In lieu of that, however, I just wanted to share this fabulous photo of our late great pussycat The Incomparable Eddie© (taken five years ago).
Let's just say I know who he would have pulled the levers for last Tuesday. 😎😎
But now to the weekend's business. To wit:
...and the most disappointing performance by a pop/rock/soul/folk/country solo artist or group that you ever personally witnessed live was...?
For me, this one isn't even close. Ladies and germs, I give you The Rolling Stones famous (infamous?) 1975 flat-bed truck rendition of "Brown Sugar."
In case I haven't told the story about that before, the short version is that yours truly (then toiling at Stereo Review) plus pretty much everybody else I knew in the rock press and PR biz were invited (via Stones managment and Atlantic Records) to a noon-ish Rolling Stones press conference at a Fifth Avenue eatery in Greenwich Village; we were assured that finger food and drinks would be provided and that the boys in the band would answer our questions about their up coming summer tour.
When we got to the joint, Mick and company were nowhere to be seen, which didn't help anybody's bad mood about having to fight the traffic coming down from mid-town. But the late great absurdist comedian Professor Irwin Corey was there, and with a microphone. Given that he was professionally billed as "The World's Foremost Authority," this seemed appropriate, and so while me and the assembled freeloaders scarfed down wine and mediocre hors d'ouevres, Corey rambled on about I forget what for about half an hour. Not surprisingly, I sensed a certain impatience in the crowd, and then the cry went up -- The Stones!!!
Yup. We could see through the restuarant's front window that the band was rolling down Fifth Avenue, so we all -- I'd estimate there were about 300 of us, not counting amused passerbys -- made a dash out to the sidewalk.
At which point, the band -- I recall it was drizzly and cold -- knocked out a half-assed version of their big hit and then unceremoniously drove away. Leaving us all to return to our respective offices and tell our co-workers and friends that we had a) seen the Stones up close and personal and b) been suckered.
In any case, I would like to re-emphasize just how mediocre the band's performance was; in all seriousness, I relisten to that clip above every couple of years on the off-chance that it might sound better for some reason. And it never does.
Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choice or choices be?
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!
21 comments:
It's been so long I can't remember all of the details, but The Pretenders first US tour at the Bayou in Washington, DC. Band came on very late, the place was ultra-packed with people who got their early (so drunk and agitated). Chrissie was more obnoxious than was probably usual, and the whole band was just off. I was thinking I should have gotten tickets to see The Jam that night instead, but, if I remember correctly, it was cancelled because on the band members was sick.
Get me drunk sometime and I'll tell you about how bad Queen were when I saw them on THEIR first tour. God, they were awful.
Grateful Dead Richfield Coliseum sometime in the early nineties. Worst concert I ever attended.
Two gigs that were so bad I left after 20 minutes:
Red Hot Chili Peppers at the I- Beam, Sn Francisco. The Freaky Styley tour. It was four guys that had never met but greed to wear only day-Glo body paint and cock socks while making some pointless rarely musical noises.
The Replacements at a small room at San Diego State U in the mid-80’s. All four seriously drunk. Paul gave up singing after a few ruined tunes, so the roadie came on as the singer. Apparently Bob left the stage to strip down to his socks for the remainder, fortunately after we had gone. I saw them again two years later at the Coachhouse in San Juan Capistrano and they were awesome.
- Paul in DK
I don't regret not seeing the Mats, even though I was a huge fan. I kinda figured the odds were that I'd catch them on one of those nights you describe, and it would have been just too disappointing. 😎
Two memories: 2016, we caught Television, which thrilled me since this would be the first time. Seated, two-man instrumental interpretations of Tom Verlaine's solo songs with maybe three Television songs. No interaction with the audience. Horrible. In 2010, the Black Crowes simply had an "off" night. Even the opening band later talked about how the group didn't click. Chris giving the stink-eye to members who were dropping the ball on late entries or bum notes. A surprising event to witness since usually they're the best live band around. Ironically, they returned for their encore and played the best version of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well."
Richard Lloyd at an NYC club, right after his first solo album came out. He was obviously on the nod, it was very uncomfortable to watch.
Jack White at Radio City - he played barely an hour and stalked off, a bug up his ass about something (supposedly he was upset at the reception the opening act got, but the audience seemed polite to me). We had been huge White Stripes fans, but that was a huge turnoff and we basically stopped listening to his music.
The Grateful Dead in late '78 (I think) in Boston - it was such a slow, dull show, I didn't see them again for 7 years.
