This was in '72-'73....the paper the next day said he was suffering from stagefright....I've also heard that the Band song "Stagefright" was about Van???
i haven't heard stagefright being about van. i that that was all danko
cat power - didn't wanna go, my friend dragged me. I guess the audience was too talkative, and she started crying and walked off stage. I was actually happy. didn't have to sit through the selfindulgent yawnfest.
detroit cobras - godawful wretchedness!
princess superstar - an opening act. Got so much boo's, I started to feel a little sorry for her. But it was SO bad, I had to join in.
blackbird suite / noman - I feel bad picking on little kids, but they live across from me, and I can hear their terrible musical stylings as i type. GET SOME F**KING SOUNDPROOFING YOU EMOTURD FRATBOYS!
pascal - d ragged to see them repeatedly by an insistent friend. Nice people. Tremendously boring and off key.
cornershop - i was hyped to see this cause how many times do u see a brownie fronting a band, and the dude was a dick to his roadies cause of some technical difficulties rolling his eyes and shit, left a bad taste in my mouth
veruca salt - go free tickets in my alternative days....id definitely tap, but they need to shut the fuck up
el-p- what was i thinking. this show turned me off hip hop shows
talvin singh- had more expectations than him thinking he was the shit for soing a tabla set without the electronics
This was in '72-'73....the paper the next day said he was suffering from stagefright....I've also heard that the Band song "Stagefright" was about Van???
i haven't heard stagefright being about van. i that that was all danko
If you are a fan of the Band I implore you to search out the song "Danko/Manuel" by the Drive-By Truckers.....
DANKO / MANUEL
Let the night air cool you off. Tilt your head back and try to cough. Don't say nothing 'bout the things you never saw. Let the night air cool you off.
I ain't living like I should. A little rest might do me good. Got to sinking in the place where I once stood. Now I ain't living like I should.
Can you hear that singing? Sounds like gold. Maybe I can only hear it in my head. Fifteen years ago we owned that road now it's rolling over us instead.
Richard Manuel is dead.
God forbid you call their bluff. Like the nightmares ain't enough. Remember when we used to think that we were tough? God forbid you call their bluff.
First they make you out to be the only pirate on the sea. Then they say Danko would have sounded just like me. "Is that the man you want to be?"
Can you hear that song? It sounds like gold. Maybe I could make it bigger overseas. Fifteen years ago we owned this road now it only gives us somewhere else to leave.
Something else you can't believe.
Can you hear that singing? Sounds like gold. Maybe I can hear poor Richard from the grave singin' where to reap and when to sow when you've found another home you have to leave.
Herbie Mann 1990. Girlfriend's mom found out that I like jazz. A nice gesture. Could have been The Rippingtons. Anyways, I'm still coughing up the chest hairs.
?? You just had to listen to the music. You didn't have to lick anyone. Maybe that's why you had such a bad time? Just a suggestion for next time.
Megadeth, Clash Of The Titans Tour, Spokane, WA, 1992[/b] I was more into seeing Slayer and Anthrax, and while I didn't go to see Alice In Chains, they were a lot better than what Megadeth offered. I liked the first two albums, eh on the third, and at the time I felt they went downhill. The show was very cliche, and I didn't want that at all, maybe it was their reaction to Metallica's success, I have no idea.
The Cult, Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA, 1989 or 1990[/b] They opened up for Metallica, and I had wanted the lineup on Electric but instead the drummer was different, the sound was way too loud, and they sucked. I wanted to see Faith No More, but they didn't start touring with Metallica until AFTER this show.
someone bought a Red Hot Chili Peppers/Foo Fighters ticket for me because "there would be mad hoes up in there"..teenage girls screaming in my ear all night. Not impressive at all for my first rock show(of two). I hated that shit.
kool keith on the sex style tour is def. up there. he didn't really do anything except stand there
was this at Maritime Hall? I saw him there and it's on my list of worst shows too. Ice T was there with him for some reason, just doing hype man shit. He did Blue Flowers and then shortly after one of them yelled "the remix!" and he did Blue Flowers all over again. I just remember it being really boring and very unorganized.
