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Worst Concert Experience


Shreddy Lee
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New years eve, Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. I work at a liquor store, and it being New Years Eve, I have to work until about 7:00 PM, then catch the subway downtown to meet up with the gang at the show. My non drinking girlfriend at the time decided to go downtown early with my future sister-inlaw and take up a new hobby, drinking. I make good time and walk in to the arena just as the lights dim and the first band takes the stage (the drummer would become my brother in law many years later). So in the darkness I make my way to our floor seats and spot everybody but my girlfriend. Where is she? I ask, but before I get an answer, the smell of puke hits me and I see here curled up beneath the seats. I briefly hoped that she would sleep it off and come to, but she just started to puke more. The arena attendants came, then on to an ambulance and off to a nearby hospital. So they pump her stomach and giver her a room where she falls asleep. And there I sat, watching her until about 2:00 am when the rest of the gang showed up. Pretty dismal night all in all, but one of the few new years from that period that I can actually remember.
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I feel like I'm the only one who gets the joke here...

 

Not the only one, no.

 

I've been waiting for you, by the way. I thought you'd probably never arrive.

The first thing I thought of when I saw the user name.

 

I'm glad that someone else got that, too! :)

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Judas Priest, spring 1980. At one point during the show I turned around because Glenn Tipton, with a horrified look on his face, was looking at someone behind me. I turned to see a girl, roughly my age, maybe 10' away from me, pupils as big as basketballs, standing almost stock still in a crowd of jumping/dancing people. Vomit was pouring out of her mouth and streaming down her shirt, and she was completely oblivious to it. She looked like something from the Exorcist.
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Here's a horror story that ended any and all desires for me to ever attend a daylong rock fest again.

 

Monsters of Rock, '88. LA Coliseum. The likes of Kingdom Come, Dokken, Metallica, the Scorpions, and Van Halen. Sounds like a metal heaven, yeah?

 

So me and the gang (about 6 of us) are all about 19, 20. We paid, via a broker, 200 bucks a ticket for 9th row Eddie's side in the pit (take into mind the Coliseum capacity was just short of 100k). 200 bucks in 1988 was a ridiculous amount of money to pay for Van Halen headliners, But that's how hard rock we were even at that tender age.

 

So we're at the hotel and the other boys are doing lots of pre show drugs, so much so we're late getting to the venue and totally miss KC and Dokken. No biggie. Then the security gal patting down our buddy finds our entire concert stash on his person thanks to his lazy attention in hiding it on his person. C'est la vie. We get inside to hear James Hetfield, he of Metallica frontman fame, 1/2 way through their set calling all the nosebleeds down from their perches in the arena loge. So 30k people rush the floor, overwhelming the helplessly looking on cops and yellow jacket security in an insane free-for-all resulting in many a bloody nose and black eye, and, of course, completely destroying any chance of any folks who hadn't yet to made it to their seats to actually retain said seats. No matter how much they paid or how reserved seating was supposedly guaranteed.

 

So we ghost-walk around the stadium coming down from our, uh, pre-show libations. Not in the good way. Hard comedown. Burning out and fading. One of us gets separated from the group, has the misfortune of being too close to a biker gang fight (not kidding), even though looking completely like the blonde surfcat stoner that he was (as in, not a hardcore greasy Hell's Angel whatsoever), and the cops boot him outta the stadium along with the bikers. He was standing about 20 feet from the brawl, that's all. Cue his exit before the Scorpions even hit the stage.

 

Two of us dissapear into the mass swarm that is the front section of the floor now, swearing and sweating and coming down, never to be seen again until the hotel at 2 am.

 

The three remaining survivors bumble and fumble around the back of the stadium, finding vacant nosebleed seats 10 miles from the stage, eternities away from 200 dollar 9th row seats. :) We barely acknowledge the Scorpions's set (Savage Amusement tour) due to our broken hearts.

 

Van Halen takes FOREVER to take the stage. We're hot and completely miserable by the time the crowd starts to near-riot waiting for VH (about two hours between Scorpions and their entry). Chairs and bottles and debri thrown about the arena.

