Best/Wost Concert Experiences?

[Gordon Comstock]

So, who's the best band you've seen? Who's the worst? Who was the biggest surprise? What was the coolest thing you've seen at a show?

Best: GUNS N ROSES. The Canada 2010 tour.... 3 hours, 30 songs, front row, all time favorite band. Fuckin' legendary!

Worst: Marilyn Manson. Saw him in 2009 and he was shit. Die Mannequin, the openers, stole the show....

Biggest Surprise: Drowning Pool. Saw them on Crue Fest, and at this years Pain in the Grass festival (Seattle). Never really liked their stuff but man are they an awesome live band!

Coolest thing I've seen: At Pain in the Grass, during SHINEDOWN's set, there were TWO PEOPLE in wheelchairs crowdsurfing at the same time! It was fucking hilariously great! I've got it on video.... Their's and Godsmack's sets were both great....

[ScottRose]

Best: Pearl Jam, no contest. They put on a fantastic show, and the fans are pretty spectacular.

Worst: No headlining acts, but had a couple of bad opening acts. Bullet For My Valentine opening for GN'R and The Horrors for Muse spring to mind.

[J Dog]

Best - Guns N Roses. NIN a close 2nd.

Worst - Some of the bands at Ozzfest. Never had a headliner really let me down.

Suprise - Snoop Dogg. Most rap artists suck live, but Snoop and the Dogg Pound rocked the house.

Coolest - Black Sabbath headlining Ozzfest. You're Crazy being played for the first time in forever. One of my personal favorites. And getting to meet Hank III after one of his shows.

Edited September 15, 2010 by J Dog

[misch]

Headlining acts:

Best: Faith No More or the Stones (can't decide)

Worst: Aerosmith (they were still pretty good though, just not as good as all the other bands I've seen)

Coolest: Motörhead (Lemmy, nuff said)

Surprise: Elton John (I expected a musical and got a good fuckin' Rock n' Roll show)

Edited September 10, 2010 by misch

[LaBellaVita]

the best? britney spears dream within a dream tour 2001, obviously.

Edited September 10, 2010 by Long Tall Sally

[Orsys]

So, who's the best band you've seen? Who's the worst? Who was the biggest surprise? What was the coolest thing you've seen at a show?

Best concert: tie between GnR last January and Pink Floyd

Worst: Doobie Brothers in 1990-something - just stood there and played, crowd just stood there and watched.

Biggest surprise - Golden Earring - awesome show - almost theatrical

Coolest thing - Won a trip to Florida in a foxy lady contest during a Rik Emmett concert!

[Sgt Snafu]

MGMT was my best and worse experience all at once. they sound amazing live, but they were playing at a tiny venue and the pit was horrible that night. I got punched in the face by another chick who was trying to shove past me. I also lost both my shoes

[bt88]

Best: GNR at the first Hammerstein show, RATM at Woodstock, Tool wherever and whenever, Slipknot at the old Warehouse in Toronto (I was 16, this was very shocking at the time) Mastodon in Brooklyn

Worst: Disturbed pretty much any time. David Draiman is unbearably annoying as a frontman

Biggest Surprise: The Black Keys. Holy Shit do they put a lot of energy into their shows, I was blown away by their live performance, so much more than you get from the albums.

Coolest Thing: As I Lay Dying did this thing where they played 3/4 of one of their songs, then everyone but the drummer left the stage. The drummer did a 5 minute kick ass drum solo then out of nowhere the band ran back on stage and picked up the song right where they left off. It was well executed and awesome

Good thread

Edited September 10, 2010 by bt88

[Zint]

Best: Rolling Stones 1978

Worst: Bon Jovi 200?...absolute shit...walked out

Biggest Surprise: Guns n Roses 1991...knocked me on my fuckin ass...just amazing!

Coolest Thing: hmmm...SO many...I'll go with seeing my all time rock god for the first time Alice Cooper,Special Forces tour.Tied with seeing a Beatle for the first time!

