Most boring live show ever?

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True story:
I have to say pavement when they toured the last album. I dont know what specific drug the audience was on but 3/4 were sound asleep on floor. And it was a full house. I not saying Pavement put em to sleep but.....I didn't detect a gas leak or anything. Non enthusiam ensued for 60 minutes

― SplendidMullet (iamamonkey), Thursday, 3 April 2003 10:27 (twenty-two years ago)

OASIS

― , Thursday, 3 April 2003 10:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Spiritualized at the albert hall, no atmosphere whatsoever up in the gods, no drinking, no smoking no dancing, no fun.

― chris (chris), Thursday, 3 April 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Boards of Canada. BOREDS of Canada more like it.

― Minnie Mouse, Thursday, 3 April 2003 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

The Verve

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 3 April 2003 11:48 (twenty-two years ago)

The Smashing Pumpkins at their last Wembley dates. Truly, truly awful.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 3 April 2003 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I once was unfortunate enough to see Me'shell Ogndegeceecello, or whatever. Mentally painful.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 3 April 2003 11:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Stereophonics at the Millennium Stadium. I was reviewing it. And it turned out to be WORSE than I was expecting. Even up in literally the top row of the fucking stadium. THE HORROR. Their complete lack of palpable appreciation for the ludicrous adulation afforded them by their clod-faced Burberry-capped fans was the most offensive thing. THEY LOVE YOU UNCRITICALLY THEY DON'T EVEN NOTICE THAT THIS SONG WAS DUG UP FROM UNDER ROD STEWART'S ZEBRA PATTERN SOFA SO DO YOU THINK YOU COULD GIVE THEM A LITTLE "Thank you" OR SIMILAR PLATITUDE YOU POMPOUS LUDDITE?

*draws breath*

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Have to say, the Jesus & Mary Chain -- circa Darklands -- weren't exactly a monsson of stage presence nor dynamism, despite the brilliance of their fist two albums.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:13 (twenty-two years ago)

When she's not drinking, Fiona Apple can be impossibly blandtacular. Get some booze up in her tough and watch out.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, er..."Get some booze up in her THOUGH and watch out."

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:16 (twenty-two years ago)

blandtacular

Oh SO the nwe word of the month!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:18 (twenty-two years ago)

new

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:18 (twenty-two years ago)

CAT POWER

― , Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:30 (twenty-two years ago)

On a similar note, Elliott Smith.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Sugar when I was in the 10th grade.

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw Pan American in Toronto once. It was like watching a guy check his email while his album played through the speakers. My friends and I left after the 3rd song.

― Jonathan, Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I was totally gonna do the "I was at that show too" thing until I read your e-mail address.

Hey Jon!

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Ooh yeah, Pan American - nail/head interface there... change 'boring' to 'disappointing' or 'pointless' and there you have it. At least the Stereophonics haven't made an album I actually really like.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Super Furry Anaimal circa the first or second album. Despite their reputation for being exxentric, they had no charisma at all...

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:52 (twenty-two years ago)

dunno... too many to name although nightmares on was and schneider TM are to relatively recent gigs i've walked out of... people sitting on the floor swaying etc... the best one i ever heard of was when king kurt threw a refrigerator full of beer into a crowd and hospitalised several fans...

― Dave Stelfox, Thursday, 3 April 2003 12:55 (twenty-two years ago)

herbie hancock in 2001 manchester apollo. he was awful.
dont know was was more bored-us or him.

― big d (big d), Thursday, 3 April 2003 13:02 (twenty-two years ago)

didnt see that post nocking the furries- Ive seen them on every tour theyve done and they were great each time.

― big d (big d), Thursday, 3 April 2003 13:03 (twenty-two years ago)

jesus lizard circa liar.

― david yow, Thursday, 3 April 2003 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

* Spring Heel Jack. Put record on turntable. Stare down at the spinning record for a few minutes. Put record on other turntable. Repeat endlessly.
* Jesus & Mary Chain circa 1998. Absolutely hideous semi-acoustic set.
* Labradford.
* Loop.
* Happy Mondays.