 

Diehard VH fans that we were (even with Sammy) we hardly paid attention to VH's set, wondering where the hell the other three guys were.

 

Post-show, we head over the the 7-11 near USC designated as the place to meet up should we all become separated. After another hour (it's 1 am now), we realized the other three aren't gonna make it. Instead of calling a cab like smart kids, we look over at the deceivingly close spires of the Westin Bonaventure which only seems a few blocks away (actually a few miles). We shrug and say let's walk.

 

Brilliant, if you know the neighborhood between USC the 110 freeway and downtown LA.

 

And sure enough, walking through the barred warehouses and pawn shops and back alleys, a metallic lowrider ambles up, a shotgun cocks and sticks two barrels out the window, and a far too young voice says (you don't belong around here. run motherf**kers run).

 

And sure enough we ran.

 

Two miles from the dark urban landscape through a couple homeless encampments, back to the safety of the Westin finally at 2 or 230 am, where our 3 associates, as well as my waiting gf, are waiting in alternately irritated and panicked states.

 

Ha. I hated that concert with a passion. But I do love telling the tale. True story. Really. :)

 

Sounded like quite a day....

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Ahhh mine was on the R30 tour when they played at Jones beach.All day it was pretty crappy out raining but I had hope it will clear up....boy was I wrong!.As I borrowed a friends car and drove from Manhattan down to through Brooklyn it was like a friggin monsoon with severe T-Storms but I turned on the radio to K-Rock and said "...and for all you Rush fans the concert is actually goin on!" So as I got there and almost missing the entire set got to myself and thinkng "this sucks" but seeing the Rush fans goin nuts even with high winds and quite chilly for late June or early July (I forget) made me get into the mood but out of no where it all stopped when they played "Earthshine" and it was perfect weather from there on.Also a lot of us noticed that the storm was at its peak when they played "Force Ten" coincidence? Or were the Rush gods smiling down on us?.Sadly as I left the killer concert flying back to Manhattan with a few fans who needed a ride back to Manhattan I got pulled over and as I was about to get a ticket one of the fans had family in the NYPD and showed him his Family ID and member cards and the ticket was gone! Again I guess the Rush gods hooked me up with a NYPD family member in the car.

 

Actually this happened to me yrs earlier when I was seeing Pink Floyd on the "Momentarly Lapse of Reason" tour they played at Meadowlands NJ and it was raining and even though it was June it felt like Late March with temperatures in the high 50s and soaking wet.

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I've never had a terrible concert experience, but the worst opening act I've ever seen was 2 summers ago (woah, I thought it was last summer until I realized.. damn time flies by)

 

It was Hessler, they were opening for Slash at my town's annual July 4th festival, Naperville Ribfest. We were about 20 feet from the stage. The band before these guys was pretty good, they did some original stuff and mixed in some Foo Fighters. I thought the band after it would be better than that, and no...

 

They start setting up the stage, and the drumset looks like a creepy version of Ringo Starr's tiny kit. I seem to remember there being voodoo heads set up on the stage. They soon come out, and they're all half naked. Covered in makeup to make them look like there's cuts all over them, all the clothes they were wearing was ripped up and mangled.

 

And then they start playing... All it was was a ton of sound as fast and as loud as possible. The drummer was beating the crap out of the drums in seemingly no order. The guitarist was playing chords as loud and fast as possible. And the girl singer, who was probably pretty attractive if she took off her blood makeup, was singing a bunch of nonsense that was hardly comprehensible.

 

And then the guitarist jumps down off the stage and starts crowdsurfing. Less than two feet from me. I have it all on video, I just happened to be recording when he jumped down into the crowd.

 

here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40T_jOl4MR0

 

keep in mind that this is at a charity event meant to raise money for child abuse......

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I haven't had a 'bad' concert experience, really.

 

At a festival in Dallas in 2013, I had just recently torn my ACL (though I didn't yet know it - still was waiting for MRI) and it was an all-day thing. I stood almost the whole time, dipping in and out of the huge crowds that were there to see their favorite bands. For some shows, I was at the very front. For others, I was apathetically sitting on the side.

