8 with 2846 views | robith |
No just remembered the actual worst. So bad I actually have it already written up:
Statistics at the Underworld.
It was my then girlfriend's birthday and she loved them. So we got tickets to go and see them. There seemed to be a bit of hype because they were the band of Desparcidos. Thought it was close to selling out.
It was not. There was at most 20 people there. And what a spectacle.
First, the lead singer came out dressed in a track suit, running on the spot and doing press ups to the Team America theme tune.
He then proceeded to chat the most amount of sh!t ever. Including
Using his loop pedal to play Eye of the Tiger
Saying 'Sorry everyone, we are in fact, THE KILLERS!' then started playing Mr Brightside, but he faltered on one bit and he was like 'Wait, wait, I can do this' slowly picking through it
In the middle of one of their songs he screamed '9/11 REMIX!!!!!!!!!' and started shredding
When someone shouted PLAY A F**KING SONG he replied what's that, you want to see me balance my guitar on the end of my chin. ok! Got on his knees and did so
OK! We're gonna do a little call and respond. I see Panic at the Disco are doing it and they're popular so maybe it'll make us popular. right so I say something like shotgun, and you all say something like wedding back alright? ok here we go! WHEN I SAY HOLLER - YOU SAY CAUST! HOLLER! *stunned silence*
He finished with WOO LONDON! YEAH LONDON! I'M SUPPOSED TO CARE COS IT'S LONDON RIGHT? AND YOU'RE ALL A BIG DEAL YEAH? BUT I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T GIVE A F**k. YOU'RE NOTHING TO ME. GOODNIGHT.
They were on stage for 50 minutes. They played 6 songs amounting to about 20 minutes of music | | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 10:57 - Apr 8 with 2807 views | hubble |
Great idea for a thread. Very hard to choose a best gig but if I had to choose just one I'd say the Stray Cats at Brady's in Liverpool 1980. Brady's - formerly Eric's - was opposite the Cavern Club and situated in a tiny basement with a ceiling so low you could touch it. The Stray Cats were on fire, the place packed, sweat dripped off the ceiling like rain. Everyone danced till they dropped. Incredible night.
Worst: I drew the short straw and had to escort my then 13 year old daughter and her friends to see 3T at Wembley. One of this boy band's members was the son of Tito Jackson. A harrowing experience. |  |
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 11:23 - Apr 8 with 2777 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Another bad one - Lampchop at Vicar St, Dublin.
Now, I like Lambchop and I knew that his/their stuff is laid-back, minimalist and chill folk. I knew that.
But, fugggggggggggggggggggg me, this was sleepy sh.it! It was hard to keep the ol' lids from banging down. My best mate and my girlfriend of the time were huge fans. So it took me about twenty minutes to summon up the courage to whisper the dreaded code-phrase "what d'ya think?". Back came "ya, crap".
We said we'd give it another while.
Then we got heckled by everyone around us.
For whispering.
"I'll get the coats"
"Grand, I'll get the beers next door"
I drove three hours to get to that one. | |
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 11:46 - Apr 8 with 2754 views | Woog |
A few joint-best (if possible):
U2 at Bracknell Sports Centre in 1981. Bonkers in every good way, and when U2 were good.
Mew at the O2 Academy, Glasgow. Both times.
The Stone Roses at Middlesex Polytechnic. Storming set (+ only about 40 people there, & half of them stayed in the bar).
Richmond Fontaine on their farewell tour. Willy Vlautin is so talented, yet such a sound, humble guy. I cried when it was over.
Mogwai at Glastonbury.
The Chameleons at the Camden Palace.
Joint worst:
Husker Du - just one hour of sonic boom. Not one recognisable melody.
Stiff Little Fingers reunion - the audience sitting, suits & ties. etc. The antithesis of what they were about. Tragic. [Post edited 8 Apr 2020 11:54]
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| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 12:13 - Apr 8 with 2727 views | wood_hoop |
Hard to pick one as the best, can be a bit biased as only tended to pay for tickets of groups/singers I liked.
The worst does stand out a bit, went to Wmbley Arena in 2009 to see a few old Motown stars, pretty grim they were mostly past their better days and I ended up leaving early, by sheer coincedence as we got in the car and I put the radio on and news of Michael Jackson's death was just breaking, not a fan at all, but just having seen a few old faces that were around during his Motown days sort of stuck in the mind, especially as I doubt very much I could tell you where I was at the passing of many great acts over the years. |  | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 12:21 - Apr 8 with 2703 views | westberksr |
lots of very good gigs ranging from my first, Stevie Wonder (1984) at Earls Court, through to the most recent, John Hopkins at Bath Forum 5 days before lockdown.
too many genres to really pick a 'best' but Herbie Hancock at North Sea Jazz a couple of years ago was a box properly ticked, also first time I saw Prodigy was memorable, as were Chemical Brothers, Underworld
recently very pleasantly surprised by Joe Jackson, brilliant gig with a really tight band and he's still got it.
worst is equally hard as seen some right shite....
the often mention Van Morrison, 3 times, always miserable
Bryan Ferry a few years ago; should have packed up 10+ years ago
Earth Wind & Fire circa 86; self indulgent 15 minute solos etc
loads of other good & bads and many more to come!! |  | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 12:25 - Apr 8 with 2700 views | qprxtc |
Most gigs I’ve been too I’ve thought have been ok but mostly I’d thought I’d rather be at home listening to the actual album. It’s rare that I’ve thought they were better than being on my own in my bedroom with headphones and a beer.
Ones that did are:
Lightning Seeds, can’t remember where but around 96/97. They were loud and absolutely stomped it. Not a bit fey as they can be but gave it lots of b0llocks. Really enjoyed that one.
Arthur Lee (Love), Royal Festival Hall, 2002. Full on orchestra Forever Changes. Spiritual baby.
Squeeze, Shepherds Bush Empire 1998. They had just released an album called Domino which is absolutely terrible and also very sh1t. The versions they did that night were not. Weird.
Worst concerts I really do forget but I’m pretty sure I was dragged to a Jesus and Mary Chain gig at the Bush once. Unsurprisingly it was fuc king crap. They really are appalling sh it. F uck em. |  | | |
| Best and worst gigs you've attended on 13:33 - Apr 8 with 2651 views | CliveWilsonSaid |
“Most gigs I’ve been too I’ve thought have been ok but mostly I’d thought I’d rather be at home listening to the actual album. It’s rare that I’ve thought they were better than being on my own in my bedroom with headphones and a beer.“ qprxtc
Yeah that’s pretty much how I see it too. A lot bands are disappointing live compared to their recorded material. That’s what got me about the Jeff Lynne ELO gig who are far from my favourite band but this gig was faultless pretty much. Great songs executed to near perfection. Furthermore songs I knew less about, like Telephone Line, were the highlights.
Probably a whole thread there in itself if its not been done. Bands who were/are best seen live. | |
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