Disappointing Name Acts?

[bearsville0]

Following ducktrapper's lead on not liking the Black Crowes when he saw them, for me the letdown came from seeing Lou Reed--twice. Once in 1973 in London at the Charlton football stadium (The Who were top billing but Humble Pie were the best act that day) and again in 1985 at the Roxy in NYC. Left before the gig ended. I was a big fan at one point but Mr. Reed just started to come across as a big phoney. Viva John Cale!

[Danny]

  James Taylor came to Austin 19 or 20 years ago and "preached" so much (and I don't mean the gospel) That my wife and I could no longer enjoy the concert, so we just left. I bought a best of J.T. a few weeks ago, I still like his music but like Jackson Browne and some others you just want to hear Frank Zappa saying one last time "Shut up and Play your guitar"   This will be an interesting thread. Thanks for starting it.
              Well I just realized you refer back to duck's post, and that was in a thread that I actually brought up from deep in the pile because I liked the name of the thread and I went on a little rant, till Tuffy posted his balancing replies.     6 degrees of seperation or something.    Danny

Viva John Cale!

[bearsville0]

James Taylor has been a guilty pleasure of mine since 1985 with the "That's why i'm here" album. That record comforted me through my separation from my first wife.  I have since discovered and enjoyed his earlier work. I also thought he was the best act in the Clapton Crossroads DVD (with Joe Walsh).

Anyway, my point is that I thought his recent album and DVD "One Man Band" was a big bore, alas, I just couldn't get into it.

[ducktrapper]

I'll tell you why I didn't like the Black Crowes. They came here, spent the entire day shooting pool and getting blasted at a local watering hole, skipped the sound check and ended up sounding like someone put my head in a garbage can and banged on it with a bat, repeatedly. I hope they've become a little more professional with age.
Willie Nelson, another artist I greatly admire, was a total disappointment when I saw him a couple years back. A mailed in performance. I still love him though. It was the last show on a long trip and he was definitely beat. The man isn't getting any younger.   

[Queequeg]

Willie Nelson, another artist I greatly admire, was a total disappointment when I saw him a couple years back. A mailed in performance. I still love him though. It was the last show on a long trip and he was definitely beat. The man isn't getting any younger.   

Saw Willie Nelson a month ago. Another mailed in job.
When I saw him the first time 25 years ago and again about 20 years ago those were great shows.
Great artist though now and always.

[lw216316]

Before I read any posts, the first name to come to my mind was James Taylor - then I noticed others mentioned him.

I was a huge fan back in the late 60s and early 70s. I went to a concert in Nashville, Tennessee.
He obviously did not want to be there. I enjoyed the songs (knew them all by heart) but he disappointed me so much by his words. When the concert started the fans crowded the stage and took pictures. He asked them to stop because of the flash and said, " You'll get bored soon enough ".  I think it was during his addiction years.

Saw Earth, Wind and Fire once - left after 1st song.

- Larry

[bearsville0]

I deeply regret not seeing the Grateful Dead in a decent hall or outdoor venue. I saw them at Madison Square Garden and the acoustics were so bad I left way before the end. At one point during one of those long drum solos, I could see the arms flailing  and saw a lotta drums surrounding the man, but all you could hear was bang bang bang, no differentiation in the sound at all. And that big hall echo....

I promised myself to never attend anymore stadium or 20,000 seaters anymore. In fact nothing bigger than 5000 like Radio City.

[Caleb]

Two come to my mind, and they were both a long time ago:

Guns N Roses in 1991.  Axl Rose "preached".  A lot.  But that was AFTER he finally showed up an hour or so late.  That guy is and was a loser, but I was there to see Slash. 

And, hands down the worst concert I've EVER been to was AC/DC's Razor's Edge tour in 1991 or so.  The sound was beyond terrible, as was just about everything else.  Talk about overrated CRAP! Angus played the same solo on each song.  Heck, he pretty much played the same solo on every record. 



I pretty much only go to acoustic concerts anymore.  The best I've seen in years was Guy Clark's sideman Verlon Thompson play at my local library last year.  The guy was amazing. 

[supermongrel]

It's amazing isn't it, how many of us dream of making a living creating and performing music. Just for the sake of playing every day, of the comradery with your band mates, of the adventure of seeing the world, meeting new people, sharing the energy and excitement of live performance.

Then you see so many artists who clearly have lost the love of what they do. They seem to have forgotten why they made music in the first place.

