Ever seen a live band screw up?

[Finch Platte]

I was thinking about this as I was falling asleep last night- I can't remember seeing a blatant fock-up while watching a live band, but I'm sure some of you guys can.

I've done it myself- on the intro to Screamin' Cheetah Wheelie's Shakin' The Blues, I got off on the drum part, and was playing totally off with the rest of the band. I was sooo embarassed. I slunk offstage, and went out to the car to practice it on the steering wheel along w/ the song in the car deck. After the break, we tried it again, and I focked it up again. God. Humiliation galore.

I remember seeing Sat. Nite Live years ago during a Christmas show, and the band played an Xmas song totally off-key. The band leader, GE Smith, turned and gave the band the total Death Stare.

Any stories out there?

fp

[Worf101]

Live music by it's very definition invites screw ups. I had to start Bodisatva (sp) three times one night cause the guitar players couldn't hit the intro at the same time. One night I say The Tonight Show band just ruin a blues song, they were backing B.B. King and missed the turn around on "The Thrill is Gone". Live band's screw up all the time.... what set's a good band apart from a hideous one is how they react to it. When we lay a clam I tell the audience "hey that's why they call it live music. You want it perfect..... buy the record."

The worst though was a bunch of Berklee grads trying to be the backing band for some blues fest here in Albany. These guys were so lame, Etta James walked off stage on em... that's bad.

Da Worfster

[jasn]

I saw Johnny Winter live in the 70's. Does that count?

[Mike]

Chrissie Hynde went through 3 intros of a song blaming the guitar dutifully replaced by a cowering roadie, on the fourth attempt she aimed a boot at him and kicked him into the crowd to a great roar.

The band had problems throughout the set which only lasted about 40 minutes so they left the stage early and there was a near riot.

Cheers
Mike

[Les]

Chrissie Hynde went through 3 intros of a song blaming the guitar dutifully replaced by a cowering roadie, on the fourth attempt she aimed a boot at him and kicked him into the crowd to a great roar.
The band had problems throughout the set which only lasted about 40 minutes so they left the stage early and there was a near riot.

I have to say a shortened set from Chrissie Hynde would be a blessing for me ;).

I just cannot understand her popularity, I find her tedious in the extreme. I've seen her 'live' twice, as a support to Guns 'n Roses and another time Van Halen. Her band seem very competent musically but her material IMHO is strikingly pedestrian and over the years she seems to have released the same album with a new cover and title. I also switch off when I hear her nasal whining .................

It's been a long week ....... I needed the rant :D

[jasn]

I was at the stage for an original Pretenders show at NYCs Palladium in the 80's. The band was roaring and Chrissie was looking her snarling, sexy best in a torn sleeveless t-shirt, when someone threw a pair of baby-blue panties on stage. So, she put them on over her black leather pants and finished the show. The whole place got kicked up a notch, if you know what I mean.

I try not to listen to her latest stuff so I can preserve that show as one of the best I have ever seen.

Carry on...

[-Jar-]

listen to any Replacements bootleg from the 80s.. they're hilarious. They drank, a LOT. RAE sent me one called "The Siht Hits the Fans".. it's horribly wonderful.

-jar

[Mr MidFi]

I just cannot understand her popularity, I find her tedious in the extreme. I've seen her 'live' twice, as a support to Guns 'n Roses and another time Van Halen...

Pardon me. That's the sound of my irony-meter going off.

[Dusty Chalk]

I had a drummer friend who liked to say that if he effed up, he would just try to do the same eff-up again, and then later say he did it on purpose. I have to admit, it's a trick that works. Instead of being off beat or something, it comes across as syncopation.

One of my favourite screw-ups ever was watching Garbage for the first time at the Black Cat in DC in...1996? I think it was? They had just released their first album, and weren't huge yet. I forget the song, but I think it was "Milk". Anyway, Shirley sang it about half a bar off (I.E. she started singing about 2 beats too late, and continued the problem unknowingly). She didn't realize it until the chorus. She was just having way too much fun. I think she said the same thing, "you want perfection, buy the record. It's all good, isn't it?"

[rufus]

i was at a milli vanilli show, and the tape got stuck, and they kept lip-synching the same part over and over. :D

seriously, i saw new order cut a show short because their guitars and sequencers were all screwed up. they called the riot cops in, i guess cause the venue was afraid all the little punkers were gonna start tearing stuff up.

i've seen paul westerberg totally forget verses, or flub guitar parts and start all over. but that was a fun part of the show.

other than that, i can't readily recall a band completely blowing something, and starting over, or anything like that.

[jasn]

i saw new order cut a show short because their guitars and sequencers were all screwed up. they called the riot cops in, i guess cause the venue was afraid all the little punkers were gonna start tearing stuff up.

Was that at the Boston Opera House in, say, around 1985? If so, I was there too. If not, then New Order was using that trick in every city just to get off stage. Which was OK by me, because I thought they put on a pretty lame show with an undeserved attitude. Opening band A Certain Ratio, on the otherhand, was very good.

[Dave_G]

OK Finch I'll post on this thread.

When I saw the Ramones years ago they were sniffing something off of their monitors the whole time, pretty bold.

Aerosmith in 78 at a large outdoor gig couldn't even hardly play they were so f_c_e_d up. Pretty stinky.

But for the most part I have not seen any real live screw ups, or at least ones I noticed.

Dave

[rufus]

Was that at the Boston Opera House in, say, around 1985? If so, I was there too. If not, then New Order was using that trick in every city just to get off stage. Which was OK by me, because I thought they put on a pretty lame show with an undeserved attitude. Opening band A Certain Ratio, on the otherhand, was very good.

indeed that was. but i saw them a year or two later when they came back to boston and the show was outstanding. i think the reason for the crappy show was because they were having those problems throughout the show. it kinda got in the way of the performance.

i can't remember a thing about A Certain Ratio, but i do remember enjoying them at the time.

[DarrenH]

Well technically, they didn't screw up but Sevendust totally sucked.

Okay, lots of folks around here hate Creed but I saw them live back in 2000. And I will admit to liking them a whole lot back then. Anyway, opening for them were 3 Doors Down and Sevendust. Three Doors Down were excellent but Sevendust just weren't my cup of tea. In fact, their style of music seemed totally out of place with the other two groups. More of a rappy style of rock/metal. Just really sucked.

During the Damn Yankees concert back in 1990 or so, Teddy boy totally botched the guitar intro to Come Again. They had to start over.

Memorable shows weren't they. ;)

Some of todays most popular and most talked about artists. :p

Darren

[Finch Platte]

When I saw the Ramones years ago they were sniffing something off of their monitors the whole time, pretty bold.

You mean they had computers onstage???

Thanks for the pity post, Geeze :p

eff pee

[Dave_G]

Ya, the Ramones were really ahead of their time.

They had computers, videos, light shows, mirror balls, pyrotechnics, and digital emulators with MIDI sequencers along with their monitors.

That's 3 times I have seen blatant drug use onstage by musicians.

Dave