― mike a (mike a), Thursday, 3 April 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Judging by the answers on this board, gigs by post rock and IDM people are the most boring. This must have been why I didn't enjoy the ATP festival...

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Thursday, 3 April 2003 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Pearl Jam. Hands down.

― maria b (maria b), Thursday, 3 April 2003 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

bowie...

I saw him once, and he performed his entire 90s concept album (outsider? or something like that)

unreal how bad it was

― geeg, Thursday, 3 April 2003 14:56 (twenty-two years ago)

A guy I know was working at a venue in Switzerland, where they were having some sorta laptop show one night. Curious about what the two guys were actually doing up there on their computers, one of the staff snuck up on stage and peeked at their screens. They were playing Doom.

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

my prediction: Lou Reed at the Bowery Ballroom
w/a side bet on Yo La Tengo at the Beacon

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Kool Keith--that fucker never showed up

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Boring bands I've seen:
Pavement
Spiritualised
Dinosaur Jr

and I normally have no probs with these bands

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

David Grubbs. It was excruiciating. I love Gastr del Sol and even some of his solo records like Cucumber Radish or whatever it's called but boy was it not the most boring wank fest. People were walking out and I was one of them.

― scott m (mcd), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Brokeback

― summerslastsound (summerslastsound), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Spoon, none of the charm of the recorded output.

― largehearted boy (largeheartedboy), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

merzbow at all tomorrow's parties 2002
i almost felt sorry for them

― alice, Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

― T. Weiss (Timmy), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha, I've been to a Kool Keith show where he never showed up...but I've also been to see him once where he was having such a good time he finished the show and then came back out and did another entire set. The other MC with him that night (Black Silver) took my date's little sister & her friend (both 17) backstage with him...and amazingly enough didn't get freaky with them at all; in fact, Keith signed a bottle of Heineken for her.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Bob Mould last time around. Not interesting enough to summarize.
The opening act played laptops... I so very fucking hate that.

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I liked Spoon. But they werent as good as the opening band, Crooked Fingers.

― David Allen, Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

merzbow at all tomorrow's parties 2002

I was there - Big Boi from Outkast came up to the person leaning on the wall next to me and asked "Is there anyone on stage?"

― Sam J. (samjeff), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

AIR. And I love 'em but - dawg - were they a bore to watch.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Wilco has gotten boring with 10-minute jams on downbeat numbers

― MerkinMuffley (MerkinMuffley), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha, those are like my favorite parts of Wilco shows!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Wilco has brought self-indulgent to a whole new level.

They're *artists* now, by the way (if you didn't know)

― MerkinMuffley (MerkinMuffley), Thursday, 3 April 2003 17:06 (twenty-two years ago)

i've never been to a show that was boring - they've run the gamut from excruciatingly awful to transcendent and life-affirming, but i've never been bored. Although, two hours into Kid606's set, after it became clear he was merely up there to amuse himself, it got fairly, erm, blandtacular. I had to review it so i had to stick around too. And I like him a lot, but boy did I wanna go home.

and quit dissing Wilco

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 3 April 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

*very pleased that 'blandtacular' is catching*

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 3 April 2003 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I almost walked out of a Devo show before they even played "satisfaction." It was as much fun as watching a 50-year-old dude kicking field goals...oh, that would be 'blanda-tacular.'

― Neudonym, Thursday, 3 April 2003 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

oh, i am a big wilco fan, but in the past 18 months they've become self-indulgent. listen to the new material (post- YHF) it's just :-/ The EP though will be good; it's got leftovers from the YHF sessions that are pretty terrific.

― MerkinMuffley (MerkinMuffley), Thursday, 3 April 2003 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

i'd agree about jesus and mary chain. crouching down while singing never makes for dynamic stage presence.

― lolita corpus (lolitacorpus), Thursday, 3 April 2003 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 47 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Honorary mention to JJ72 (not my fault, they were supporting a friend's band) for not only being mind-numbingly mediocre, but also attempting and UTTERLY FAILING to smash a guitar during their finale.

Yawn.

