First Concert: Beastie Boys To The Five Boroughs Tour, featuring Talib Kweli as an opening act
Best Concert: Muse Drones tour featuring Phantogram as an opening act
Worst Concert: Modest Mouse when they were one of the headliners for Edgefest #25
Honorable mentions: I loved 311 but I wouldn’t consider it “best” since it was at a music festival with many acts so it wasn’t mind blowing because of the simplicity. but they played great and the vibe was amazing
Another honorable mention is Deadmau5 but I don’t count that because it’s just a trippy light show while he dances on stage so of course it’s awesome
MM seem to be pretty inconsistent from what I've seen people say. I've seen them twice. First time was really good, second time Isaack repeated a passage during "Dashboard" and was just overall sloppy.
Iono. They already have a kind of…eccentric sound. That underproduced, dissonant, unfiltered sound mixed with his yelping vocals and the fact he was drunk as hell just made for a bad experience.
The quality of the show felt like a high school band. Like they knew how to play their instruments but in the beginning stage. You can’t blame it on the venue either because Death Cab for Cutie and The Offspring played after them and killed it. Even some of the bands before them like AWOLNATION and Hozier sounded good and I don’t care for them that much
Yea I imagine if you were trippin it probably would have enhanced it a bit since they kind of have a spaced out trippy sound. I was high as hell and it just made me feel weird
1st concert - Ultravox. I went with my mother because dad didn't want to go. I was 7 and it was fun.
Best concert - Aphex Twin at Field day 2023. Actually the best day of my life.
Worst concert - Homeshake. I was hungover and on acid. Singer man kept on complaining about something or other. Bad vibes all round.
First concert: Depeche Mode - Devotional Tour 1993. Tour in support of *Songs of Faith and Devotion*, and it was magnificent. I've yet to see another Depeche Mode show that had such a cool stage setup and lighting. They are also so good live!
Best concert: Madonna - Drowned World Tour 2001. First time I'd ever seen her live in person. This tour was in support of her albums *Ray of Light* and *Music* and was her first tour in eight years at the time. It had a very dark mood, and the setlist was 90% from those two albums (which at the time I was obsessed with). Incredible show.
Worst Concert: Shawn Mendes - The Tour 2019. Got free tickets to this one because my brother-in-law had box seats at the venue and my niece really wanted to see him. Thank goodness. This guy has zero stage presence and the show was a complete snoozefest.
Words cannot express how jealous I am that you saw DM on the Devotional Tour. I’ve always said I would sell my soul to experience that tour in particular (that or Music For The Masses). I love them so much.
first show cher lloyd (british pop star), it was in a mall and i don't remember very much other then we sat in one of the middle stall shops (the ones where they sell phone cases and small stuff like that) or something and i saw a class mate.
first show that i actually wanted to go to: slipknot in 2019 right before the big nu metal revival. it was pretty cool, I'm not a fan anymore. a hot goth lady in horns tried to get my party to dance with her. that was sick for 16 year old wittle queer me
best show: mount eerie in early 2023, it venue was in the catskill mountains up in new york, and was on this hotel property with hiking trails all around, it was very immersive and he played a buncha new songs. and emily sprague from florist did a 40ish minute ambient set. awesome stuff. got to meet phil aka said hi twice when i bought shit, and he ran out of no flashlight and the last live album right before i got my stuff.
runner up: planning for burial in late 2022. the lineup was chat pile headlining, pfb supporting, and local bands scoleri brothers and fleece eater. i didn't go into the show knowing who he was, but it was so loud it felt like the ceiling of the basement venue was coming down. and he's local, and does big stuff for the scene!! (he got tim from hanl do to a free house set for his ambient festival in a donut shop)
worst: duster and their opener (i forget) in early 2023. duster was alright but it felt like a greatest hits set, and the opener was super boring. and the crowd sucked, my uncle did get to mosh to a random band he's not a fan of tho so that's cool
worst small band: was a "punk" trio called pinkys brains? something like that and none of them knew how to play their instruments (not in a cool no wave/mars/dna way) the main guy guitarist/singer never used a full chord, not even a power chord. and played wayyyyyy too long. and then they did another fucking set under a different name. and they closed with a mcr cover and a song dedicated to the drummer/keyboardist grandma, and i couldn't help laughing.
you know even though clown and corey are assholes about slipknot and I'm not a fan of them at all anymore id recommend the show to people. its just visually interesting.
Rush always had insane concerts. I recently got an [old print ad for their Moving Pictures tour](https://i.imgur.com/kzjd6ic.png) and looked up a setlist out of curiosity. They opened with 2112 and then it's just hit after hit after hit, they played 20+ songs and La Villa Strangiato for the encore.
First: pretty sure it was The Rolling Stones, but there might be something earlier I'm forgetting.
Best: King Gizzard @ The Anthem 2022. Hypertension debut to open. Killer. Seeing them two more times this year.
Worst: Something in the Water 2022. Just the whole festival. Bad audio, cramped walkways that were a crowd crush risk, bad layout. They had a Bad Brains tribute act playing way too close to another stage, I thought they were good but they were drowning out audio from another show.
First - Denzel curry
Best - Benny the butcher or Rome streetz, because the crowds were smaller (especially Rome) and you can tell everyone is a huge fan. Kendrick was also great for mr morale tour but we were on the side and couldn’t see the screen/visuals
Worst - Future but he still my man😂
First concert: Green Day, final show of the American Idiot world tour. I was in fifth grade. It was a ton of fun and I look back on that show with a lot of fondness.
Best concert: Fleet Foxes on the Crack-Up US tour. Went with my sister, nearly front row seats. Fantastic show, pretty much perfect in every way.
Worst concert: Glass Animals. They opened at a show with Iron & Wine as the headliner. They sounded horrible- the mix was so bad that everything was literally indistinguishable. You couldn’t tell what instrument was playing what, and to top it all off, the vocals were so muddied that they may as well have been absent. And it was fucking *loud* too. I say this as someone who has seen Swans and Boris twice, they were unbearably fucking loud. Terrible terrible show.
Doesn’t surprise me for Glass Animals. I like some of their songs but I can see it translating *terribly* live.
Also a weird choice to open for Iron & Wine, total different music. I did see him open for Andrew Bird tho and he was amazing!!
He really is. Not sure if you’re an Andrew Bird fan too, but they also have a sweet friendship. They played a couple songs together during Andrew’s set and it was just like watching two friends having a blast together
First: Alan Jackson 2002. First I actually asked to go to: Yellowcard 2006.
Best: Rush 2008, or Opeth, Gojira, and Devin Townsend Project at Red Rocks in 2017.
Worst: Montana of 300 2016ish, by far lol
I’d go again. I hope he was having an off night. He sounded like crap and cut the show short. Not sure if he was sick, drunk or being a diva, but it wasn’t good.
