Turn that shit off!! (Bad bands you've witnessed)

[MikeNZ]

Guys,
The other night, myself and a few mates went out to the local pub to sample the wares (as you do).
Unfortunately, we'd picked the wrong night for this, it turned out it was the bar owners attempt at some sort of a "talent-quest" and get some live acts
going.
Now, I say this as a guy that has been a drummer and bass player, for over 25 years in pub bands in various styles, mainly rock, when you're drinking, you
don't want some whiney-arse band loading all their grief onto you.
This is with a drummer, a bass player, at least one guitarist (2 is better) and a vocalist.
And a decent sound system.

The first act that took the stage, seemed like they'd only got together that night, there was no communication between the band members and their sound sucked.
The rythym section may well have been playing a totally different song from the guitarist and the vocalist.
They never finished their two songs as the vocalist pulled a vocal cord with his nasty singing, karma some may say.

The second act was a woman with a guitar, a bass player and a drum machine.
Someone in that group should have been taught how to program the drum machine and told the "band" how to play to it's dead metronomic time.
This sucked, they were booed off after 3/4 of the way through their first "song".

Third time lucky,
This band took a while to get set up, with all their gear, but by George, it was worth it!
They played like it was the last set they were ever going to give, straight forward 4/4 rock, 7 songs, encompassing songs like "Do You See What I see" by Hunters and Collectors (a pub rock standard down here).

Got any bands that have sucked in your opinion in a bar?

[Judge]

Guys,
The other night, myself and a few mates went out to the local pub to sample the wares (as you do).
Unfortunately, we'd picked the wrong night for this, it turned out it was the bar owners attempt at some sort of a "talent-quest" and get some live acts
going.
Now, I say this as a guy that has been a drummer and bass player, for over 25 years in pub bands in various styles, mainly rock, when you're drinking, you
don't want some whiney-arse band loading all their grief onto you.
This is with a drummer, a bass player, at least one guitarist (2 is better) and a vocalist.
And a decent sound system.

The first act that took the stage, seemed like they'd only got together that night, there was no communication between the band members and their sound sucked.
The rythym section may well have been playing a totally different song from the guitarist and the vocalist.
They never finished their two songs as the vocalist pulled a vocal cord with his nasty singing, karma some may say.

The second act was a woman with a guitar, a bass player and a drum machine.
Someone in that group should have been taught how to program the drum machine and told the "band" how to play to it's dead metronomic time.
This sucked, they were booed off after 3/4 of the way through their first "song".

Third time lucky,
This band took a while to get set up, with all their gear, but by George, it was worth it!
They played like it was the last set they were ever going to give, straight forward 4/4 rock, 7 songs, encompassing songs like "Do You See What I see" by Hunters and Collectors (a pub rock standard down here).

Got any bands that have sucked in your opinion in a bar?

I never go to live music anymore due to a complete hearing loss in one ear (due to a tumor, not loud music) and anything other than acoustic is just a cacophony of noise. So, I ask, was the last band on your list you and your mates? Or are you just asking if we've managed to go into bars and see crappy bands? Yes, that's my answer, yes. Many, many crappy bands.....but Cheap Trick wasn't one of them. Love'd them. ... good times way back when.

[MikeNZ]

Judge,
No it wasn't me and my mates, I stay away from playing in pub bands because of arthritis in my left hand.
The band that played last was a covers band called Sick Chicken.

[ThirstyDrunk]

I've seen a lot of good bands in bars, and many more shitty ones. Sometimes we have a good time ridiculing the shitty bands and other times I'm too drunk to notice. Either way it can be fun.

'...the charisma of Robin Zander." -Mike Damone

[Judge]

Need to get some mentholatum on those fingers. In New Orleans, the best pick up music comes from musicians wandering into Jackson Square in front of the doors to the cathedral. A lot of those guys are paid performers in between gigs and they just show up and throw down the hat and jam with whoever is there and make a few bucks while waiting for the next booking.

