Oh man, there have been so many boring shows--Prefuse 73, El Guapo, the Gena Rowlands Band, some cock rock band my friend drums for (it's a terrible show when you actually fall asleep. In a bar.) I've even had the misfortune of seeing Widespread Panic one weekend a long time ago when my dad and I were really bored.

There was this local band called Fight Team or something like that who opened for Melt Banana a couple years ago and totally blew. The singer was this Rollins wannabe meathead who swung around and scowled at the audience, who weren't buying his shit for a second. I heard that dude complaining about the overly "nerdy" audience after the show.

But the worst extended train wreck I've ever seen was USA Is A Monster like five years ago at Above Books in Athens. There were six or seven people--all completely wasted--making the most horrible, unevocative noise ever. Then there was their meth lab posterboy who spent most of the show tripping over his cables, unplugging his and his bandmate's instruments, finally giving up and just rolling around on the floor, yanking his pants down and spanking his hairy ass. He wandered in on the next act and kept shouting stuff like "My life is a FARCE" during their set. At the end of the evening, they were still hanging around the venue, drunk and getting drunker. The venue owner did not want to close up and leave with them still there, as they'd already been pissing into empty beer bottles in the parking lot and spraypainting themselves.

I saw a post-Peter Cetera Chicago play at Summerfest in Milwaukee some time in the mid-80’s with my dad. Even my dad, who absolutely loved Chicago, thought it was awful. That same day, on a different stage, America played and they sucked swamp water, as well.

I saw Royal Trux open for Sonic Youth some years ago at First Avenue in Minneapolis and, in spite of RT being one of the worst sounding, gawd-awful shows I’ve ever attended, it was also one of the more endearing. I can’t remember her name, but when the band went on stage, the singer slowly drawled, “hhhaaaeeyyyyy….. Millllwaaauuukkeeeeeeee…â€

I agree. I saw them a few years ago and was surprised at how much they sucked. Amateurs short on talent and a point.

robert thefamilyghost wrote:A.R.E. Weapons...they opened for Trans Am last time i saw them...absolute shit...EXCRUCIATINGLY LOUD absolute shit...even a great show at that volume would have been physically painful...but there i was, losing just a little bit of my hearing because of some worthless garbage...

Did anyone see sonic youth at the royal festival hall 3 years ago??? That was painful!!! I have seen some pretty shocking support bands, recently monade at the slint forum show. Ha, in fact every band that played the slint atp were perhaps some of the worst live bands on the planet!

I will think of more.

I saw Das Damen play a zillion times and never once enjoyed it.

fortissimorecords wrote:Did anyone see sonic youth at the royal festival hall 3 years ago??? That was painful!!! I have seen some pretty shocking support bands, recently monade at the slint forum show. Ha, in fact every band that played the slint atp were perhaps some of the worst live bands on the planet!

I will think of more.

I went to that SY show - the "Goodbye 20th Century" one - and quite liked it - sorry! Of added amusement was the wag who kept shouting "Play '100%'!" over and over again.

At least, I think he was being ironic.

That's another kind of worst show ever -- one where the band doesn't do anything wrong, but someone in the audience doing or saying something wrecks it.

Flaneur wrote:That's another kind of worst show ever -- one where the band doesn't do anything wrong, but someone in the audience doing or saying something wrecks it.

It wasn't by far the worst show I'd ever seen, but the guy who kept shouting for Mr. Bungle to play "Quote Unquote" was certainly amusing.

Shellac in Madison, WI, (2002/3?) was (nearly) ruined by a stoned idiot trying to start a mosh pit and that doofus from Evil Beaver throwing horns in Steve's face while he sang.

I wanted to slap them. Otherwise, a fine show.

ginandtacos.com wrote:throwing horns

The Throwing Horns are a terrible, terrible band.

However, "throwing horns" is a good "Code For Shit" term.

Salut, Throwing Horns.