Worst Crowd Reaction you've witnessed
- Thread starter SwordLord
- Start date
40 people?!
eaeolian
Division Guitarist
mitchgx
Tired and Irritable
Considering the hundreds of shows I've seen, I'm surprised that I can only think of two occasions where the crowd really seemed to turn on a band. In both cases, they were opening bands at an arena show....and they both show how old I am.
The first was Jon Butcher Axis opening for Scorpions on the Love at First Sting tour (it was '83 or '84). The crowd booed them pretty mercilessly and I seem to remember Jon Butcher getting into it with some of the fans in the front. The other was Warrior Soul opening for Queensryche on the Empire tour. Now, I was super excited to see Warrior Soul, and the crowd was fairly indifferent to them....at least until Kory Clarke went on a rant about George Bush (that's the original George Bush, of course), and then the band did "Four More Years". The crowd did *not* like being preached to (and "Four More Years" is a spoken word rant), and really turned on the band. I was bummed....although I didn't care for Clarke's posturing either. Whether I agreed with what he was saying or not, people were there for a metal show, not a political rant.
Oh, I do recall being at some big radio station festival in the mid '90s that Korn was headlining. The Goo Goo Dolls were playing a couple spots ahead of Korn, and they cut their set short and stormed off because of all the crap being hurled onstage. Honestly though, that crowd was so full of drunk d-bag Korn fans (I'm sorry, was that redundant?) that *any* band would have been getting stuff thrown at them, considering that there were fires being set and things being thrown *everywhere*....including full gallon jugs of water. We actually left well before Korn came on because it was just not a safe environment.
The first was Jon Butcher Axis opening for Scorpions on the Love at First Sting tour (it was '83 or '84). The crowd booed them pretty mercilessly and I seem to remember Jon Butcher getting into it with some of the fans in the front. The other was Warrior Soul opening for Queensryche on the Empire tour. Now, I was super excited to see Warrior Soul, and the crowd was fairly indifferent to them....at least until Kory Clarke went on a rant about George Bush (that's the original George Bush, of course), and then the band did "Four More Years". The crowd did *not* like being preached to (and "Four More Years" is a spoken word rant), and really turned on the band. I was bummed....although I didn't care for Clarke's posturing either. Whether I agreed with what he was saying or not, people were there for a metal show, not a political rant.
Oh, I do recall being at some big radio station festival in the mid '90s that Korn was headlining. The Goo Goo Dolls were playing a couple spots ahead of Korn, and they cut their set short and stormed off because of all the crap being hurled onstage. Honestly though, that crowd was so full of drunk d-bag Korn fans (I'm sorry, was that redundant?) that *any* band would have been getting stuff thrown at them, considering that there were fires being set and things being thrown *everywhere*....including full gallon jugs of water. We actually left well before Korn came on because it was just not a safe environment.
Speaking of low turnouts, I have a friend who actually saw Rotting Christ in Worcester during a blizzard. He claims that a grand total of nine people showed up. Apparently, when they went on-stage, they didn't even have a setlist - they just pointed at people and asked, "What do you want to hear?"
Most of this is true. I was at the same show, and there was very close to a grand total of nine people. Maybe a bit more as the night went on, but I doubt it reached more than 20 or 30. They played the same set that they did for the rest of the tour, though.
That friend of yours doesn't happen to be Spencer, does it?
The surprising part about this is Korn fans being old enough to drink. I have a hard time believe Korn appeals to anyone old enough to vote, let alone drink.
I once played a gig where kids were shooting bottle rockets at me. That was pretty annoying and during breaks in the song I was standing up from the drumkit and yelling at them to stop with many swear words.
AMBR
Metal Grandma
The Chance has been there forEVER! Hate to date myself, but I was going to shows there in the 80's when I was dating a guy who was a student at the nearby Culinary Institute of America. It seemed old to me then.My first metal show was at The Chance! I had begged my mom at 15 to take me to go see Kamelot. We had no idea what to look for, and MapQuest was completely useless. Every time we thought we knew where we were going -- nope, have a No Left Turn sign...
But we did both get there, and it was fantastic. Then we discovered The Palladium and haven't looked back.
Speaking of low turnouts, I have a friend who actually saw Rotting Christ in Worcester during a blizzard. He claims that a grand total of nine people showed up. Apparently, when they went on-stage, they didn't even have a setlist - they just pointed at people and asked, "What do you want to hear?"
LOL, about the blizzard show. Sonata Arctica had a similar problem when they played in Jersey a couple years ago. Wasn't a blizzard. It was the Super Bowl and the Giants were in it. (And won, I might add
) They couldn't understand why no one was there, and the few that were had their backs to them and were watching the big screen TV, lol. At least the game was just about over when they started. The warm up bands had no audience. practically.
TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER
Halcyon Way Sufferer
- Jan 7, 2002
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Speaking of weird pairings, I saw King's X and Fishbone play before a crowd of maybe 50 in Lemont, Illinois, in 2003. The venue (Sean Kaley's) was difficult to find and clearly hadn't promoted the show very well at all. Fishbone played for maybe 15 minutes before their gear crapped out and they called it a night. The crowd was not pleased, but more of a "Huh...that sucks" not pleased than a riotous not pleased. (Later in the evening, a stupendously intoxicated Angelo Moore tried to sell me a comic book.) King's X had no problems at all and was awesome, though I'll bet Doug was a bit bummed about the turnout because his mom was there (Doug is from Braidwood, which isn't very far from Lemont).