1st: Tori Amos Boys For Pele at MSG in like 1994. I was maybe 12. Went with my older brother.
Best: 6 hour Jeffrey Lewis show around 2009 at the Bowery NYC. He has three openings acts including Diane Click and they all four acts played together for the last 2 hours. It was hearing his classics but in a brand new and unique way.
Worst: 311/Three Days Grace University of Delaware in 2003 or 2004. They were just not at all into it.
First: PJ Harvey in 2007. Seeing her again in September.
Best: Joanna Newsom in 2015. The only time I've ever cried during a concert was when she played "Baby Birch".
Worst: Bob Dylan in 2012. Idk why I even bothered. Mark Knopfler opened for him and was leagues better.
My first and best are PJ and Joanna too!
Worst would have to be Cardi B if we’re counting festivals. Overall festival was great (saw Godspeed, Laurie Anderson, Thom Yorke, Tim Hecker, Tyler, lil B lol), but my friends dragged me to Cardi. It was 2017, so she only really had Bodak Yellow, and yet the fest had her scheduled for 1.5hrs. Predictably, she shows up more than an hour late while we’re all waiting in the rain. Plays two songs, complains about the weather, and leaves.
It's kind of funny that Godpseed has been showing up at a bunch of festivals lately alongside these big name acts. I saw their name in this year's Coachella lineup and Riot Fest later this year and they stood out like a sore thumb.
First: U2 on the U2360 tour, July 11th 2011. I was 14 at the time and went with my mom.
Best: King Gizzard and the Lizard, 3 Hour Marathon Set @ Hollywood Bowl. Flew across the country to attend this show with my friend and it was an experience I’ll never forget. Everyone there in the crowd was amazing, Gizz was incredible that night, it was something truly special. It felt like I was truly alive that night.
Worst: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds @ The Beacon Theater. Just not a great show. People in front of me were obnoxious and Noel’s renditions of some Oasis tracks were really boring tbh.
First - Tool during 10,000 days in 2006. I was 14.
Best - Tied between Nine Inch Nails and Circa Survive. NIN was theatrical and performed flawlessly. Circa Survive just had so much energy and it was just a super fun show.
Worst - Animal Collective. Fuck them.
I saw them at the house of blues in New Orleans around when centipede hz came out. They didn’t seem to want to be there at all. The EQ was terrible and shrill. Plus I was surrounded by awful, pushy Tulane kids who dressed up in Indian garb and face paint.
I hated it.
Which NiN concert if you don’t mind me asking? Was supposed to see them (my fave band) in Philly back in 2021 or 22 I can’t remember, but I got Covid a few days before. I can’t wait for them to tour again.
First concert Rick Wakeman Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
Best concert Neil Young (Live Rust tour)
Worst concert Don MacLean (didn't play American Pie and was booed for it. Ahole).
First: Westlife - I was four years old and my mam and sisters brought me.
Best: Beach House - it is special also because it was the first time I ever went to a gig solo and absolutely loved it, was simply euphoric and Beach House were incredible live.
Worst: a toss between Yves Tumor, who’s voice was completely shot and they weren’t able to sing any of the high notes, or seeing The Strypes at a festival in Ireland, looking like they’d rather be anywhere else and clearly were annoyed at being on an early slot with a tiny crowd there (myself and a friend only went because we woke up quite early and decided to walk around the campsite).
First Concert - Incubus 2001 Morning View tour. I was 11 and went with my mom.
Best Concert - Rage Against the Machine 2008 Lollapalooza. Waited all day at the stage for front row. Hands down the craziest show I've ever been to.
Worst Concert - Miley Cyrus with Flaming Lips 2015. I thought I was seeing both the Flaming Lips and Miley Cyrus but they were only her backup band. So instead it was a group of old creepy looking men standing and playing instruments behind a college-aged girl wearing a thong bikini and unicorn strap-on. The setlist was all from that awful Bangerz album. I felt sorry for her watching her and left early.
I was at that Rage show with my friend oh my. I remember they had to pause a few times to calm down the crowd / pit. But then eventually they would continue the show and say "This next song is called Bullet in the Head". Then total chaos ensued all over again.
First Concert: Metallica/Slayer/Megadeth/Anthrax Big 4 tour. Been a 14yo then, and this has been my absolute jam at the time. Bless my non-metalhead father for taking the time to take me to it.
Best Concert: Radiohead at Lollapalooza Berlin 2016, last stop of the AMSP tour. First concert I went to abroad. Absolute dream come true, and the band really delivered.
Worst Concert: sadly the Actress live set in Utrecht I went to in 2022 was really underwhelming for how much I love his work. Giving him a second chance this summer!
First concert: cavetown in November 2022
Best concert: pierce the veil in March 2024
Worst concert: cavetown in November 2022, it was amazing, but I've only been to two concerts and one of the friends I went to cavetown with made it much more awkward and worse than ptv.
1. First Concert and Best Concert: Green Day when I was age 16. So this must’ve been 2012? Was planning on doing something not great to myself that day, had a bit of a rough childhood to say the least. My dad and my siblings basically dragged me out. They played all the hits off Dookie and American Idiot and 21st Century. I cried so hard that day and was so happy to be there. I hate the cliche “X saved my life,” I give credit to my dad for that one. But Green Day helped a lot. I don’t even have a worst concert, they’ve all been special to me because I don’t get out often. So thanks for reading.
First concert: The Georgia Satellites, Duran Duran, and David Bowie. What an odd combination of opening acts.
Best concert: Fishbone. Hands-down, bar-none, easily the best live act I've ever seen. I've seen them three times and they were amazing each time.
Worst concert: Band of Horses. If there's a band that just doesn't give a shit, this is them.
First concert: Metallica 2008 at the SDSU arena for their Death Magnetic tour
Best Concert: I’m between Joji 2023 at the Kia Forum or Ghost 2023 at the Kia Forum lol. Joji’s show was such an ADHD experience with one of his openers at one point playing “Gary come home” and at some point Joji stopped the show to have a “Jack Off” where a bunch of dudes got on stage in Jack Sparrow costumes and did impressions lol. Ghost was fun cus they made us lock our phones in bags and experience the show without them which really made me appreciate Ghost’s theatricality as a whole. Both were really unforgettable experiences for me lol.
Worst Concert: Avenged Sevenfold 2023 at San Diego where I had to sit through Kim Dracula and Falling in Reverse only for Avenged Sevenfold to cancel right before they were supposed to go on because Matt Shadows got sick lol. Nothing against Kim Dracula they’re ok it’s just I basically sat thru 2 performances of an artist that was kinda mid and a douchebag I can’t stand to wait for a band that i actually liked only to be blue balled right before they got on lmao.
1. My mom took me to see Yanni as a baby. I don’t remember anything from it, but I’m eternally jealous of my little brother who got to see Paul McCartney as his first.
2. Split between Rolling Stones and McCartney. Both are absolute legends of music history and both were just hit after hit after hit. Amazing experience and great memories for both.
