Holy shit, there's a band I can't stand. I may have been tempted to run up on stage with a barstool and just start whaling like a pro-wrestler....ungodly CRAP.

it's a tie

i went to see the Promise Ring once. I had never heard them and a few friends of mine recommended them. big fucking mistake. they were awful. their singer was such a fuck to the audience, and even though some dude kept yelling "alligator gun" throughout the set, it was no reason to insult the entire audience. they sucked so bad that me and my buddy got real drunk on jagr and I ended up pissing down my stairwell. in hindsight, having heard their music on CD I realized just how bad it really was.
and
i went to see this band Love 666 open for Chokebore when I was 17. i loved Chokebore and couldn't wait to see them but Love 666, goddamn, they were awful, absolutely awful. so high end and so drunk. it was shitay.
oh yeah...
i had to sit through a Ryan Adams show so I could interview him for the my college paper. he was so drunk and so coked up it was unreal. i got maybe one question in before he asked me to find him coke. it was ridiculous.

goddamn,

The Polyphonic Spree

The Polyphonic Spree -- Imagine 25 or so of the most obnoxiously self-obsessed indie dorks dressed up in choir robes on a stage. Had enough? Well, imagine these jokers playing unmelodic, shapeless 15 minute "songs" built around the repetition of a single non-hook. Then imagine these 25 dildoes acting incredibly earnest in that bullshit Age-of-Aquarius sort of way, but simultaneously believing themselves to be very funny and clever, which they were not. Moreover, their lead singer guy man gave me the creepy sense that he felt superior to his audience, like he was pulling one over on everyone. Ah, no.

I had never heckled a band before, but I heckled The Polyphonic Spree that night. I hated them and what they did to music for me that night. I will do my best to dissuade anyone from ever putting themselves through that experience.

I think you are awesome.

Bradley R. Weissenberger wrote:The Polyphonic Spree..... I will do my best to dissuade anyone from ever putting themselves through that experience.

After reading that one, I remembered reading a review by Jim Derogatis about their show last spring. I guess this one speaks volumes about his musical taste.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/derogati ... ero13.html

P.S. I never saw them play, but the photo of the lead singer that accompanied this article was enough to dissuade me.

I suppose it couldn't have been the worst band I've ever seen, but certainly the most memorable disappointment award would have to go to Pavement. This was in Boston, after "Crooked Rain". I had their first couple of albums, and was prepared for a healthy dose of the slop, but on this fine evening at the Avalon, they outdid themselves. The band just could not care less; songs stopped and started with what only could have been boredom as the prime mover, and overall they sounded atrocious. What's worse, a bunch of sing-along fans surrounding me were vocally enjoying the show, either in spite, or because of the shitty performance - I'm not sure which. I don't know if this show was representative of the live Pavement experience or not, since I never wasted my money on them again. I don't think I even put on another Pavement album for about five years after that.

On the positive side, Thinking Fellers - a band I was only dimly aware of previously - opened, and were suprisingly great. As compared to their albums I've bought since, that was a high point to match Pavement's low.

-Tom

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This was the worst show ever.

I joined some old bandmates for a "Hey! Let's get smashed and drive up to Milwaukee on a Wednesday night in Winter" evening, of which Soul Coughing was the lynchpin component.

Knowing minimal about the band (heard a record or two? by that point) I recalled mildly enjoyed one or two of the "grooves, man..." and upon the invitation, proceeded with the old faithful adage of:

the music [almost] always sounds better live.

No, my friends. No it does not.

I think, no, I know that I would have been so much happier just watching the drummer play. I think that Mr. Gubay is a large talent (esp. Firewater recordings).

But that M. Doughty guy can suck it.

I would label this band and this man as one of the early apices of "White Man Influenced by the Hip-Hop" that so permeates the world we know today. I hoped it was just an anomaly, but sadly, true believers, it is viral in nature and has only continued spread.

Now I'm not hanging this all on Mr. Doughty.

No no no.

But he is to indie rockers what Anthony Kedis is to frat boys.

And that, my friends, is a damn shame.


Oh yeah. So about the show -

Drums great.

Bass present, "groovy"

Keyboard sampler dude - extrememly amanable to not making a lasting impression.

It was super packed and M. Doughty waved his hands around like a jackass and intoned his lyrics in what I can only describe as " you are in trouble with the Assistant Principal as announced over the intercom" delivery.

It. Sucked.

Yes, Chimp; though I'd say it was not the worst show I've ever seen. I saw Soul Coughing about 5-6 years ago at First Ave. in MPLS and, largely due to Mr. Doughty, the show blew. The opening act, a talentless DJ, who basically played records set up the evening for unprecidented blowing of shits.

Mr. Gubay is/was fantastic, and kept my attention despite the amount of idiocy occurring on all sides.

for me it was the Dandy Wharols playing at a festival in Italy two years ago.
they sucked.the vocal delivery,the sound,and ,most of all, the drummer were horrible.
the drummer had such a sloppy tempo...unlistenable.

also i saw Hole playing at Reading in 95.
Courtney Love is a living insult to guitar playing and singing.and fore half of the showtime she just talked and talked .

i was forgetting Spearhead: Micheal Franti is a clown.