WHITE STRIPES- Worst live band in the history of Rock, Their soundman should have been shot and thrown from the roof of the arena.
Really? The worst? They're one of the best playing right now, regardless of taste. Maybe the sound was off when you saw them, but the stripes kills live.
Almost all of these are the result of festival attendance.
The Good: 1. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. Fucking out of sight.
2. Son Volt
3. Marah - Way better than most of their albums.
The Bad/Disappointing: 1. Blues Traveler - They were headlining HORDE, and I wasn't there for them, but damn, I've never wanted to claw my eyes out like that, not even for They Might Be Giants opening acts.
2. David Gray. This was very, very bad. He just bobbed his head for an hour+.
3. Bruce. It wasn't Bad by any means, just not at all the religious experience I expected.
Radiohead - For all the hype, i expected them to be amazing. Amazing they were not. 2 hours i will never get back. i thought i was going to fall asleep. Never before has someone made a guitar such a pussy instrument.
They had a guitar at your show??? Seriously though, I couldn't agree more. I saw them at Lollapalooza this year and they were AWFUL. It was so boring... 2 hours of Thom moaning and whining self indulgently into a microphone.
So... other disappointments:
2. Kanye West
Love Kanye and had heard great things about the Glow in the Dark tour, but it was kinda lame. So scripted, I felt like I was watching a dvd.
3. Brand New
The first time I saw them was so good. Then I saw them at Lollapalooza this past year and they were terrible. I don't know what happened.
Surprises:
1. R.E.M.
I liked them, but wasn't really expecting anything special when I saw them this past tour and they were incredible... one of the best arena shows I've seen
2. Brand New
I kinda liked their last album, but mainly went to see them for the first time because my girlfriend loved them. They rocked so hard and played forever. It was intense.
3. Flaming Lips
I knew about 4 songs when I saw them play Lollapalooza, but holy shit was it some of the most fun I ever had.
Dissapointments
- Metallica Copenhagen 2004 - my forth time hearing them and what a bunch of crap
- RHCP in Copenhagen (Californiacation tour) 45 min jam and bad sound, bad vocal, bad band
- Oasis - copenhagen 97. I wast just boring.
Surprices.
Neil young - roskilde 93, I didn´t really know him then. I DO know!
Chris Cornell - copenhagen ´07 - i was blown away by the fact thathis voice was that good live
RHCP (top of the list by a long way) - like for so many others ... fan since early 90s didn't see them live until 2002 - awful ... and to make sure it wasn't a once off have put myself through it again in 2004(?) and 2006. NEVER again.
Black Keys - OK ... nothing great
Silverchair - loved their music from the beginning ... but the insistance on not doing anything from Frogstomp ... pretty lacklustre performance ... plus being stood behind Natalie Imbruglia who didn't stop talking to her friends and taking pictures the whole show ...
Surprises
Liam Finn - saw him for the first time in front of 50-75 people in a pub having never heard any of his stuff ... have seen him twice more and am going again in December.
NIN - was at the same gig as hlf ... was a so/so fan until I saw them live ... awesome ... can't wait for their next tour.
Terrorvision - this one is mainly for the Brits ... but I never saw them when they were originally together but saw them on their reunion tour this year ... honestly the best energy filled (from crowd and band) and fun show I think I've been to. Did leave saying 'I want to do it all again ... NOW!'
So are we strangers now? Like rock and roll and the radio?
Really? The worst? They're one of the best playing right now, regardless of taste. Maybe the sound was off when you saw them, but the stripes kills live.
The problem was more with their soundman or the sound of the venue. It just didn't sound right and the levels were WAY OFF.
The White Stripes sound is AWESOME in small places. I saw them at a bar across the street from the Magic Stick in Detroit circ 1997 or 1998 before they were even famous and they blew my fucking mind.
I just don't think their sound translates to large venues. It may just be the limitations of being a 2 piece band without a bass player...The lack of bottom end just stifles the sound in a big venue.
Unfortunately for them, they are a big band with a large audience and small clubs just aren't possible anymore.
I find that The Black Keys are kind of going through the same thing right now; moving from bars to larger clubs and I'm starting to see some faults in their sound too.
2 piece bands are great in theory and fun to watch but as the venues get bigger and bigger...the sound starts to suffer.
I swear we must have watched different shows, cause I thought they were incredible at Reading - I thought the atmosphere was pretty unreal, that opening religious video, the sun going down and the crowd were really into it, it made for a pretty intense experience.
Chili Peppers were indeed awful though, I left after ten minutes.
