People are Sharing the Worst Concert Experiences They Have Ever Had

Obligatory "I'm on mobile, so formatting yada yada" and TL;DR at the bottom

Chuck Berry - NYC 2009. I was really into his music at that time, and went with my girlfriend for my birthday, I was 19 at the time which is an important part of why this was a shitty experience.

We paid $100 per ticket, again at 19 and in college, I was ballin hard.

He was playing at the house of blues so it was a small venue where pretty much everyone was sitting at a table. I think "no big deal" and sit down to enjoy some classics.

We have a waiter come by and ask what we want, and since we had just had dinner we said that we were ok.

However we were told there was a $50 pp minimum order, again, being broke college kids this was borderline highway robbery.

Since we were 19 at the time, we couldn't order drinks, which would be the easy way to meet the minimum.

So, despite having just ate, we had to eat again to cover the minimum tab.

Now, as for Chuck Berry, he was right at 80 during this concert so I'm definitely not expecting some serious raging, just some relaxed old school rock and roll music.

Well, he starts playing some of his classics, and is stopping in the middle of almost every song, telling us, "shit guys, I can't remember the lyrics."

Now, from my limited research of what's out there, I don't believe he had a neuro degenerative disease.

So this was pretty shitty, not at all what I came for. He decides to fill his stage time with telling us shitty jokes, then asking as many women to come up and dance while plays whatever the hell song he can remember.

Of course at the time, I'm thinking eh whatever, old school rock and roller, doing some rock and roll shit.

Seems pretty normal if you don't know Chuck's history.

He had some issues with filming women in a public bathroom (not guilty in court, but he pled, so you can be the judge of that fact) so this now seems pretty creepy in retrospect.

After an hour or so of forgetting lyrics and telling shitty jokes, he leaves stage early and doesn't come out for an encore.

Now, dear reader, you're probably thinking, well Ejanks, he was 80, what did you expect? And you might be right.

But I wanted to see him live because I thought he was a huge influence in rock and roll, and I wanted to see him before he passed.

Looking at it now, maybe I was too harsh a critic, hell, at his age if I were to be doing what he was doing, I'd feel pretty good about it.

All in all, it was a shitty event. Oh and the food was not great either.

RIP Chuck, hopefully you're in a place where every toilet has a camera built in.

Username: Ejanks37

Dio. Austin, TX. Pecan Street Festival. Spring of '94.
For point of reference, Pecan Street Fest is an arts festival with (usually) local Austin bands providing a sound scape back drop for family folk to shake their suburban asses to while perusing wood carvings and funnel cakes.But this year, the Once and Future High Priest of Over The Top Metal Alchemy, Ronnie James Dio hisownself was on the bill.
An old girlfriend from the days of my metal head youth tipped me off, but I refused to believe.This had to be a Dio tribute band our something, right?
I had last seen Dio circa '87 or 8 where I witnessed him battle a laser eyed dragon with a sword and vibrato'd voice.
No fucking way was he playing Pecan Street Festival. For free.But, as The 80's Metal Gods were still reeling from the straight through the heart Sword of Seattle in the early 90's, and it was still too soon to cash in on the nostalgia dollar, I guess they had to take gigs when and where they could find em.Sooo, said ex gf and I dragged my missed-the-80's-metal-boat new wife along kicking and screaming and lobbing way-too-easy-as-if jibes along the way.
We found the appointed side street stage.
Wow, not even given top billing.And not only was this not The Main Stage, this particular side stage was on the very same side street that housed all of the Pecan Street port-o-shitters.
Gathered about said poop houses and Stage of Shame, were the largest collective of unattractive people I had yet encountered in good ol ATX.Lots'a impossibly good looking folks grace this town, none of whom were at this particular venue on this particular day.
What is it about Metal shows (then and now) that calls forth the pulchritudinally challenged?Anyway, the stage was stuffed with Marshall stacks and oversized drums and all of the requisite trappings of this-is-gonna-be-paint-peeling-fucking-loud Metaldom.
The boys in the band finally appear and shuffle and trip into place.A monsterous guitar Tri-Chord strikes, drums thunder a response, and the Dark Elf himself appears and let's forth a wail worthy of The Stadiums and Castle Battlements of yesteryear.
The Gathered responded in kind.The Mighty may have fallen, but The Last In Line assembled acolytes were gonna show their worthiness to a god of they're misspent youth and proceeded pay homage to The Holy Diver...(Can anyone explain that fucking song to me, BTW?).
We ROCK, Ronnie! See? WE ROCK!So, 3 songs in, a Metal/Meth Head dude shimmies atop one of the afore mentioned port-o-cans, and precedes to rock the fuck out.
Another dude sees the advantage of the elevated vantage point and joins his toothless buddy.
Then a third was hosted aft by his invigorated compatriots.Then the plastic port-o-shitter caves in topples over.
A river of blue tinged Piss and Shit oozes forth and begins to inundate the soles and ankles of the blissed out head bangers.Most gave less than 2 fucks and continued their collective devil horning.
It was at this point that I and we could take no more and exited said side street of sorrow.

Username: asbarry

I went to see Phish on a recent tour and was doing a little pre-gaming in a parking garage near the venue. Nothing too crazy, just hanging out drinking a few beers mainly.