unfortunately, the worst show i saw was bad because it was too damn loud, even with earplugs. of course, it had to be dinosaur jr., who i was hyped about at the time (i was 17, gimme a break.) they were louder than anything i had ever heard, but too loud for the club system, which kept peaking and distorting all night. It was just head splitting white noise most of the night. The ear damage caused by that. ugh. it sounded like there was a hairdryer on by my head for three days.
kool keith on the sex style tour is def. up there. he didn't really do anything except stand there
was this at Maritime Hall? I saw him there and it's on my list of worst shows too. Ice T was there with him for some reason, just doing hype man shit. He did Blue Flowers and then shortly after one of them yelled "the remix!" and he did Blue Flowers all over again. I just remember it being really boring and very unorganized.
OMG we were totally at the same show! blue flowers over and over, hahaha. it almost seemed at times that kool keith was the hypeman. i also think this was the show where the x-ecutioners opened up and mista sinista was doing the sloppiest beat juggle but would stop and make this face like it was the most impressive routine ever.
unfortunately, the worst show i saw was bad because it was too damn loud, even with earplugs. of course, it had to be dinosaur jr., who i was hyped about at the time (i was 17, gimme a break.) they were louder than anything i had ever heard, but too loud for the club system, which kept peaking and distorting all night. It was just head splitting white noise most of the night. The ear damage caused by that. ugh. it sounded like there was a hairdryer on by my head for three days.
yeah i'm really glad i didn't pay $30 to see that shit this year. $30 to see Dinosaur Jr? there is something wrong with that
i just remember when i got free tix to see taj mahal. not really my kind of thing but this was one where the performance wasn't particularly bad (or memorable) but the audience made me uncomfortable. it just had the weirdest corporate vibe ever, and people were closing their eyes and raising their hands swaying back and forth and shit like they were hypnotized. but they looked like they could be CEOs. and they weren't really successful at finding the rhythm. and he would say "how's everyone feelin'?!" and everyone would go "WOOOOH!!" i hate that. i was so uncomfortable.
Haha... I actually read an article a few years ago about bands that subsist off of doing shows at corporate events. Like Hootie and the Blowfish.
These are the type of bands you are forced to read about in the in-flight magazine when you forget to bring a book with you.
What is the name for this genre, anyway?
Middle manager rock?
Maybe it needs its own thread.
Here in Chicago it used to be called "Alternative."
unfortunately, the worst show i saw was bad because it was too damn loud, even with earplugs. of course, it had to be dinosaur jr., who i was hyped about at the time (i was 17, gimme a break.) they were louder than anything i had ever heard, but too loud for the club system, which kept peaking and distorting all night. It was just head splitting white noise most of the night. The ear damage caused by that. ugh. it sounded like there was a hairdryer on by my head for three days.
yeah i'm really glad i didn't pay $30 to see that shit this year. $30 to see Dinosaur Jr? there is something wrong with that
sounds like lou barlow ain't doin' so hot off that old sebadoh money.
Raekwon featuring his Icewater crew (St. Andrew's Hall - 2005, I believe) Dude came on stage, drunk as hell, and barely rapped. The crew did most of his lyrics and he would only attempt at saying his own words. He would have drunken epiphanies and decide to recite everyone else's verses but his when he did Wu Tang tracks. Classic moment, Rae yelling "Y'all don't know nothing about that Grey Goose and vo'ka" as one of the stagehands had to bring him a chair to sit down on as he continued to try to perform.
Same show: C-Rayz Walz This dude... wow. He was opening for Raekwon and I don't think anyone knew him. First off, the crowd was kind of light to begin with. Then to top it all off, they were there to see Raekwon the Chef. C-Rays obviously has NEVER been in that type of situation before, so at the end of his set he rambled off some freestyle where he made a point to diss the crowd. Oh, I forgot to mention he hopped onstage with a fake Lions jersey on with a number and name of a player who doesn't exist, talking about his cousin played on the team. I almost choked on my beer when he told that lie.