― Masonic Boom, Friday, 27 April 2007 14:57 (eighteen years ago)

Smashing Pumpkins at Lollapalooza in 1994. Absolutely awful.

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 27 April 2007 15:01 (eighteen years ago)

Basement Jaxx, last September at Electric Picnic. Painful.

― o-ess, Friday, 27 April 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago)

Loop.

― Mark G, Friday, 27 April 2007 15:09 (eighteen years ago)

Sorry what?! Maybe it was a weird Galway thing, but when I saw him in Roisin Dubh people were getting down! Actually, probably the most fun gig ever for me. It was like this mutant funk covered in banjo samples for chrissakes, and he kept trying to make it sound as little like actual music as possible. In a good way.

Hmm, when I saw him (at Hammersmith Palais) it was this incredibly boring glitchy dirge without the vaguest trace of what could remotely be called funk. Just nothing interesting about it at all. And I was actually desperate to dance to something (as I usually am after a few drinks), but found myself completely unable to do so.

― braveclub, Friday, 27 April 2007 15:11 (eighteen years ago)

Heatmiser in Portland opening for the Mekons, who unfortunately weren't very enthused themselves.

― sleeve, Friday, 27 April 2007 15:49 (eighteen years ago)

I've seen Four Tet be pretty good and terrible on seperate occasions, I dunno where the dividing line is exactly but watching a load of Explosions in the Sky fans stand still to uninvolving wonky techno is fairly unedifying

― DJ Mencap, Friday, 27 April 2007 15:54 (eighteen years ago)

What was the deal with that bill anyway? Getting Faust to play first and then ordering the other acts so that they got progressively less interesting until with Four Tet you finally hit the fucking nadir.

― braveclub, Friday, 27 April 2007 15:58 (eighteen years ago)

Juliana Hatfield, back in '93 or thereabouts. I only went because my friend and his HMV co-workers had a spare ticket and I fairly enjoyed a song of hers I'd heard a week previous. Least charismatic performer I've ever seen, a total drag.

(But at least the PA played Leslie Gore's "You Don't Own Me" after the show ended, and that was kinda nice.)

― Myonga Vön Bontee, Friday, 27 April 2007 16:13 (eighteen years ago)

I saw the band with Phil Anselmo and Hank III (I can't remember their name for the life of me) at Ozzfest a few years ago and it was the worst performance I've ever seen. Made up for later in the show when the original Slayer, the original Judas Priest and the original Black Sabbath appeared in order.

― Bill Magill, Friday, 27 April 2007 16:14 (eighteen years ago)

the great thing about the four tet gig was that there was these moments where you were like "seriously, this is undancable, fairly self-indulgent noise" but everyone was like DANCING! It was great, it might have helped that Kid Koala opened, and the Weird Science bit got everyone dance happy, but Four Tet gave it MUSCLE. Surprisingly, and pleasantly.

― I know, right?, Friday, 27 April 2007 21:02 (eighteen years ago)

But yeah, I can imagine a much shittier version of that night, easily

― I know, right?, Friday, 27 April 2007 21:02 (eighteen years ago)

AIR. And I love 'em but - dawg - were they a bore to watch.

-- Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:16 (4 years ago)

gotta agree. caught them for my second time the other night, thinking it mighta gotten more exciting in the 3-year gap since my last time, but nope... still a snoozer.

― ken taylrr, Friday, 27 April 2007 21:48 (eighteen years ago)

junior boys sooooo otm

― Jena, Friday, 27 April 2007 21:49 (eighteen years ago)

Mum + Pot = Sleepsville

― el juan, Friday, 27 April 2007 22:46 (eighteen years ago)

AIR. And I love 'em but - dawg - were they a bore to watch.

-- Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:16 (4 years ago)

gotta agree. caught them for my second time the other night, thinking it mighta gotten more exciting in the 3-year gap since my last time, but nope... still a snoozer

This too. The sitting area was flooded with expectant asses for a reason.

