Spinoff: Bands you regret seeing live

[Mephistopheles Janx]

In 2015 I had the distinct displeasure of seeing Blues Traveler at Red Rocks for 4th of July. I'd loved Blues Traveler since I was a teenager and the song Hook came out. I loved the album Four. I loved their sister band the Spin Doctors.

Hanson was the opening act. They were garbage just as one might anticipate.

Guster was the middle act and they were FANTASTIC.

Then Blues Traveler hit the stage and I was ready to be 14 again. Instead, the dude forgot a shit ton of lyrics, was constantly out of breath, and to make matters worse... he brought out Rome from "Sublime with Rome" (an abomination before God and man) and STARTED DOING SUBLIME COVERS.

**** John Popper and **** Rome.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by tyecopeland

I saw Bob Dylan in Springfield somewhere between 07 and 09. It was pretty bad.

The next positive review of a Bob Dylan concert I hear, will be the first... think I’ll just stick with my greatest hits CD

[lawrenceRaider]

Corossion of Conformity was horrible live, and I saw them on my birthday. Pepper was singing, so pre reunion of the original band.

Thankfully Drain STH and Machine Head were the opening acts and they ****ing killed it.

Granada circa 1997ish.

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Four really stand out.

1. Dokken, about a year ago. He was opening for Tom Keifer of Cinderella at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, IL. The Arcada is a nearly 100-year-old theater that has been repurposed as a concert venue. Unfortunately, it has no air conditioning, and not knowing this, we got tickets for this packed show in July. It was hotter than the devil's asshole in there. Absolutely miserable. People started to sweat, and then people started to stink. And then Dokken took the stage, and the stink increased exponentially. Don's voice is gone. He sounded like a drunk old man singing bad karaoke. He couldn't sing anything right, and couldn't hit any high notes at all. At one point he started waiving frantically to his bass player, obviously trying to get the poor guy to take over on vocals. The bass player ignored him. It was awful. In the middle of the third song we went outside and waited out the remainder of their set. It was hot and humid outside, but far better than the alternative. Later, the bass player came out to have a smoke and was telling everybody what a dick Dokken is. That was far more entertaining than the show. Finally Keifer's show started. He was great, but between the swampy heat and the lingering effects of getting ear raped the evening was ruined. Worst. Show. Ever.


Dishonorable mention goes to Kansas, who I saw back in the late 80s. Walsh's voice was shot. The music was great. He was not.

Dokken is still stinking it up in 2020. Look it up if you dare.

My brother saw Kansas at the Tulsa Zoo Amphitheater for free like 10 years ago and said it was pretty decent. Not sure who was and wasn't in the band at that time.

[Bowser]

Now I've got "Back for the Attack" in my head. Great.

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Now I've got "Back for the Attack" in my head. Great.

With the dream war-riors! Don't wanna dream no more!

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by lcarus

Dokken is still stinking it up in 2020. Look it up if you dare.

My brother saw Kansas at the Tulsa Zoo Amphitheater for free like 10 years ago and said it was pretty decent. Not sure who was and wasn't in the band at that time.

Hell, at this point I don't even want to listen to Dokken at all. Even the old studio recorded stuff.

As far as Kansas goes, I think Walsh retired and they've got a new lead singer now.

[Easy 6]

Never did see Dokken, they were kinda down my list of great 80s hair bands... but did see Lynch Mob in Chicagoland at some big sports bar about 5 years ago

George tore the roof off that mfer, great show with Oni Logan on vocals... they’re MUCH heavier than Dokken ever was, but there’s a DEFINITE soft spot in my heart for “It’s Not Love”

Edit - also got see their old bassist Jeff Pilson with Foreigner and Joan Jett a few years ago

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

Never did see Dokken, they were kinda down my list of great 80s hair bands... but did see Lynch Mob in Chicagoland at some big sports bar about 5 years ago

George tore the roof off that mfer, great show with Oni Logan on vocals... they’re MUCH heavier than Dokken ever was, but there’s a DEFINITE soft spot in my heart for “It’s Not Love”

Edit - also got see their old bassist Jeff Pilson with Foreigner and Joan Jett a few years ago

I really like a few of their songs. There was a lot more substance to their music than most of the hairbands.

It's just hard to listen to the music after that concert. It still pisses me off. The ****er had to know he couldn't sing before he went on. I don't know if he always sounds like that now, or if he had a cold, or laryngitis, or whatever, but it was an insult to everybody who paid to see him that he performed that night.

When I saw Def Leppard a few years ago, Joe Elliot's voice was ****ed up. But at the start of the show he owned it, apologized in advance, and explained why; his dad had recently passed away, and his resulting absence caused the band to have to reschedule several concerts too close together. He had simply worn out his voice. While it was somewhat annoying, it was also understandable, and he was honest about it. He did his best. Dokken, OTOH, didn't say jack shit to anybody, and obviously didn't try at all. That ****er just stole everybody's money.

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

KISS at the Illinois state fair 3-4 years ago, Paul’s voice was clearly shot and almost their entire set was made up of my least favorite songs

Proudly KISS Army, but vowed that night to never see them again... hang’em up, guys

Age is a killer. I'm a big fan of Jethro Tull but the last time I saw Ian Anderson it was like listening to your out-of-tune and out-of-breath grandpa trying to croak some lyrics.

I've seen a shit ton of bands, most of them heavy metal in the mid-80s to early-90s, and luckily I can't think of a single bad band. Probably the closest would be when I saw the band Cake in Syracuse around 1997-1999. The lead singer was very disdainful and picking on the crowd and making fun of them for not being energetic enough (which was ironic since the reason we were like that was because the dude had zero energy or charisma as a lead singer).