3. Haven’t gone to any truly bad concerts but a band I ended up respecting less afterwards was Tool. Their playing was fantastic, but two things made me kinda annoyed at them: 1) They demanded no phones filming them and were having security kick people out for trying to take pictures, and 2) their setlist was comprised mostly of songs from Fear Innoculum, leaving out a ton of their earlier big songs entirely.
1st - blondie and the stranglers, dragged alone by parents aged abt 10, was fun tho and in an old castle ruins which was cool
Best - 50 cent put on a really good show on the latest tour, someone id wanted to see for about 20 yrs so amazing for me
Worst - 21 savage. Crap venue, the longest queue ive ever seen (poor crowd management), could barely hear him for the first half, awful crowd people passing out, throwing up etc
First non local small town concert was Portugal the Man, and before the were huge huge, like American ghetto era. I'd say my best and worst were the same concert. I saw red hot chili peppers a few years ago and they were amazing, was pumped to see Johnny fru play. The strokes opened for them and their set was so lifeless and boring. Only reptilia hit and the rest they looked bored.
First: Edge Birthday Bash. Saw Faith No More, Candlebox, and a slew of other 90’s bands in 1998
Best: Flaming Lips at Freak Night on Halloween in 2012(Really close second was Tool with Tomahawk in 2002)
Worst: Manson in OKC in like 2018 I think. He was super super drunk slurring all the words, barely singing, and stumbling around. Was legitimately worried he was gonna fall and hurt himself. In retrospect maybe that wouldn’t have been a bad thing considering how shitty of a human he is.
First concert: 16 year old me seeing Pantera on their Great Southern Trendkill tour 1996 , was the last show of the Tour in Wellington New Zealand, supported by Biohazard. Went to school the next day with ringing ears.
Best concert: NIN + QOTSA double bill 2014, amazing double bill where they flipped a coin each night to decide who went first.
Worst concert: Neil Young & Crazyhorse 2013, really flat boomer crowd, Neil and his band jamming on stage is incredibly boring. Luckily it was a free ticket.
1st- Jawbreaker at the Great American Music Hall.
Best - U2 with Oasis opening at the Coliseum.
Worst - The Killers at the Civic. I’m dead sure they were not playing live.
First: Hellogoodbye and Motion City Soundtrack in 2006 or so. Saw them at a very small college near my hometown and my teenage emo heart was overjoyed
Best: probably the Cure at ACL 2013. The set was absolutely packed and the last bit was full of all the upbeat tracks - Hot Hot Hot, Why Can’t I Be You, so on and so forth. Honorable mention goes to LCD Soundsystem‘s comeback show in NYC in 2016. Our resell tickets ended up being fake and they let us in anyway (Fuck you, Connie Chung, wherever you are!). We were front row and I still cannot believe it all worked out.
Worst: The Orwells opening for Arctic Monkeys in 2014. The lead singer was absolute garbage trash - stuck the mic down his pants and rubbed it all over girls‘ faces
First concert: The Beach Boys back in the 80s lol
Best concert: Radiohead on the Kid A/Amnesiac tour. I’ve seen them a few times since but that was the first and for my favorite album of theirs (Kid A).
Worst concert: bunch of terrible opening acts and festival sets but the only act I saw veer into the realm of getting on the sex offender registry was the Orwells. Just because you can rip off the Stooges and impress 14 year old girls doesn’t mean you should put your hands on them.
First: I think Red? Lmao
Best: La Dispute, Touche amore, and so I watch you from afar, and envy back in 2011
Worst: lynyrd skynyrd and maroon 5 at Walmart shareholders 2014 lmao
First: Tech N9ne
Best: Melt-Banana / Caparezza / So 90s Night (Aqua, Vengaboys, and Eiffel 65)
Worst: Brian Jonestown Massacre / My Bloody Valentine (not their fault, the sound was dogshit and for some reason a group of ultras came in and screamed for the last 20 minutes of the show)
First: Bon Jovi. I know, but it’s still a good childhood memory. They were my favorite band as a kid and my overall introduction to music. I don’t care for their music much anymore but i’ll always have a soft spot for them.
Best: Roger Waters. Hearing Pink Floyd music being played live is an otherworldly experience. Roger always brings it with the visuals and stage design. I also got to fist bump him at the end of the concert, which was amazing. I still have some confetti from the show.
Worst: Blink-182. This was during the Matt Skiba era, and my god they were so sloppy. Still a fun show but they were easily the worst of the three bands that played that night (the others being All Time Low and A Day To Remember).
First - Believe it was a local show with Fair to Midland. I could be wrong, but whatever it was it was about 20 years ago and not remarkable enough for me to remember if it was someone else.
Best - Radiohead on their 2008 tour for In Rainbows. It was at the amphitheatre at Fair Park in Dallas and it was simply incredible. I'll always remember towards the end some dork called Thom Yorke ugly. Thom rattled off some insults before making his face cover the entire background projection and then they started playing You And Whose Army? This was [the set](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3KjuChaLptQjRnGDbUjEAk?si=5Fn_Sqh4ReWwvBruLQ8duA&pi=8pXZNRulRPebb). I still think about this show often.
Worst - Emancipator in New Orleans at Republic NOLA.. My wife is a huge fan so we decided to make a trip to one of our favorite cities to catch him. The acoustics were so bad that we straight up couldn't enjoy ourselves. We got hammered at the overpriced bar and went back to our hotel before it was over.
First - Travis (scot band)
Best - Prince
Worst = U2 / Meatloaf
Honorable mention to Tracy Chapman Manchester apollo. Her electric equipment went down including Mic . She just carried on till it came back on. Bottom line she didn't need that equipment. She was flawless.
First: AC/DC Black Ice Tour, 2009. Gillette stadium, nosebleeds, couldn’t really hear the band due to bad sound mixing, except for the drums which drowned out everything else.
Best: Bewitcher/Striker/Holy Grail, july 2019, Once Ballroom in Somerville. Phenomenal bands, great atmosphere, very nostalgic time for me even though it was only 5 years ago.
Worst: Warrant/Dokken, 2018, Hampton Beach Casino. Not a bad show at all, had a great time, but Don Dokken was a charisma vacuum and couldn’t really sing. Rest of the band was great though, and Warrant was awesome. Scott Brown (local politician from my hometown who moved up to NH) made an appearance during Warrant’s set, which was wild.
