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[Spider from Mars]

To be fair their are lots of Pop artists that kill it, and plenty of everything else that sounds good in the studio but blows live. I saw Mars Volta open for red hot chilli peppers. I was so pumped but by the end I wanted to put their poor singer out of his misery. It was awful and sooooo off pitch. He squealed like a pig. Kind of surprised me cause in the studio he sounded ok. The rest of the bad was actually mediocre. There was no cohesion. They all sounded like they never jammed together before. Such a let down.

Mars Volta was so bad opening for the RHCP that thousands of people got up and left the stadium. It was like all band members were playing different terrible, ear bleeding songs. It was one of the worst noises I've ever heard.

To be fair, I think on that tour their drummer was out and they kind of just jammed instead of playing actual songs. I also saw them on that tour and was shocked at how bad they were and had to sit through garbage RHCP after because that's who the person I went with wanted to see. I saw them before that and they were great.

Also, Grimes is terrrrrrible live.

 

[SMattera]

I'll throw in here that Brand New and Thrice are two of the best live bands I've ever seen.

Thrice especially. Such a tight and focused live performance that makes their music sound arguably better than on record.

Edit: Just saw this post above me:

What? I can't even. Inside or Outside venue?

I've seen them at both. I'll never waste my money again. And I'm a huge Thrice fan since the Illusion of Safety days. Maybe they just really hate my town, but I have to question your standards. Brand New can also be hit or miss. They're good in small venues, but not at large ones. Mostly it's their fanbase that makes it rather than the band itself, as it's typically composed of diehards singing along to every song.

 

[CloudWolf]

My worst experiences (all at music festivals, I don't buy tickets for stuff unless I know it will be worth it):

- All American Rejects: Expected, the singer can't actually sing and to make matters worse his microphone stopped working halfway through Gives You Hell.

- Blink-182: Amazing live if you want to see 40-something making 'yo mama'-jokes, terrible otherwise. Kind of expected since Tom Delonge is a pretty horrible vocalist.

- Metro Station/All Time Low/30 Seconds to Mars/Rise Against: There's a reason why I don't listen to these bands.

- Red Hot Chili Peppers (with Josh Klinghoffer): This was a major disappointment. Despite me hating I'm With You I was at least expecting them to nail their old work, but nope. Instead we got a setlist consisting mostly of I'm With You and Stadium Arcadium songs and for some reason Flea, Chad Smith and Josh did three jamming interludes where they could've easily fitted three or four older songs in. You could just tell that almost nobody in the audience enjoyed the show. In fact, even the official press said the RHCP show was a waste and one of the worst headliners they had seen these last years.

 

[Calderc]

i will fight you

Dude, c'mon. I like both those bands (love in Mastodon's case) but you cant deny either of those things.

 

[CloudWolf]

Dude, c'mon. I like both those bands (love in Mastodon's case) but you cant deny either of those things.

I remember reading somewhere that Brent Hinds had some problem with his throat a while back and that that's why he can't sing live anymore and Mustaine has never been able to sing, so no surprise there. It's not like you go to a Mastodon or Megadeth show for the vocals anyway.

 

[-ImaginaryInsider]

Depends on your taste, I prefer lo-fi performances that can get sloppy. If you watch lots of American Idol and see most of your concerts from a mile away on a Jumbotron, the realities of live performances are going to disappoint you.

 

[NotLiquid]

Slipknot.

Hm.

Post-Iowa perhaps. Slipknot were a fucking mental live act in the early days. Disasterpiece is still one hell of a live DVD, and Corey was such a force of nature (still is in studio capacity granted). That said his voice has heavily deteriorated since then and he wears himself out pretty quickly live.

 

[vainglorious]

Conor Oberst was so drunk at this show I was at that he slurred his way through the first 3 songs in his set and then left the stage because he couldn't get through the rest.

Yup.

 

[The Albatross]

70+-year-old Bob Dylan. Still awesome, though.

Spoiler

Some would say any-age Bob Dylan. >_>

I'd say this, Dylan is one of the worst live performances I've seen.