 

I went with four friends and one friend's girlfriend. Early on, my friend with his girlfriend disappeared, only to be found out by the car at the very end of the festival. I didn't really care. I was just glad they were there. His phone was dead and God only knows what could've happened when we lost contact in that crowd. We might've been there for hours.

 

Anyways, two friends and I were together the whole time, thoroughly enjoying Atlas Genius, A Silent Film, and even AWOLNATION (who really isn't good, but puts on a fun show).

 

We were there mainly for Phoenix, which is one of my all-time favorite bands. They were the headliner, and weren't supposed to go on until 10:30. About 7, we decided it was time to make a push to get to the front for that show, knowing we would have to wait through Paramore and Bush. Those shows were entertaining, and Bush, to my surprise, was actually really good.

 

As the Bush set ended, we were stoked that we were getting closer and closer as Phoenix came near. Finally, with just a few minutes to the Phoenix set, we were within the first few rows of people. It was so hot, but it was great. I loved it.

 

Phoenix comes on, and all is well. They sound great. My knee hurts like holy hell and looks like a bowling ball, but I honestly didn't care.

 

Midway through Phoenix's set, one of my buddies just pukes everywhere. We hadn't even been drinking. He just got sick from the heat of the people around us and let it all loose. He made his way to the front where they were taking body-surfers and escorting them to the back of the crowd.

 

Just a few minutes after that, my other buddy decided it was 'too loud,' and decided to do the same.

 

So for about 30-45 minutes, at a festival in which I had attended with FIVE other people on a torn up knee, I was the last man standing, rejoicing with a thousand others at the music of Phoenix.

 

I guess it's just funny, in hindsight. It wasn't a bad experience. I guess I just have concert-loser friends. :)

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Worst experience was when a drunk guy hopped in my car after a rush concert in Red Deer and said Go.

 

Second place goes to being in front row for a concert where the opening act is way too 'engaging' making everyone unaware of them feel really awkward.

 

*Looks at first one*

 

Wait, what?

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Worst experience was when a drunk guy hopped in my car after a rush concert in Red Deer and said Go.

 

Second place goes to being in front row for a concert where the opening act is way too 'engaging' making everyone unaware of them feel really awkward.

 

*Looks at first one*

 

Wait, what?

Yeah, I was waiting in the parking lot for my turn to pull out of the spot and into the line, when I hear my car door open, and a random guy just hops in, says "alright lets go". I could tell he was drunk by the burping a slurred speech. I tried convincing him to get out, but no luck, most I could get him to do was get him to get my almost crushed merch out from under him. I called for help from two people passing by, and they helped me convince him to get out. After thanking my fellow fans, I quickly locked all my doors, and always will from now on at concerts.
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Worst experience was when a drunk guy hopped in my car after a rush concert in Red Deer and said Go.

 

Second place goes to being in front row for a concert where the opening act is way too 'engaging' making everyone unaware of them feel really awkward.

 

*Looks at first one*

 

Wait, what?

Yeah, I was waiting in the parking lot for my turn to pull out of the spot and into the line, when I hear my car door open, and a random guy just hops in, says "alright lets go". I could tell he was drunk by the burping a slurred speech. I tried convincing him to get out, but no luck, most I could get him to do was get him to get my almost crushed merch out from under him. I called for help from two people passing by, and they helped me convince him to get out. After thanking my fellow fans, I quickly locked all my doors, and always will from now on at concerts.

 

Geez! That seems like the most random thing that could happen. Hopefully your merch was okay?

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August 4, 2007. S & A tour in Marysville (outside Sacramento). It was a fairly new venue and the parking lot was dirt. It was grotesquely hot. And the crowd didn't seem like a normal RUSH crowd. Maybe it was the area but there just seemed to be A LOT of tweakers. 3 people (2 guys 1 girl) in my general vicinity threw-up at their seat and many more were too drunk or high to pay attention. Just all-around bad.

 

(Best show ever: August 18, 2010. Time Machine at Red Rocks. Strangers were hugging, tears were shed, Camera Eye... amazing.)

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Last time I saw Rush I got real dehydrated and was spacing out a bit during the second set so I guess that's a less than ideal experience.