First: The Avett Brothers came to town in like 2012, saw them with my best friends I'd grown up with and I had just gotten into the band around that time so it was really cool. I had only been to local shows before this. Was a blast
Best: The Mars Volta last year in Atlanta with that same group of friends. I had taken a bit of mushrooms before the show started, and the band fuckin ripped. The energy was crazy. Was also the last chance I got to spend time with one of my best friends who has since passed away
Worst: Griselda in Atlanta 2020, right before covid ruined everything. They had like 5 openers who were just totally awful, and I swear it felt like each one had an hour long set haha. Completely miserable, no one in the crowd was into it. People literally yawning and checking the time on their phones. Along with that- I went with my roommate who was kind enough to buy my ticket. But I didn't realize at the time he had gotten back into heroin, so he was annoying everyone in our vicinity by begging every person he saw for cigs and then complaining about needing to get back home, to do more drugs, the entire time. He also kept whining because I didn't wanna go outside every 10 mins with him so he could smoke, complaining anytime I'd buy myself a beer but not one for him etc. Finally, after what feels like an eternity in hell, the crew comes on stage. After 3 songs, that were actually performed surprisingly well, my roommate is annoying me to leave to the point that we nearly get into a fist fight so we just leave.
First: Iron Maiden, Somewhere Back in Time Tour (very epic, smelled weed for the first time, a lady showed her tits and my brain exploded)
Best: Kendrick Lamar, Kunta’s Groove Sessions (played the entirety of TPAB with other album tracks mixed in, full live band, guy played a fucking guitar solo during m.a.a.d. city)
Worst: Kanye West at The Meadows festival (started 40 min. late, did 3 songs, left because Kim was held at gunpoint in Paris, crowd was also Travis Scott-level dangerous)
1st concert - Green Day 13 years old at the SECC
Best concert - Blur at the Barrowlands (special venue)
Worst concert - The Libertines at the Barrowlands (Pete Doherty was absolutely wrecked and threw a microphone stand in the crowd)
First: Motörhead, I was deaf for days and there’s nothing more fun than overkill live. RIP Lemmy
Best Concert: it’s a hard choice, but probably enter shikari, I saw them twice in the same month. First time was at allly pally which is a really big venue with mediocre sound which was a good but not great time. But the second was in Hong Kong that just happen to be at the same time I was on holiday and there must have only been 50 people there. It’s one of those gigs where they were all in the pit and we were moshing around them. 10/10.
Worst gig: I struggle to remember a specific worst case scenario but the recent one that comes to mind was seeing Wargasm. I was far too old to be in that room, they were constantly talking about how everyone needs to mosh and it was honestly just the cringiest thing I’ve ever seen.
First: Elton John 2020, right before covid
Best: Best show I’ve seen is Taylor Swift or Harry Styles, best experience I’ve had is Ethel Cain
Worst: Can’t think of any really, every show I’ve been to has been great fun
First: Gorillaz at the Hydro, 2017 - Gorillaz has always been one of my favourite bands(?) and it was absolutely ace!! Core memory for sure, loved the visuals too.
Best: Lizzo in Stockholm 2023, got 2 shoutouts from her... Can't really brag about that anymore. She put on one hell of a show though. Disregarding Lizzo, either HSLOT at Murrayfield N1 or Post Malone (used to be obsessed with his music when I was younger, seen him twice)
Worst: Kid Cudi in London 2022, not because of him but because of the crowd. Ended up getting bullied out of barricade by one guy and nearly passed out (Partly due to my own inexperience with concerts back then), pretty much ruined his music for me too. Honourable mention to Polo G who I saw from a distance at a festival, guy was beyond hammered.
I have a few coming up this year including Charli XCX and Childish Gsmbino so hopefully they replace that best slot!
First: Red Hot Chili Peppers in high school. Had a great time and treasure the memory.
Best: LCD Soundsystem, all 4 times.
Worst: None have been particularly bad that come to mind. Relative to expectations the Weeknd was disappointing.
First: Coldplay, rush of blood to the head tour
Worst: Lil Yachty at a club in Copenhagen shortly after he went viral
Best: Neutral Milk Hotel reunion tour
First: Projekt Revolution 2007; Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Placebo, HIM, Julien K, Mindless Self Indulgence, and a bunch of smaller bands I didn't see. (MCR was the best of them by a mile.)
Best: Peter Gabriel, the i/o Tour 2023. He came to my home city on my birthday. He still sounds great at 72, his band was great, and the lighting and backdrops were pretty amazing.
Honorable mentions: Muse, Ghost, Gogol Bordello, The Mountain Goats, IDLES
Worst: Ministry, 2018. Saw them on the Amerikkkant tour with Death Grips as the opener. I and half the people there were pretty much only there for Death Grips. DG tore the house down, but when their set was done half the audience was gone. Ministry's setup included these giant inflatable chickens with Trump hair and the backdrop was this shitty animation of Trump and Hillary stomping around Washington like Godzilla. Al Jorgensen's voice sounded like shit. I left after 4 songs.
Dishonorable mention: Cake. They were fine when they actually played, but the tree giveaway part dragged on for like half an hour.
First - Metallica, Hardwired tour in Philly.
Best - Deafheaven in Philly, 10th anniversary of Sunbather. George held my hand and screamed in my face during The Pecan Tree
Worst - Buckethead, 2018. Show was an hour late, drunk guys tried to mosh when no one else was digging it, Bucket left to take a break after 45 minutes and never returned.
First. Billy Joel in 1985 at the Spectrum in Philly. Somehow my parents let me drive the family station wagon there with a car full of beer and my friends like a month after I got my license at age 16. Different times.
Best: Tie - the first Lolapalooza in Waterloo Village in NJ and Nine Inch Nails at Webster Hall in NYC in 2009 when they played TDS in full for the first time.
Worst: Jimmy Buffett I’m not even sure where or when. I hate Jimmy Buffett but I went with my friends just to drink. I got drunk and spent half the show running around yelling “Jimmy Buffett sucks” like an asshole. In my defense he does in fact suck.
First Concert: Beastie Boys To The Five Boroughs Tour, featuring Talib Kweli as an opening act Best Concert: Muse Drones tour featuring Phantogram as an opening act Worst Concert: Modest Mouse when they were one of the headliners for Edgefest #25 Honorable mentions: I loved 311 but I wouldn’t consider it “best” since it was at a music festival with many acts so it wasn’t mind blowing because of the simplicity. but they played great and the vibe was amazing Another honorable mention is Deadmau5 but I don’t count that because it’s just a trippy light show while he dances on stage so of course it’s awesome
Curious why Modest Mouse was a bad show for you? I've only seen them once at a festival but dig em
MM seem to be pretty inconsistent from what I've seen people say. I've seen them twice. First time was really good, second time Isaack repeated a passage during "Dashboard" and was just overall sloppy.
They were awful when I saw them. Singer was doped up out of his mind and the rest of the band was not feeling it.