Oh yeah, Mr. Cheeks appeared on stage that night too, for no reason.
Hobo Junction-circa 96' (what a bunch of unorganized amatuers....yes including Saafir) Ghostface-circa 05' & 06 at Rock the Bells (15 minute sets!?!?RUN!) Non-Phixion/Beatnuts-circa 02' (The nuts were cool.....Non-Phixion seemed like a couple of drunk east coast frat boys) Wu-Tang Clan-circa 02' (No Meth, no Ol DB, no RZA, no GZA, no Rae....whats the point) Camp Lo-circa 03' (These guys looked and sounded TIRED!) Souls of Mischeif/X-Men-circa 99' (Not so much the performance...the speakers were fucked)
Lucky Dube - Auckland, mid 90's, had free tickets but it was awful, the total pits Prefuse 73 - Melbourne, around 2003, dude had the crowd gagging for it but never once looked at them and finished after about 35 minutes or something
Shows I've been to by Shadow and Alice Russell & the Bamboo's have suffered from extreme venue problems - i.e. blinding lights and heinous over crowding Others that have suffered through average musical selections (IMO) include DJ Craze and the Scratch Perverts
Prefuse 73 - Melbourne, around 2003, dude had the crowd gagging for it but never once looked at them and finished after about 35 minutes or something
Was that the show at the prince with blockhead & signify, dexter and blackgrass also on the bill? If so i agree, although blockhead & signify was one of the best shows i've seen.
Alice Russell & the Bamboo's have suffered from extreme venue problems - i.e. blinding lights and heinous over crowding
Alice Russell and the Bamboo's show at the Espy this year? I thought i was going to die in there. It was so packed you couldn't even get out of there if you wanted to.
I saw blackalicious at the Prince in 2003(2004?) and the overcrowding was even worse. Compounded by the fact that it was a ~40C (100+F) degree day in the middle of summer, people were passing out left right and centre. Horrible.
Prefuse 73 - Melbourne, around 2003, dude had the crowd gagging for it but never once looked at them and finished after about 35 minutes or something
Was that the show at the prince with blockhead & signify, dexter and blackgrass also on the bill? If so i agree, although blockhead & signify was one of the best shows i've seen.
That one was at the Corner hotel (where I also saw PUTs many years ago, but that one goes in the best 10 thread) & yep, the same Alice Russell show, horrid, I didn't even see Alice that night
I saw blackalicious at the Prince in 2003(2004?) and the overcrowding was even worse. Compounded by the fact that it was a ~40C (100+F) degree day in the middle of summer, people were passing out left right and centre. Horrible.
I saw Blackalicious at the Prince about this time of the year once and it was horribly packed (2002 I think) - thankfully very few gigs I'm interested in are held there these days
Dj Krush @ the El Rey (yawnfest; everyone tried to act like they were into it.)
Prolly the same tour I saw him on in Seattle, soooooooooooooo........ effing boring! Packed house, and all dude did was play 60 bpm snoozers, no pep in his step. After a few tunes my man turns to me and says, "Wouldn't you love to hear Top Billin' right now?" Famous DJ's who can't rock a crowd or show them something interesting=
Well I can't give you 10, but I can give you the three worst.
1) Venom, Slayer, Exodus, Possessed at the Kabuki Theater in SF.
The Kabuki is now a movie theater but it actually use to be a huge theater were they had concerts. Anyway, got in free because I was a roadie for Possessed so that was cool. First three acts were amazing as usual. People were going nuts. Then Venom, one of those classic death metal bands of all time hit the stage. They were total, absolute crap! They could not play their goddamn instruments and their sound was completely fucked up. Whoever was mixing their shit upstairs needed to be fired, but even then I don't think it wouldn've helped. Cronos, the bass player, lead singer, just banged on his bass for most of the set not even playing any notes. Pathetic and such a letdown because their albums were so good. Think that was about 1985 or so, 10th grade in High School.
2) Motley Cru, Y&T, some other band but can't remember Warfield in SF.
