Worst Concert - Replies

We've received a few replies - here's our top favorites to the Participation Question below!

LOYD WROTE:

Let's go back to the dark ages, shall we?

I was in a band that was hired to play dance music for a big homecoming party at the University of Cincinnati, about 3,500 people in attendance. The "headliner" was Tommy James and the Shondells ("Mony, Mony" "Crimson and Clover" "Draggin' the Line" etc). We finished our set, which the crowd seemed to like, and the Shondells took the stage. As I passed Tommy James, who was decked out with massive rock star hair, a "Fat Vegas Elvis" powder-blue sequined jumpsuit open to the waist, and fifty pounds of pancake makeup, he patted me on the shoulder, and said, "Hang around boys, and listen to some real music."

Well, we certainly wanted to hear some "real music," so we hung around the crowd as the Shondells began the galloping riff that opens "Draggin' the Line." The intro seemed to be going on a very long time, and the band members were all looking at each other in that frantic "what the?" way. After what seemed like five solid minutes of redundant Clavinet intro, the bandstopped and left the stage.

It turns out that everything on stage was rented equipment from a local music store, the Shondells being very specific about their choice of instruments. Everything came right out of the box, had never been fired up even once, and the Shondells had blown every speaker, monitor and amp all to hell with the first ten percent of one song.

We had to get to another gig later that night, and the last thing we saw backstage, amidst the pandemonium that was brewing in the audience, was the Shondell's manager, face glowing red, trying to bribe our guitarist to rent the band some equipment. He declined, and just as the elevator doors shut tight, said to Tommy and his manager, "Hang around boys, and maybe you'll hear some real equipment."

*************************

ERIC SAID:

I went to the Cal Jam 2 at Ontario Motor Speedway on March 18, 1978 (ironically 30 years ago today). At 3 AM the crowd broke down the chain link fence and by force we all entered the concert. It was hot and the facilities were deplorable. The sound system was bad and the seating was on the ground and far away from the speakers. The upside was Santana and Aerosmith were very good from what I could hear.

*************************

DAN SAID:

My worst concert going experience ever was Phish's last show, Coventry. The weather was terrible, causing most the gravel roads in the concert grounds to get washed away. Vehicles were getting stuck in the mud constantly. Finally, the Vermont state police, wanting to cancel the event, urged Phish to close the gates. Thousands of ticket holders got turned away after sitting in traffic for up to 18 hours.

On a positive note this prompted many fans to abandon their vehicles on the highway and hike into the concert grounds. Some, not wanting to miss the final Phish show, walked as far as twenty miles. Not many bands have experienced that kind of devotion from their fans.

The show itself was very rough. The emotional climate created by the imminent break-up was detrimental to the bands performance. It was probably the worst performance of their careers. The traffic, the mud, the rain, the turned away fans, the band members' tears. I really wish I hadn't made the trek.