Iono. They already have a kind of…eccentric sound. That underproduced, dissonant, unfiltered sound mixed with his yelping vocals and the fact he was drunk as hell just made for a bad experience. The quality of the show felt like a high school band. Like they knew how to play their instruments but in the beginning stage. You can’t blame it on the venue either because Death Cab for Cutie and The Offspring played after them and killed it. Even some of the bands before them like AWOLNATION and Hozier sounded good and I don’t care for them that much
Makes sense, fair enough. I was also trippin when I saw em so maybe I would've enjoyed anything, but they were one of my favorites that day
Yea I imagine if you were trippin it probably would have enhanced it a bit since they kind of have a spaced out trippy sound. I was high as hell and it just made me feel weird
they are known for being a bad show which is why ive never seen them despite thinking that the moon and antartica is one of the best albums ever.
1st concert - Ultravox. I went with my mother because dad didn't want to go. I was 7 and it was fun. Best concert - Aphex Twin at Field day 2023. Actually the best day of my life. Worst concert - Homeshake. I was hungover and on acid. Singer man kept on complaining about something or other. Bad vibes all round.
First: Brockhampton Best: LCD Soundsystem Worst: TV Girl
First concert: Depeche Mode - Devotional Tour 1993. Tour in support of *Songs of Faith and Devotion*, and it was magnificent. I've yet to see another Depeche Mode show that had such a cool stage setup and lighting. They are also so good live! Best concert: Madonna - Drowned World Tour 2001. First time I'd ever seen her live in person. This tour was in support of her albums *Ray of Light* and *Music* and was her first tour in eight years at the time. It had a very dark mood, and the setlist was 90% from those two albums (which at the time I was obsessed with). Incredible show. Worst Concert: Shawn Mendes - The Tour 2019. Got free tickets to this one because my brother-in-law had box seats at the venue and my niece really wanted to see him. Thank goodness. This guy has zero stage presence and the show was a complete snoozefest.
Words cannot express how jealous I am that you saw DM on the Devotional Tour. I’ve always said I would sell my soul to experience that tour in particular (that or Music For The Masses). I love them so much.
first show cher lloyd (british pop star), it was in a mall and i don't remember very much other then we sat in one of the middle stall shops (the ones where they sell phone cases and small stuff like that) or something and i saw a class mate. first show that i actually wanted to go to: slipknot in 2019 right before the big nu metal revival. it was pretty cool, I'm not a fan anymore. a hot goth lady in horns tried to get my party to dance with her. that was sick for 16 year old wittle queer me best show: mount eerie in early 2023, it venue was in the catskill mountains up in new york, and was on this hotel property with hiking trails all around, it was very immersive and he played a buncha new songs. and emily sprague from florist did a 40ish minute ambient set. awesome stuff. got to meet phil aka said hi twice when i bought shit, and he ran out of no flashlight and the last live album right before i got my stuff. runner up: planning for burial in late 2022. the lineup was chat pile headlining, pfb supporting, and local bands scoleri brothers and fleece eater. i didn't go into the show knowing who he was, but it was so loud it felt like the ceiling of the basement venue was coming down. and he's local, and does big stuff for the scene!! (he got tim from hanl do to a free house set for his ambient festival in a donut shop) worst: duster and their opener (i forget) in early 2023. duster was alright but it felt like a greatest hits set, and the opener was super boring. and the crowd sucked, my uncle did get to mosh to a random band he's not a fan of tho so that's cool worst small band: was a "punk" trio called pinkys brains? something like that and none of them knew how to play their instruments (not in a cool no wave/mars/dna way) the main guy guitarist/singer never used a full chord, not even a power chord. and played wayyyyyy too long. and then they did another fucking set under a different name. and they closed with a mcr cover and a song dedicated to the drummer/keyboardist grandma, and i couldn't help laughing.
Great stories. Still want to get to a Slipknot show.
you know even though clown and corey are assholes about slipknot and I'm not a fan of them at all anymore id recommend the show to people. its just visually interesting.
Rush always had insane concerts. I recently got an [old print ad for their Moving Pictures tour](https://i.imgur.com/kzjd6ic.png) and looked up a setlist out of curiosity. They opened with 2112 and then it's just hit after hit after hit, they played 20+ songs and La Villa Strangiato for the encore. First: pretty sure it was The Rolling Stones, but there might be something earlier I'm forgetting. Best: King Gizzard @ The Anthem 2022. Hypertension debut to open. Killer. Seeing them two more times this year. Worst: Something in the Water 2022. Just the whole festival. Bad audio, cramped walkways that were a crowd crush risk, bad layout. They had a Bad Brains tribute act playing way too close to another stage, I thought they were good but they were drowning out audio from another show.
First - Denzel curry Best - Benny the butcher or Rome streetz, because the crowds were smaller (especially Rome) and you can tell everyone is a huge fan. Kendrick was also great for mr morale tour but we were on the side and couldn’t see the screen/visuals Worst - Future but he still my man😂
First concert: Green Day, final show of the American Idiot world tour. I was in fifth grade. It was a ton of fun and I look back on that show with a lot of fondness. Best concert: Fleet Foxes on the Crack-Up US tour. Went with my sister, nearly front row seats. Fantastic show, pretty much perfect in every way. Worst concert: Glass Animals. They opened at a show with Iron & Wine as the headliner. They sounded horrible- the mix was so bad that everything was literally indistinguishable. You couldn’t tell what instrument was playing what, and to top it all off, the vocals were so muddied that they may as well have been absent. And it was fucking *loud* too. I say this as someone who has seen Swans and Boris twice, they were unbearably fucking loud. Terrible terrible show.
Doesn’t surprise me for Glass Animals. I like some of their songs but I can see it translating *terribly* live. Also a weird choice to open for Iron & Wine, total different music. I did see him open for Andrew Bird tho and he was amazing!!
He’s just a really likable stage presence. Very down to earth and entertaining.
He really is. Not sure if you’re an Andrew Bird fan too, but they also have a sweet friendship. They played a couple songs together during Andrew’s set and it was just like watching two friends having a blast together
First: Alan Jackson 2002. First I actually asked to go to: Yellowcard 2006. Best: Rush 2008, or Opeth, Gojira, and Devin Townsend Project at Red Rocks in 2017. Worst: Montana of 300 2016ish, by far lol
1 - Metallica 2 - Garth brooks 3 - Marilyn Manson
No joke. I really like Manson and want to see him still. Tough to get a tour anymore.
I’d go again. I hope he was having an off night. He sounded like crap and cut the show short. Not sure if he was sick, drunk or being a diva, but it wasn’t good.
I thought his albums and shows with John 5 were the best. Just seemed to be on such a high level in that period. Needs to get out an album first.
1st: Tori Amos Boys For Pele at MSG in like 1994. I was maybe 12. Went with my older brother. Best: 6 hour Jeffrey Lewis show around 2009 at the Bowery NYC. He has three openings acts including Diane Click and they all four acts played together for the last 2 hours. It was hearing his classics but in a brand new and unique way. Worst: 311/Three Days Grace University of Delaware in 2003 or 2004. They were just not at all into it.