This guy is walking through selling t-shirts and I stop to ask about the price. After talking for awhile I ask if he has a little bit of weed he may be willing to part with, just enough for a joint.

He says sure and sells me about a gram. Me and my buddy hit a couple one-hitters of this stuff and don't think much of it.

We start to walk towards the venue, it's about 30 mins to showtime. As I hit security I notice I'm feeling a little bit more fucked up than I should've been. I don't regularly toke up anymore so I figure I just have shit tolerance and continue on my way.

We're standing in line to buy beer and I start feeling REALLY fucked up now. My temperature started to rise, vision was getting blurry, overall sense of unease.

We get to our seats and Phish takes the stage. Everything is going ok through the first 2 songs.

Then, I decide to pack up another one hitter with the weed the guy sold me in the parking garage. I hit it a few times, and then really start to feel COMPLETELY fucked up. I mumbled something to my friend and headed down to the concourse to try and clear my head.

By this point, I'm way way way too fucked up to have just drank maybe 5-6 beers and smoked maybe 4 one hitters of weed total. Something was really off.

I instantly became overdrive paranoid and tell the security I need to get the fuck out of there. They said "if you leave you can't come back in, just so you know." I didn't think twice and ran outside.

Meanwhile, Phish is probably on the 4th song of the FIRST set. I'm a huge fan, been to a lot of shows, and have dabbled with drugs in the past. This wasn't a case of some rookie taking too much. Whatever I took, it sure as fuck wasn't just weed.

I get outside and become CONVINCED someone drugged me and my friend, and had kidnapped him.

The paranoia I felt was absolutely insane and irrational. I saw a cop car and basically tried to explain all this, to which initially they just told me to basically fuck off.

Eventually they called an ambulance. I get put on the stretcher and wheeled inside. Also, I have no insurance at the time so this little ride ended up costing me $1,400.00.

They bring me to a MENTAL WARD where I was committed for the rest of the fucking night. By this point I was hallucinating extremely hard, both audio and visual. I could barely sit up or speak. My heart was racing and my temperature was sky high.

They left me in a room for awhile and what felt like several hours (was actually only maybe 35-45 mins) I started to snap out of it.

I was released around 3:30 am and had to have someone come pick me up about an 1.5 hours away from where I lived. It was a complete fucking nightmare.

Oh, and the hospital stay cost around $1,200.00. So all together that whole ordeal ran me $2,500.00 in addition to the fucking trauma of having to deal with it. AND, I missed basically the ENTIRE fucking Phish show.

Next day I call the hospital and ask what my tox screen results were. Doctor tells me I was negative for every single drug they could test for. PCP, LSD, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, opium... you name it and I didn't have a trace in my system.

My BAC was around 0.14, not really anything too crazy either. To this day I don't know what the fuck happened. I do know this though... DO NOT FUCKING TAKE DRUGS FROM ANYONE YOU DO NOT KNOW/TRUST. Better yet, don't take drugs period.

Username: AlexSmithIsGod

It was a Nelly Furtado concert. I don't remember who was supposed to open, but whoever it was, they cancelled at the last minute for some reason I can't recall.

So instead the only opening act was whoever they could dig up at the last minute, and entirely forgettable.

If memory serves it was some long stage hand who knew how to play the guitar.

But the real fun part happened during Furtado's set. It was an all ages show and with stadium style seating.

A row or two in front of us there was a lady in her late 20's who was all dressed up in an utterly trashy outfit, and her 10-12 year old son.

The poor kid was obese, wearing dirty clothes, holding a massive hot dog in one hand, cotton candy in the other, and gorging himself.

I remember being disgusted with the mother for how neglectful it all seemed, and my girlfriend who I was with commented on it as well.

In any case, it wasn't too long before the kid threw up. And it was no small event, it went all over the seat and person in front of him.

And the smell... we must have been close to 10 feet away but it was utterly rancid even from that distance. Instantly overwhelming.

Chaos erupted in our section. It didn't take long for someone from the venue to notice, and they rushed over to try and deal with it and clean it up.

They gave up. There was just too much vomit, and it was all over the place.

Eventually they decided to move everyone around the area to a new section of seats which had for some reason been reserved and was empty.

So the 30-40 of us in the section who had escaped the carnage moved to the new seats.

Now keep in mind during all of this the performance was going on. Finally after about 20 minutes of all of the above going on we were able to start to actually enjoy the concert.

But unfortunately a group of way too drunk guys saw we had moved into the new section, and decided to follow.

They were a couple rows back, directly behind us where it was otherwise empty and behaving obnoxiously. I don't remember exactly what they were doing, other than it was annoying.

At one point some of then decided to stand up on the seats.

Unfortunately they were so far gone they had zero balance, and one guy fell backwards - he was facing the wrong direction - and landed directly on top of my girlfriend, smashing her in the head and knocking her to the ground.

She was on the floor, he was on his back on top of her, stuck, flailing his arms around and screaming.

A few of us managed to throw him off her, and he and his buddies took off immediately before security could get there.

Injured and weary from it all, my girlfriend has zero desire to stay any longer, and so that was that.