Scariest: Black Flag 1982...I seriously thought someone was going to die before the night was over.

[Graeme]

Best: Guns N Roses, SECC Glasgow, Scotland 21.07.06. Just perfect. Best audience ever and Izzy Stradlin.

Worst: These Monsters, 02 ABC Glasgow, Scotland, 22.06.10. Support act for Coheed & Cambria... they were fucking awful.... just noise and a guy running about shouting into the wrong end of a saxophone.

Surprise: Pendulum, Donington Park, England, 14.06.08. Saw them completely by accident, Bullet For My Valentine were on the mainstage and half the crowd seemed to be leaving, I followed and discovered these guys... what a fucking party!

Coolest: In Flames, Glasgow Academy, Scotland, 27.11.09. Their set was short, and thus a bit disappointing though they gave it their all within the constraints, but they're my heroes and I got to meet them afterwards, the moment Anders Friden said to me "I saw you down the front man, singing every word, every word!" will stay with me forever.

Against All Odds: Runrig, Drumnadrochit, Scotland, 18.08.07. Massive outdoor show (all day festival really) which just happened to coincide with the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the country (and this being the highlands of Scotland it fucking POURED) yet, it was still a brilliant day somehow, the field looked pretty much like the Somme, there were folk being treated for hypothermia, mud was everywhere (those who wore their kilts got them fucking ruined) and yet the audience was still geared up enough to give it their all, the band were superb: This was the last song of the night, after nearly 10 hours of being rained on, look at the audience response!

[Cdlove]

Best: GnR Indiana 91, that was just the perfect show way back when I had my horny, angry, happy, stoned teenage life. Everything was perfect, the crowd, the brand new never heard songs, the long set. Axl sounded excellent, Slash was stoned, Izzy was there, strippers, pot EVERYWHERE, seas of breasts, the most energy possible from the band, and the first time November Rain was played; let me tell you what a holy experience it was to be the first to listen to November Rain. GnR 06 gets 2nd place.

Worst:This is tough, I've watched tons of shitty local bands. But as far as big ones, Ratt, they flat out have no presence.

Surprise: Hmmm. Since I already mentioned November Rain i'll go with The Devil Wears Prada. They have fun fans and have tons of audience interaction. Funny thing was, I saw them completely on accident. I was supposed to meet a friend that worked at a venue close by me. I was supposed to take a left but I forgot and took a right onto the stage, I walked downstairs and all of a sudden I was in the audience.

Coolest: NiN, need I say anything else?

[mrandyk]

Best: Aerosmith last month. Joe Perry just tore the house down, I gained a lot more appreciation for him after that show. Second would have to be Slash back on monday, catching his pick (also caught a bassist pick and a drumstick) and having him stand on the speakers 4 feet away from me while playing my favorite song, Paradise City, was something I will definitely never forget.

Worst: Its a tough call but Im going with Alkaline Trio opening for The Offspring, their music sucks and they did not say anything to the crowd at all it was so boring. Second is going to be Sammy Hagar opening for Aerosmith, he plays I Cant Drive 55 for his second song and then the rest of the set was just painful. I had never seen an opening band come out for an encore, it pissed me off so much.

Surprise: Axl Rose coming out to play his set lol. Nah, I'll say the new singer for Alice in Chains. I didnt know what to expect from him but he was great. Also, he was black and I did not see that coming.

Coolest: Taking Dawn opening for Slash. The lead singer/guitarist jumped into the crowd and just walked around playing, I couldnt believe it happened. I talked to the guy after the show and let him know I thought it was fucking awesome, he thanked me and told me to buy a cd. I said no and our paths will likely never cross again.

[GivenToFly]

Best show: AC/DC in Belgrade, 2009. Absolutely brilliant show! I think I caught them on a particularly good night too. And the sound was fucking magnificent, I never would have thought that something so loud could sound so clear. Also, the opening bands (The Answer and Serb band Amajlija) were awesome.