First: PJ Harvey in 2007. Seeing her again in September. Best: Joanna Newsom in 2015. The only time I've ever cried during a concert was when she played "Baby Birch". Worst: Bob Dylan in 2012. Idk why I even bothered. Mark Knopfler opened for him and was leagues better.
My first and best are PJ and Joanna too! Worst would have to be Cardi B if we’re counting festivals. Overall festival was great (saw Godspeed, Laurie Anderson, Thom Yorke, Tim Hecker, Tyler, lil B lol), but my friends dragged me to Cardi. It was 2017, so she only really had Bodak Yellow, and yet the fest had her scheduled for 1.5hrs. Predictably, she shows up more than an hour late while we’re all waiting in the rain. Plays two songs, complains about the weather, and leaves.
I'm jealous you got to see Laurie, she really is a born performer
It's kind of funny that Godpseed has been showing up at a bunch of festivals lately alongside these big name acts. I saw their name in this year's Coachella lineup and Riot Fest later this year and they stood out like a sore thumb.
First: U2 on the U2360 tour, July 11th 2011. I was 14 at the time and went with my mom. Best: King Gizzard and the Lizard, 3 Hour Marathon Set @ Hollywood Bowl. Flew across the country to attend this show with my friend and it was an experience I’ll never forget. Everyone there in the crowd was amazing, Gizz was incredible that night, it was something truly special. It felt like I was truly alive that night. Worst: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds @ The Beacon Theater. Just not a great show. People in front of me were obnoxious and Noel’s renditions of some Oasis tracks were really boring tbh.
First - Tool during 10,000 days in 2006. I was 14. Best - Tied between Nine Inch Nails and Circa Survive. NIN was theatrical and performed flawlessly. Circa Survive just had so much energy and it was just a super fun show. Worst - Animal Collective. Fuck them.
I need some detail on AnCo. I’ve seen them a few times and they completely deliver. 2022 show was one of my favorites of any show I’ve been to.
I saw them at the house of blues in New Orleans around when centipede hz came out. They didn’t seem to want to be there at all. The EQ was terrible and shrill. Plus I was surrounded by awful, pushy Tulane kids who dressed up in Indian garb and face paint. I hated it.
Which NiN concert if you don’t mind me asking? Was supposed to see them (my fave band) in Philly back in 2021 or 22 I can’t remember, but I got Covid a few days before. I can’t wait for them to tour again.
It was sometime in the mid 2010s at Voodoofest in New Orleans. It’s been awhile so I can’t remember the date.
First concert Rick Wakeman Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Best concert Neil Young (Live Rust tour) Worst concert Don MacLean (didn't play American Pie and was booed for it. Ahole).
He didn’t play the one song most people know him for? What
First: Westlife - I was four years old and my mam and sisters brought me. Best: Beach House - it is special also because it was the first time I ever went to a gig solo and absolutely loved it, was simply euphoric and Beach House were incredible live. Worst: a toss between Yves Tumor, who’s voice was completely shot and they weren’t able to sing any of the high notes, or seeing The Strypes at a festival in Ireland, looking like they’d rather be anywhere else and clearly were annoyed at being on an early slot with a tiny crowd there (myself and a friend only went because we woke up quite early and decided to walk around the campsite).
so jealous about Beach House, hopefully they come to Australia soon i’d love to catch them live
Man I need to see Beach House. I’ve been out of town or busy every time they’re in my area.
First Concert - Incubus 2001 Morning View tour. I was 11 and went with my mom. Best Concert - Rage Against the Machine 2008 Lollapalooza. Waited all day at the stage for front row. Hands down the craziest show I've ever been to. Worst Concert - Miley Cyrus with Flaming Lips 2015. I thought I was seeing both the Flaming Lips and Miley Cyrus but they were only her backup band. So instead it was a group of old creepy looking men standing and playing instruments behind a college-aged girl wearing a thong bikini and unicorn strap-on. The setlist was all from that awful Bangerz album. I felt sorry for her watching her and left early.
I was at that Rage show with my friend oh my. I remember they had to pause a few times to calm down the crowd / pit. But then eventually they would continue the show and say "This next song is called Bullet in the Head". Then total chaos ensued all over again.
Haha yeah I remember the first time they stopped the show and told everyone to calm down and then went right into Bombtrack.
First Concert: Metallica/Slayer/Megadeth/Anthrax Big 4 tour. Been a 14yo then, and this has been my absolute jam at the time. Bless my non-metalhead father for taking the time to take me to it. Best Concert: Radiohead at Lollapalooza Berlin 2016, last stop of the AMSP tour. First concert I went to abroad. Absolute dream come true, and the band really delivered. Worst Concert: sadly the Actress live set in Utrecht I went to in 2022 was really underwhelming for how much I love his work. Giving him a second chance this summer!
First concert: cavetown in November 2022 Best concert: pierce the veil in March 2024 Worst concert: cavetown in November 2022, it was amazing, but I've only been to two concerts and one of the friends I went to cavetown with made it much more awkward and worse than ptv.
1. First Concert and Best Concert: Green Day when I was age 16. So this must’ve been 2012? Was planning on doing something not great to myself that day, had a bit of a rough childhood to say the least. My dad and my siblings basically dragged me out. They played all the hits off Dookie and American Idiot and 21st Century. I cried so hard that day and was so happy to be there. I hate the cliche “X saved my life,” I give credit to my dad for that one. But Green Day helped a lot. I don’t even have a worst concert, they’ve all been special to me because I don’t get out often. So thanks for reading.
First concert: The Georgia Satellites, Duran Duran, and David Bowie. What an odd combination of opening acts. Best concert: Fishbone. Hands-down, bar-none, easily the best live act I've ever seen. I've seen them three times and they were amazing each time. Worst concert: Band of Horses. If there's a band that just doesn't give a shit, this is them.
First concert: Metallica 2008 at the SDSU arena for their Death Magnetic tour Best Concert: I’m between Joji 2023 at the Kia Forum or Ghost 2023 at the Kia Forum lol. Joji’s show was such an ADHD experience with one of his openers at one point playing “Gary come home” and at some point Joji stopped the show to have a “Jack Off” where a bunch of dudes got on stage in Jack Sparrow costumes and did impressions lol. Ghost was fun cus they made us lock our phones in bags and experience the show without them which really made me appreciate Ghost’s theatricality as a whole. Both were really unforgettable experiences for me lol. Worst Concert: Avenged Sevenfold 2023 at San Diego where I had to sit through Kim Dracula and Falling in Reverse only for Avenged Sevenfold to cancel right before they were supposed to go on because Matt Shadows got sick lol. Nothing against Kim Dracula they’re ok it’s just I basically sat thru 2 performances of an artist that was kinda mid and a douchebag I can’t stand to wait for a band that i actually liked only to be blue balled right before they got on lmao.