The worst crowd reaction I've ever witnessed was...understandable. I was writing for the Peoria Journal Star, and I was sent to cover a Ministry show at the Madison Theater. The opening act -- a then-unknown local band called Mudvayne -- played its set and was fine, and then Ministry's crew started setting up the stage for Al and company. We waited. Forty-five minutes pass. Power to the stage and soundboard is cut. Thirty more minutes pass. The curtain is pulled. At this point I see cops filing into the building on both sides, and one of them makes an announcement that the show is canceled. (The official statement said that Jourgensen lost his voice, but I'll just say that I heard a different story and leave it at that.) The crowd -- which had nothing to do but drink for the previous 75 minutes and was generally of the "dumb-ass redneck" persuasion anyway -- begins to get frisky. Chairs are thrown. Punches are thrown. Arrests are made. My concert review turns into a news story before my eyes. I leave the auditorium and enter the lobby, and out the plate glass doors I see more cop cars than I'd ever seen before in my life. I interview the owner. He tells me what he knows, which isn't much. I interview the manager. He tells me what he knows, which is potentially libelous and can't be used. I interview the ranking officer at the scene. He lies to me about pretty much everything. I go back to the newsroom to write this story so it can go into the next available edition, completely ruining my evening, as I had plans to go out with my friends after the show. I'm on the phone until 3 A.M. trying to get information about this debacle; I get very little. The cops eventually acknowledge that several arrests were made. Ministry never returned to Peoria.
The worst crowd reaction I've ever witnessed was...understandable. I was writing for the Peoria Journal Star, and I was sent to cover a Ministry show at the Madison Theater. The opening act -- a then-unknown local band called Mudvayne -- played its set and was fine, and then Ministry's crew started setting up the stage for Al and company. We waited. Forty-five minutes pass. Power to the stage and soundboard is cut. Thirty more minutes pass. The curtain is pulled. At this point I see cops filing into the building on both sides, and one of them makes an announcement that the show is canceled. (The official statement said that Jourgensen lost his voice, but I'll just say that I heard a different story and leave it at that.) The crowd -- which had nothing to do but drink for the previous 75 minutes and was generally of the "dumb-ass redneck" persuasion anyway -- begins to get frisky. Chairs are thrown. Punches are thrown. Arrests are made. My concert review turns into a news story before my eyes. I leave the auditorium and enter the lobby, and out the plate glass doors I see more cop cars than I'd ever seen before in my life. I interview the owner. He tells me what he knows, which isn't much. I interview the manager. He tells me what he knows, which is potentially libelous and can't be used. I interview the ranking officer at the scene. He lies to me about pretty much everything. I go back to the newsroom to write this story so it can go into the next available edition, completely ruining my evening, as I had plans to go out with my friends after the show. I'm on the phone until 3 A.M. trying to get information about this debacle; I get very little. The cops eventually acknowledge that several arrests were made. Ministry never returned to Peoria.
J-Dubya 777
It NEVER ends
Unfortunately, the Milwaukee show wasn't much better attendance-wise.
The band played like they were in an arena, though....MAJOR props to them!
Edit: Most weird pairing - Molly Hatchet & MSG at the Aragon
mel_progson
Member
Speaking of bad pairings, I wasn't at this gig, but Pantera were playing here in Newcastle with someone else, maybe Machine Head or Biohazard, but a 3rd band was added to to lineup-Silverchair. Needless to say, they were boo'd the f#ck off stage apparently.
Pellaz
Tigron of Immanion
Megametal
Member
My first concert was Cheap Trick in 1980 at Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI. The opener was Pezband also from Illinios like Cheap Trick. I remember people in the front rows flipping them off and throwing stuff at them. They left after only playing like 3 songs.
johan68
Member
The worst paring I've ever witnessed in person was The Gathering and The Misfits... There were two of us there to see The Gathering. Everyone else hung at the bar or stood outside the venue smoking weed....
Jasonic
Doom On!
That's odd. I thought most Cheap Trick fans were Off Broadway fans.
Both are power pop bands. I have never heard Pezband, but their vocalist is the same weirdo from Off Broadway.
Jasonic
Doom On!
I don't think that's too odd. I would think both crowds could appreciate both bands.
You want odd? I have been to these:
Sisters of Mercy / Public Enemy / Gang of Four / Warrior Soul
Public Enemy / Sonic Youth
Neil Young / Sonic Youth / Social Distortion
Yeah, the recession of the 90's resulted in some VERY odd touring packages!
Diabolik
Member
Off Broadway are a weird band to begin with....look who is playing guitar in the band now. One of the strangest guys in the world.
Jasonic
Doom On!
mitchgx
Tired and Irritable
Horrible promoter, and even worse venue. If I didn't troll around on some of the same metal boards as Nick, I wouldn't have even known Redemption was in town.
At least now it looks like they're booking their shows at The Clubhouse, which is much better. But they don't appear to spend a dime on advertising. Geez, guys...buy a dang ad in the New Times once in a while to let fans of this music know who's coming to town.
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