[DrRyan]

Kid Rock trying to cover 3 or 4 Stones songs at sandstone. Awful.

Counting Crows at a casino in Tucson. Lowest energy show I have ever seen. On two different occasions between songs, in the most depressing tone imaginable, “this is our saddest song.” Couldn’t finish the show.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Frazod

I really like a few of their songs. There was a lot more substance to their music than most of the hairbands.

It's just hard to listen to the music after that concert. It still pisses me off. The ****er had to know he couldn't sing before he went on. I don't know if he always sounds like that now, or if he had a cold, or laryngitis, or whatever, but it was an insult to everybody who paid to see him that he performed that night.

When I saw Def Leppard a few years ago, Joe Elliot's voice was ****ed up. But at the start of the show he owned it, apologized in advance, and explained why; his dad had recently passed away, and his resulting absence caused the band to have to reschedule several concerts too close together. He had simply worn out his voice. While it was somewhat annoying, it was also understandable, and he was honest about it. He did his best. Dokken, OTOH, didn't say jack shit to anybody, and obviously didn't try at all. That ****er just stole everybody's money.

Just by looking at Dons recent pics dudes clearly a bloated, pot bellied drunk ala Vince Neil just cashing checks

It’s always sad to see... went to Vince Neil last summer at the fair, and he was almost as bad as all the jokes about him

Lumbering his big belly around, wheezing out the hits

Originally Posted by JD10367

Age is a killer. I'm a big fan of Jethro Tull but the last time I saw Ian Anderson it was like listening to your out-of-tune and out-of-breath grandpa trying to croak some lyrics.

I've seen a shit ton of bands, most of them heavy metal in the mid-80s to early-90s, and luckily I can't think of a single bad band. Probably the closest would be when I saw the band Cake in Syracuse around 1997-1999. The lead singer was very disdainful and picking on the crowd and making fun of them for not being energetic enough (which was ironic since the reason we were like that was because the dude had zero energy or charisma as a lead singer).

Sad to hear about Cake, they’ve always been a cult favorite of mine

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Frazod

It's just hard to listen to the music after that concert. It still pisses me off. The ****er had to know he couldn't sing before he went on. I don't know if he always sounds like that now, or if he had a cold, or laryngitis, or whatever, but it was an insult to everybody who paid to see him that he performed that night.

That ****er just stole everybody's money.

Don has always been completely awful live, even back in the early 80's when I saw them at the Uptown opening for Steve Walsh's band, Streets.

Back in 1999, a buddy of mine lived down in Redondo Beach for a few years before moving to Vegas, so I'd go down quite a bit to hang at his place. The first time we to this hole-in-the-wall bar which was less than a block from his place, we ordered some beers and noticed an old, balding guy that looked beat to shit, to which I said "Whoa, is that Don Dokken?". Turns out, yes, it was Don.

He was a mess. He drank too much, smoked too much (which of course is a no-no for a professional touring singer) while hitting on the ugly ass waitress.

The dude is just wrecked.

[Halfcan]

I have seen Dokken a few times and they had ZERO chemistry at all. They stood on stage hating each others guts the entire time. George Lynch deserved better-great player.

Bon Jovi kicked ass on his first tour with the Scorpions- but when I saw him on Slippery When Wet tour- he sucked ass. The crowd caught him lip synching to the Beatles- Twist and Shout- acoustic version. He was booed off stage- then came back for one lousy song where he barely sang- told the "Crowd to **** off!" and then left. Cinderella came out and joined the band to play a few more than the concert ended.
It was short and shitty.

When Metallica opened for Ozzy- they were God aweful. They had it cranked to 20 through the PA and it sounded like a rolling concrete truck with feed back mixed in. There was one row of fans with a Metallica banner in all of Kemper that seemed to like it- but most of the crowd hated them.

Nelly- my wife made me take her to TLC, Nelly and New Kids. He played his CD while he screamed "Get them up!!" for a half hour. No talent at all. What an embarrassment.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by DrRyan

Kid Rock trying to cover 3 or 4 Stones songs at sandstone. Awful.

Counting Crows at a casino in Tucson. Lowest energy show I have ever seen. On two different occasions between songs, in the most depressing tone imaginable, “this is our saddest song.” Couldn’t finish the show.

I knew Adam when he was bar tending at the Viper Room because I was hanging out with Johnny quite a bit in those days.

He’s just a low energy and boring person.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Don has always been completely awful live, even back in the early 80's when I saw them at the Uptown opening for Steve Walsh's band, Streets.

Back in 1999, a buddy of mine lived down in Redondo Beach for a few years before moving to Vegas, so I'd go down quite a bit to hang at his place. The first time we to this hole-in-the-wall bar which was less than a block from his place, we ordered some beers and noticed an old, balding guy that looked beat to shit, to which I said "Whoa, is that Don Dokken?". Turns out, yes, it was Don.

He was a mess. He drank too much, smoked too much (which of course is a no-no for a professional touring singer) while hitting on the ugly ass waitress.

The dude is just wrecked.

Funny thing about singers smoking. My cousin is married to Michael McCarthy, an Irish singer/stage performer who played Javert in Les Miserables on stage in London for years. I figure you might be the only person here who knows him or knows of him, but I don't think he was ever involved in anything in Hollywood. I guess he's pretty well known in the UK. Anyway, obviously he has a powerful, amazing singing voice, and at the height of his career smoked like a chimney. I don't know how common that is, or was, since it was a long time ago that I met him, but even then it struck me as odd. Certainly didn't seem to bother his voice, though.