Major letdowns?

[Patrick Ferguson]

A few years ago in 2002, my buddy Kyle and I went to see Tiger Army at their old stomping grounds, the Phoenix Theatre in Petaluma, CA.

Probably one of the most intense, best performances I've seen in my life. The band was tight and sweaty and everyone was INTO it.

About halfway through, the bass player even invited a heckler up to the stage and kicked his ass. The story's more involved than that, and it was awesome, but that's not WHY the concert rocked. The music was just incredible.

When the band was at the side of the stage making sure the bass player wasn't injured, the audience starting shouting "NEVER! DIE! NEVER! DIE!" and so on. They came back, played the song, and finished an breathtaking set.

So I talk to Kyle the other day, and he says that he saw them live more recently with Social Distortion and they sucked. Nick 13 is the only guy that's still around from that lineup, Kyle says, and the band isn't nearly as intense or good.

So, that ruined my mood. Have you ever been let down by a band in terms of a disparity between two live performances?

[Shellhead]

Tiger Army? Did they have that cool song with the chorus, "I want to show you what happens... when you die." I always meant to pick up their album.

Letdowns? I can't think of any, since I rarely see the same band twice in concert. The few exceptions have been consistently good. There have been a few that really disappointed me, but I haven't seen them good, so no letdown per say.

[Dennis K]

I've felt letdown by albums, but not by performances.

[howyadoin]

Have you ever been let down by a band in terms of a disparity between two live performances?Not exactly. The Strokes sucked so bad when I went to see them that I never bothered with them again.

[Pepsigirl]

Not exactly. The Strokes sucked so bad when I went to see them that I never bothered with them again.

God they're boring live.

And now I'm waiting for someone to make a "they're boring period" joke.

[howyadoin]

God they're boring live.Uh huh. I coulda just stayed home and listened to the album. The only good part of the show was seeing Sloan open, and I've already seen them half a dozen times.

[DubipR]

Like DennisK, major letdowns are usually the follow-up albums by bands I like. But there's one performance I was upset in seeing. Last year, Cat Power came into town and I jumped on tickets to see her. Her coinciding released album was fantastic. But when I hit the venue, it was just her and nothing else; no drums, no string arrangements, nothing!

She began to play and the would stop inbetween songs to start up another song. The crowd goes WTF on her and some of them just leave. I stayed to hear her set, but man she blew. I don't know if her heart was into this tour or venue, but it made me not listen to her album for a long time.

[LiNo]

The Strokes were great when I saw them two years ago. Yeah, it sounds like the album - that's to be expected when their recorded work is so raw and stripped back.

People often say the same about Oasis, that they're boring live, don't say much, don't move much, but it's a music show, not a circus. Peopl just don't get it.

[Mabels Folly]

God they're boring live.

And now I'm waiting for someone to make a "they're boring period" joke.


They're a bunch of spoiled rich brats trying and failing miserably at coming off as progeny of the Ramones when in point of fact they come off as AssJack spoiled rich brats with little talent and even less original thinking. How much more obvious could it have been that Last Night was simply Tom Petty's American Girl with nothing changed except for some incoherently bleated drunkenly slurred lyrics.

If the father of the lead guitarist wasn't one of the greatest record execs in music history, the Strokes wouldn't even exist.

[Dennis K]

Now that I've had some time to think about it, I've changed my mind. When I saw Oasis and the Black Crowes in Chicago a few years back I was really disappointed in the Crowes. The sound was just horrible. I was really hoping it was going to be one of those special nights, two of my favorite bands and only Oasis was able to keep up their end of things. Oh well.

[howyadoin]

The Strokes were great when I saw them two years ago. Yeah, it sounds like the album - that's to be expected when their recorded work is so raw and stripped back.

People often say the same about Oasis, that they're boring live, don't say much, don't move much, but it's a music show, not a circus. Peopl just don't get it.Who wants a circus? I just want a band that gives a shit about what they play, and doesn't look like they're asleep.

[Mabels Folly]

Who wants a circus? I just want a band that gives a shit about they play, and doesn't look like they're asleep.

Then you sort of, but might not like seeing The Eagles in concert.

Back during the Hotel California era, Rolling Stone gave a very dismissive review of one of their concerts and accused them of loitering on stage.

I thought they were most excellent when I saw them on the 1994 Hell Freezes Over Tour. I've always thought that bands who have to gibber and dance around on stage a lot are covering up for some serious musical deficiences. KISS is an exception to this rule, as they've written quite a number of good songs and the pyro and showmanship is an icorporated part of the music and overall concert experience.

