Ever been to a show where the Bootleg was better than the show?

gotahardhardhead

So I was listening to the Milton Keynes boot from 2014 and although I enjoyed the show at the time it wasn't the best I'd seen them - The context of this is that a few days before I'd been up front and centre for the epic Leeds show. Being in a much bigger crowd and further away kind of dropped the excitement for me. 

However listening to the boot... it sounds awesome and a killer set list. 

Anyone else have similar experiences?

mcgruff10

newark 2010.  dead crowd led to a very lack luster show.  boot is great.

erocshifty

I've always wondered about this myself. I love that Milton Keynes show. I thought the crowd was dead where I ended up at in Charlottesville, but that show was a highlight of the tour. It was hard staying seated after Glorified G, but I didn't want to be the only one rocking out in my section.

RoleModelsinBlood31

Fort Lauderdale 16 boot sounds better than the sound at the actual show to me.  It was really muddy and not crisp sounding where I was and the folks we went to the show with (their 2nd pj show ever) sat in different seats and had said it was one of the worst soundings concerts they'd ever been to. 

I bought them the bootleg when it came out because I knew they'd appreciate how good it sounds but the venue was just awful.

FoxyRedLa

I will comment - there comes a point in the show when it just gets too GD loud! I check out a little.

steved

FoxyRedLa said:

I will comment - there comes a point in the show when it just gets too GD loud! I check out a little.

If this is your experience I would definitely suggest some good quality earplugs. I keep them with me and then depending on sound and seat location will sometimes wear them or not.

As for the topic, if I'm in a far away seat with people around me that are not enjoying the show or the sound isn't clear, those will all contribute to the energy of my experience somewhat.

I have also been on the rail where the sound will fly over me and you lose the mid range tones (vocals, guitar solos, snare drum), it seems like this has been better the last few years, but earlier in their career sound upfront had this issue more. The sound on the soundboard recordings can be much better, but the energy down there is unstoppable, so I wouldn't trade those experiences.

steved

Still nothing better than the live experience though...

2-feign-reluctance

Nope. Awesome live, awesome boot represented. 

Sarava

I really think where you sit skews your view on the crowd and the atmosphere. When I went to the 2 shows at MSG last year - I had mediocre ticketmaster seats for MSG 1, and 10c seats for MSG2. The crowd was waaaay more in to it in MSG2. In MSG1 - half the people around me were sitting for much of the show. I didn't see anyone sitting in MSG2.

That said, I bet if I flopped seats between the 2 shows I would have seen the same thing. And as for bootlegs, I listen to MSG1 a lot more than MSG2.

AndySlash

thunder bay in 05. after a smokin' winnipeg set, thunder bay was a bit of a let down in person despite being the smallest venue of the tour and a good crowd. the band were on night three of a three-nights-in-a-row schedule, the set was notably shorter and it was hot as hell inside. but the show comes across much better on the bootleg. contrary to that, the winnipeg show was great to be at but the bootleg isn't as enjoyable a listen.

eeriepadave

I would say MSG 1 for me from 2016.  I think it was where i was sitting (sec. 302 or something behind the stage/nose bleed) plus at first i wasn't too thrilled with the set list at first.  Listened to the boot for the first time the other day and I thought it was pretty solid.

Zod

Seattle '13.  My seats made me totally biased at the show.  We were behind the stage but we were so high up that the lighting rigand metal bird blocked our view of the stage.   Couldn't see anyone but eddie, and only when he was at the very front of the centre stage.   When the bird lowered nothing.

I found it hard to enjoy that show, and I got a holy grail (Breathe) and Let Me Sleep.   I enjoy that one much more on cd than I did being there.

gotahardhardhead

Only my first gig in London 2000 was seated and damn they felt far away, still I had no idea I would get to see them again and loved every second. Since then I don't think I would not want to be able to move or jump about (we'll jump about for as long as my unexercised late 30 skinny ass body can handle) 

Are all the dates in the US completely seated?

iammine16

Ottawa 2016 - I was next to the Jackass that kept yelling "I love you Eddie!!!" throughout the concert. He was a pain in the ass all show coming and going constantly to get more beer. Very refreshing to listen to the bootleg and actually enjoy the solid show that it was!