 

Last October when I saw Judas Priest was a bit rough. I got there early to get my spot in the front of the general admission spot. I waited for about 4 hours outside the venue and made it up front. Unfortunately The Armory in Rochester is a giant hot box and the opening band, Steel Panther didn't get on until about 3 hours after I made it in. They started almost 2 hours after their scheduled start time. At that time I was dying of heat, sweating uncontrollably and was dehydrated once again (drank plenty of water early, didn't help much). Then about 15 minutes before the band started, a migraine was triggered by a flashing light. So I stood there another 2 hours through Steel Panther's set and intermission before Priest hit the stage. I had recovered a bit when they came on so I was good to go again. I enjoyed the hell out of their show until the last 30 minutes where some drunk guy kept shoving people to get up front. He jammed his elbow into my back trying to force me out from the crowd barrier but after making it this far, I wasn't going to let him win. He finally gave up and I got to enjoy the encore.

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It was August 1st, 2002. I had two tickets for the Rush show in St. Louis the next day. I always put valuable things like that in my ledger for safe keeping, but since I had recently purchased a new ledger, I hadn't yet written any names or numbers inside it. I thought it would be okay though and put the envelope with the tickets inside my trusty ledger.

 

At one point I was taking a walk down a street and needed to tie my shoe. For just a second I put my ledger down inside the bed of a truck that happened to be parked on the side of the street next to me, which was filled with a bunch of trash and leaves. I needed my hands free to tie my shoes. When I was done tying them and I stood back up, the ledger was gone! To this day I still don't know what ended up happening to my tickets.

 

So don't forget to check the bed of the truck you put your ledger in for a second when you are walking down the street and need to tie your shoe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Brilliant.

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Mid 1980's took a 1st date to a...wait for it...Loverboy concert, with, (even worse) Joan Jett opening. All I wanted was Mike Reno to serenade this broad so I could get into her pants. Sitting floor seats about Row 10, Lights go out, Jett begins with song 1-.22 seconds in, a brawl breaks out in row in front of us, I swear it looked like 25 people went crazy , bodies are flying, beer on everyone, chicks on the ground, then the entire football team/ security team comes yanking people out..Me included. They kicked me and 6 other guys out...but I know it got real bad because 8 police cars and 2 ambulances showed up and hauled some folks away. No idea what happened. Tried to get back in- Negative. Waited an hour for the broad to come out, never did, drove home- Never saw her again.

Either she went to the hospital, to jail or banged Mike Reno.

No one can top only 22 seconds of a concert. WORLD RECORD

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Mid 1980's took a 1st date to a...wait for it...Loverboy concert, with, (even worse) Joan Jett opening. All I wanted was Mike Reno to serenade this broad so I could get into her pants. Sitting floor seats about Row 10, Lights go out, Jett begins with song 1-.22 seconds in, a brawl breaks out in row in front of us, I swear it looked like 25 people went crazy , bodies are flying, beer on everyone, chicks on the ground, then the entire football team/ security team comes yanking people out..Me included. They kicked me and 6 other guys out...but I know it got real bad because 8 police cars and 2 ambulances showed up and hauled some folks away. No idea what happened. Tried to get back in- Negative. Waited an hour for the broad to come out, never did, drove home- Never saw her again.

Either she went to the hospital, to jail or banged Mike Reno.

No one can top only 22 seconds of a concert. WORLD RECORD

 

that is one legendary story

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It was August 1st, 2002. I had two tickets for the Rush show in St. Louis the next day. I always put valuable things like that in my ledger for safe keeping, but since I had recently purchased a new ledger, I hadn't yet written any names or numbers inside it. I thought it would be okay though and put the envelope with the tickets inside my trusty ledger.

 

At one point I was taking a walk down a street and needed to tie my shoe. For just a second I put my ledger down inside the bed of a truck that happened to be parked on the side of the street next to me, which was filled with a bunch of trash and leaves. I needed my hands free to tie my shoes. When I was done tying them and I stood back up, the ledger was gone! To this day I still don't know what ended up happening to my tickets.

 

So don't forget to check the bed of the truck you put your ledger in for a second when you are walking down the street and need to tie your shoe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Nicely done.

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