[Adam Crocker]

They're a bunch of spoiled rich brats trying and failing miserably at coming off as progeny of the Ramones...

I never got the impression they were trying to be like the Ramones so much a watered-down amalgam of the other, artier CBGB's punk bands, with some VU and Lou Reed thrown in.

[DonC]

I've always thought that bands who have to gibber and dance around on stage a lot are covering up for some serious musical deficiences. KISS is an exception to this rule, as they've written quite a number of good songs and the pyro and showmanship is an icorporated part of the music and overall concert experience.


I think you've mistaken howy's, and probably Patrick's, point. They aren't complaining about lack of showmanship or things going boom, they're talking about lack of passion; bands that are just going through the motions.

[Core]

Now that I've had some time to think about it, I've changed my mind. When I saw Oasis and the Black Crowes in Chicago a few years back I was really disappointed in the Crowes. The sound was just horrible. I was really hoping it was going to be one of those special nights, two of my favorite bands and only Oasis was able to keep up their end of things. Oh well.

This I hate to hear. I've seen the Crowes on numerous occasions, and they've consistently been one of the best live acts I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. I'll admit, though, that I didn't see them on the "Brotherly Love" tour that they did with Oasis. But having seen them both before and after that tour, I can honestly say you just must have caught them on a bad night.

[Dennis K]

This I hate to hear. I've seen the Crowes on numerous occasions, and they've consistently been one of the best live acts I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. I'll admit, though, that I didn't see them on the "Brotherly Love" tour that they did with Oasis. But having seen them both before and after that tour, I can honestly say you just must have caught them on a bad night.

Oh yeah, no doubt it was a bad night. I'd seen them twice before that particular night and they were excellent both times, that's why I thought it was really going to be one of those nights, one where you tell your friends what they missed. It was the first time I had ever seen Oasis, and, quite frankly, they were the ones I was most concerned with letting me down.

[TomGun13]

Uh huh. I coulda just stayed home and listened to the album. The only good part of the show was seeing Sloan open, and I've already seen them half a dozen times.


Ironically enough, I thought Sloan kinda blew when I saw then. They were totally pandering to the audience trying to get them to chant "Sloan, Sloan". Good band but they stink live.

[Dennis K]

Longer ago than I'd care to admit a friend and I went to see Accept, Helix and Keel at a 4,200 seat auditorium in South Florida (back off, the ticket was free). I didn't really want to go, and my worst fears were confirmed, only Keel didn't completely suck, but that's hardly a recommendation. I share this story because it's Saturday night and my wife is in bed with the flu (hence my reason for being online and bored). Carry on.

[Mabels Folly]

Interestingly, during The Beatles last couple of tours, they weren't even bothering to go through the motions. Apparently they played a number of shows with their instruments unplugged and would just jabber nonesense into the microphones.

Why?

Because as McCartney said many years later, "It just got to be really annoying. Yeah, we loved to have the fans cheer for us, you've got to love that, but if we're up there on stage and we can't even hear ourselves play, then you can be damn sure the audience can't either and that makes the whole idea of doing the concert pointless."

Apparently Lennon spent most of the shows on the final tour telling horrifically dirty jokes into the mic instead of singing.

[G. Wayne]

The time I saw Fear Factory live was a major letdown. It was second stage at Ozzfest whenever they played, but the sound was beyond horrible. Guitar and bass just came off as unchanging static, and the drums were indistinct. I'm a huge of the band, and I could barely follow along on ANY of the songs. I'm told they're awesome in a club setting though, but the outdoor deal was so bad I'm still not sure about catching them again.

KMFDM kinda sucked the second time, but I attribute that more to the "renovated" church venue though. The female singer (Lucia) overpowered the main male vocalist (Sascha) so bad it was almost funny.

Dimmu Borgir, awesome in a club, not so much outdoors.

Album-wise, Slipknot's Volume 3 the Sublimal Suck was just terrible.

[jessecuster]

Now that I've had some time to think about it, I've changed my mind. When I saw Oasis and the Black Crowes in Chicago a few years back I was really disappointed in the Crowes. The sound was just horrible. I was really hoping it was going to be one of those special nights, two of my favorite bands and only Oasis was able to keep up their end of things. Oh well.

I was at this exact same show and I loved it, 2 of my all time favorites playing together. I really liked Lions and SOTSOG so it was great to hear those songs live.

[jessecuster]

However, I just saw Oasis (again) a month ago, and once again they played the new stuff and then the greatest hits of their first 2 albums, not a single song from Be Here Now, SOTSOG, or Heathen Chemistry, and frankly only 1 song which is really a B-Side from the B-Sides album Masterplan.