Username: UnknownRelic

Worst? Again a tie between Soundgarden's last show ever at lollapalooza in '96 and Snoop Dog also at lollapalooza in '97.

Soundgarden opened for Metallica on that tour (never a good idea for a band whose lead singer has a massive ego).

Chris Cornell threw a fucking hissy fit (because of the legion of Metallica fans in front of the stage who had their backs turned and their middle fingers in the air), and walked off the stage. Two weeks later he left the band.

Snoop Dumbass (I've never understood why he played a rock concert with Tool headlining) sang two songs, decided that it would be smart to smoke a joint someone in the crowd threw up on the stage,

and *surprise motherfucker* had to leave the stage. Probably the dumbest thing I've ever seen a musician do on stage.

Bonus only-time-I've-been-in-fear-for-my-life-at-a-show: Pantera/Slayer/Static-X/Morbid Angel/Skrape in San Jose 2001.

It started with security at the door. There pretty much was none. I have been allegedly finding ways to get a pocket knife past concert security since like 1985 or so (I just don't like being disarmed), so I generally scope security pretty good while standing in line.

They were just waving people in, no pat down, no wand, not even a cursory bag check. I could probably have snuck in a bazooka.

The San Jose Arena is a hockey rink, big open hockey rink sized area with loge seats above it, and above that are the nosebleed seats.

So basically there are three distinct levels. Our seats were just off stage right, in the loge seats (*GREAT SEATS*).

Between acts, the lights were turned on and the floor level thinned out pretty good as people went for drinks, or to pee, seek medical attention for mosh injuries, whatever.

After Static-X some dude out in the floor was setting off fireworks. Security tried to apprehend him, but the crowd turned on them.

Wisely, security bailed, all you could see was yellow jackets climbing up to the loge seats.

This turned out to be the precursor to the largest and most violent mosh pit I've ever seen.

Basically the entire floor area was one giant swirling melee at one point during Pantera's set, and then the scary part.

So many of the people up in the third level had brought flags or painted sheets to hang over the sides (this is not uncommon at rock shows).

Well, about an hour into Pantera's set, for some unknown reason, a few of them decided that what they really needed to get the band's attention was to light these on fire.

As you can imagine, eventually the flaming ***PANTERA RULEZ!!!*** banners started to come apart, sending little incendiary telegrams down to greet the people in the loge seats.

If you know the kind of people who are apt to attend a Pantera/Slayer/Static-X/Morbid Angel/Skrape concert, you know that they know *precisely* how to respond to such fiery messengers; throw shit at the people holding the flaming shit with *great force*.

Seriously thought I was going to die in what I was positive was the pending riot/inferno.

I'm astounded even today that no one was killed. It was ***AWESOME!!!***

Username: Thereal_Sandman

That would be RunDMC/Kid Rock/Aerosmith at PNC Bank Arts Center. Really not the fault of the bands though.

It basically was 9 hours of panic attack for me.

I had gotten them in the past, but a summer off my meds that had gone fairly decently up to that point ended in a majorly hellish experience.

I was OK for the car ride there, joking with friends, etc.

Really hot day, we got there way early, but when I took a break away form people, and walked into the bathroom alone, I felt the energy suddenly being drained from me.

I crashed; something set it off. The heat? My back? Being trapped there because I had to drive everyone? The fact that I was there as a 'friend' with a girl I liked who not had a boyfriend?

Mostly, it was probably the social anxiety of being trapped in a place and situation I didn't want to be, but was to embarrassed to say I didn't want to be there because of the reaction I might face. Regardless, I started freaking out internally.

I didn't say anything to my friends as we left to get some food. By the time we got back, we had to park quite a distance away and walk.

I remember that walk, step by step getting farther away from 'safety'.

I couldn't tell my friends, I was too embarrassed, I just said, "I'm not feeling so hot." (Social anxiety was part of the panic issue for me)

But we were still SO EARLY, we had nothing to do but sit and wait outside the venue for hours.

The PA would occasionally chime in, "OH YEAH, WHO'S READY FOR AEROSMITH!" Cheers from everyone except me.

I was so alone. No one there to care or help me through my hell. I just kept thinking, "Oh God, how can I possibly make it through this whole concert?"

It was one of the longest days of my life.

Waiting through each song, praying that was the last song and the next band would come on.

During Aerosmith I finally excused myself to wander off, but it didn't help; nothing was subsiding.

I thought, "MY GOD, THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM THIS." By the time I got back home I'd never been so weary in my life.

The stress from that day must have aged me a year.

To this day, I still refuse to go back to the PNC Bank Arts Center.

It's hard to know what part of my memories of it as a shitty, frustratingly organized venue that was corporately designed for maximum money and minimum humanity are due to how I was feeling, but that's how it sticks in my memory.

Also, fuck Kid Rock and his 7 encores.

Username: MisterJose

Keep in mind during this story that I am a quadriplegic who uses an electric wheelchair...

A few years ago I had tickets to see Godspeed you Black Emperor in Boston.

On the ride down in my van a friend of mine broke out a surprise. He had gotten a bag of mushrooms.

