Has going to a gig ever put you off an artist for good?

Tombo2001

Has going to a gig ever put you off an artist for good?

In my case, I'd be hard pushed to listen to Madonna again after going to her Slane concert, which was (for me) an awful experience.

Van Morrison would be another, grumpy, back to the crowd.....although I wouldnt say it stopped me listening to his music, I certainly wouldnt watch him gig again.

Another is Morrissey.....saw him last year. The gig itself wasnt bad; but all the adulating middle aged men there got me wondering......is this a bit silly, and is the whole Smiths thing for adolescents and not for grown ups?

Anyone else experienced this?

Zulu

Yup,
Bob Dylan, Razor****e, & Kings of Leon.
All preformed crap & wrecked it for me.

tagoona

Saw van morrison about 10 years ago in dublin. Didn't play a single one of the classics....I was very disappointed. Definitely took the shine off listening.

schemingbohemia

Cat Power in Whelans years ago, stood in the corner barely singing, twas awful. Not totally put off listening to her but would never ever go and see her live again.

The Nal

I haven't listened to AC/DC since I saw them in the O2. I enjoyed the gig but for some reason they don't entertain me anymore.

dharn

ya saw maddonna at slane she was terrible, saw van morrison at the point last year he was brilliant but would not go again as he might be terrible next time and ruin the memories, bob dylan has been awful for years, neil young the greatest ever i saw live

theteal

I was pondering this question, thinking "no. . ." and suddenly, "oh yeah, the frames. . .what a self righteous ballbag".

I brought a girl I was seeing at the time to see them at vicar street ~7 years ago. Afair they were releasing a new album soon so went along expecting to hear a good bunch of new unknown songs - I don't mind this, I can find the good in most music. Anyway, as the gig was into it's final 3rd, some of the crowd started calling for some of their popular songs to be played - which was a little annoying but to be expected. After the 3rd inter song period of this, Hansard lets out a rebuke along the lines of, "we're the band, we play the music, you're the audience, you listen, so stfu".

Even though I agreed with him for the most part, I took an instant dislike to the man based on his delivery of that.

bullpost

Was at his show a few years ago and the middleaged guys who dress like him was bizarre.

old hippy

I'd grown up listening to Madness - so I was a bit disappointed with their less than spellbinding turn at Feile '93. The lads had been enjoying the hospitality booze backstage (I remember Suggs crashing into me, knocking half my pint over me). That said, I'd probably see them again and I still occasionally play their albums.

Morrissey at The Point, 20 odd years back. I don't care what age people are when they attend gigs - your love of music never dies. But what I found irksome was the sight of some of his younger adoring fans shouting homophobic abuse at the support act - Phranc. These same fans were later seen going bananas to grab Moz' shirt when he tossed it into the crowd. The irony was completely lost on the little darlings :rolleyes:

I saw Sparks twice in the last decade and the first time was awesome, the second time was fairly rubbish. Lot to do with the venue and sound quality but I'd still see them again.

serfboard

Zulu wrote: »

Bob Dylan

Even though he performed in Galway I wouldn't go and see him. Part of me wanted to, so I could say "I saw Bob Dylan play live". The other part of me agreed with PJ O'Rourke that Bob Dylan can't sing*.

Then I heard a recent live recording and I thought "Do I want to listen to that whining for 1-2 hours?"

And the answer was no.




* I've just found out that what he actually said was "I believed Bob Dylan was a musician".

MattHelders

MGMT. Went to them in the Olympia and they were absolute poison. Haven't listened to their album since. I didn't like their second one anyway

Viva La Gloria

My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Alkaline Trio.

Worst bit? I saw them all one after another- a short string of terrible shows.

sadie06

Muse at Oxegen...it was all a bit cabaret for me. I can only listen to them now...can't watch.

Macy Gray at The Point. She had to be helped on stage, very late, and was too out of it to perform.

Kings of Leon at the O2...so bored looking on stage.