I dunno man, I just thought they were a bit flat. They weren't terrible by any means, I just expected SO much more. First of all, half of their set was in daylight which just seemed atmospherically wrong for some reason It got better towards the end, and they played some amazing songs, I just thought it was going to be a highlight of the weekend for me and it wasn't.
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
Um... I don't go about commenting on bands I've never heard you know, you don't need to make recommendations. My comment that they are shit is based on having listened to their classic albums and not finding a shred of likeability in them
So yes, I can tell you that they don't rock my "freaking sox off"
Whoa!! Easy there Captain.
I didn't mean to piss your Cheerios.
I just thought you may have overlooked some of Purple's earlier stuff.
They were pretty badass back when they had Ian Gillan on vocals. The first couple of albums were heavy as fuck and very influencial...
It wasn't until David Coverdale came along and stripped the band of their balls.
I fucking hate the Coverdale era and largely think that douchebag ruined the band...
"Sail Away" was a kick ass tune though...kind of a cross between later day Soundgarden and The Desert Sessions.
I didn't mean to piss your Cheerios.
I just thought you may have overlooked some of Purple's earlier stuff.
They were pretty badass back when they had Ian Gillan on vocals. The first couple of albums were heavy as fuck and very influencial...
It wasn't until David Coverdale came along and stripped the band of their balls.
I fucking hate the Coverdale era and largely think that douchebag ruined the band...
"Sail Away" was a kick ass tune though...kind of a cross between later day Soundgarden and The Desert Sessions.
Anyways...Whatever
To each his own.
You didn't piss my cheerios as you so eloquently put it I'm just saying, don't assume because someone thinks a band you like is shit that they just haven't heard the music. The MUSIC is what I based that opinion on
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
Ha, I saw Pearl Jam at the Orpheum back in 94 ... looks like we've covered some of the same ground.
Another potential issue with Wilco around that time you mention, Jeff Tweedy's pain killer addiction ... I was supposed to see Wilco at Coachella in 2004, but they cancelled as Tweedy went in for treatment ... so ... that could have been part of the issue.
I worked at the Orpheum for a little while but I also had a huge concert addiction. I also think that Beck just broke up with someone too. But it was just bad. I had seen Beck several times before, he was great but that night I was falling asleep watching them. Thanks for letting me know. I did not read up on the band just heard a song here or there before going. This place raves about them so I figured I'd be in for a treat.
There were more surprises that deserve mention. But the 3 I mentioned are definitely the top 3.
Less than Jake River Rave 1996? The 2nd stage. They were incredible. I have seen them tons of times since then. So much energy. I have not bought anything since Rockville (??) album but I have pretty much everything before that.
Leftover Salmon I believe the 1997 River Rave or perhaps it was the Horde Tour. That might be it. They all blend sometimes. There use to be so many festivals. But they impressed me that day. I love a band that just jumps out at you from the beginning.
Deep Purple was the 1st concert I ever went to. It intorduced me to laser shows, guitair solos and the massive sound of the organ. Perfect Strangers tour was pretty awesome. Never seen pot before that night either, I was young. I did not smoke it then, but I got stoned. I remember driving home in the back seat of my parents car and see how the headlights would trail and be super bright. So I definitely got pretty high.
RHCP (top of the list by a long way) - like for so many others ... fan since early 90s didn't see them live until 2002 - awful ... and to make sure it wasn't a once off have put myself through it again in 2004(?) and 2006. NEVER again.
That's too bad. My husband took me to see them in 1996 maybe 1997 For Valentine's Day. Dave Navarro was playing with them. (Red Hot Minute is a GREAT album! I have been listening to it a lot lately. So good.) Silverchair opened for them and all they played was stuff from Frogstomp. I also saw in 1994 at Woodstock. And I want to say that I saw them in like 89 or maybe 90 at UNH when Flea wore stuffed animals for pants. I am not 100% sure, those were the mystery years for me :-)
I am not a huge fan of this new album but I liked Californication a lot. And the one before that too. I have not seen them since valentine's day that year. I can see that if you go to the shows now, and all they are playing are the ballads then I would be disappointed too.
Moby - First saw him as part of a holiday radio station fest back when he was touring for Play. He was the best act out of all the bands - played guitar, sang, kept running around the stage, played bongos, even climbed up this construction beam and hung above the crowd for about 30 seconds. Saw him the next year at his own show and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen.
Ween - I checked these guys out b/c a friend of mine was a fan and they had a weird sense of humor, which I appreciated. I was expecting it to be funny and weird, but these guys were really entertaining - great musicians and I wasn't bored at all.