*edit* relative to my hype that is

 

[Archaix]

Animal Collective thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqQ7tU26Q6E

Spoiler

(I love them)

That's a performance from when they had been making music for about a half hour. Even a few years later they were far better and recently they put on a great show.

 

[ShowDog]

I saw Rise Against open for My Chemical Romance back in 07 and they were just awful. The band and their equipment setup were equally at fault from the sound of it. MCR actually put on an amazing show which was surprising.

 

[SirJackDaniels]

I'm surprised Jason Derulo hasn't been mentioned yet.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1063647

 

[MIMIC]

Never been to a Drake concert, but he sounds like shit whenever he has to sing.

 

[teruterubozu]

Def Leppard was always notoriously shitty. Their albums were way overproduced and they couldn't duplicate it live.

 

[Netherscourge]

As much crap as Metallica gets since the Napster stuff, they sure as hell put on a fantastic show and never sound terrible live.

At the last BlizzCon, Kirk Hammett played the Ride the Lightning solo PERFECTLY. It sounded so good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ9PI1kbagc

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Incubus

Spoiler

na I'm just fucking with you

 

[Skunkers]

I gotta agree with Blink 182. They were a favorite band of mine and they just sounded absolutely horrendous live. They could barely play their own music they were fucking up so often. To make things worse, this was circa 2001 when they were doing a megatour with Green Day as one of the opening bands, and say what you will about Green Day; those guys are absolutely incredible live and Armstrong is a master at commanding the crowd. Blink having to follow that act is one of the worst things they could have done.

 

[theaface]

The Strokes. Julian has no stage presence and he looks desperately uncomfortable to be there.

I also found post 2nd album Arctic Monkeys to be deathly dull and up their own asses. Huge contrast to when they broke through with WYSIATWIN.

 

[Stairouais]

That's a performance from when they had been making music for about a half hour. Even a few years later they were far better and recently they put on a great show.

I know, I know, I chose this performance because it makes me laugh everytime.
That said, a LOT of people still think they're bad live, and it's often because they don't play the "hits".

First time I saw them live, I was deep into Strawberry jam (that just came out) and they almost played the entierty of MPP. That was kind of weird.

 

[Loxley]

I'm surprised Jason Derulo hasn't been mentioned yet.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1063647

Pretty much any artist that relies heavily on auto-tune/pitch correction sucks live.

 

[MC Safety]

Tom Petty sort of half-assed his way through a concert at the Nassau Coliseum. I think it was during the Full Moon Fever tour, so maybe part of it was he wasn't with the Heartbreakers.

A friend of mine dragged me to see Robert Plant (with special guest Alannah Myles) at Jones Beach. Myles was awful, but Plant was far, far worse. He came to the stage visibly drunk, stoned, or both. He wobbled. He sang/mumbled for 15 minutes, fled the stage for a 30-minute guitar solo, and then came back shakier than before to sing for a half-hour before stumbling off again. His portion of the show lasted about an hour and a half and I can honestly say he was outdone by his girlfriend/opening act.

I can't say this is indicative of Petty and Plant being universally awful, but they were the worst artists I've seen.

EDIT: I also saw Garbage at a Microsoft party at E3 one year. Shirley Manson kept talking to the crowd, explaining Garbage's music and expressing surprise at all the "nerds" in the audience. She seemed incredulous , and was equal parts condescending and awful. Stupid girl, all right.

 

[Sun Bather]

At a festival I once saw a bit of an Avril Lavigne show. Now I admire that she actually sang herself cause many of her kind barely do. But oh boy... It was terrible.

 

[see5harp]

I know, I know, I chose this performance because it makes me laugh everytime.
That said, a LOT of people still think they're bad live, and it's often because they don't play the "hits".

First time I saw them live, I was deep into Strawberry jam (that just came out) and they almost played the entierty of MPP. That was kind of weird.