I only went to see Oasis once (under duress) and it's the only time I've ever seen a headline act truly outdone by a support act. It was in Lansdowne, and the Gallagher brothers really weren't getting on, so the gig was miserable. Supergrass blew them off the stage.


Morrissey is the most consistent artist I've ever seen live. I've gone about 6 times in a 20 year time span, and he's been brilliant every time. And he is singing better than ever. Aimee Mann and Radiohead have never let me down either, in the 4-5 times I've seen each.

Furious-Red

Razorlight at Oxegen 07 , had seem them in the rds a few months before and it was basically the same setlist in the same order and just found them boring

KOL - Oxegen 09 , had the seem then the year before and they were really good and seemed to be enjoying themselves then fast forward a year and Sex on Fire was released and they were just boring and could see none of the band were really enjoying themselves

The Killers - Oxegen 07 , for some reason i picked them over Daft Punk :mad::mad::mad: again just bored the crap out of me (i know i should have just walked over to DP )

Professey Chin

Furious-Red wrote: »

Razorlight at Oxegen 07 , had seem them in the rds a few months before and it was basically the same setlist in the same order and just found them boring

KOL - Oxegen 09 , had the seem then the year before and they were really good and seemed to be enjoying themselves then fast forward a year and Sex on Fire was released and they were just boring and could see none of the band were really enjoying themselves

The Killers - Oxegen 07 , for some reason i picked them over Daft Punk :mad::mad::mad: again just bored the crap out of me (i know i should have just walked over to DP )

Im beginning to think youre me -_-
Although I did head over to Daft Punk :pac:

Tombo2001

To follow on from the OP...

I've seen Billy Bragg probably most often of any artist I go to...

However the last time I saw him play it was during 2008, the whole Lehman banking crisis, and he started off on this rant about how "now is our time, now is the time for us the ordinary people to seize the day and start a new system, a new world order" etc etc.....some guy in the crowd shouted up at him "get on with it...

Billy Bragg got thick with the guy, really rounded on the guy... which is maybe fair enough, I dont know......

Anyway my point is....

Most of Billy Braggs audience is middle class and middle aged. His audience is solicitors, bankers, teachers, people who went to college.......he has no unemployed people from cabra/ drimnagh/ ballyfermot going to his shows, or very few. And yet he plays this card of the working classes.....

I was just thinking " does he thinking he is kidding us with this scherade? is he kidding himself?"

As expected, no new world order has come to pass.

Having said all that, I'd still go see him again.

Rebelkell

Went to Christy Moore |Concert in Vicar street.

He had the bar closed which i could live with even though it does effect athmosphere.
However when people tried to sing along with him they were shushed. He is so well able to perform his songs and band were so good you might as well have been at home listening to his album.
He also lectured the crowd about someone in the Spainish civil war Complete with trying to get the crowd to go Hip Hip Horray ( Embarassing stuff I can tell you) and also went on about a bulldozer in Isreal or something. Give me a break!!!!!!!
Then when he played Don't forget your shovel the crowd were granted permission to sing along. Few did though because all enjoyment had been killed at that stage.

Was quite the fan before the concert and have never listened to an album of his since which even i find a bit strange.

squonk

Christy can be a bit funny alright. I saw him here in the Arts Festival Tent last Friday and he was only OK. He let the crowd sing but told them to shut up at one point because he wanted to sing a slow song. Bit up his own arse really.

Radiohead are the most consistently bad act I've seen and I'm completely put off them because of it. First time was in Marlay Pk and the second gig was in Malahide Castle. TBH they might as well have whipped out their collective lads on stage and started going at it because it came across musically as pure self interest. They barely acknowledged the crowd and did zilch to build up any kind of atmosphere whatsoever. I thought the first gig was a freak occurance so I gave them the benefit of the doubt but gig No 2 was the exact same. Worse still was a big spiel coming up to the second gig about how energy efficient their light show was and basically how great they were because of this. The light show was energy efficient alright because there were damn few lights there. Just some LED strands across the back of the stage updating with snatches of lyrics etc. It was hardly what you'd call monumental. I don't give a toss about the band anymore. they're a bunch of serious **** if you ask me.

musicmania

Neil Diamond when he played Lansdowne in 2005 (I think) His concert was appalling and I don't really listen to his music anymore. I do still like it but don't like the way it reminds me of how crap he was live especially when I saw him on TV 2 weeks later at a UK gig where he was brilliant. :mad:

Kings of Leon were a bit boring in Slane last year, nothing memorable about the gig whatsoever and I love Slane and am one of the few who enjoyed Madonna there (except for getting squashed on the way out!!!)

