Worst and best concerts you've been to?

[Psychotropic Snake]

One of my guilty pleasures is reading about people's live experiences on the Internet. I always find it amusing so I thought I'd start a similar thread in here, hope you guys are interested.

The best concerts I've been to are Tool live in Florence in 2006, Afterhours in my hometown in 2009 and Mark's show in Bologna in 2012 (though it surely was weird to see all those people not even singing along, kinda strange).

Worst show was definitely this Tunisian (or Moroccan?) singer called Bombino. Dull and repetitive, I almost fell asleep. Thankfully it was a free show in my hometown so no monies were flushed down the toilet.

So, what are your picks?

[raeni]

It's all so subjective, like, what constitutes best and worst? I personally don't know a lot about technical things, or what would be the best setlist for a show - I tend to be more emotionally invested. So a best show, for me, would be something I really enjoyed, even if it may not have been a highlight of the band's sound or ability or whatever. For instance, I would say one of my best shows ever was Lanegan at Lola's Lounge in 2000 - there's a boot of it circulating around. Mark was very funny, relaxed, and conversational the whole night. I've never seen him that way at any shows before or since.

Worst shows would be ones that I just didn't care about - so honestly I can't remember any! Or maybe I could say QOTSA at the Greek Theater on Halloween sometime in the early 2000s. It poured rain, and I had to sit there getting soaking wet all night. So the show itself wasn't bad at all, but the night's experience kinda sucked for me!

[ken]

Well, my subjective picks are:

Lou Reed, Brixton Academy 1984 (relaxed, chatty and a great set), hotly followed by PJ Harvey, Brixton 2017, Mink Deville, Aylesbury Friars - long time ago, Leonard Cohen O2 2012, Kate Bush Oxford 1979, Ramones, Leicester 1979. Really enjoyed Arcade Fire a couple of weeks ago. Ian Dury, the Boss, Iggy Pop, The Who, PIL, The Rolling Stones, Nick Cave, Dylan - I have a long list of concerts I've really loved. I've had to put up with a lot of average performance for that though - some from the same people as above (Dylan, Stones, Iggy especially, even Brooooce).

Outside of "rock" - if you ever get a chance to see the Unthanks sing, they're really special and I don't generally like folk!

Best Lanegan - Soulsavers at the Electric Ballroom 2009. And really enjoyed the first solo show at Kings Cross in 2010. Yikes - these are a long time ago and I've not enjoyed many since.

Worst (as in disappointing) - The Jam, Nottingham University, 1980 (ish) - everything wrong - came on too early, too short set and spent the evening moaning about students - typical chippy Paul Weller, White Stripes O2 - rubbish sound, they were probably great.

[nobody]

1970's:
Worst Concerts - MC5 because they played so loud I (and all my friends) developed permanent cases of tinnitus. A lifetime of ear ringing is no fun. We should have sued their fuckin' asses.(and yes, we were stupid. ear plugs weren't a thing in those days.)
Black Sabbath Paranoid Tour- maybe it was just a bad night but they sucked. We booed them heavily and they deserved it.
Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties Tour. They just went through the motions and looked bored. So were we.

Best- Captain Beefheart with Jethro Tull 1972. Van Vliet just freaked us all out and Tull was just vintage Tull. Actually one of the best live bands in those days.
Alice Cooper 1973 Billion Dollar Babies Tour- so much fun we could hardly stand it. You would have had to have been there.

1980's- Best

A lot of good stuff and most of the shows were great: Ramones, The Stranglers, Early Talking Heads, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Butthole Surfers, Suicidal Tendencies, Psychedelic Furs (first and only good album,) Wall Of Voodoo, Bad Brains.

Worst- a couple of MTV popular bands I couldn't stand but my girlfriend insisted on seeing. I'm trying to forget their names.

[wizbit9]

Best Concerts

The Pogues - Brixton Academy UK 2001 Christmas Eve. Fairy Tale of New York being played on Christmas Eve was special beyond anything. Fake snow fell from every point of the venue through the song and you could feel the love in the air. Everyone in the room just started kissing. It was magical and never felt a room like it again.

Paul McCartney - Liverpool Docks 2005. Last date of his world tour in home town of Liverpool. 1st time seeing him play and was blown away by hearing these iconic songs being played and sung by him. Elenor Rigby and Let It Be brought me to tears. He also did a medley/tribute of George Harrison songs as he had died that year. Blackbird & While My Guitar was just so special.

AC/DC - Black Ice Tour Wembley. Without a doubt the greatest stadium show I've ever seen. Even at this late time of their lives they are above any other rock act of this size. Amazing stuff

Worst Concerts

Counting Crows - This Desert Life tour - Cardiff UK. Treated audience to a 3hour accoustic set. Was bored after 1/2 hour at a stand up show without seats.

Corrosion Of Conformity - Bristol Bierkeller 2015. More disappointed than anything. Played Deliverance in full and stated they were hungover and rattled through the whole set with no interaction with audience.

Guns n Roses - Reading 2010 - turned up late, no spark, effectively a covers band without original members. Audience booed throughout