I understand the touring can be quite a strain, but I'm still amazed at how many people seem to lose the joy of music after they reach a level of success with it. I suppose anything gets old in time...

[shawl]

Following ducktrapper's lead on not liking the Black Crowes when he saw them, for me the letdown came from seeing Lou Reed--twice. Once in 1973 in London at the Charlton football stadium (The Who were top billing but Humble Pie were the best act that day) and again in 1985 at the Roxy in NYC. Left before the gig ended. I was a big fan at one point but Mr. Reed just started to come across as a big phoney. Viva John Cale!

I'm another big Lou Reed/Velvet Underground fan, and saw VU on their tour in 1993 (I believe) in Rotterdam. It was very good, and he played really well.

But live, his singing is a bit far out. He was never a great singer, I suppose, but on stage it's like he doesn't even try. Comes in way too late on every line (which sounds strange), has even less melody than normal, and just keeps saying "ooh, baby" a lot.  "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll" were just hard to listen to the way he sang them (but the music was great, I will admit!). John and Mo seemed to be the audience's favorites.

[bearsville0]

I'm another big Lou Reed/Velvet Underground fan, and saw VU on their tour in 1993 (I believe) in Rotterdam. It was very good, and he played really well.

But live, his singing is a bit far out. He was never a great singer, I suppose, but on stage it's like he doesn't even try. Comes in way too late on every line (which sounds strange), has even less melody than normal, and just keeps saying "ooh, baby" a lot.  "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll" were just hard to listen to the way he sang them (but the music was great, I will admit!). John and Mo seemed to be the audience's favorites.

I think that reunion effort was pretty much just an effort to make a quick buck from the fans who liked their records and never got to see them when they were active in the sixties, but from what I remember reading about it at the time, Lou Reed was such a micro manager that it ticked off John Cale so much they abandoned the tour in Latin America someplace. In retrospect I think Lou wrote some great and catchy pop tunes but without Warhol, Cale and the others, and then later Bowie to the rescue with "Transformer" Lou Reed would just have been the whining narcisstic he is today, but a lot sooner.

If this thread was about great acts that we've seen John Cale would be at the top of my list.

[DuaneD]

Some acts deserve a second chance.  If there is an artist that you realy like it may be worth seeing them again.  Did they have an off night or did you have a bad day and just couldn't get into it?

The first time I say Dylan I did not enjoy the show.  I decided to get it another go and it was a magical night.

I saw Bowie a bunch of times but when he toured with NIN it was the first time I felt ripped off for buying tickets.  When I saw him after that it was a great show.

I think part of live entertainment is the chance things could go better than expected and accept that sometimes staying home may have been the better choice.

[bearsville0]

I think part of live entertainment is the chance things could go better than expected and accept that sometimes staying home may have been the better choice.

I agree with that!  I've seen more great concerts than duds, probably because the duds have cautioned me not to expect too much, and hence I'm often pleasantly surprised. These superstars are human too, even if they have inspired us and changed our lives. But there's also a difference between an off-night and the tour designed to pack em into stadiums to increase revenue knowing the sound system and the acoustics will suck. Wasn't Bill Graham lamenting that transition to arenas in the early seventies?

[Tycho]

Two come to my mind, and they were both a long time ago:

Guns N Roses in 1991.  Axl Rose "preached".  A lot.  But that was AFTER he finally showed up an hour or so late.  That guy is and was a loser, but I was there to see Slash. 

Creature, I never would have pegged you as a Slash fan!

I read his autobiography earlier this year.  It's very funny and interesting, even though (or maybe because) his lifestyle was over-the-top ridiculous for years.

It has a lot of good detail on the collapse of G'n'R, presented quite fairly.  And it did inspire to learn "Sweet Child o' Mine" properly.

[Caleb]

Creature, I never would have pegged you as a Slash fan!

I read his autobiography earlier this year.  It's very funny and interesting, even though (or maybe because) his lifestyle was over-the-top ridiculous for years.

It has a lot of good detail on the collapse of G'n'R, presented quite fairly.  And it did inspire to learn "Sweet Child o' Mine" properly.

Well, I was 16 and Slash was pretty much "it" then.  I bet that is an interesting story.  I might read it. 