I tend to do my homework about bands and artists before I go to see them so know about things like Van Morrison being a contrary git and Christy Moore too but thankfully when I have seen both of them I saw them on days they were in good form.

I agree with Christy's no drink policy when he is on stage. It is the one thing I HATE about The O2 at fully seated shows where there are the fcukers walking around selling beer and interrupting us when we are trying to enjoy the gig!! They ruined Fleetwood Mac there.

bodhrandude

Bob Dylan at the Fleadh Mor festival in Waterford 1993, here I was looking at the living legend, what does he do, he condensed all his famous hits into a set of melodies, where you got one and a half minutes of say, Rainy Day Women and then maybe Mr Tambourine Man. This went on throughout his whole set. I came there to hear full songs not snatches of them. Fcuk that for a game of soldiers, I ended up going to see the Chieftains in the Mean Fiddler tent who were amazing.

Tombo2001

bodhrandude wrote: »

Bob Dylan at the Fleadh Mor festival in Waterford 1993, here I was looking at the living legend, what does he do, he condensed all his famous hits into a set of melodies, where you got one and a half minutes of say, Rainy Day Women and then maybe Mr Tambourine Man. This went on throughout his whole set. I came there to hear full songs not snatches of them. Fcuk that for a game of soldiers, I ended up going to see the Chieftains in the Mean Fiddler tent who were amazing.

Funny enough, I was that festival and I cant remember a single act.

cometogether

I always thought Pulp were okay until I saw them at the Electric Picnic. Absolute s hite, musical masturbation at its very worst. Jarvis Cocker is a d ick.

MadsL

I saw U2 many moons ago at the Milton Keynes bowl (The Unforgettable Fire tour) and was a massive fan at the time - The Edge's bank of 'every effect pedal every made in the world ever' blew out for some reason. Bono, after an uncomfortable silence, actually asked the audience if any jokes and invited people up on stage to tell them. I thought they were the joke, with four albums behind them in front of a huge stadium audience, that they couldn't pick up an acoustic guitar and sing a single one of their songs or cover something cool.

In my mind it exposed them as the greatest Rock confidence trick ever played. That U2 are a band rather than an exercise in pedal effects. Never been impressed by them since.

Mickolution

squonk wrote: »

Radiohead are the most consistently bad act I've seen and I'm completely put off them because of it. First time was in Marlay Pk and the second gig was in Malahide Castle. TBH they might as well have whipped out their collective lads on stage and started going at it because it came across musically as pure self interest. They barely acknowledged the crowd and did zilch to build up any kind of atmosphere whatsoever. I thought the first gig was a freak occurance so I gave them the benefit of the doubt but gig No 2 was the exact same. Worse still was a big spiel coming up to the second gig about how energy efficient their light show was and basically how great they were because of this. The light show was energy efficient alright because there were damn few lights there. Just some LED strands across the back of the stage updating with snatches of lyrics etc. It was hardly what you'd call monumental. I don't give a toss about the band anymore. they're a bunch of serious **** if you ask me.

I was at both of those shows (well, one of the Malahide ones anyway, they played two nights) and both were underwhelming. However, the other 3 or 4 times I've seen them they've been fantastic, two of which coming within weeks of those two shows. I think you were just a bit unlucky, tbh. As for talking to the audience, that's not why I go to a gig. Never got why people think it's important. A bit of patter can be good, but it can also be very corny and annoying, frankly. Depends on the act, I guess.