This was Motley Cru's Shout Out The Devil tour. I was soooo into them. I had about 10 shirts of their's that I ordered from metal magazines that I was all into at the time. Y&T were hot, the Cru were not. Again, the band simply could not play. Nikki Sixx, the bassist was fucking drunk and falling over and his sole talent appeared to be hitting an open E note on his bass. Soo disappointed. Never wore any of their shirts again! That was Junior High School.
3) Metallica, Slayer, Exodus at the Kabuki Theater in SF.
Didn't buy a ticket so misseed all of the opening acts. I don't remember how, but my friends and I somehow snuck in right before Metallica hit the stage. On the first song of theirs I got thrown onto the stage somehow and tried to jump off, but just as I was collecting myself, someone grabbed me by the hair, dragged me off and kicked me out! I was sitting outside the Kabuki for at least 2 hours, snuck in amazingly, and then got to see half a song!
Aloe Blacc @ Little Temple (totally bland performance. overcrowded scenester venue.)
One of my least favorite sets was Blacc during that Stones Throw anniversary tour. His did some generic backpacker rap stuff despite recently releasing Shine Through, which was the only reason my sister and I went.
Ain't got time to think of nine more, but I can tell you that seeing Chicago soul legend Alvin Cash in '95 or '96 at a yuppie blues club in Chicago was a serious disappointment. He was working with pickup musicians and was forced to do overdone blues shuffles like "Kansas City." Me and my friend left during the first set, 'cause we had a hunch the whole show would be like that. For all we know, he could have pulled out "Twine Time," "Philly Freeze," "The Barracuda" and on down the line later in the show, but it didn't seem likely.
Ain't got time to think of nine more, but I can tell you that seeing Chicago soul legend Alvin Cash in '95 or '96 at a yuppie blues club in Chicago was a serious disappointment. He was working with pickup musicians and was forced to do overdone blues shuffles like "Kansas City." Me and my friend left during the first set, 'cause we had a hunch the whole show would be like that. For all we know, he could have pulled out "Twine Time," "Philly Freeze," "The Barracuda" and on down the line later in the show, but it didn't seem likely.
I had a similar experience seeing one of the guys from the Meters at a small club/bar in San Francisco years ago. Place was full of college kids, no one was really paying attention to the band, and then when he hit the stage all he played were Blues covers. No Meters tunes, nothing that even sounded like New Orleans material. Didn't stay for the whole set and left.
Oh, and here's another - Marshall Crenshaw in 1999. I'm a big fan of his records (especially the first, self-titled LP), but this one particuar show was just dull. And a three-piece band should not attempt to do Love Unlimited Orchestra's "Love Theme." With the guitar playing the string parts.
Ain't got time to think of nine more, but I can tell you that seeing Chicago soul legend Alvin Cash in '95 or '96 at a yuppie blues club in Chicago was a serious disappointment. He was working with pickup musicians and was forced to do overdone blues shuffles like "Kansas City." Me and my friend left during the first set, 'cause we had a hunch the whole show would be like that. For all we know, he could have pulled out "Twine Time," "Philly Freeze," "The Barracuda" and on down the line later in the show, but it didn't seem likely.
I had a similar experience seeing one of the guys from the Meters at a small club/bar in San Francisco years ago. Place was full of college kids, no one was really paying attention to the band, and then when he hit the stage all he played were Blues covers. No Meters tunes, nothing that even sounded like New Orleans material. Didn't stay for the whole set and left.
Gotta be careful about soul singers doing blues shows. That's the stuff you gotta watch. Even if it's somebody who is somewhat blues-influenced in the first place, like an Otis Clay or a Johnny Rawls, if they're working a (white) blues club in front of a blues band, it's gonna be all monotonous 12-bar boogies and an obnoxious guitarist imitating Buddy Guy. Any hope of true soul music goes out the window then.
As far as the Meters go, I'm sure those guys go back farther than funk, and it would have been cool to hear, say, Art Neville doing the kind of NOLA R&B he grew up hearing or recorded himself back in the fifties. But from your description it sounds like he just did the generic blues shuffle thing, sadly...