― o-ess, Friday, 27 April 2007 22:48 (eighteen years ago)

I've seen Windy and Carl 7 times, and maybe 3 of these were boring (because of venue or material), 2 were good, 1 was excellent and 1 was mind blowing. I kinda like the fact that they're inconsistent.
I wish I could've seen them at the DIA opening for(I think)John Fahey.

Very boring experiences that come to mind:

The Pretenders and The dbs (both circa 84-85....fell asleep)

and more recently (sorry, folks) Konono No.1

― peepee, Friday, 27 April 2007 23:43 (eighteen years ago)

My experience going to a Melissa Etheridge concert (don't ask) might be considered the most boring if it hadn't been such an anthropological episode.

― peepee, Friday, 27 April 2007 23:44 (eighteen years ago)

junior boys sooooo otm

-- Jena, Friday, April 27, 2007 2:49 PM (1 hour ago)

kinda true, and sadly I went directly from the Air show to see Junior Boys... however JBs were definitely a bit more peppy than Air.

― ken taylrr, Friday, 27 April 2007 23:45 (eighteen years ago)

I saw the same Superjoint Ritual (Phil Anselmo, Hank III, at least one member of Eyehategod) set described above, and Konono No. 1, and they were both mighty fucking dull. (When Phil would shut the fuck up and let the band play a song, Superjoint were actually pretty good. It was the five-minute between-song harangues that were migraine-inducing.) But the single dullest thing I have ever seen was Low, opening for Radiohead in 2003. I swear I thought I was gonna lapse into a coma.

― unperson, Friday, 27 April 2007 23:49 (eighteen years ago)

I almost wanna say the Junior Boys (their material and live show might be better now...they have a drummer now, no?), especially since they chided the audience for not dancing (?!).

(yo, ken)

― peepee, Friday, 27 April 2007 23:51 (eighteen years ago)

sonic youth in 2000 (and i'm a huge fan)
squarepusher in 2002, i think (and it was short too. but painful)
doves in 2002 (this gig was shit in every respect)

― Charlie Howard, Saturday, 28 April 2007 07:09 (eighteen years ago)

The Pharcyde

― The Reverend, Saturday, 28 April 2007 08:00 (eighteen years ago)

I saw Isis open for Mogwai. They were extremely dull, a fact which was put into even starker relief when Mogwai took stage and had the whole crowd in the palm of their hand.

Man? Or Astroman? was pretty terrible as well. Oh, and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.

― novaheat, Saturday, 28 April 2007 08:05 (eighteen years ago)

interpol were terrifically boring when i saw them.

― Emily Bjurnhjam, Saturday, 28 April 2007 08:08 (eighteen years ago)

interpol are terrifically boring

― Zeno, Saturday, 28 April 2007 08:26 (eighteen years ago)

not a gig per as but the stanton warriors. the clubbing equivalent of queueing for some bread.

― pisces, Saturday, 28 April 2007 11:46 (eighteen years ago)

per SE

― pisces, Saturday, 28 April 2007 11:46 (eighteen years ago)

Any band in the vein of Chevelle. Just pure rubbish with no dynamics or nuance. But as far as 'good' bands with boring shows go, I'd have to say Tool, even though I was a superfan at the time. If I went now, I'd be bored stiff.

― chris.steffen, Saturday, 28 April 2007 15:13 (eighteen years ago)

Godspeed You Black Emperor bored me silly, too. Even their arty film clips projected behind the stage couldn't keep me alert. Granted, I'd seen Trail of Dead/Explosions in the Sky a few days earlier, which was an awesome show, so it would have taken a lot, but still. I saw A Silver Mt Zion the year before and they were far more entertaining.

One of those bands best left on record, then.

― MacDara, Saturday, 28 April 2007 16:02 (eighteen years ago)

i saw dubstar live.

― That one guy that quit, Saturday, 28 April 2007 16:09 (eighteen years ago)

Oh, and sorry to everyone who enjoyed the Earth show at EMP, but I was so bored and everyone else seemed so interested that it felt like a real 'emperor has no clothes' moment.