I was a little apprehensive because I hadn’t touched a hallucinogen in probably five years, since before I had gotten hurt. I didn’t know how it would affect my mental state now that I was disabled.

However, I have never had a bad trip before so I thought fuck it Godspeed is the perfect band to sit in the back and bug out to.

About 45 minutes later as we were reaching the city the mushrooms started to kick in. I felt amazing.

We were smoking weed and I could see trails behind all of the other headlights on the highway and I basically felt like I was in a giant Jell-O pool.

Then I had a slight muscle spasm in my back. Which is not unusual for me due to my injury. But usually it is caused by something, a bump or jostle.

This was out of nowhere, but I didn’t think anything of it. We got to the parking garage and I continued to have stronger spasms. My legs were straightening out and my body was becoming stiff like a board.

We left for the show and I was having trouble driving my wheelchair due to the stiffness in my arms. Anyway, eventually we got into the show and found a spot near the back.

I began to overheat because it was hot as fuck inside of this place.

I had my brother buy a water bottle and dump it on my head to cool me down. It basically did nothing. I could barely sit up in my chair.

All of my muscles were stiff.

The band came on stage and slowly started the first song.

I couldn’t handle anymore and I looked at my friends and told them we needed to leave.

I wasn’t panicking like I needed to go to the hospital but I knew I couldn’t deal with the situation inside a crowded room full of hundreds of people.

At this point though, I couldn’t even control the joystick on my wheelchair because my body was so stiff.

My brother had to drive my chair with me sitting in it through a giant crowd of people just as the band began their set. I was so hot.

It was winter so I was happy to be outside to try and cool down. It didn’t do anything so we went back to the car to head home.

I couldn’t even sit up in my chair, so I had my friends pick me up and lay me down across the backseat of the minivan.

Mind you I am about 6 foot 4 and I had to lay with my legs up in the air over the backseat just to fit. I dumped more water on myself, and rode the whole hour home with the windows open on the highway so I could cool down.

I don’t think everyone was pleased with me. Plus I was tripping ha.

So we get home, my friends throw me in bed. I’m still hot as fuck so I leave all of the covers off and and pour a little more cold water on myself.

Eventually in the middle of the night the mushrooms wear off and my body goes back to normal. Now I am freezing. I cover myself with blankets and sleep for half of the next day.

I read online that the show was great, and I am still angry at myself for ruining it because I basically turned into a werewolf. I stick to weed now.

Username: Cheefs42

Oasis - Corestates Center Arena in Philly, 1996

It's fall '96: the height of Oasismania. "Morning Glory" CDs are flying off the shelves, Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova, and Don't Look Back in Anger are staples on radio (pretty much every station that wasn't rap/rnb was playing Oasis) and MTV.

They had just played this huge concert in England to literally hundreds of thousands of people, the media was calling them the next Beatles, etc. etc. Lots of hype and positive press coverage.

But they had a reputation too for being "rock star bad boys" (particularly the singer Liam Gallagher).

So when it came time for their American arena tour, this was no exception.

Not only did Liam skip their MTV Unplugged concert,

but also failed to show up for the first week of the American tour because he "couldn't be bothered", so his brother/guitarist Noel had to sing all the songs.

My friends and I weren't sure if he was even going to be there for the Philly concert,

but fortunately he did arrive a few days earlier, as indicated by the tv reports of him at the airport drunkenly arguing with reporters and paparazzi while smoking a cigarette.

However, the night of, the opening acts Screaming Trees, and some other British band, were absolutely killer and took the roof off the place.

Me, my friends, and like 15,000 other people were eagerly awaiting what surely would be the triumphant main act: Oasis.

And yet, when they came out (late, by the way), the band themselves were in fact very boring, despite the fact that it was incredibly loud.

They just cranked up the amplifiers and started going through the motions, just plodding away.

Except for Liam. He was clearly incredibly intoxicated as he immediately started mumbling British gibberish and "fook" and "shit" into the microphone the second he came out.

He was so fucked up in fact that he was completely out of tune and just yelling into the microphone, but would randomly storm off in the middle of songs, leaving his brother (who it turned out did a killer acoustic set - the only highlight of this show)

to take lead vocals. Not only that, but he spent a lot of his time on stage either drinking beer, wandering around stage and messing with the other band members,

doing weird dance moves, punching the equipment, and even rolling around on the floor at one point, while the rest of the band just sort of stood still like animatronics.

It was very bizarre. Also they only played for like a little over an hour.

And the next night, Oasis played at the VMA awards and sure enough there was drunk/high Liam doing his whole routine (swearing at the audience/spitting on stage/punching his microphone etc.) and just butchering "Champagne Supernova" in front of millions.

Then like a week later, the brothers essentially decided they hated each other, said "fuck it" and just cancelled the rest of their American tour.

There was a bit of an Oasis backlash after that and we haven't been too fond of them since.

Username: jimjamflimflam82

Never been to a concert myself that I didn't like, but here's a post from a facebook group about a Marilyn Manson concert a month ago. Super long, tldr at the end. Very sad also, so I'm sorry for that.

"Honestly I'm not sure what the fuck happened or what I witnessed last night.

