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Shambala

(292 posts)
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 09:38 PM Jan 2025

Have you ever been to a concert where the artist/band got booed off the stage?

I just saw a.commercial with Billy Idol so it reminded me of a concert of his I went to back in 1985 or 86. The Gun Club opened for him and were mercilessly booed for some reason. Booing just got louder and louder as they played and I think it was the middle of the third song the frontman threw the mic into the crowd and they walked off the.stage. A roadie ran out and struggled to pull the cable back and when he finally succeeded there was no mic at the end of it - which I thought was pretty funny.

To make the night even more bizarre was Billy Idol, who probably because had too much to drink, threatened to piss on us all a few times. He didn’t get booed off nor thankfully did he piss on us. Bizarre night indeed.

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Have you ever been to a concert where the artist/band got booed off the stage? (Original Post) Shambala Jan 2025 OP
Aerosmith Anaheim stadium late 70's Nigrum Cattus Jan 2025 #1
The 70's just hit different Shambala Jan 2025 #7
Interesting BOSSHOG Jan 2025 #2
On a related note Shambala Jan 2025 #14
I have not BOSSHOG Jan 2025 #15
I wasn't there, but the funniest I ever heard of was... Drum Jan 2025 #3
That's hilarious! 😆 Shambala Jan 2025 #10
Funny and related Shambala Feb 2025 #17
Haha! Drum Feb 2025 #18
I can't remember the name of the band, boonecreek Jan 2025 #4
Wow! Shambala Jan 2025 #9
This was about the time boonecreek Jan 2025 #11
Close, Yes ProfessorGAC Jan 2025 #5
I'm impressed as hell you got to see Mott The Hoople! Shambala Jan 2025 #8
heh Skittles Jan 2025 #12
Blondie opening for Iggy Pop at the. Masonic Hassler Jan 2025 #6
Amazing story Shambala Jan 2025 #13
Marvin Gaye at University of Georgia around 1968. GeorgiaBoomerGirl Jan 2025 #16

Nigrum Cattus

(1,355 posts)
1. Aerosmith Anaheim stadium late 70's
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 09:43 PM
Jan 2025

They were so, so high that they couldn't finish even (1) song.
They would start the song and then stop singing or playing.
It was only about 30 minutes in when they just walk off the stage !

BOSSHOG

(44,738 posts)
2. Interesting
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 10:01 PM
Jan 2025

I’m reading Michael McDonalds Book “What A Fool Believes.” He and his band were an opening act for Cher in Europe in the 80s. He said those in the audience were Cher fans many of them dressed like her and made it clear they came to see her. McDonald said they cut way short their time on stage and got the hell out of the way for the nights headliner. I’m a big fan of McDonald. My wife got me the book for Christmas. Interesting subject.

Shambala

(292 posts)
14. On a related note
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 11:22 PM
Jan 2025

Have you seen the Yacht Rock documentary? Michael McDonald would probably be on the Mt. Rushmore of Yacht Rock.

BOSSHOG

(44,738 posts)
15. I have not
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 11:25 PM
Jan 2025

But he made a short reference to it in the book and I was lost. I’ll do a little googling. Thanks.

Drum

(10,767 posts)
3. I wasn't there, but the funniest I ever heard of was...
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 10:05 PM
Jan 2025

In an early-'90s, and again in late 90's/ early 2000's, Spinal Tap tour, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest opened for themselves as The Folksmen and were booed during the first act, as people did not know or cared that the two bands had the same musicians.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310281/trivia/

Drum

(10,767 posts)
18. Haha!
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 10:16 AM
Feb 2025

From the link:

This story was subsequently related to Harry Shearer aka Derek Smalls, who was most amused.

"It's fair enough," he responded. "I was under the impression for some time that Oasis was a real band."

boonecreek

(1,555 posts)
4. I can't remember the name of the band,
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 10:11 PM
Jan 2025

but this was at the Aragon Ballroom in the early '70s. They had their amps turned up to 11 and then some. The audience was yelling "turn it down" and they were looking at each other with bewildered looks on their faces. They were the opening act for Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen.

Shambala

(292 posts)
9. Wow!
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 11:01 PM
Jan 2025

I had completely forgotten about Commander Cody. I’ll have to give em a listen now.

ProfessorGAC

(77,277 posts)
5. Close, Yes
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 10:24 PM
Jan 2025

We went to see Mott The Hoople. The opening act was to be Queen, supporting their first album, but Brian May contracted hepatitis so they had to cancel the tour.
Some genius thought a suitable replacement was Kansas.
All those glitter rockers weren't enthusiastic about Kansas & basically ignored them.
Then, Kerry Livgren stupidly said on mic, "Maybe you'd like us more if we wore our glitter underwear."
The crowd got hostile then, but they only had one or 2 tunes left in their set.
If he had said it 3 songs earlier, I think I'd have seen a band booed off the stage.

Hassler

(4,965 posts)
6. Blondie opening for Iggy Pop at the. Masonic
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 10:52 PM
Jan 2025

In Detroit. They weren't so much booed off, they were pelted off from flying bottles and beer cans. Crowd came to see Iggy with David Bowie.

Shambala

(292 posts)
13. Amazing story
Sun Jan 26, 2025, 11:16 PM
Jan 2025

I wonder if they knew she’d become one of the queens of punk it would’ve been a different reception - probably not

16. Marvin Gaye at University of Georgia around 1968.
Mon Jan 27, 2025, 08:52 AM
Jan 2025

He was touring with his duet partner Tammi Terrell. At the time, they had several popular hit records together, including “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing.” Everyone showed up expecting to see the pair in concert and then learned that, due to illness, Tammi would not be there. Marvin, who reportedly was quite shy and did not enjoy performing live, tried valiantly, but the crowd was not kind.

I don’t know if he cut the show short, but he acknowledged that the performance was not what we all wanted. Tammi was later diagnosed with a brain tumor and died in 1970. I hope all the people who booed felt bad about that.

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