― chris.steffen, Saturday, 28 April 2007 16:13 (eighteen years ago)

Primal Scream in Manchester in the late 90s. Gillespie's every move seemed staged and painfully self-conscious while the band were like a bunch of bumpkins acting hard onstage. It was this gig that made me give up on 'angry' rockstars, which I'm grateful for now. (not an especially boring gig, just the one which had the biggest disparity between what I expected - piledriving raging punkdisco - and what I got - some old farts led by one overdramatic old fart acting indignant for the $$$)

― NI, Saturday, 28 April 2007 18:09 (eighteen years ago)

Konono's okay; it's just that they're a bar band. You need to be dancing and drinking and talking.

― forksclovetofu, Saturday, 28 April 2007 18:26 (eighteen years ago)

Mogwai

Um... Mogwai almost made me go permanently deaf from about three minutes of uninterrupted distortion. Therefore, I cannot deem them as boring.

Boring: Four Tet (I haven't seen him w/Steve Reid, but sans Reid I had to like walk around to stay awake), Prefuse 73 (over pompous and overly boring)

Of course the opposite = CSS, I don't think a show can be more energetic and awesome than a CSS show.

― MaGoGo, Saturday, 28 April 2007 18:27 (eighteen years ago)

I'll second Sonic Youth. Poor song selection, and every song ended with an unbearable feedback "jam." I would've left but I went with a friend.

― Jouster, Saturday, 28 April 2007 20:54 (eighteen years ago)

I saw The Mars Volta once and was bored shitless with ther arty hypernoodling. They seemed to divide the audience, one half actually digging it, the other half (mostly hardcore kids and indiescenesters) either yelling at the band or walking away.

― Marty Innerlogic, Saturday, 28 April 2007 21:58 (eighteen years ago)

when i saw man or astroman they rocked. hard. it was a fucking frenzy.

― m0stlyClean, Saturday, 28 April 2007 22:21 (eighteen years ago)

Pains me to say but seeing The Fall in 2005 was one of the most boring gigs that I have ever attended.

― burial, Saturday, 28 April 2007 22:47 (eighteen years ago)

Mazzy Star opening for the Cocteau Twins at the Zellerbach at UC Berkeley.

― svend, Saturday, 28 April 2007 22:49 (eighteen years ago)

four months pass...

are animal collective a boring live show?

― Zeno, Saturday, 1 September 2007 13:54 (seventeen years ago)

not if you like reverb and face paint

― The Macallan 18 Year, Saturday, 1 September 2007 16:12 (seventeen years ago)

C'mon, who doesn't?

― Soukesian, Saturday, 1 September 2007 18:13 (seventeen years ago)

Cornershop

― aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Saturday, 1 September 2007 18:23 (seventeen years ago)

yea cornershop hate face paint

― Mark Clemente, Saturday, 1 September 2007 20:23 (seventeen years ago)

reverb too

― Mark Clemente, Saturday, 1 September 2007 20:23 (seventeen years ago)

sonic youth, 1998. i had high expectations (the 1990 shows of theirs i'd seen were incredible), and unfortunately they approached the show with about as much enthusiasm as one approaches doing their taxes.

bernhard gunter, 1996. he sat down at a cd player and hit "play." and sat there for 40+ minutes. the music itself was superbland, but that wasn't the problem; the fact that he sat in front of a cd player with an audience present was insulting to the audience on a scale i hadn't witness before (or since).

― Lawrence the Looter, Saturday, 1 September 2007 21:56 (seventeen years ago)

Death Cab For Cutie following the always entertaining Dismemberment Plan on the Death and Dismemberment Tour. DCFC are boring enough to begin with but they were really setting themselves up for failure there.

― lindseykai, Saturday, 1 September 2007 22:02 (seventeen years ago)

Hella was painfully boring opening for Out Hud. They had 14 or so people crammed on stage in a tiny church basement in Philadelphia and it was basically like the first two minutes of Tortoise's "Seneca" dragged out for about 45.

― Stevie D, Saturday, 1 September 2007 22:08 (seventeen years ago)

earth

― kl0pper, Saturday, 1 September 2007 22:10 (seventeen years ago)

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