I've been there and its great. And no cover charge.

[Mr Boozificator]

We're lucky around here: the Irish bar owners hire people who can actually sing and play more than decently. Many of the pubs are in former wine cellars and the acoustic is therefore very good. A few weeks ago I've seen a guy who alone with his guitar made even an Oasis song sound good.

[Negromancer]

Good lord, pub bands and troubadours, close to all should be shot. The quality is terrible here, don't go any place that advertises "live music every night" or any night for that matter. You'll end up with a torn-jeans-and-cowboy-hat-wearing shitster with an endless acoustic repetoire of the eagles and power ballads.

[Mr Boozificator]

Good lord, pub bands and troubadours, close to all should be shot. The quality is terrible here, don't go any place that advertises "live music every night" or any night for that matter. You'll end up with a torn-jeans-and-cowboy-hat-wearing shitster with an endless acoustic repetoire of the eagles and power ballads.

You've just ruined your Kingdom for me.
I want to dream about harps and gigantic buxom blond wenches, not that.

[Jiggers McCoy]

Back in college, we used to frequent a bar that had an open mic every Monday. They didn't card and drinks were cheap.

The acts were usually mediocre, some were just horrendous. Two that stand out in memory:

1. A pianist that was such a massive asshole, he stopped mid-song to complain that people were talking and not paying attention to him. They cut his mic and had to physically throw him out.

2. Some group of punks that wanted to be the next Limp Bizkit. For their 15 minute set they spent an hour setting up amps, drum kit, even a fucking dual-turntable DJ set up. Not pleasant.

Anymore, we only go to bars we know have live music when we want to hear it. The worst is when you're at a quiet bar, chatting with friends and you see a band setting up. Down them drinks and settle the bill. Time to move on.

[Judge]

The worst is when you're at a quiet bar, chatting with friends and you see a band setting up. Down them drinks and settle the bill. Time to move on.

This.

[Negromancer]

Good lord, pub bands and troubadours, close to all should be shot. The quality is terrible here, don't go any place that advertises "live music every night" or any night for that matter. You'll end up with a torn-jeans-and-cowboy-hat-wearing shitster with an endless acoustic repetoire of the eagles and power ballads.

You've just ruined your Kingdom for me.
I want to dream about harps and gigantic buxom blond wenches, not that.

Most bars and pubs don't have these, luckily. The ones that do are usually not interesting places anyway. One of my favorite spots has no music whatsoever!
If you're lucky, we might find a gig with some local satanic fiddle music, the kind so closely related to gambling, drinking and knife fights. Sadly, the audiences at such gigs are usually old and feeble, their heads just might fall off if you bump into them.

[Resident Asshole]

Live bands are a huge thing around town here. For the most part I skip them, partly because I've seen the majority of them and they play the same old covers, partly because most of the ones that play their own songs are not very good.

There are exceptions though, I have friends in a few bands that are actually quite good. Check out these examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZIO031GztU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM5ghwhtBQs

Also, if you like Celtic music, check out "The Lash" out of Lansing, Michigan.

On the other side, there are plenty of bands that turn up their music way too loud and play covers that aren't even as good as the originals. I hate that, especially when I just want to relax with a pint and talk to friends.

[DeeboCools]

wierd, I just went to an open mic on tuesday, but on purpose. It was in a college town though, so it was done by the "arts collective" there. The first was one guy with an acoustic guitar+ harmonica/kazoo setup and original songs who was actually really good. Then there was a middleaged couple that couldn't sing in harmony and had very bad taste in what to cover. Then a dude played "live house music" which just meant that he fed his laptop into the Amp and dicked around on fruity loops(he was being ironic, or obnoxious, I always get the 2 confused). We left shortly after he came on.

Open mics are kind of a sad thing. It's a crosssection of the humanity in the area- and most people are untalented/have bad taste.