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
Life's too short to be wasting time at bad shows, but there are a few that have stayed with me.
Janes Addiction, Hammersmith Apollo 2003;[/b] Seriously boring. I was kinda looking forward to it too. I left about halfway through.
Group Home, Southport Soul Weekender 1997;[/b] I hung around long enough to catch Supa Star but it was a real effort. It must have been an effort for them, too, as they didn't seem bothered with trying to put on a performance of any sort.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Manchester Hacienda c.1983;[/b] This was the bogus Flash & the Five that toured Europe after "White Lines" was a hit, with (I think) EZ Mike in for Flash, and the likes of Tommy Gunn and Kama Kazi making up the numbers. Because they were actually billed as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and they weren't, I asked for my money back - the only time I've ever felt sufficiently bilked by a performer to do this.
Ja Rule, Wembley Arena, 2002;[/b] I got free tickets for this, and decided to go with an open mind. Within minutes of the opening credibility-by-association video montage of Pac, Biggie, Left-Eye and Aaliyah, I wanted to get the fuck out of there.
Comments
i haven't heard stagefright being about van. i that that was all danko
didn't wanna go, my friend dragged me. I guess the audience was too talkative, and she started crying and walked off stage. I was actually happy. didn't have to sit through the selfindulgent yawnfest.
detroit cobras -
godawful wretchedness!
princess superstar -
an opening act. Got so much boo's, I started to feel a little sorry for her. But it was SO bad, I had to join in.
blackbird suite / noman -
I feel bad picking on little kids, but they live across from me, and I can hear their terrible musical stylings as i type. GET SOME F**KING SOUNDPROOFING YOU EMOTURD FRATBOYS!
pascal - d
ragged to see them repeatedly by an insistent friend. Nice people. Tremendously boring and off key.
veruca salt - go free tickets in my alternative days....id definitely tap, but they need to shut the fuck up
el-p- what was i thinking. this show turned me off hip hop shows
talvin singh- had more expectations than him thinking he was the shit for soing a tabla set without the electronics
If you are a fan of the Band I implore you to search out the song "Danko/Manuel" by the Drive-By Truckers.....
DANKO / MANUEL
Let the night air cool you off.
Tilt your head back and try to cough.
Don't say nothing 'bout the things you never saw.
Let the night air cool you off.
I ain't living like I should.
A little rest might do me good.
Got to sinking in the place where I once stood.
Now I ain't living like I should.
Can you hear that singing? Sounds like gold.
Maybe I can only hear it in my head.
Fifteen years ago we owned that road
now it's rolling over us instead.
Richard Manuel is dead.
God forbid you call their bluff.
Like the nightmares ain't enough.
Remember when we used to think that we were tough?
God forbid you call their bluff.
First they make you out to be
the only pirate on the sea.
Then they say Danko would have sounded just like me.
"Is that the man you want to be?"
Can you hear that song? It sounds like gold.
Maybe I could make it bigger overseas.
Fifteen years ago we owned this road
now it only gives us somewhere else to leave.
Something else you can't believe.
Can you hear that singing? Sounds like gold.
Maybe I can hear poor Richard from the grave
singin' where to reap and when to sow
when you've found another home you have to leave.
Something else you can't believe.[/b]
?? You just had to listen to the music. You didn't have to lick anyone. Maybe that's why you had such a bad time? Just a suggestion for next time.
Garbage @ The Bronco Bowl(A Bowling Alley in Dallas)...their tape loop machine got stuck 3 different times!!!
I was more into seeing Slayer and Anthrax, and while I didn't go to see Alice In Chains, they were a lot better than what Megadeth offered. I liked the first two albums, eh on the third, and at the time I felt they went downhill. The show was very cliche, and I didn't want that at all, maybe it was their reaction to Metallica's success, I have no idea.
The Cult, Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA, 1989 or 1990[/b]
They opened up for Metallica, and I had wanted the lineup on Electric but instead the drummer was different, the sound was way too loud, and they sucked. I wanted to see Faith No More, but they didn't start touring with Metallica until AFTER this show.