I do think they are better from the noise warehouse shows but they still just approximate what they do on record. Playing electronic music live is hard. At least they try though as opposed to rappers who literally are yelling over a pre recorded beat and vocal.

 

[Jezbollah]

Post 2001 U2 has been bad - well past their best IMO. Their performances are masked by their live show productions. I knew when they were to highlight Glastonbury that they would be dull without their "show" and I think I was right.

 

[Omegasquash]

It's been over a decade, but seeing Moby play was a joke. All he did was run around the stage, pick up an instrument, fuck with it, put it down, jump up and down, and generally not be a musician at all.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

Interpol are sloppy as shit live and they play the songs way too fast

I have never heard ANYTHING but this about interpol. which sucks. I like their music, but never saw em live. I think I'll continue that so as not to ruin the music I like.

 

[thezerofire]

Darude, Skrillex

Spoiler

call 911 now dududududu

guessing you've never seen skrillex live, he kinda kills it

 

[Zach]

Nah, Dylan in the early 60s was amazing (although I'm basing that on CDs rather than actually being there, of course).

Went to see him in... 2002/2003, something like that. Couldn't understand a single word tha came outta his mouth, haha.

I saw him in, oh, probably 2012. Loved it, but I knew what to expect, heh. Seeing him in the '60s would've been incredible.

I'd say this, Dylan is one of the worst live performances I've seen.

*edit* relative to my hype that is

What year did you see him, Alby?

 

[BKJest]

This is a Red Hot Chili Peppers thread.

Yeah. Though I'd like to exempt John (at the time), Chad and Flea from this.

 

[Mathieran]

Conor Oberst was so drunk at this show I was at that he slurred his way through the first 3 songs in his set and then left the stage because he couldn't get through the rest.

Yup.

Most have been an off night. I've seen Conor/Bright Eyes many times and always awesome.

My contribution is Limp Bizkit. They're an awful band, went to see Metallica years ago, which rocked. Anyway Limp Bizkit made my ears hurt. Worst band I've ever seen.

 

[Myoclonic Jerk]

John Legend was crap

 

[Odrion]

I'm probably going to get a lot of flack for this, but I really dislike the majority of Thom Yorke's live performances that I've heard.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Uhhh....all of them?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

The most not-live "live" album of all time:

But to be fair, it's all Tom that gets corrected. Mark is perfectly fine live and Travis is obviously outstanding.

 

[Parmadillo Marshmallow]

Darude, Skrillex

Spoiler

call 911 now dududududu

Um no, Skrillex is the bomb live. I've seen him at least 6 times that I can think of. He's fearless on stage, musically. It's pretty awesome. Here he is this summer playing in a dusty old tent for a crowd of ~100 (I was there).

My vote for worst goes to Lauryn Hill. What a trainwreck. I don't normally have a problem with a performer being drunk/high on stage, but not if it impairs their performance. Lauryn just takes it to the next level, insulting the crowd, long pauses between songs to rant, forgetting lyrics, off key, etc. So awful.

 

[PassiveObserver]

At the Drive-In on Late Night w Conan

Sloppy as hell, bouncing all over the stage, missing cues with an out-of-breath Cedric. They fucking ruled.

 

[see5harp]

Scrillex is definitely fearless. He didn't know what was gonna happen when he pressed the button to queue up the next song. He wasn't even sure if the next song was the same time tempo or time signature. Luckily in the heat of the moment he pressed this other button to make sure. Courageous that one is.

Someone like Dan Deacon is a much better pick for an electronic artist who is actually fearless in the studio and in a live setting.

 

[Seven4sses]

Seen Ellie Goulding before Calvin Harris was playing at a concert.
She was just shit, there's no other way to put it. But I do like her music, just not when she sings live.

Probably a bad day. I saw her at Coachella 2014 and she was great live. The only thing was that she showed up a bit late.

The Strokes. Julian has no stage presence and he looks desperately uncomfortable to be there.

I also found post 2nd album Arctic Monkeys to be deathly dull and up their own asses. Huge contrast to when they broke through with WYSIATWIN.