After years of waiting and cancellations and injuries and every thing in between. I finally got to meet and see Marilyn Manson perform. He was wonderful at the meet super nice and affectionate and warm and took at least 5 minutes with me. I noticed a bottle of Titos on the table nearly empty at 530 and was worried but not surprised. I had a weird feeling when I saw my picture that I felt really satisfied but exhausted. I considered going home the entire time I was outside I just had a really unsettling feeling about his performance ability. And needless to say all my worst fears became a reality.

Manson comes out in a hoveround mechanical wheelchair with people in full scrubs. He played 3.5 songs. Rambled a lot. Didn't know his own lyrics. Had his back to the crowd the majority of the time. Fumbled with his pants a lot. Eventually showed tush. The people eventually came out in scrubs after they started and stopped "Disposable Teens" after one verse. They were trying to make him drink water and he was refusing and finally said "We're just having a personal conversation like all of you are having conversation they're not actual doctors" Now I'm not sure if that is accurate information or not but they both were like "Yeah!" To get the crowd to yell for them. He proceeded to leave the stage 3 or more times taking 10 minutes intervals at least at each break. At one point he came back and smoked a blunt with the band on stage. We saw maybe tops 45 minutes of him on stage. He was so wasted he was being beyond destructive knocking down amps spilling shit all over the floor and throwing every cup and bottle he could find causing equipment malfunctions on top of all else. The band was looking at eachother so painfully they didn't know what to do or think and he was all over them as if he could hardly stand. Naturally everyone is furious demanding refunds.

While I spent almost $400 on the ticket and would like something back I don't really give a fuck about the money. My heart is so heavy and I'm so depressed.

I cried the whole way home. People were booing and throwing shit on stage like fucking animals.

At the end he dropped the Mic and knocked over the amp again for like the 10th time then fell down like onto his staff and then everyone was confused including band

and staff that the show was really over it took another 10/15 minutes for house lights and the crowd started chanting "Fuck you Manson." I refused to partake.

I met up with my groupie friends who were also devasted. We were waiting for post show and a security guard came over and said "He left." My friend started getting visibly upset as she actually knows him personally. Another groupie neither of us knew said he not only drank the Titos but also a bottle of Patron.

She was actually going to get me into post show as her sister, whatever, irrelevant.

Security saw me desperately trying to console her and she was squeezing my arm and he said "Listen I don't know what happened, I really don't.

The last time he walked off he told them to have the bus ready in 10 minutes before he walked off the stage and left the venue. He's not coming.

There is no post show. I'm sorry the show is over an hour early and I'm really sorry this happened but you guys need to leave the venue"

No matter what your opinion is of Marilyn Manson, and before you comment some bull Shit about "What did you expect?"

He's still a fucking human being although he is clearly being treated like a product or machine

He has struggled with addiction and trauma his whole life and that was very clear last night.

He has had good days and bad days just like the rest of us and I'm really ashamed that people acted so hateful last night.

Why would he want to perform for an underwhelming crowd?
From the railing I really felt like people weren't really cheering at all. Not that that is an excuse but I can imagine as a performer not giving your heart to a wack crowd.

Although most are angry, and denouncing their loyalty, I am significantly heartbroken and saddened after having witnessed this event.

During his rambling he was talking about how he wanted more love, fuck Valentine's day, and made mention of his dad who just died.

He certainly was not himself. Devastated doesn't even begin to explain and I'm genuinely worried he will either die from drinking or kill himself if he doesn't get the help he clearly needs.

Username: Vkca

Great thread, I like telling this story because it makes me laugh so hard even when I think about it.
Warped Tour At Kentucky Speedway (I think it’s gone now) this was like in 2001-2002.I’m a huge 311 fan, I know a lot of people on here think they’re a bit corny but I love them, and some of my best memories ever in life are their shows.
Excellent live band, and if you haven’t I highly recommend seeing them live.ANYWAY 311 and H2O are on the bill and I’m pumped.
We get to the Speedway and it’s over a 100 degrees easily.Me, a buddy, and a girl I’m dating at the time are there and we are sweating bullets.
Everyone is miserable.The whole setup is on hot concrete and they are running out of water.
People are pissed and it’s starting to show with the crowd.People are getting rude or super drunk and there is a just plain air of miserableness in the crowd.
We are waiting at the stage where 311 is supposed to come on.
That time passes. Then an hour passes.Finally a guy comes on stage and says 311’s bus has overheated and they are on their way.
In the meantime they are moving the band that was playing after 311 up to their spot while they get their bus in order.It’s ALIEN ANT FARM who have a hit at this time with their cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” I dug it, but their 15 minutes were coming to an end and everyone was already getting sick of hearing their song 2 times an hour on the radio that summer.They come out and start playing and no ones really into it. Probably no fault of their own, but they sound awful, no ones really bouncing around, people are just kind of looking at them.
They look visibly frustrated and angry.They know these people in front of the stage are just waiting for 311 and don’t want to lose their spot when they DO show up.
The crowd isn’t being rude, they aren’t throwing anything or being belligerent, they are just hot and they just don’t care.After about 4 terrible, lazy songs, their bass player stops the song they are playing and starts berating the crowd.
Saying we aren’t into it and we should show respect for them as we all don’t know how hard it is to get up and play for a crowd and yada-yada.We suck because we aren’t bouncing, dancing, or moshing to their shit.
The crowd is silent as this is happening, almost as if no one can believe we are getting yelled at by Alien Fucking Ant Farm of all bands as to how much we suck.Finally this fat bass player dude who made funny faces when he played (I guess that was his schtick) takes a breath between yelling at us to catch his breath and out of the silent crowd some drunk dude yells “SHUT THE FUCK UP AND PLAY MICHAEL JACKSON!” at which point the entire crowd is laughing so hard you would think we were at a comedy show.It isn’t stopping either, this rolled for a good minute and a half until Alien Ant Farm shut the fuck up, played Smooth Criminal and quickly left the stage.
311 was about a half hour later and kicked ass though, but it was a short festival set.In retrospect I don’t know if it was the worst show I’d seen or the best comedy performance I’d ever seen.
Username: Jdogy2002