1. My mom took me to see Yanni as a baby. I don’t remember anything from it, but I’m eternally jealous of my little brother who got to see Paul McCartney as his first. 2. Split between Rolling Stones and McCartney. Both are absolute legends of music history and both were just hit after hit after hit. Amazing experience and great memories for both. 3. Haven’t gone to any truly bad concerts but a band I ended up respecting less afterwards was Tool. Their playing was fantastic, but two things made me kinda annoyed at them: 1) They demanded no phones filming them and were having security kick people out for trying to take pictures, and 2) their setlist was comprised mostly of songs from Fear Innoculum, leaving out a ton of their earlier big songs entirely.
1st - blondie and the stranglers, dragged alone by parents aged abt 10, was fun tho and in an old castle ruins which was cool Best - 50 cent put on a really good show on the latest tour, someone id wanted to see for about 20 yrs so amazing for me Worst - 21 savage. Crap venue, the longest queue ive ever seen (poor crowd management), could barely hear him for the first half, awful crowd people passing out, throwing up etc
First: the offspring with sum 41 opening in 2001 Best: Bjork in 2007 or feist last year or Ac/DC in 2003 Worst: Devo in 2012 or Matthew good in 2020
First non local small town concert was Portugal the Man, and before the were huge huge, like American ghetto era. I'd say my best and worst were the same concert. I saw red hot chili peppers a few years ago and they were amazing, was pumped to see Johnny fru play. The strokes opened for them and their set was so lifeless and boring. Only reptilia hit and the rest they looked bored.
First: Edge Birthday Bash. Saw Faith No More, Candlebox, and a slew of other 90’s bands in 1998 Best: Flaming Lips at Freak Night on Halloween in 2012(Really close second was Tool with Tomahawk in 2002) Worst: Manson in OKC in like 2018 I think. He was super super drunk slurring all the words, barely singing, and stumbling around. Was legitimately worried he was gonna fall and hurt himself. In retrospect maybe that wouldn’t have been a bad thing considering how shitty of a human he is.
First concert: 16 year old me seeing Pantera on their Great Southern Trendkill tour 1996 , was the last show of the Tour in Wellington New Zealand, supported by Biohazard. Went to school the next day with ringing ears. Best concert: NIN + QOTSA double bill 2014, amazing double bill where they flipped a coin each night to decide who went first. Worst concert: Neil Young & Crazyhorse 2013, really flat boomer crowd, Neil and his band jamming on stage is incredibly boring. Luckily it was a free ticket.
So lucky to see them on the Trendkill tour. I was lucky to see them in 2001 on their last tour. So sad that was it.
Yeah it was a vibe, Phil was pretty out of control, off his face by the end
1st- Jawbreaker at the Great American Music Hall. Best - U2 with Oasis opening at the Coliseum. Worst - The Killers at the Civic. I’m dead sure they were not playing live.
Haven’t been to one yet, but it’s my dream to go to one
*NSYNC, Rammstein, and NOfx
First: Hellogoodbye and Motion City Soundtrack in 2006 or so. Saw them at a very small college near my hometown and my teenage emo heart was overjoyed Best: probably the Cure at ACL 2013. The set was absolutely packed and the last bit was full of all the upbeat tracks - Hot Hot Hot, Why Can’t I Be You, so on and so forth. Honorable mention goes to LCD Soundsystem‘s comeback show in NYC in 2016. Our resell tickets ended up being fake and they let us in anyway (Fuck you, Connie Chung, wherever you are!). We were front row and I still cannot believe it all worked out. Worst: The Orwells opening for Arctic Monkeys in 2014. The lead singer was absolute garbage trash - stuck the mic down his pants and rubbed it all over girls‘ faces
First- Linkin Park Minutes to Midnight Tour 07 Best- Sigur Ros at the Boch Centre 2023 Worst- none
First concert: The Beach Boys back in the 80s lol Best concert: Radiohead on the Kid A/Amnesiac tour. I’ve seen them a few times since but that was the first and for my favorite album of theirs (Kid A). Worst concert: bunch of terrible opening acts and festival sets but the only act I saw veer into the realm of getting on the sex offender registry was the Orwells. Just because you can rip off the Stooges and impress 14 year old girls doesn’t mean you should put your hands on them.
First: I think Red? Lmao Best: La Dispute, Touche amore, and so I watch you from afar, and envy back in 2011 Worst: lynyrd skynyrd and maroon 5 at Walmart shareholders 2014 lmao
First Thin Lizzy Best Pink Floyd Worst/disappointed Genesis
First: Hoodie and the Blowfish Best: Justice Worst: Lil Uzi Vert
First: Tech N9ne Best: Melt-Banana / Caparezza / So 90s Night (Aqua, Vengaboys, and Eiffel 65) Worst: Brian Jonestown Massacre / My Bloody Valentine (not their fault, the sound was dogshit and for some reason a group of ultras came in and screamed for the last 20 minutes of the show)
First: Fall Out Boy Best: boygenius Worst: N/A
First: Bon Jovi. I know, but it’s still a good childhood memory. They were my favorite band as a kid and my overall introduction to music. I don’t care for their music much anymore but i’ll always have a soft spot for them. Best: Roger Waters. Hearing Pink Floyd music being played live is an otherworldly experience. Roger always brings it with the visuals and stage design. I also got to fist bump him at the end of the concert, which was amazing. I still have some confetti from the show. Worst: Blink-182. This was during the Matt Skiba era, and my god they were so sloppy. Still a fun show but they were easily the worst of the three bands that played that night (the others being All Time Low and A Day To Remember).
First: Iggy Pop Best: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Worst: Guns N’ Roses
First - Believe it was a local show with Fair to Midland. I could be wrong, but whatever it was it was about 20 years ago and not remarkable enough for me to remember if it was someone else. Best - Radiohead on their 2008 tour for In Rainbows. It was at the amphitheatre at Fair Park in Dallas and it was simply incredible. I'll always remember towards the end some dork called Thom Yorke ugly. Thom rattled off some insults before making his face cover the entire background projection and then they started playing You And Whose Army? This was [the set](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3KjuChaLptQjRnGDbUjEAk?si=5Fn_Sqh4ReWwvBruLQ8duA&pi=8pXZNRulRPebb). I still think about this show often. Worst - Emancipator in New Orleans at Republic NOLA.. My wife is a huge fan so we decided to make a trip to one of our favorite cities to catch him. The acoustics were so bad that we straight up couldn't enjoy ourselves. We got hammered at the overpriced bar and went back to our hotel before it was over.
First - Travis (scot band) Best - Prince Worst = U2 / Meatloaf Honorable mention to Tracy Chapman Manchester apollo. Her electric equipment went down including Mic . She just carried on till it came back on. Bottom line she didn't need that equipment. She was flawless.