Julian sounded muffled a bit when I saw him. Probably was the setup, but he didn't get the crowd going while he was performing.

 

[Infernostew]

The Death Set had one of the worst live performances I've seen. Their studio stuff just doesn't translate well live.

 

[kitchenmotors]

Scrillex is definitely fearless. He didn't know what was gonna happen when he pressed the button to queue up the next song. He wasn't even sure if the next song was the same time tempo or time signature. Luckily in the heat of the moment he pressed this other button to make sure. Courageous that one is.

Someone like Dan Deacon is a much better pick for an electronic artist who is actually fearless in the studio and in a live setting.

YES YES YES.

Dan Deacon is fucking amazing live. I've seen him 9 times, once was in a church of all places where they did a round robin of a ton of bands and each band played on song and went to the next. Beach House and Future Islands were there.

What an amazing show.

 

[Beatofficer]

As opposed to the other thread, let's name all the bands/acts that plain suck when they play live.

Let's start with A Day to Remember, it's like the singer is bored/sleepy/doesn't give a shit about his own songs, no power in the singing. Although they have some good acoustic shows.

I've seen ADTR three times and never experienced that. Always full of energy and fun. Maybe it's because I don't enjoy his music but when I saw Thom Yorke at Coachella it was awful and boring especially in contrast that the band that played shortly after him was LCD Soundsystem and it was one of the best live performances I've ever seen.

I've been to hundreds of concerts and I'm trying to search my brain for awful shows I've been to. Early 30 Seconds to Mars, Leto was pretty bad live but he's gotten a lot better the last few years. One year during A Perfect Circle concert someone decided to throw a shoe at Maynard and for the rest of the show he had his back to the crowd and gave a half hearted performance, he didn't come back to Sacramento for several years after that with any of his bands. This is not normal for Maynard though, I've seen Tool, Puscifer, and APC live and besides that show they were amazing.

It's really weird seeing some of my favorite live musicians getting mentioned like Anthony Green and I think someone mentioned Chino Moreno.

I'm probably going to get a lot of flack for this, but I really dislike the majority of Thom Yorke's live performances that I've heard.

I'm with you on this!

 

[Ivan Amiibo]

Cat Power's drunk days (aka when she was good)

Any band that gets up there and just plays their album, albeit out of order

 

[RandomDancing]

I'd say this, Dylan is one of the worst live performances I've seen

Same. I saw him in 2013 and loved seeing him and hearing him perform but taking away his legacy, his impact, his history - I could barely understand him and he said nothing to the crowd. Just came out, played song after song and left. Not much of a entertainer anymore. Still, hearing him and his music was enough.

 

[bjork]

Also, Grimes is terrrrrrible live.

As much as it pains me to, I agree. I would like to go just to experience the show, but I can't imagine listening to it back later and being all pumped over it.

 

[Nollemaster]

Incubus

Spoiler

na I'm just fucking with you

I'm glad you're joking, I could write a book series on how I think Incubus is the best band around. In fact, before I got into Incubus a few years ago I thought that it was not possible for bands to sound just like the album (In a good way). /fanboy

 

[see5harp]

As much as it pains me to, I agree. I would like to go just to experience the show, but I can't imagine listening to it back later and being all pumped over it.

Agreed. I do give her credit for going out there and doing it herself though. A lot of electronic acts probably should look to Bjork for what you should do, although I realize not every act has that sorta voice or ability.

 

[kris.]

At the Drive-In on Late Night w Conan

Sloppy as hell, bouncing all over the stage, missing cues with an out-of-breath Cedric. They fucking ruled.

This isn't awful though. This is fucking awesome.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

System of a Down

No.

They are inconsistent live but awful???

Not even close.

 

[ryseing]

Blink 182
Angels & Airwaves (not really a fan at all, because *see below*)

But really, just Tom Delongue.

His nasally vocal style just does not translate to a live audience.

Love his studio stuff.

 

[impact]

Rush in 2015

Amazing band, but Geddy can't even remotely sing anymore. It's really sad.