Foriginal Sin

Sarava said:

I really think where you sit skews your view on the crowd and the atmosphere. When I went to the 2 shows at MSG last year - I had mediocre ticketmaster seats for MSG 1, and 10c seats for MSG2. The crowd was waaaay more in to it in MSG2. In MSG1 - half the people around me were sitting for much of the show. I didn't see anyone sitting in MSG2.

That said, I bet if I flopped seats between the 2 shows I would have seen the same thing. And as for bootlegs, I listen to MSG1 a lot more than MSG2.

Foriginal Sin

LA4 2009. Guy in front of us was 6-7 300 pounds. Dancing the whole show, I couldn't see shit so it ruined the entire experience.  Boot sounds great though 

MisterEtake2

The Red Hot Chili Peppers - this year MSG, night 3.  I thought the sound was terrible.  I couldn't hear anything clearly.  I got the boot anyway because I liked the set list.  It sounds so much better than the show did that night.

FoxyRedLa

steved said:

FoxyRedLa said:

I will comment - there comes a point in the show when it just gets too GD loud! I check out a little.

If this is your experience I would definitely suggest some good quality earplugs. I keep them with me and then depending on sound and seat location will sometimes wear them or not.

As for the topic, if I'm in a far away seat with people around me that are not enjoying the show or the sound isn't clear, those will all contribute to the energy of my experience somewhat.

I have also been on the rail where the sound will fly over me and you lose the mid range tones (vocals, guitar solos, snare drum), it seems like this has been better the last few years, but earlier in their career sound upfront had this issue more. The sound on the soundboard recordings can be much better, but the energy down there is unstoppable, so I wouldn't trade those experiences.

I agree. I have 2 shows I remember I wished is had them. Just too close the the stage and did not think it would be an issue as the shows before in similar seats were not.  

Too loud can ruin the sound which ruins it live. TOR 16 I had to cover my ears I was actually starting to get nervous I damaged my ears during the 3rd encore.

Now where my seat is doesn't matter but I've learned if I can't see the band directly or on the screen booooooooooooo! Major disconnect that can ruin live - not during but after when I try to reference back and remember any details.

I wonder when I'll get to see PJ live again??

RobbyD462

PJ20 in Vancouver
Sound was terrible that night but the flac bootleg sounds good!

HughFreakingDillon

AndySlash said:

thunder bay in 05. after a smokin' winnipeg set, thunder bay was a bit of a let down in person despite being the smallest venue of the tour and a good crowd. the band were on night three of a three-nights-in-a-row schedule, the set was notably shorter and it was hot as hell inside. but the show comes across much better on the bootleg. contrary to that, the winnipeg show was great to be at but the bootleg isn't as enjoyable a listen.

I would agree with the Winnipeg 05 boot assertion. It's the least listened to of all my boots. loved the show, the boot not as much. 

Zod

RobbyD462 said:

PJ20 in Vancouver
Sound was terrible that night but the flac bootleg sounds good!

Yah.. it was a shame that show wasn't at GM Place.    The coliseum doesn't quite hold up anymore.     I was thoroughly enjoying that show though.   I thought the crowd was right into it to, until eddie started yelling at people in front during Ole... which was pretty awesome actually.. lol.

OnWis97

Is the boot better than the show?  Never.  In order for that to be the case, you'd actually have to say "I'd rather listen to the boot than re-live the live show."

However, the boot can give me new appreciation for a show I attended...enhance it, if you will.  For example, I went to the three Boston shows in 2003.  At that time, "Long Road" was just another song to me.  Only recently (like in the last couple of years) has it become a top-10 song.  I'm glad I have that bootleg to re-hear that part of the show.  I'd like to be able to re-live those shows (well, all of 'em, frankly) but I can't.  The bootleg is the next best thing.  Of my 20 shows, only 10 have bootlegs and, for the most part (with the exception of PJ 20), I remember the bootleg shows better and have a growing appreciation for them.

I wish every concert I ever went to had a bootleg option.  It's really valuable to preserving the memory.

lolobugg

Music Midtown 2012.

the wind was blowing the sound every which way.

boot sounds really good.

dudeman

The Vic show. Lots of rude, drunk people. Eddie even stopped playing halfway through the first song of his opening act to address the people using flashes on their cameras. 

I witnessed more nastiness from fan to fan there than I have seen at the dozen other times I've seen PJ combined. 

Boot sounds great though. 

SVRDhand13

mcgruff10 said:

newark 2010.  dead crowd led to a very lack luster show.  boot is great.

I opened this thread to write this