bands you stopped liking after you saw them live

Fear Factory, for a few years Burton C. Bell's screaming technique is totally wrong, so he's usually hoarse midway through the show, with his voice cracking. It happened at two separate shows of his that I saw, so every time I listened, I kept hearing his voice crack in my head.

then I got over it.

Garcia Peoples

Stevie Ray Vaughan in 1985. Only really knew of him through the Bowie connection and the rumors that his live shows were concussive like a Texan version of The Blasters. Meh. Uninspired directionless - not even "Voodoo Child" with Mitch Mitchell himself guesting on drums could spike up the energy. Best part of the show was having Bonnie Raitt opening.

I’d be interested in hearing more about how fans of Pavement’s records were turned off to the band after seeing them play in the CR era.

I’ve been to my fair share of bad shows but I honestly can’t wrap my head around the idea of liking a band and then hating their live show so much that you’d instantly start being less interested in listening to their studio records.

Yo la tengo around 96...James just stop playing those three notes

Slint - jesus what a slog that show was

Susan Alcorn. If she released a new album tomorrow I'd probably still check it out (does that count?) but that was one of the dullest shows I've ever seen.

Winged Victory for the Sullen was also a big disappointment. I haven't gone back to their records since.

Yo la tengo around 96...James just stop playing those three notes

Robbie Fulks. Not that I was a big fan or anything, but people like him, and I had a good time at one of his New Year's shows. But he was playing before my band at a small town festival, and seemed maybe a little drunk and picked up our sousaphone player's instrument and was running around playing it for some dumb comedy routine, and ever since my position is "fuck that guy".

"Stopped liking" is a bit of a stretch, but if you were at Knebworth in 1976 and didn't feel insulted by The Rolling Stones, then you've got different operating parameters to me, 10cc looked like they were parachuted in from Strawberry Studios to play live for the first time ever and I couldn't really appreciate Skynyrd as I honestly thought I was battling heatstroke.
Those were the days.

I saw Super Furry Animals around 2004 and felt old and out of place, despite only being 25 or so. When the band came out for an encore in eponymous costumes and the audience chanted something, it seemed to me that I was among ardent worshippers and that I didn't get the ritual. I never listened to SFA much after that.

I was enchanted by Kero Kero Bonito's Bonito Generation and made the trip from Minneapolis to Chicago to see them last year. This was another occasion where I felt too old, but then I was 40 so maybe in some sense I was. There was this mock-machismo in the audience, and the tall blond bass player for the opening act conducted the audience's applause like he was Bugs Bunny — I couldn't believe an audience would support such dickery. KKB weren't bad, though the big-rock element was at times obnoxious in live performance; the audience killed it for me, though. As it happens, KKB involved a stuffed animal in their set, too. Maybe stuffed animals in a rock show it can bring out the wrong kind of people?

I was still considering going last night when they came through Minneapolis, wondering if the crowd might be better. It sold out, so I was spared the trouble.

If you’re into an act enough this doesn’t exist

I saw the Detroit Cobras in Morgantown, West Virginia and they definitely thought (wrongly) they were too cool to be there.

Slint - jesus what a slog that show was

Saw em on one of their reunion tours and they were A+ imo. Remember the sound being particularly well mixed. Crisp and punchy.
― circa1916

I remember my main issue being the amount of time they were taking between songs. They'd play a seven minute song, then spend the next seven minutes tuning their guitars, just allowing any momentum they had built to dissipate, and finally the silences got so uncomfortable that some joker would yell out "freebird!" or some other inanity. It just left so much blank space to ponder why I ever liked their songs in the first place.

If you’re into an act enough this doesn’t exist

― calstars, Sunday, October 20, 2019 9:42 PM bookmarkflaglink

Take it to the Bands you stopped LOVING thread

Great idea for a thread, the kind of thing that happens to everyone sooner or later. (except calstars)

Titus Andronicus for me - I loved & played the hell out of everything up through The Monitor, but saw them around that time and the show totally soured me. Patrick Stickles' onstage schtick was just ridiculously annoying to me, corny messianic rockstar moves and super affected punk rock posturing, like making a big show out of ostentatiously slurring every lyric to the point where every song was just him moaning blah-blah nonsense noises. At the time I thought those first two records were incredible feats of lyric-writing and I couldnt understand why they would take their strongest element out of the mix like that. When combined with the crowd, largely macho jock dudes who screamed with joy every time someone onstage took a drink of beer, it all just seemed very childish, like being at a dumb frat kegger, and they just sounded silly to me ever since.

I’d be interested in hearing more about how fans of Pavement’s records were turned off to the band after seeing them play in the CR era.

― drunk on hot toddies (morrisp), Sunday, 20 October 2019 23:31 (yesterday) link

I walked out after a handful of songs, which no one in the band seemed to know how to play and Malkmus was peak aloof/bored with the whole affair, it was deeply off-putting at the time. I think it would bother me less now.

I saw a Mike Watt show that he has since apologized for that was beyond embarrassing, he was falling down drunk & I was such a huge fan it took a long time for me to get back on the boat, as it were.

Shouts tho to Nels Cline who attempted to single-handedly save the show through guitar heroics and he almost did, man was he fucking pissed.