Worst (headliner): Iron Maiden, this August in Cluj. The sound was absolutely shit, you could barely make out a thing, crowd was really lame, so the band after first two songs or so just didn't care. After the show, hearing recordings and talking to other people I found out that something was wrong with the right side of the sound system. Left was alright, crowd there got a good sound. Thing is, I could have been on the left, there was an enclosure close to the stage, I got on the left but they closed it right after I got in. The rest of my group couldn't, so they went to the right side and I got out and followed them there. Unlucky.

Surprises: The Answer (see above). I had heard their debut album, but hadn't thought much of it. But they played songs off their second (I hadn't even heard there was one) and that one's just fucking great. Everyday Demons is what it's called and it's really damn good. Plus, they played like motherfuckers, seriously good, especially the lead singer blew my mind.

Pendulum. They played this summer at my university's year end ball. I wasn't gonna see them but some guy promised me I'd love it even if I'm not a fan of the genre. I can't tell you how grateful I am to that fellow. I don't think I've ever felt having so much energy as I did those two hours. I literally couldn't stand still, the whole time. Do not miss!

[Guest Satanisk_Slakt]

The worst concert I've had to listen to was one of the two forebands Axl had when he visited Stockholm 2006. There were two. I think they were called Avenged Sevenfold and Eagles of Death Metal or something like that. Both sucked, but one of them was really, really, really shitty.

The best would either be Iron Maiden or AC/DC in 2005 and 2009 at Ullevi Stadium.

Edited September 10, 2010 by Satanisk_Slakt

[FuddMckagan]

Best: Slash. Simply the most amazing night of my life. Crowd was totally into it, Slash was on fire, insane energy. Just amazing.

Worst: Rise Against. Saw them at the Big Day Out, was expecting a good show as a lot of people said that they are amazing live. Left 5 songs into the set to get a place for Muse, but I didn't care. Boring as hell.

Surprise: Jet. Again at the BDO, the singer was really good and the band had a cool energy about them. Not a fan of these guys but they put on a pretty cool show.

Coolest: I would say Muse, or The Mars Volta. I wasn't a Mars Volta fan at the time, but looking back at it, it was pretty cool. Cedric got a slinky stuck in his afro and spent a good portion of L'via L'viaquez trying to get it out

[JAC185]

Best: Velvet Revolver Hammersmith January 2005. My first ever proper gig when I was 14. Everyone was dressed in GNR and VR shirts and it was like walking into a timewarp. Slash walked out and I was just shocked that that man off of my TV was about two yards away. Then after about two minutes into the first song when I tore my eyes away from Slash I got a glimpse of Scott Weiland who stared straight at me and fucking terrified me. I was also overwhelmed by that feeling of the bass echoing around my chest. Everything about it was perfect.

Worst: Kings of Leon at Wembley Arena. Walked out after half an hour. A man in a suit with his wife in heels who had clearly come straight from the office sang along to the opener Use Somebody - then stood still for the next three or four songs, then moaned loudly that they had been nudged and someone had spilt a bit of their wine. Similarly, the band were just standing there aswell. Boring as fuck.

Surprise 1: Mark Lanegan w/Soulsavers at Reading. Nobody I was camping with wanted to go so I went on my own. Bought a beer from the beer stall opposite and wandered right to the front. Was mesmerized for the entire hour. Simply magical.

Surprise 2: Faith No More at Reading (immediately after the above) - Again had to wander over on my own as people went to see The Killers, just went along as I had heard their reunion was a big deal and knew a few songs that I liked. I only knew about 50% of the songs they played at the time but it was fucking fantastic. Still probably of the opinion that Mike Patton is the best frontman I have seen.

Coolest: Going to see Gilby Clarke in a tiny venue in London and getting in and squeezing a space in the front row before any equipment was on stage. The roadie came out and put Gilbys mic about half a yard in front of me. Just lucked upon the best spot in the place.