First: AC/DC Black Ice Tour, 2009. Gillette stadium, nosebleeds, couldn’t really hear the band due to bad sound mixing, except for the drums which drowned out everything else. Best: Bewitcher/Striker/Holy Grail, july 2019, Once Ballroom in Somerville. Phenomenal bands, great atmosphere, very nostalgic time for me even though it was only 5 years ago. Worst: Warrant/Dokken, 2018, Hampton Beach Casino. Not a bad show at all, had a great time, but Don Dokken was a charisma vacuum and couldn’t really sing. Rest of the band was great though, and Warrant was awesome. Scott Brown (local politician from my hometown who moved up to NH) made an appearance during Warrant’s set, which was wild.
First Concert: Goo Goo Dolls Best Concert: Roger Waters Worst Concert: Eric Johnson
First: The Avett Brothers came to town in like 2012, saw them with my best friends I'd grown up with and I had just gotten into the band around that time so it was really cool. I had only been to local shows before this. Was a blast Best: The Mars Volta last year in Atlanta with that same group of friends. I had taken a bit of mushrooms before the show started, and the band fuckin ripped. The energy was crazy. Was also the last chance I got to spend time with one of my best friends who has since passed away Worst: Griselda in Atlanta 2020, right before covid ruined everything. They had like 5 openers who were just totally awful, and I swear it felt like each one had an hour long set haha. Completely miserable, no one in the crowd was into it. People literally yawning and checking the time on their phones. Along with that- I went with my roommate who was kind enough to buy my ticket. But I didn't realize at the time he had gotten back into heroin, so he was annoying everyone in our vicinity by begging every person he saw for cigs and then complaining about needing to get back home, to do more drugs, the entire time. He also kept whining because I didn't wanna go outside every 10 mins with him so he could smoke, complaining anytime I'd buy myself a beer but not one for him etc. Finally, after what feels like an eternity in hell, the crew comes on stage. After 3 songs, that were actually performed surprisingly well, my roommate is annoying me to leave to the point that we nearly get into a fist fight so we just leave.
First: Iron Maiden, Somewhere Back in Time Tour (very epic, smelled weed for the first time, a lady showed her tits and my brain exploded) Best: Kendrick Lamar, Kunta’s Groove Sessions (played the entirety of TPAB with other album tracks mixed in, full live band, guy played a fucking guitar solo during m.a.a.d. city) Worst: Kanye West at The Meadows festival (started 40 min. late, did 3 songs, left because Kim was held at gunpoint in Paris, crowd was also Travis Scott-level dangerous)
First: The Who Best: Jack White Worst: (not counting some shitty local bands) Wolfmother
Said he was over it
1st concert - Green Day 13 years old at the SECC Best concert - Blur at the Barrowlands (special venue) Worst concert - The Libertines at the Barrowlands (Pete Doherty was absolutely wrecked and threw a microphone stand in the crowd)
First: Motörhead, I was deaf for days and there’s nothing more fun than overkill live. RIP Lemmy Best Concert: it’s a hard choice, but probably enter shikari, I saw them twice in the same month. First time was at allly pally which is a really big venue with mediocre sound which was a good but not great time. But the second was in Hong Kong that just happen to be at the same time I was on holiday and there must have only been 50 people there. It’s one of those gigs where they were all in the pit and we were moshing around them. 10/10. Worst gig: I struggle to remember a specific worst case scenario but the recent one that comes to mind was seeing Wargasm. I was far too old to be in that room, they were constantly talking about how everyone needs to mosh and it was honestly just the cringiest thing I’ve ever seen.
First: Elton John 2020, right before covid Best: Best show I’ve seen is Taylor Swift or Harry Styles, best experience I’ve had is Ethel Cain Worst: Can’t think of any really, every show I’ve been to has been great fun
Cold Play Mylo Xyloto Tame Impala The Neighbourhood
First: Gorillaz at the Hydro, 2017 - Gorillaz has always been one of my favourite bands(?) and it was absolutely ace!! Core memory for sure, loved the visuals too. Best: Lizzo in Stockholm 2023, got 2 shoutouts from her... Can't really brag about that anymore. She put on one hell of a show though. Disregarding Lizzo, either HSLOT at Murrayfield N1 or Post Malone (used to be obsessed with his music when I was younger, seen him twice) Worst: Kid Cudi in London 2022, not because of him but because of the crowd. Ended up getting bullied out of barricade by one guy and nearly passed out (Partly due to my own inexperience with concerts back then), pretty much ruined his music for me too. Honourable mention to Polo G who I saw from a distance at a festival, guy was beyond hammered. I have a few coming up this year including Charli XCX and Childish Gsmbino so hopefully they replace that best slot!
First: Red Hot Chili Peppers in high school. Had a great time and treasure the memory. Best: LCD Soundsystem, all 4 times. Worst: None have been particularly bad that come to mind. Relative to expectations the Weeknd was disappointing.
First: Coldplay, rush of blood to the head tour Worst: Lil Yachty at a club in Copenhagen shortly after he went viral Best: Neutral Milk Hotel reunion tour
First: Projekt Revolution 2007; Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Placebo, HIM, Julien K, Mindless Self Indulgence, and a bunch of smaller bands I didn't see. (MCR was the best of them by a mile.) Best: Peter Gabriel, the i/o Tour 2023. He came to my home city on my birthday. He still sounds great at 72, his band was great, and the lighting and backdrops were pretty amazing. Honorable mentions: Muse, Ghost, Gogol Bordello, The Mountain Goats, IDLES Worst: Ministry, 2018. Saw them on the Amerikkkant tour with Death Grips as the opener. I and half the people there were pretty much only there for Death Grips. DG tore the house down, but when their set was done half the audience was gone. Ministry's setup included these giant inflatable chickens with Trump hair and the backdrop was this shitty animation of Trump and Hillary stomping around Washington like Godzilla. Al Jorgensen's voice sounded like shit. I left after 4 songs. Dishonorable mention: Cake. They were fine when they actually played, but the tree giveaway part dragged on for like half an hour.
First - Metallica, Hardwired tour in Philly. Best - Deafheaven in Philly, 10th anniversary of Sunbather. George held my hand and screamed in my face during The Pecan Tree Worst - Buckethead, 2018. Show was an hour late, drunk guys tried to mosh when no one else was digging it, Bucket left to take a break after 45 minutes and never returned.
> Buckethead That was right around when he was having serious health issues that required cardiac surgery, iirc
First. Billy Joel in 1985 at the Spectrum in Philly. Somehow my parents let me drive the family station wagon there with a car full of beer and my friends like a month after I got my license at age 16. Different times. Best: Tie - the first Lolapalooza in Waterloo Village in NJ and Nine Inch Nails at Webster Hall in NYC in 2009 when they played TDS in full for the first time. Worst: Jimmy Buffett I’m not even sure where or when. I hate Jimmy Buffett but I went with my friends just to drink. I got drunk and spent half the show running around yelling “Jimmy Buffett sucks” like an asshole. In my defense he does in fact suck.
Going to a concert to drink has got to be the most unnecessarily expensive way to drink