The concert itself wasn't shitty, but there were a lot of things that came together that night that made it shitty.
Attended the Summer Sanitarium Tour back in 2000.The venue was a racetrack in Illinois, just outside of St. Louis.
There was almost no consideration for parking whatsoever, as they basically just had everyone park in fucking fields with no type of markings or signage so you could find your car later.While trying to navigate the parking situation, my friend took a wrong turn and we ended up at the end of a dirt road that ended in a river.
I had just gotten my first car a week before: a used '96 Pontiac Grand Am.As I'm attempting to drive backwards on this dirt road to get back to where we came from (no room to turn around, as we were surrounded by cornstalks on both sides), my windows decided to break and would no longer roll up.So I'm driving backwards and listening to my brother yell at me because he's getting pelted in the face by cornstalks.
We finally get parked and make our way in the 95+ degree heat with full St. Louis humidity (anyone who has spent a Summer out here knows what I'm talking about) a couple of miles walk to the venue.It's standing room only, we're already exhausted and overheated, and drinks are insanely overpriced.
Watched Powerman 5000, System of a Down, and Korn before Metallica came on.By this point, I was miserable and throwing up from heat stroke and the only facilities available were a wall of the nastiest port-a-potties known to man - of which people were climbing and drunkenly falling off the top of all night.
So the concert ends, we make the long trek back to the corn fields and our cars.I have a migraine, I'm dehydrated, and still sick to my stomach.
And then we discover that not only had the venue not thought to provide any signage to help you identify where you parked, there also wasn't any lighting.So everyone is out there in the dark, trying to find their cars and pissed as hell.
I finally locate my car... and it won't start. Dead.
My friend had already taken off and had no idea we were stuck.I had no cell phone because this was 2000 and I had not been able to successfully convince my parents that a cell phone would be a good idea yet.
We had asked a passing cop for help in jump starting our car or driving us down the way to the nearest pay phone and he refused on both accounts and drove off.I ended up calling my parents at 2:30 in the morning because someone found an old Nokia brick on the side of the road that was in pieces that they re-assembled and people were taking turns calling who they needed to come help them.You better believe after driving 45 minutes to come get us and jump my car at the time of morning, my parents went out that weekend and got me my first cell phone.I have never had a more miserable time at a concert in my entire life and to this day if I see a concert at that venue, I refuse to attend.
Username: PikaCheck

This is realistically going to get buried but oh well.

Not going to name any names, because I still do like this artist.

I believe it was an afterparty for a festival & I was super excited to go see one of my favourite dj’s play. (since I didn’t go to the festival).

So I get there, watch the opening acts who were okay and then the main attraction.

So he starts playing and I notice he has about 3-4 cups of what look to be rum and coke and he’s just throwing them back.

As the set progresses he starts talking more and more now, at the beginning of him doing this, it didn’t really click in my head that this was a *drunken rant*.

So eventually (about 20 mins into the set) all those drinks he threw back seem to hit him all at one and he decides the best course of action is to **stop playing music and talk about how his wife and him haven’t gotten intimate in a while**.

Now I should mention that this club at this point has about 40-50 people in it max & they’re all booing him and telling him to just fucking hit play and stop talking.

Instead of listening to the crowd he instead asks one of the booing crowd members to come on stage who happened to be my friends ex.

She was yelling at him to play any song so he thought he would be clever by asking her what song to play.

She (being not exactly savy to him or his music) asks him to play a song by one of his rivals in the scene. And of course he kicks her off.

Now the sorry doesn’t end there. So about a week later the club posts a photo of her onstage on instagram with the caption *”look!

The dj even invited someone on stage!”* we replied angrily and tagged said dj, and he apologized and told us we’d get backstage next time he was in.

Few months later he comes in & he upholds his promise.

After a bit of waiting he comes in, and some of the promoters flock to him.

He asks “was I really that bad last show” and like a bunch of kiss-ass yes men the promoters say *”no you were fine i saw videos”* my friends ex did not respond like this.

You know when you have one of those blackout drunk nights and your friend sits on the edge of your bed and explains all the dumb shit you did that night while you try to get swallowed whole by the earth?

She did that. For about 15 minutes she reamed him out and his head slowly shrunk down till it was practically in his torso.