[tuffythepug]

I'm actually a fan of "Counting Crows" whom I think are fairly original and I like the lyircs to most of their songs.   I'm a sucker for a well-turned phrase or a lyric that just grabs me.
But.............several years ago when Counting Crows was on tour promoting one of their first records the wife and I went to see them at a local university concert.  It was a big dissaointment for a few reasons.  First, the songs performed live bore very faint resemblance to the songs on the cd.   They were hardly recognizable and even though I knew the lyrics the sound was so bad I would not have been able to decipher them otherwise.   Second, I was way too old for that venue. I was probably about 50 at the time.  I suffer from chronic back pain and  there was not a chair to be found in the auditorium. Everyone was on their feet jumping around and then the mosh pit antics began and I was afraid I'd get caught up in that stuff;  the last thing my back needed.  I can't blame the band for this of course.  This was their core constituency obviously.  I learned something that night.   Just because you like someone's music does not mean you are going to like seeing them perform that music in a live venue.   Live and learn I guess.  More recently we traveled to San Francisco to catch a lesser known performer named Richard Buckner.  Again, I loved his music on cds but we walked out after about 45 minutes because it sounded nothing like the music I was expecting to hear and he was quite obviously drunk.  It was a small venue and the crowd was in my age group, the sound system was fine but the music just sucked.   You pay your money and you take your chances.
I've been to more concerts than I can count over the past 40 years and I've been thrilled and spellbound more times than I've been dissapointed.  Sometimes it just don't work out.

Tuffythepug

[Caleb]

Someone mentioned performers having bad nights as well.  I have seen Tommy E several times and one of those times just flat out sucked!  He looked like he'd have rather been anywhere else.  He was just going through the motions it seemed and was playing way too fast and with what seemed to me very little emotion.  I wasn't surprised to read a few weeks later that he had burned completely out and had to cancel a large leg of the tour that year.   

I really love live music, and will pretty much watch anyone, but if they are 1) drunk, 2) preaching the world as they see it, or 3) the audience is out of control I have no problem getting up and walking out.   

[lw216316]

I have no problem getting up and walking out.   

Yes, our time is valuable to us. Why should we waste it if we are not getting what we paid for   

Should we 'endure' a bad concert / performance -  ?  Why ?
- to respect the performer(s) ?  - if they are not giving their best then they are not respecting the audience.

Depending on the particular performer(s), and the purpose of the crowd for being there - it might just be an 'excuse' for the crowd to party and they really don't care about the quality - good sound etc. In that case, I guess they got what they came for and got their money's worth.

For those of us who go to ' listen ' and not to just party or dance - its a different story.

- Larry

[markyboy]

I deeply regret not seeing the Grateful Dead in a decent hall or outdoor venue. I saw them at Madison Square Garden and the acoustics were so bad I left way before the end. At one point during one of those long drum solos, I could see the arms flailing  and saw a lotta drums surrounding the man, but all you could hear was bang bang bang, no differentiation in the sound at all. And that big hall echo....

I promised myself to never attend anymore stadium or 20,000 seaters anymore. In fact nothing bigger than 5000 like Radio City.

I agree 100% I grew up with the Dead at Winterland and eventhough it was a dump and the acoustics were horrible in the balcony. It was such a great place to see a show. I did catch a show in the late 70's at Red Rocks which we a treat. But the size of the venue really makes a show. I was looking so forward to seeing Jack Johnson in the bay area this year, but his only appearance (along with alot of other great acts) is at 3day festival in golden gate park where 60,000 people are expected (along with a gazillion torists), so needless to say no dice for me. We have a couple of wineries in the bay area that hosts outdoor shows and I caught Cris Issack this last weekend, while not a big fan the setting for music is fantastic.

Sorry for rambling, but it seems that the concert venues are getting to be only stadium shows or bigger and I miss the smaller venues.

[pg60]

I agree 100% I grew up with the Dead at Winterland and eventhough it was a dump and the acoustics were horrible in the balcony. It was such a great place to see a show.

Edit:

In my excitement at recalling the days when the Dead played small venues, I selfishly forgot to show proper respect to someone who saw them at the mecca known as Winterland         You probably saw them at Fillmore West too you lucky SOB 

***********

Back in the day when the Dead played small venues they used to play the Uptown Theatre (old theater with balcony and sculptures) in Chicago.  Twice a year, winter & summer, 3 shows each visit and you wouldn't hear the same song twice over those 3 nights.  But I was a young man then, if I tried to do 3 Dead shows in a row now I would be jelly  . 

Hot Tuna at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa is more my speed now.  Watching Jorma & Jack while eating grouper with cold beer at a picnic table.