Edited September 10, 2010 by JAC185

[The Glow Inc.]

Best : Peter Gabriel Growing Up Tour ( what a voice, what a show... )

Worst : Alec Empire in a shitty club. Half the PA burnt, he was flipping off the audience all night...lame ass performance.

[F*ck Fear]

Best: Guns N' Roses - Hamilton Ontario Canada 2010 - 2hrs 40mins of greatness.

Worst: Metallica - Toronto Ontario Canada 2009 - 4 songs into their set I left because the sound was fucking terrible.

[chevelle]

MGMT was my best and worse experience all at once. they sound amazing live, but they were playing at a tiny venue and the pit was horrible that night. I got punched in the face by another chick who was trying to shove past me. I also lost both my shoes

Wait, there was a pit at a MGMT show? Why?

[sweetness]

Suprise - Snoop Dogg. Most rap artists suck live, but Snoop and the Dogg Pound rocked the house.

Totally agree, Snoop blew me away. He has a really great band behind him, especially his drummer, that guy fucking owns!

[Sgt Snafu]

MGMT was my best and worse experience all at once. they sound amazing live, but they were playing at a tiny venue and the pit was horrible that night. I got punched in the face by another chick who was trying to shove past me. I also lost both my shoes

Wait, there was a pit at a MGMT show? Why?

why not?

[stevo81]

Best: Muse last weekend in Manchester. GnR in 06, RATM and Less Than Jake are right up there too.

Worst: probably Mindless Self Indulgence or Wild Beasts (both at Leeds fest).

Surprises: Jack Penate (only saw him cos he was in a tent and it was pissing it down outside, but he was awesome), The Living End, Blood Red Shoes (never heard of either of them before, and they were both great), Flogging Molly, Editors.

Coolest: 2 from GnR - Axl's scream at the start of WTTJ and Izzy joining them for the last few songs.

Worst: Kings of Leon at Wembley Arena. Walked out after half an hour. A man in a suit with his wife in heels who had clearly come straight from the office sang along to the opener Use Somebody - then stood still for the next three or four songs, then moaned loudly that they had been nudged and someone had spilt a bit of their wine. Similarly, the band were just standing there aswell. Boring as fuck.

lol, I saw them at Leeds last year and thought they were great, but the crowd were shit just like you said.

Edited September 11, 2010 by stevo81

[Gunner55]

Best: When I saw Guns N' Roses for my first time in December 06. Awesome show, but 2010 easily topped it. 3 hour setlist...'nuff said.

Worst (headliner): Stone Temple Pilots. Don't get me wrong, I like a decent amount of their material...but live, they were really boring to watch. They all pretty much just stood in one place and played. Not my cup of coffee. As for an opener, probably Lamb Of God opening for Metallica last year. Couldn't stand how you couldn't understand the lead singers growling and screaming (even while talking and introducing the name of the song).

Surprise: Either Airbourne (opening for Motley Crue this past January) or Three Days Grace (Rock On The Range Canada 2010). Walked into that Airbourne show not knowing much of their material, but they were AMAZING live. Same with Three Days Grace. I knew they'd put on a good show, but it was so much better than what I was expecting.

Coolest: AC/DC last August. Just the atmosphere there was amazing. 46,000 people...easily the biggest concert I've ever been to. I was hammered, and barely remember the show, but so was everyone else. Total gongshow.

[Gordon Comstock]

Surprise: Either Airbourne (opening for Motley Crue this past January) ..... Walked into that Airbourne show not knowing much of their material, but they were AMAZING live.

Really? I saw them open for Motley on the opening night of that tour and was pretty bored by them... Joe Perry Project were pretty bad, too.... Maybe it was just because it was opening night but I definately would not see them again....

PS: Cool to read some of these stories

Edited September 11, 2010 by RickRoses

[bacardimayne]

Seeing GNR play a 3 hour show with 10 CD songs in Edmonton this year.