Melissa Ethridge live at Indiana University[/b]
...must've been like 95.
yet the crowd went apeshit????
was this at Maritime Hall? I saw him there and it's on my list of worst shows too. Ice T was there with him for some reason, just doing hype man shit. He did Blue Flowers and then shortly after one of them yelled "the remix!" and he did Blue Flowers all over again. I just remember it being really boring and very unorganized.
The ear damage caused by that. ugh. it sounded like there was a hairdryer on by my head for three days.
OMG we were totally at the same show! blue flowers over and over, hahaha. it almost seemed at times that kool keith was the hypeman. i also think this was the show where the x-ecutioners opened up and mista sinista was doing the sloppiest beat juggle but would stop and make this face like it was the most impressive routine ever.
yeah i'm really glad i didn't pay $30 to see that shit this year. $30 to see Dinosaur Jr? there is something wrong with that
Here in Chicago it used to be called "Alternative."
It should be called "Yuppie Douche Rock" now.
Dude came on stage, drunk as hell, and barely rapped. The crew did most of his lyrics and he would only attempt at saying his own words. He would have drunken epiphanies and decide to recite everyone else's verses but his when he did Wu Tang tracks. Classic moment, Rae yelling "Y'all don't know nothing about that Grey Goose and vo'ka" as one of the stagehands had to bring him a chair to sit down on as he continued to try to perform.
Same show:
C-Rayz Walz
This dude... wow. He was opening for Raekwon and I don't think anyone knew him. First off, the crowd was kind of light to begin with. Then to top it all off, they were there to see Raekwon the Chef. C-Rays obviously has NEVER been in that type of situation before, so at the end of his set he rambled off some freestyle where he made a point to diss the crowd.
Oh, I forgot to mention he hopped onstage with a fake Lions jersey on with a number and name of a player who doesn't exist, talking about his cousin played on the team. I almost choked on my beer when he told that lie.
Oh yeah, Mr. Cheeks appeared on stage that night too, for no reason.
Ghostface-circa 05' & 06 at Rock the Bells (15 minute sets!?!?RUN!)
Non-Phixion/Beatnuts-circa 02' (The nuts were cool.....Non-Phixion seemed like a couple of drunk east coast frat boys)
Wu-Tang Clan-circa 02' (No Meth, no Ol DB, no RZA, no GZA, no Rae....whats the point)
Camp Lo-circa 03' (These guys looked and sounded TIRED!)
Souls of Mischeif/X-Men-circa 99' (Not so much the performance...the speakers were fucked)
Luckily I cant think of 10.
Prefuse 73 - Melbourne, around 2003, dude had the crowd gagging for it but never once looked at them and finished after about 35 minutes or something
Shows I've been to by Shadow and Alice Russell & the Bamboo's have suffered from extreme venue problems - i.e. blinding lights and heinous over crowding
Others that have suffered through average musical selections (IMO) include DJ Craze and the Scratch Perverts
Was that the show at the prince with blockhead & signify, dexter and blackgrass also on the bill? If so i agree, although blockhead & signify was one of the best shows i've seen.
Alice Russell and the Bamboo's show at the Espy this year? I thought i was going to die in there. It was so packed you couldn't even get out of there if you wanted to.
I saw blackalicious at the Prince in 2003(2004?) and the overcrowding was even worse. Compounded by the fact that it was a ~40C (100+F) degree day in the middle of summer, people were passing out left right and centre. Horrible.
That one was at the Corner hotel (where I also saw PUTs many years ago, but that one goes in the best 10 thread) & yep, the same Alice Russell show, horrid, I didn't even see Alice that night
I saw Blackalicious at the Prince about this time of the year once and it was horribly packed (2002 I think) - thankfully very few gigs I'm interested in are held there these days
Prolly the same tour I saw him on in Seattle, soooooooooooooo........
effing boring!
Packed house, and all dude did was play 60 bpm snoozers, no pep in his step.