Then finished of with a **”Apologize”**. He ended up saying sorry for like 5 minuets during his set (i left for another concert).

Fun side story: When I left I said i’d give my wristband to the first person who gave me a light,

turns out the first person that did Ended up being someone who - 3 months later I started dating for a year and a half.

Username: Red_Atlas

Well, this is going to be a long one. I have never posted on Reddit before. I was recently going through some old writing stuff. In it I found my written reaction to seeing a band member collapse on stage, be rushed to hospital and later die. It was definitely the concert experience that affected me the most. 

I was on my way home, new pay check stretches out the walls of the bank account. Fear of money troubles are minimal. On the way home I feel pretty good so I figure Poppa Jay and I might enjoy a bottle of bubbly. I buy a six pack of 'La Fin Du Monde' or as you english dogs would have it 'The End of the World' ale. Six bottles of 9% beer. End of the world indeed. I come home to find a very mellow Poppa Jay. I crack a beer before I realize that he is not going to come around. The 9% act like a fart in an elevator. In seconds all the cells in my body know something is wrong. They try to escape but it is no use. I am drunk off of one. I start to feel happy and energetic. I try to pass my energy to Poppa Jay hoping to start an inner fire. The flames are doused and I fear my night will end at that. For the hell of it I take a look who is playing tonight. Foxy Shazzam is at the Venue. I get excited. I check the Rickshaw. It is four bands I have never heard of. Quick myspace/youtube and I have found my spot for the night. One of the bands is amazing. I crack my second 9%. I try to excite Poppa Jay but it is like trying to get a boner out of a coma patient. So I throw my options to the internet like only use phoneless folks can do. I ask if anyone wants to go with me. Nothing. It has been an hour and I have finished the second and started the third. 'Well fuck this shit, solo mission to the Rickshaw' I head out. Third beer in hand. 

The cells have almost all been consumed by the End of the World. The few remaining ones are like popcorn kernels in the painful heat. It is just a matter of time before they give in. I am on the 20 heading to Main and Hastings. I get off and walk through the line less doors. I drop a fresh $20 on the counter and in it's place I get a stamp, temporary red bracelet and a $5. I walk to the bar.

"Do you have any dark rum?”

“No"

"Give me your cheapest beer”

I take a seat in the back with a Pabst Blue Ribbon cooling my hand. There is a band setting up. A two piece. Moments of greatness and moments of weakness but in general I enjoyed them. The band I came to see sets up. The female lead singer is the new Karen O. She is amazing. I was 40 feet away and it felt like she was in my lap. Such a huge personality. I am smiling the entire set. Four songs in the drummer collapses. The guitarist says in a joking manor 

"Oh I guess we lost our drummer."

 It is a second of confusion. The lead singer, who has already taken off her shoes, looks back and runs to him. She slips on something and almost falls. She is close. I am glued to her. She looks up with genuine fear in her eyes and scream for someone to call an ambulance. A roadie comes on stage and tears his kit apart. They clear everything out of the area. I spent the last 25 minutes thinking about how amazing this girl was, how huge she was and in a second she is a 12 year old girl at home alone with someone trying to break in. She shrinks to the size of a dolls. There is a lifeless song being played softly over the speakers. The drummer isn't moving and either am I. The singer is almost invisible. I see dozens of people on there phones. A cry of

"does anyone know first aid?" 

 is heard in a panicked voice. I am still. The voices of the crowd begin to enter my ears.

 'I don't know he was just playing and then......"

 'I know I thought it was a joke to......". 

People are watching. Cameras are flashing. Another girl in the band finds a mic that is still working and says the show is over so we can finish are drinks and leave. She asks for an awkward round of applause. It is clear she doesn't know what to do. It has been 4 maybe 5 minutes. I hear the distant hum of sirens. I haven't moved a thing but my eyes. A group of paramedics ten strong burst through the doors and begin dumping life saving equipment on the stage. Short conversations are had from all angles. The crowd is still buzzing.

 "I know I was so looking forward to seeing them, this fucking sucks.”

 "Now the whole show is over and we have nothing to do" 

The lead singer is talking to one of the paramedics. Her hands are behind her back, rubbing her spine in a repetitive way. She is still without shoes. They drag a stretcher down the long stairs and set it up at the base of the stage. Paramedics start taking off coats and prepare to move him.

"Dude come on I'm fucking out of here, there is nothing left for me" 

They put him on the stretcher and move him down the stairs of the stage. The lead singer is hugging the other female member of the band. She looks to the stretcher and asks a question to the paramedic. She takes off. Near the drums is one of her shoes, the other near the two guitars. She grabs them both but doesn't put them on. She runs back stage. Seconds later she comes out in a full trench coat.

 "Okay everyone it's time to get out. Everything is shut down for the night" 

I don't move an inch. She still has her shoes in her hands as she follows the stretcher out into the Main and Hastings alley where the ambulance is waiting to take them both to the hospital. There is maybe 12 people left in the Rickshaw. The second she leaves I get up and leave from the front door. I brought my first beer and have had two sips of it. It is in my pocket as I exit. My eyes are wide. I enter the streets. I have a hard time blinking. I sit down at the bus stop after giving my beer away. There are two extremely drunk Native Americans sitting there with me. I am a blank face staring at a single spot but my brain is moving. I hear every word they say. Brother and sister.