Television, New Year's Eve, 76-77, opening for John Cale and Patti Smith - loved Television, but their sound system wasn't big enough for the Palladium, it just sounded like mud. So not their fault, exactly, but still a disappointment.
Not to pile on, but... when I saw Television in their 90s reunion, they put on a credible show. But Verlaine's guitar conked out halfway through 'Marquee Moon.' A song famous for its climax went, er, limp.
My man Todd Rundgren had a rough patch of shows in the early 2000's. One solo show at BB King's, 2001 I believe, he didn't get one song right. Wrong chords, forgotten lyrics, bad cover songs. He was drinking martinis on stage like they were Gatorade. The worst part was about ten songs in where he left to go pee because "the air conditioning vent right above my mic is making me cold." I was crushed.
First time I saw Brian Jonestown Massacre, opening for Dandy Warhols, San Fran in the 90s, it was an exceptional evening with both bands on fire. Second time....BJM were phoning it in, or high, or both, I don't remember. I just remember regretting it.
C in California
I saw them once. They played perhaps 3 songs before Anton had a meltdown and berated the audience for about an hour, the band occasionally vamping behind him, at other times trying to be as invisible as possible.
- Paul in DK
Ramblin' Jack Elliot at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica in the early 90's. He had probably been drinking since he woke up. Now this is an intimate venue with perhaps 150 seats. He seated 5 or 6 of his friends at a table ON STAGE and proceeded to play only to them. I never listened to him again.
Two -
1. Jimi Hendrix, August 26 Bridgeport CT. - RFK Stadium.
All concerts there were outdoors (Blind Faith, Creedance...)
On this particular night Jimi took the stage with the Experience seemingly not in a good mood. Complained to the assembled "fans". Barely spent 30 minutes and walked off.
2. The Faces (original band, Stewart,Wood, Lane...).
My memory is somewhat dim of that night - it appears that we, as well of the band, had our share of liquor, 🥃
doobies. So the Faces took the stage falling all over each other. Pretty obvious that they had enjoyed a pre-party. Too bad as their albums were always a part of our college "tasting parties" 😉
rob
Hendrix, 1968 for reference
rbm
I saw Dylan three times in the '90s. Each time his singing was so garbled and off-hand that it took two or three (or more) lines before we even knew what the song was. This wasn't "reinventing the oldies" in fresh, new ways. This was a showcase of entitlement that communicated only boredom.
Also the Rolling Stones, 1976?, outdoors at JFK Stadium in Philly. It rained lightly for most of the time we waited, and maybe during the show too, which didn't help, but they were much worse than two years earlier at an indoor arena show. Sound was bad too. After the internet came out, I read that Jagger had a bad flu that day. I don't doubt it.
Don't remember the year, but maybe early 90s (G. E. Smith on lead) at the RPI Fieldhouse. Same experience as Pete. And it was in a hockey rink! bloody freezing and zero atmosphere.
Saw him again a few years later on his minor league "stadium" tour with Willie Nelson and he was great.
Sorry to read about that. My wife and I saw him around that same time frame at Toads Place in New Haven. He was in good form that night. I was astonished at his vocal range
Back in 1986, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, touring for reasons unknown; over six months away from a new album but, hell, it’s Neil Young and Crazy Horse, dummy, so go!
Bad decision…first song was “Mr. Soul”, was great. Second song was “Down By the River”, pretty good but kind of bizarre set list sequencing. Third song was “Cortez the Killer”, and they were clearly just phoning it in. It got worse - songs from the forthcoming album which had little melody and discordant arrangements and lyrics. Every song was worse than the one preceding it. After the main set was over, we decided to skip any encore and beat the traffic home.
Dishonorable mention to Billy Squier, opening for the Who in a sold-out show in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in late fall 1982; wasn’t a fan of BS (yes I know what I did) beforehand, but his telegraphed-in set (didn’t even get to the “phoning in” level) was boring as hell. Fortunately, the Who played great, and we were on the floor about 50 feet from center stage to catch the whole thing. And about two years later, BS seriously damaged his career with one of the worst videos of all time, featuring BS cavorting in a pink T-shirt; karma, baby!
ct - my dyslexia got the better of me when I read your 1986 as 1968 🫣.
The band that I roadied for in '68 opened for Neil and Crazy Horse in a 100 seat venue in New Haven. All these years later I still remember that show. Danny Whitten played with Neil that night .
Ray Manzerak 1982
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