After a few tunes my man turns to me and says, "Wouldn't you love to hear
Top Billin' right now?"
Famous DJ's who can't rock a crowd or show them something interesting=
1) Venom, Slayer, Exodus, Possessed at the Kabuki Theater in SF.
The Kabuki is now a movie theater but it actually use to be a huge theater were they had concerts. Anyway, got in free because I was a roadie for Possessed so that was cool. First three acts were amazing as usual. People were going nuts. Then Venom, one of those classic death metal bands of all time hit the stage. They were total, absolute crap! They could not play their goddamn instruments and their sound was completely fucked up. Whoever was mixing their shit upstairs needed to be fired, but even then I don't think it wouldn've helped. Cronos, the bass player, lead singer, just banged on his bass for most of the set not even playing any notes. Pathetic and such a letdown because their albums were so good. Think that was about 1985 or so, 10th grade in High School.
2) Motley Cru, Y&T, some other band but can't remember Warfield in SF.
This was Motley Cru's Shout Out The Devil tour. I was soooo into them. I had about 10 shirts of their's that I ordered from metal magazines that I was all into at the time. Y&T were hot, the Cru were not. Again, the band simply could not play. Nikki Sixx, the bassist was fucking drunk and falling over and his sole talent appeared to be hitting an open E note on his bass. Soo disappointed. Never wore any of their shirts again! That was Junior High School.
3) Metallica, Slayer, Exodus at the Kabuki Theater in SF.
Didn't buy a ticket so misseed all of the opening acts. I don't remember how, but my friends and I somehow snuck in right before Metallica hit the stage. On the first song of theirs I got thrown onto the stage somehow and tried to jump off, but just as I was collecting myself, someone grabbed me by the hair, dragged me off and kicked me out! I was sitting outside the Kabuki for at least 2 hours, snuck in amazingly, and then got to see half a song!
One of my least favorite sets was Blacc during that Stones Throw anniversary tour. His did some generic backpacker rap stuff despite recently releasing Shine Through, which was the only reason my sister and I went.
In other words, she didn't electrify and rock you like the way she does?
I had a similar experience seeing one of the guys from the Meters at a small club/bar in San Francisco years ago. Place was full of college kids, no one was really paying attention to the band, and then when he hit the stage all he played were Blues covers. No Meters tunes, nothing that even sounded like New Orleans material. Didn't stay for the whole set and left.
Gotta be careful about soul singers doing blues shows. That's the stuff you gotta watch. Even if it's somebody who is somewhat blues-influenced in the first place, like an Otis Clay or a Johnny Rawls, if they're working a (white) blues club in front of a blues band, it's gonna be all monotonous 12-bar boogies and an obnoxious guitarist imitating Buddy Guy. Any hope of true soul music goes out the window then.
As far as the Meters go, I'm sure those guys go back farther than funk, and it would have been cool to hear, say, Art Neville doing the kind of NOLA R&B he grew up hearing or recorded himself back in the fifties. But from your description it sounds like he just did the generic blues shuffle thing, sadly...
Janes Addiction, Hammersmith Apollo 2003;[/b] Seriously boring. I was kinda looking forward to it too. I left about halfway through.
Group Home, Southport Soul Weekender 1997;[/b] I hung around long enough to catch Supa Star but it was a real effort. It must have been an effort for them, too, as they didn't seem bothered with trying to put on a performance of any sort.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Manchester Hacienda c.1983;[/b] This was the bogus Flash & the Five that toured Europe after "White Lines" was a hit, with (I think) EZ Mike in for Flash, and the likes of Tommy Gunn and Kama Kazi making up the numbers. Because they were actually billed as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and they weren't, I asked for my money back - the only time I've ever felt sufficiently bilked by a performer to do this.
Ja Rule, Wembley Arena, 2002;[/b] I got free tickets for this, and decided to go with an open mind. Within minutes of the opening credibility-by-association video montage of Pac, Biggie, Left-Eye and Aaliyah, I wanted to get the fuck out of there.