Bands you liked less or more after seeing them live, and why

[Baroque]

Just got back from a show at the Whisky: Exmortus, Warbringer, Enforcer.

On the seriously long drive home I was thinking about how my perceptions of bands change the first time I see them (much moreso than subsequent times).

For example I had heard a coupe tracks of Enforcer on the web and thought they were pretty good. After seeing them live, no thanks! Definitely not a band for me. 3 out of 4 of them were not wearing shirts. Singer sounded like a girl compared to Exmortus and Warbringer. And they were so into themselves, just wouldn't get off the stage, saying "one more song" like 4 times. And still at the end they basically did the rock n roll equivalent of jazz hands.

I can definitely post some more experiences of how my perceptions changed after seeing a band live, but I'll save that for later. I'm curious to hear yours.

 

[The Ozzman]

Bands I liked more: Jungle Rot, Revocation, Abysmal Dawn, Arch Enemy (with Angela), Opeth
Bands I liked less: Septicflesh, Deicide, Arch Enemy (with Alissa), BTBAM, Native Construct

 

[EspaDa]

Deicide are actually that bad live? I know that Benton's live vocals aren't the same anymore. And I saw some Septicflesh live videos and they indeed sounded like shit.

 

[no country for old wainds]

how obnoxious a band is live has no impact on how i feel about their studio albums (and vice versa) tbh. i don't need to like the musicians to appreciate their music.

 

[Baroque]

Bands I liked more: Jungle Rot, Revocation, Abysmal Dawn, Arch Enemy (with Angela), Opeth
Bands I liked less: Septicflesh, Deicide, Arch Enemy (with Alissa), BTBAM, Native Construct

and why

 

[Baroque]

how obnoxious a band is live has no impact on how i feel about their studio albums (and vice versa) tbh. i don't need to like the musicians to appreciate their music.

What about bands that you liked more after seeing them live then?

 

[The Ozzman]

and why

Because.

View media item 37

 

[Baroque]

Because.

View media item 37

Way to set the example for the community there mr. mod. I guess it was foolish to think I could have an actual legit discussion around here. That always just ends in flaming and gifs. Why not skip right to the point of this forum right?

 

[Baroque]

Bands I liked more:
Fog of War - The guys were really cool to talk to at the merch table, and had good stage presence/energy.

Warbringer - John Kevill is a beast that commands your attention onstage. He gets right in your face and isn't afraid to touch the crowd, even stage dives himself. He always talks about keeping metal alive and shit. Gives everyone handshakes who wants them after the show.

Kreator - Badass live energy like Warbringer, but without the touchy feely lol.

Bonded by Blood - Intense energy, gets a moshpit going every time. I don't actually like their albums much, but I would go see them live almost anytime.

Huntress - Another band I don't like their actual albums, but live they are amazing. Watching the singer is like watching an insane possessed witch or something. And she's kind of hot, it's mesmerizing.

Bands I liked less:
Overkill - I didn't have a chance to see them in their prime, but a couple years ago these guys really sucked. The singer was just complaining that he had to play on the small stage, and kept talking about piss for some reason. The guitarist was a douche. Seemed like they didn't really want to be there.

Hatchet - A shame because they do have a great live sound actually. The singer is kind of an ego freak though, also whining and complaining about stuff onstage.

 

[The Ozzman]

Way to set the example for the community there mr. mod. I guess it was foolish to think I could have an actual legit discussion around here. That always just ends in flaming and gifs. Why not skip right to the point of this forum right?

Y so srs? A lot of those bands I had only seen for the first time so I don't know if you can say I disliked or liked them more after. I either became interested or disinterested.

Deicide because Glen Benton looked like he didn't want to be there and neither did Jack Owen or anyone else. Steve Asheim is the saving grace for that band.

Arch Enemy: I don't like the band anymore, but at least Angela had some good stage presence. Alissa just looks pretty and brings no style to the stage.

Opeth because Akerfeldt is fucking hilarious.

 

[Mort Divine]

Never really got into The Devil's Blood just due to album content alone. Just assumed they were another psych rock retro revival act, but wow did seeing them live change that opinion. Really high energy, great presence, Farida Lemouchi had total control of the crowd, etc.

 

[Phylactery]

I've not been to see many live shows. I've seen Slayer and Morbid Angel a couple of times and I went to Download Festival one year Metallica played, 2005 maybe?

The Slayer shows were a nightmare, mosh pits everywhere and people running around like lunatics and they didn't play enough songs off Hell Awaits. Not my scene.

The Morbid Angel shows were more chilled and I enjoyed them a lot both times. Even if they were terrible though, I'd still worship Altars of Madness and Blessed are the Sick so it didn't change my opinion of them even though they were great.

Download Festival was awful and has put me off festivals for life.

 

[zerostatic]

More:
Raven - Saw them about five years ago and they put on a killer show. They really seemed to be enjoying themselves even though the turnout was low.
Evile - Saw these guys play on a Monday night and I was one of about 10 people at the show. They didn't phone it in and played over an hour.