I was very disappointed in them, as much as I love the early songs and still yelled every lyric back to them, there were so many songs that are equally great and are being completely ignored.

[Dennis K]

I was at this exact same show and I loved it, 2 of my all time favorites playing together. I really liked Lions and SOTSOG so it was great to hear those songs live.


That's really interesting, I thought the sound was just terrible, like coming from beneath a muddy river. Glad you liked the show though.

[Dennis K]

However, I just saw Oasis (again) a month ago, and once again they played the new stuff and then the greatest hits of their first 2 albums, not a single song from Be Here Now, SOTSOG, or Heathen Chemistry, and frankly only 1 song which is really a B-Side from the B-Sides album Masterplan.


I was very disappointed in them, as much as I love the early songs and still yelled every lyric back to them, there were so many songs that are equally great and are being completely ignored.


I know what you mean. For fans of the band, they have so many great songs to choose from (album, b-sides, bootlegs) that they're inevitabley going to leave out a bunch of them. That's also my biggest beef with them live, the setlist never seems to change from the first date of a tour to the last one.

[howyadoin]

Ironically enough, I thought Sloan kinda blew when I saw then. They were totally pandering to the audience trying to get them to chant "Sloan, Sloan". Good band but they stink live.They do tend to ham it up a lot, like when they switch instruments (which usually sounds like crap). Part of the reason they stood out on the tour with the Strokes was that they toned that stuff down quite a bit, and just came out and played.

[howyadoin]

I think you've mistaken howy's, and probably Patrick's, point. They aren't complaining about lack of showmanship or things going boom, they're talking about lack of passion; bands that are just going through the motions.Bingo. The Strokes have none, and their fans always argue that that's their shtick, so it's okay.

Bullshit rationalization, if you ask me.

[howyadoin]

Then you sort of, but might not like seeing The Eagles in concert.Probably not. I like quite a few of their songs, but by most accounts they were a terrible live band in their heyday. That's why most of that live album they put out in 1980 was studio overdubs.

[Jonathan Bogart]

Bingo. The Strokes have none, and their fans always argue that that's their shtick, so it's okay.

Bullshit rationalization, if you ask me.
Eh. I just like their music. (Not that I've listened to it in a year or so.) I don't care whether they're passionate about it or not.

Live shows have never disappointed me, partly because I very rarely go to see one, and partly because I don't care enough about live shows for them to have any impact on my view of an act. The record is the real thing. (I'll be the first to admit that this is a shallow take on music. So?)

[Dom]

I was majorly dissapointed by Slashs' Snakepit when they opened for AC/DC in Montreal.

Mind, the only one in that whole group worth anything was Slash, but still.

[Mabels Folly]

Probably not. I like quite a few of their songs, but by most accounts they were a terrible live band in their heyday. That's why most of that live album they put out in 1980 was studio overdubs.

Actually, no.

The Eagles have always been of the kind of mindset that wants to recreate their studio sound of their songs in conert, and this album was a great example.

There wasn't any overdubbing as the Eagles could barely stand to be on stage together, much less in the recording studio.

[DDM]

Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Rapture (1995)

Siouxsie & the Banshees turn into a split personality just like Siouxsie sang years earlier from Kaleidoscope's "Christine" & the B-side, "Eve White/Eve Black." But with The Rapture between the band's self-produced tracks & the John Cale produced tracks Siouxsie & the Banshees lose their unique voice along the way. Tragically, under the spell of John Cale, Siouxsie turns into Kylie Minoque with "O Baby," "Tearing Apart," "The Lonely One," "Forever," & "Falling Down" for radio friendly fluff tunes ("O Baby" was the first The Rapture single since 1992's Twice Upon A Time singles album). The more interesting songs are the Siouxsie & the Banshees' self-produced material with potential singles such as "Fall From Grace" & "Sick Child." Furthermore, Siouxsie & the Banshees consign some of their best material as obscure B-sides such as "B-Side Ourselves," "Hang Me High," & "Black Sun." The mind boggles.

Siouxsie found her voice once more with The Creatures 1999's Anima Animus. I'm so glad she got past the horrible "O Baby" phase.

[howyadoin]

Actually, no.

The Eagles have always been of the kind of mindset that wants to recreate their studio sound of their songs in conert, and this album was a great example.

There wasn't any overdubbing as the Eagles could barely stand to be on stage together, much less in the recording studio.Who says they'd have to be together in the studio?

And you're saying there was no overdubbing whatsoever? That contradicts everything I've read about it. I think Glenn Frey even admitted to it.