Collective Soul - These guys really impressed me, I saw them in a club when they toured for Dosage. I decided to go just b/c I knew their songs on the radio. But the whole show was great!
Disappointments:
311 - Was expecting a big, fun party but every song sounded the same and it got boring after a while. I left early. This was in kind of a bigger place, maybe it would have been better in a small club.
Dave Matthews Band - I hated the fact that they extended most of their songs by several minutes and that they all sounded the same.
Weezer - Saw them in a small club when they toured for Pinkerton. Rivers just stood there and moved back and forth the whole time, the whole show was disappointing.
"As long as the music's loud enough, we won't hear the world falling apart."—Jubilee
"I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions." - George Carlin
I'm surprised at all the RHCP hate...they are great live!
I saw them once in 2000 or so and they were a last live. I saw them at Lolla in 2006 and they sucked horribly. They WERE great live. They've gone downhill.
Also, NIN was on my list of surprises. I loved them and was so pumped to see them. Usually that's a recipe for disappointment, but they exceeded all expectations, and Trent was sick as a dog to boot. Amazing live act.
Comments
Really? The worst? They're one of the best playing right now, regardless of taste. Maybe the sound was off when you saw them, but the stripes kills live.
The Good: 1. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. Fucking out of sight.
2. Son Volt
3. Marah - Way better than most of their albums.
The Bad/Disappointing: 1. Blues Traveler - They were headlining HORDE, and I wasn't there for them, but damn, I've never wanted to claw my eyes out like that, not even for They Might Be Giants opening acts.
2. David Gray. This was very, very bad. He just bobbed his head for an hour+.
3. Bruce. It wasn't Bad by any means, just not at all the religious experience I expected.
This was the 1st Tibetan Freedom concert in SF. See if you can find it. I remember being there and was looking forward to it. But it was bad.
HaHa I mean 1979, just used to typing 1975 since that's when I was born
Also It was 1996, I got the year mixed up too! :eek:
They had a guitar at your show??? Seriously though, I couldn't agree more. I saw them at Lollapalooza this year and they were AWFUL. It was so boring... 2 hours of Thom moaning and whining self indulgently into a microphone.
So... other disappointments:
2. Kanye West
Love Kanye and had heard great things about the Glow in the Dark tour, but it was kinda lame. So scripted, I felt like I was watching a dvd.
3. Brand New
The first time I saw them was so good. Then I saw them at Lollapalooza this past year and they were terrible. I don't know what happened.
Surprises:
1. R.E.M.
I liked them, but wasn't really expecting anything special when I saw them this past tour and they were incredible... one of the best arena shows I've seen
2. Brand New
I kinda liked their last album, but mainly went to see them for the first time because my girlfriend loved them. They rocked so hard and played forever. It was intense.
3. Flaming Lips
I knew about 4 songs when I saw them play Lollapalooza, but holy shit was it some of the most fun I ever had.
- Metallica Copenhagen 2004 - my forth time hearing them and what a bunch of crap
- RHCP in Copenhagen (Californiacation tour) 45 min jam and bad sound, bad vocal, bad band
- Oasis - copenhagen 97. I wast just boring.
Surprices.
Neil young - roskilde 93, I didn´t really know him then. I DO know!
Chris Cornell - copenhagen ´07 - i was blown away by the fact thathis voice was that good live
Bowie copenhagen 03 - that was an amazing show
RHCP (top of the list by a long way) - like for so many others ... fan since early 90s didn't see them live until 2002 - awful ... and to make sure it wasn't a once off have put myself through it again in 2004(?) and 2006. NEVER again.
Black Keys - OK ... nothing great
Silverchair - loved their music from the beginning ... but the insistance on not doing anything from Frogstomp ... pretty lacklustre performance ... plus being stood behind Natalie Imbruglia who didn't stop talking to her friends and taking pictures the whole show ...
Surprises
Liam Finn - saw him for the first time in front of 50-75 people in a pub having never heard any of his stuff ... have seen him twice more and am going again in December.
NIN - was at the same gig as hlf ... was a so/so fan until I saw them live ... awesome ... can't wait for their next tour.
Terrorvision - this one is mainly for the Brits ... but I never saw them when they were originally together but saw them on their reunion tour this year ... honestly the best energy filled (from crowd and band) and fun show I think I've been to. Did leave saying 'I want to do it all again ... NOW!'