"Alvvays" I just saw them open for the National and I loved them live. Maybe it's me, or maybe it was the show.

Here's one: Squarepusher. Man that was boring.

Warpaint

If you’re into an act enough this doesn’t exist

― calstars, Sunday, October 20, 2019 9:42 PM bookmarkflaglink

Take it to the Bands you stopped LOVING thread

Didn't really affect my appreciation of his records, but I was really excited to see Shlohmo after Bad Vibes came out, and he played a pre-recorded dj set. It was awkward, but did kinda have an idgaf punk rock vibe too I guess.

wasn't overexcited by the 2010 reunion and what remained of my interest soon evaporated after seeing a couple of shows at which I was increasingly irritated by the overlong, formless "epics" and Gira's increasingly messianic demeanour.

ha, I think I saw them in 2011, and me and my friend actually left in the middle of the show. I was texting with a friend having an emotional crisis and my friend was so irritated with the show itself, she was like, "fuck this, this is horrible, let's go to a bar." and I was totally fine w/that.

but I was fairly lukewarm on them (Swans) prior. ... C@lvin Johnson on the other hand ... though that was more about him being a jerk to me, personally, as the venue manager/booker.

Sigur Rós

The Police, their first show of the reunion tour 2007-2008.
i don’t mind when a track plays randomly here and there but i don’t think i ever consiously put on any albums ever since.

Warpaint

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown)

First time I saw them, left three songs into the set (in part because Cate Le Bon had been so transcendent opening). Saw them at a festival last year and they were great and I look forward to seeing them again.

back on the boat

;)

What’s bad about warpaint live? Stella rules

HEALTH. Felt like they were faking it the whole night

yeah i saw alvvays last year and thought they were super tight with some decent patter - but i also barely go to shows anymore so maybe my sensors are less finely tuned.

mine was Modest Mouse in Milwaukee in 2007. my buddies and I had been fans since middle school so this was a pretty big moment. of course at that point Mouse were sort of a different band, they'd kicked the alcoholism and assholery but that was what made them interesting (at least, when you're young you find that sort of thing fascinating). I dunno, just wasn't feeling it and I don't know if the band was either. Didn't help that it was at Eagles Ballroom where every band sounds like shit thanks to the 40 foot ceiling. had an epiphany mid-show that the bulk of Modest Mouse album titles were just dumb contradictions that could only sound deep to a middle schooler. in retrospect it probably wasn't a bad show and they did play a number of classics but I just felt like I was done with the band then.

(I did like "Satellite Skin" a lot, though)

Built to Spill. I always liked Keep it Like a SEcret and Perfect from Now on, but when I finally saw them (not even sure when, it was probably about 14 or 15 years ago) they were a goddamned wanky jam band and I hated them.

Haha, so true. I wasn't a superfan when I saw Built To Spill, but I found the corny jam quality fairly offputting.

Whitney. Jocks on drugs, with the lead singer seemingly perpetually on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Really obnoxious stage patter, too. It just all rubbed me the wrong way

wire

the whole thing was grim

really? when did you see them? they've always been fantastic live when I've seen them. even with the new guitarist.

Animal Collective. Actually I don't and never really did like them, but seeing them live made me dislike them even more.

Royal Trux. Wasn't a huge fan, but what a mess. Ariel Pink.

I can agree with some of the "should I bother with live music at all" comments above. These days I spend a lot of time at gigs both slightly enjoying the music but also thinking about when I can leave.

Animal Collective. Actually I don't and never really did like them, but seeing them live made me dislike them even more.

― akm, Tuesday, October 22, 2019 12:16 PM (fourteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Oh god, I was so bored at their show in south street seaport however many years ago...

its such a bummer when this happens in general, i really hate the feeling

Damon and Naomi. Both of them whiney and complaining through their whole set.

These days I spend a lot of time at gigs both slightly enjoying the music but also thinking about when I can leave.

glad to hear it isn't just me

for me these days: home listening + early bedtime >>> live shows, 99% of the time

I want to go see Tool when they come play over here but I'm going to hate their fans so much I'll probably blame the band so I think I'll just stay at home.

calstars at 10:23 21 Oct 19

What’s bad about warpaint live? Stella rules

I mean, this was opening for Nick Cave, so bigger place and it felt like the sound mix was not doing them any favors

but overall, they just kind of sounded like shit? the mysterious murky vibe I loved came off as muddled and just...bleh

though it's quite possible they improved or it was a bad night or the mixed sucked (though Bad Seeds sounded great)

I've never been to an actual Warpaint show, but I've watched tons on youtube and they have plenty of great shows. But I can also see how if they were having an off-night, it would all kinda fall apart.

i mentioned this on the albini thread recently, but major assholery from him at a shellac show a few years ago made it p much impossible for me to enjoy any of his stuff since

Damon and Naomi. Both of them whiney and complaining through their whole set.

awww, i saw them years back playing in a basement bar and it was a really lovely experience, magical almost

One that's actually kind of a funny memory in hindsight for how ridiculous it was is The Duchess and the Duke (does anybody remember them?). The guy was incredibly drunk & nasty & berating the crowd for being too noisy, despite the fact that he was playing unamplified and the super-respectful crowd was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The set ended when he ended up falling asleep onstage while singing a song, mid-verse. Never seen anything like it.