I have no idea what you're trying to say about the lights, though. They said they were putting on a relatively energy efficient tour and then they did. How dare they?

ADonoghue

I was a fan of Christy Moore until I went to see him in the Philamonic in Liverpool with my Wife ,been there many times previous , what a pain in the a*rse , bar shut in interval maybe he does'nt drink anymore but I like a pint , were warned no flash photography , did not like the audience joining in , a few Irish lads thrown out for singing and the heavy boys were watching our every move .

We paid good money not a good night , wouldn't watch him again if I got free tickets

Welease

Van Morrison in Bristol, UK... Rude, ignorant and boring.. Support act Chris Farlowe blew him off stage..

GoldenTickets

I've twice attended gigs where the "artistes" actually complained about having to do the show.

The first was Grandaddy in The Village. In the middle of an incredibly lazy show Jason informed us that the band had been recording in the US and had to interrupt that to come and play the gig and were "kinda pissed" about it. If the show hadn't been so bad I would have thought it was a joke, but the guys just didn't want to be there. I had been a big fan but that show put me off them for good.

The second time it happened was at a Mark Kozelek show in Whelan's. He was acting really pissy all through the show, had a go at some audience members and then told us he was fed up touring and we should buy some records from the merch table as he was "sick of dragging them around Europe". I discovered afterwards that this was standard practice for the guy and he's just a prick in general. Never bothered with his music again.

I think it takes some cheek to complain to an audience that has turned up and paid to see you, especially when you're playing venues like The Village and Whelan's. When you have so few fans it's probably a good idea to try to hold on to them.

musicmania

GoldenTickets wrote: »

I've twice attended gigs where the "artistes" actually complained about having to do the show.

The first was Grandaddy in The Village. In the middle of an incredibly lazy show Jason informed us that the band had been recording in the US and had to interrupt that to come and play the gig and were "kinda pissed" about it. If the show hadn't been so bad I would have thought it was a joke, but the guys just didn't want to be there. I had been a big fan but that show put me off them for good.

The second time it happened was at a Mark Kozelek show in Whelan's. He was acting really pissy all through the show, had a go at some audience members and then told us he was fed up touring and we should buy some records from the merch table as he was "sick of dragging them around Europe". I discovered afterwards that this was standard practice for the guy and he's just a prick in general. Never bothered with his music again.

I think it takes some cheek to complain to an audience that has turned up and paid to see you, especially when you're playing venues like The Village and Whelan's. When you have so few fans it's probably a good idea to try to hold on to them.

Now that is what I call arrogance. If I was at a gig and they behaved like that I'd walk out. The fcking cheek!!

GoldenTickets

musicmania wrote: »

Now that is what I call arrogance. If I was at a gig and they behaved like that I'd walk out. The fcking cheek!!

It really was jaw-dropping stuff. I'll never understand the mentality of someone who thinks it's fair enough to behave like that to a paying audience.

Motorist

squonk wrote: »

Radiohead are the most consistently bad act I've seen and I'm completely put off them because of it. First time was in Marlay Pk and the second gig was in Malahide Castle. TBH they might as well have whipped out their collective lads on stage and started going at it because it came across musically as pure self interest. They barely acknowledged the crowd and did zilch to build up any kind of atmosphere whatsoever. I thought the first gig was a freak occurance so I gave them the benefit of the doubt but gig No 2 was the exact same. Worse still was a big spiel coming up to the second gig about how energy efficient their light show was and basically how great they were because of this. The light show was energy efficient alright because there were damn few lights there. Just some LED strands across the back of the stage updating with snatches of lyrics etc. It was hardly what you'd call monumental. I don't give a toss about the band anymore. they're a bunch of serious **** if you ask me.

They were brilliant to see live back around 1997 during Ok Computer. Saw them twice after that, most recently in Malahide Castle. Malahide Castle was such a let down.

Extinction

Saw Roger Waters The Wall at the O2 in London last year, utter crap and put me off listening to Pink Floyd.