I have to agree with the OP and say the Dead. I went with a friend from high school and her roommate. I think we were the only ones there that weren't tripping.

This was back in 1988 time frame.

Ended up pretty good as I eventually married the roommate.

Cars and David Bowie.

Jerry Lee Lewis. It was one of those typical 60's concerts with a few acts. Concert was going great, people dancing all over, good vibe. Headliner Lewis was next up. He was at least 2 hours late, and drunk as hell. There were a couple of times I swear he was playing a song (poorly) and singing the lyrics to another. Total shit show.

Close second was Ratt (80's hair band). They were 2nd bill if I remember. I was looking forward to them as I liked their debut album. They were so stoned, it sounded like they were all playing off different song lists, out of time with each other, slurring, etc. Very disappointing. Good thing the 3rd and 1st bill
acts pulled through.

As they were mentioned, saw Van Halen a bunch, starting with a college gym show at the beginning that blew us away. Last show was still good, except it was when Roths' head was at it's hugest (if that's even possible). It got to the point where it was 'just shut the f* up and do the songs.' He was canned shortly after.

Molly Hatchet in Louisville, KY in 1979-80-ish. It was so loud that we couldn't hear notes. Only SOUND. As a result we left about 1 hour in. My ears rang for days after that.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
mid 80's

George Thorogood,
he had just released a mediocre concert album, and I swear he was lip synching to the album,

very very dull, did not play well, and the venue was not the best,

That’s a shame. I saw George Thorogood and the Destroyers in the early 80s when they were the opening act for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Dukes.

They were on fire. They were so good, in fact, that when their set ended and Southside Johnny came on, the place erupted in boos and chants for the Destroyers to continue.

Great thread!

By far the worst show I ever saw was R.E.M. in an old movie theater.

The place was way too small for them and their equipment. When they started playing, all you could hear was distortion; you could not even identify the song they were playing.

I walked out after 20 minutes.

Lots of great “worst” concerts. So, I thought I’d add a couple of boring shows I've suffered through.

First: George Winston. I really like his music and when he played a show up in Milwaukee one winter night, I drove up there to see him.

What a snoozefest. His music is pretty low key to begin with. But the man had zero stage presence; he just hid behind his piano and mumbled unintelligibly between songs. On a couple of occasions, he would would share “songs” he called “experiments” that were just awful.

Second: Madeleine Peyroux. She’s a singer who does a lot of classic jazz and blues numbers (think Michael Buble).

I saw her at a small club in Evanston, IL and she stunk. First she was late. Then she starts off her set with an anti-Trump diatribe (the show was right after his election).

That really soured me, but I was still hoping for some good music to salvage the evening. She completely failed to deliver. I don’t know if she was sick, or was suffering from post-election trauma, but the show was limp, half-hearted, uninspired, and just plain boring.

Not even sure how I got talked into it - Spin Doctors.

They were hammered sloppy drunk (or whatever their choice of drug was...) and could barely play and sing. Messed up words to one of the only songs that ever made it on the radio.

We walked out fairly quick.

Guns 'n Roses
Cheap Trick

Was given prime tickets to see a "compilation" performance of Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung. Despite the super-fancy stage sets and costumes, the music (sung in Hungarian) was completely unlistenable, and my date and I escaped during intermission.

Like dlc444 it was the Dead. And I really like the Dead now. But I didn’t get them when I saw them with Dylan, and Tom Petty.
We got there late and everyone was in a trance. It was kinda scary. I later saw them and Traffic at Buckeye Lake and was 10’ from stage. It was great. But by then I was familiar with their music and the band members.

1973, Bob Seger, he opened for Iggy and the Stooges. Maybe it was an off day but damn he was bad. You couldn't hear him over the booing that went on.

Two years later at the Michigan Palace friends talked me into going.That night he rocked, with him was The Silver Bullet Band, just before the album Live Bullet was recorded at Cobo Hall.

The Indigo Girls back in like 2000 or maybe 2001.

No, I did not go by choice.

I won tickets by calling into a radio station. It was a win-only free concert put on by that radio station, with a bunch of random local openers and the headliner was Vincent Blackshadow. Absolutely none of it was my kind of music in the slightest, but live music is more tolerable than hearing a bad song on the radio. And it was a couple months before i was leaving home to go to college so it got me out of the house.

A band called The Ohio Players,sound good on wax,worst band I ever heard live in a concert.

Lee Greenwood at the Grand old Opry house. Years ago.
Oh Lee was fantastic, did a good job but the audience was full of old farts / octogenarians it seemed.

There must have been a free ticket promotion with Geritol or something.

Someone gave us two so we went. The house was packed but was least animated audience ever. You could have heard a pin drop, I think most were asleep. I felt bad for Lee, he was working his ass off and getting nothing in return. The only applause he got was a few after his closing "God Bless The USA".

I have another one that was bad.
Bob Dylan

Had to be about 1986-1987. He played the armory in Charleston, SC. Didn't seem like he wanted to be there. All songs were double time, and he was more of a mumble-mouth than normal, couldn't understand a word.

I have to say the worst PERFORMANCE actually happened at one of the best concerts - saw Petty and the Heartbreakers at Carowinds in Charlotte. Great, great show, but the opening act was the worst show I’ve ever seen - the only time I actually saw someone get booed off the stage: Tommy Tutone.

Yes, Tommy Tutone of 867-5309 fame. The worst show ever!

As for the overall worst show it’d have to be Neil Young. I’ve been to numerous shows, but his was the loudest. No clarity, no melody, just loud, loud chords. I don’t even think the drums completed.

REM 1989.

It was one giant PETA/Greenpeace ad and they didn't play Superman.

Led Zeppelin, The Kingdome. Stadium shows are bad enough unless you're lucky enough to be on the floor close to the stage, but one in a glorified concrete coffin? My first experience with a Kingdome concert; the absolute worst acoustics ever, unless you love endless reverberation and non-stop echos. This one stood out because I really was looking forward to that show, only to have the venue itself ruin it. Did go to one other show there; The Stones on the second day of their three days here in town. Sat lower down, but the acoustics were still pretty bad. However I expected it this time around in the Dome, plus the lady friend I went with ultimately made it a very memorable night...

There was also a U2 concert whose organizers apparently never heard of the concept of hiring adequate security. LOTS of fighting; some really scary stuff. Hard to concentrate on the stage when I'm trying not to get beat to a pulp.

As for bad shows where the acts themselves were the letdown? Too many to mention.

-MG