Less:

Soulfly - I used to really like this band but their last few shows have been a let down. They play too many Sepultura songs and I don't need to hear them play Roots Bloody Roots again. The last time I saw them they had a sign in their merch area advertising the opportunity to meet Max after the show for $100.

 

[Satanstoenail]

I don't really let live shows influence my opinion of a band one way or another. If I like their recorded material then chances are I'm still going to like it afterwards whether they ruled live or not. There are so many factors that can make or break a live performance. One thing I love about local gigs though is when I see a band for the first time after hearing maybe one song on youtube or nothing at all and they absolutely blow me away. I've been known to run to the merch stand numerous times and buy as much as I can based on one awesome set. Beastwars are a good example.

 

[Onder]

Download Festival was awful and has put me off festivals for life.

Even though I enjoyed the one festival I went to (it was Obscene Extreme and I was drunk for 3 days straight) I'm probably never going to go to a festival again ever. I'd rather make a trip to some castle with my girlfriend and go to a rail station pub and have kids and visit a grandmother or something, or just drink wine at home reading a newspaper.

There are many reasons why festivals are cunts, here are some of the major cunt fumes:

1) The band list is so large that you don't really like most of the bands you pay for anyway, or you're too drunk or tired to enjoy all of those you want to.
2) There are people everywhere and they steal your shit.
3) It's expensive as fuck.
4) The toilet game is ridiculous. Portable toilets have shit everywhere.
5) It's usually in some shithole so you have to sleep in a tent or something, where some drugged cunt steals your shit.
etc.

Long story short festivals are a game for drugged youngters, not me.

 

[Dak]

Hatchet - A shame because they do have a great live sound actually. The singer is kind of an ego freak though, also whining and complaining about stuff onstage.

Yeah I was underwhelmed by their live performance. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either. Doesn't affect my enjoyment of the album material though.

 

[Baroque]

Yeah I was underwhelmed by their live performance. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either. Doesn't affect my enjoyment of the album material though.

Yeah I was just rocking Fear Beyond Lunacy in my car this morning. They do have a good sound, I've just seen them a few times, and the singer has pulled the same stuff more than once. Complaining about the sound setup, complaining about people not getting into the music enough (not enough headbanging or moshing or..), complaining the crowd was too small. Telling his bandmates what song is next as if they're too dumb to remember. Idk. When I got his autograph he was cool though and thanked me for coming out. Just seems like he runs that band with an iron fist by his stage antics lol.

 

[Dak]

Yeah I was just rocking Fear Beyond Lunacy in my car this morning. They do have a good sound, I've just seen them a few times, and the singer has pulled the same stuff more than once. Complaining about the sound setup, complaining about people not getting into the music enough (not enough headbanging or moshing or..), complaining the crowd was too small. Telling his bandmates what song is next as if they're too dumb to remember. Idk. When I got his autograph he was cool though and thanked me for coming out. Just seems like he runs that band with an iron fist by his stage antics lol.

Yeah he was doing the crowd thing when I saw them as well but he had a legitimate reason. I guess due to it being a Monday and close to finals (late April), there was probably less than 50 people in the venue and nobody was moshing or anything.

 

[zerostatic]

Thought of a couple more:

Aborted, Morbid Angel and Nile. I thought all sounded a lot better live than on the recording.

One that left me confused was Overkill. The singer left the stage during most of the songs while the band continued on without him.

 

[Sirjack]

l cant say l've ever really liked a band less after seeing them live, because you must understand circumstance at the time.
you know, crap sound engineers, dodgy equipment, stress etc
my main gripe with live bands has to be the sound and that really comes down to them all being too fucking loud.
Honestly even bands whose songs l know backwards start playing a tune and lm thinking ' is this...ugh cant quite get that riff..shit where is the bass/guitar/harmony/snare etc'
l remember seeing Carcass in Melbourne on the Heartwork 93 tour and gezuz, l fucking love Carcass l know their catalog second to none- certain songs l was - 'what tune is this'
'is this..' same with Sepultura a year or so before. Muddy production can kill an impression quicker that giving bands a second chance.
Sure commitment, desire, energy on the bands behalf is a HUGE factor and no doubt an energetic, captivating frontman can convince
you his bands awesome, but the sheer volume takes the enjoyment out of it for me.

saying that, Bad Religion totally ruled live after mocking their punky jams for years
Napalm Death and Obituary in London 1994 (with Pitch Shifter, Eye Hate God) was always gonna be godly and it was. no surprise there
a mate dragged me along to a Terrovision/Def Leppard gig at Wembley Arena in which l hated Terrovision and fell asleep during DL - drunk
l dragged him along to Metallica at Earls Court when they used to put the lights up. Cant say l felt one way or another love/hate after that gig
just wished they'ed played old songs in their entirety

but l must say best gig l've ever been to was probably AC/DC at Rod Laver arena October 1991 Melbourne.
juices flowed
Edit: because - the sound was perfect, every instrument clear and lethal and not deafening. AC/DC also had a bad name at the time (In Oz at least) for sloppy(still do) playing but that gig was to me the perfect live performance.