9/24/96 MD. 9/28/96 Randalls. 8/28-29/98 Camden. 9/8/98 NJ. 9/18/98 MD. 9/1-2/00 Camden. 9/4/00 MD. 4/28/03 Philly. 7/5-6/03 Camden. 9/30/05 AC.
10/3/05 Philly. 5/27-28/06 Camden. 6/23/06 Pitt. 6/19-20/08 Camden. 6/24/08 MSG. 8/7/08 EV Newark, NJ. 6/11-12/09 EV Philly, PA. 10/27-28-30-31/09 Philly, PA., 5/15/10 Hartford,5/17/10 Boston, 5/18/10 Newark, 5/20-21/10 MSG
That's a great song too!!
The problem was more with their soundman or the sound of the venue. It just didn't sound right and the levels were WAY OFF.
The White Stripes sound is AWESOME in small places. I saw them at a bar across the street from the Magic Stick in Detroit circ 1997 or 1998 before they were even famous and they blew my fucking mind.
I just don't think their sound translates to large venues. It may just be the limitations of being a 2 piece band without a bass player...The lack of bottom end just stifles the sound in a big venue.
Unfortunately for them, they are a big band with a large audience and small clubs just aren't possible anymore.
I find that The Black Keys are kind of going through the same thing right now; moving from bars to larger clubs and I'm starting to see some faults in their sound too.
2 piece bands are great in theory and fun to watch but as the venues get bigger and bigger...the sound starts to suffer.
Whoa!! Easy there Captain.
I didn't mean to piss your Cheerios.
I just thought you may have overlooked some of Purple's earlier stuff.
They were pretty badass back when they had Ian Gillan on vocals. The first couple of albums were heavy as fuck and very influencial...
It wasn't until David Coverdale came along and stripped the band of their balls.
I fucking hate the Coverdale era and largely think that douchebag ruined the band...
"Sail Away" was a kick ass tune though...kind of a cross between later day Soundgarden and The Desert Sessions.
Anyways...Whatever
To each his own.
I worked at the Orpheum for a little while but I also had a huge concert addiction. I also think that Beck just broke up with someone too. But it was just bad. I had seen Beck several times before, he was great but that night I was falling asleep watching them. Thanks for letting me know. I did not read up on the band just heard a song here or there before going. This place raves about them so I figured I'd be in for a treat.
There were more surprises that deserve mention. But the 3 I mentioned are definitely the top 3.
Less than Jake River Rave 1996? The 2nd stage. They were incredible. I have seen them tons of times since then. So much energy. I have not bought anything since Rockville (??) album but I have pretty much everything before that.
Leftover Salmon I believe the 1997 River Rave or perhaps it was the Horde Tour. That might be it. They all blend sometimes. There use to be so many festivals. But they impressed me that day. I love a band that just jumps out at you from the beginning.
Deep Purple was the 1st concert I ever went to. It intorduced me to laser shows, guitair solos and the massive sound of the organ. Perfect Strangers tour was pretty awesome. Never seen pot before that night either, I was young. I did not smoke it then, but I got stoned. I remember driving home in the back seat of my parents car and see how the headlights would trail and be super bright. So I definitely got pretty high.
Moby - First saw him as part of a holiday radio station fest back when he was touring for Play. He was the best act out of all the bands - played guitar, sang, kept running around the stage, played bongos, even climbed up this construction beam and hung above the crowd for about 30 seconds. Saw him the next year at his own show and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen.
Ween - I checked these guys out b/c a friend of mine was a fan and they had a weird sense of humor, which I appreciated. I was expecting it to be funny and weird, but these guys were really entertaining - great musicians and I wasn't bored at all.
Collective Soul - These guys really impressed me, I saw them in a club when they toured for Dosage. I decided to go just b/c I knew their songs on the radio. But the whole show was great!
Disappointments:
311 - Was expecting a big, fun party but every song sounded the same and it got boring after a while. I left early. This was in kind of a bigger place, maybe it would have been better in a small club.
Dave Matthews Band - I hated the fact that they extended most of their songs by several minutes and that they all sounded the same.
Weezer - Saw them in a small club when they toured for Pinkerton. Rivers just stood there and moved back and forth the whole time, the whole show was disappointing.
"I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions." - George Carlin
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
I saw them once in 2000 or so and they were a last live. I saw them at Lolla in 2006 and they sucked horribly. They WERE great live. They've gone downhill.
Also, NIN was on my list of surprises. I loved them and was so pumped to see them. Usually that's a recipe for disappointment, but they exceeded all expectations, and Trent was sick as a dog to boot. Amazing live act.