"I walked one mile in the pitch black, imagine that. No buildings, no lights I didn't know where I was and I didn't know where I was going. They dropped me off in the middle of no where to see if I could find my way back" 

"and you did. They wanted to test who you were. Out of ten kids you were the only one that went into the army like Dad. No one else could do it but you did." 

"you are starting to make me feel proud about my life”

These are the drunken words slurred out on a bench at midnight on Main and Hastings. He didn't have bus fair. It took 45 minutes for the bus to come. I sat, stared and listened.

It is the next morning. I look at the empty beer bottles on the coffee table and see them in such a different light. Things so often look strange in the morning. I am listening to music. Talking with a friend online. I'm trying to figure out how I feel about what I saw last night. I have done some looking into to find an update on his condition. It seems he didn’t make it. He had a brain hemorrhage and was rushed into brain surgery. He was in the intensive care unit and was on life support as of 10am today. That was three hours ago. It is strange how his condition isn't what has upset me most. It was the lead singer. She was being fuelled by an inner passion for the music. She was drinking nothing but bottled water. She started slow and seemed ill at ease for the first song. Four songs in the music had taken over her body. She was projecting peace and power all at once. I was fixated. It seemed almost like an answer to the problems of the world. No alcohol, no violence, no drugs, no god and no anger yet it was powerful. It was impossible to avoid. She had everyone in the room.Then like a light bulb being shattered it was black and cold. Like watching a movie and having the power go out. Like being in a car while having an accident. Like the second before you hear bad news from a close friend. That moment of soul shaking truth. The power was gone but the energy was still there. It hung in the air like a plane that had risen as far as it could and was now in that point where it was no longer moving and had yet to start falling. Then the energy that was created couldn't escape fast enough. 

It was trying to leave from the open doors and windows but it couldn't make it. It was being turned into panic and depression, shock and confusion, fear and individuality. The lead singer went from being the source of joy to the focus of fear. The reason I am feeling so affected is she was so special and I fear that she may never reach those highs again. She was close to something grand and it is incidents like this that prevent you from reaching what you can. It isn't always black and white when you hear of personal failure. It is not that someone couldn't reach their potential because they are weak. Sometimes the reason is they go through a moment so intense they no longer want to.

Edit: You were correct it was [You Say Party! We Say Die!](http://www.straight.com/blogra/you-say-party-we-say-die-drummer-dies-after-stage-collapse) 

Side note: The irony of the bands name was not lost on me... 

Username: Conscientious-object

Tool Concert at Comcast Arena in Everett.

Before you bring out the pitchforks and torches, hear me out reddit:

We had seats in the 5th row, close enough you could almost smell Maynard. Tool performed absolutely amazingly, but Tool wasnt the problem, Josh was.

By best friend at the time, Josh decided that before we went in, he was going to guzzle a 5th of whiskey.

At the time, this wasn't a big surprise, but it is what he did after and up to Tool hitting the stage that made this the worst ever.

Before the concert, Josh went to an alfys pizza, and ate a small garlic chicken pizza to himself. He was drunk, hanging on me to keep his balance, reeking of whiskey and garlic breath.

And right when I thought I was going to be OK, he would let out these huge, nasty, garlic burps.

So I drag him into the venue and our seats are fantastic. I am thinking, "yeah, this is going to be a great concert after all!". Boy, I was wrong.

I cant remember the name of the first band that played, but damn, they sucked.

It was some thrash, pop, emo, metal mix that was just absolutely terrible. You would think that opening bands for a band like Tool would be great, but these guys really, really sucked.

After their 3rd song, the entire crowd started booing, which was nice in a way, being it muted out a lot of the horrible music coming from the stage. They played one more song, and then left.

Now at this point I am getting excited.

Tool is minutes away from playing. And that is when it all went wrong.

As you remember, Josh had just drank a 5th of whiskey and an entire, albeit small, garlic pizza to himself. And that concoction just wasnt doing it for him.

Without warning, he aimed at the floor and let loose a torrent of garlic whiskey vomit, and a lot of it. I try to jump out of the way, but inevitably get this mixture all over my shoes.

The people all around me are absolutely pissed, and now Josh is being escorted out of the concert.

The arena staff needed to clean this up, but the concert was just about to start, so they take the coveted bucket of weird, minty saw dust and just cover the entire mess with it.

They dont sweep it, or mop it, they just leave it there.

So I head back to my seat, and notice 2 things: the scent of the garlic whiskey saw dust mint puke is horrendous, and it is incredibly slippery.

The 7 or so people surrounding me are all slipping around in it too, angry at me since Josh isnt there anymore, and clearly I am the next best person to be mad at.

The concert went just like that. 3 hours of barfy slipping and being the scapegoat for my idiot friend. The music was great, but it absolutely sucked, and I will never forget it.

Username: Javeyn

2 years ago Primus came to town at a local festival here.
One of my friends is a mega primus fan, so we were all the way up front.Our group was me, my friend A.(big guy, used to be a lineman in high school) my friend B. (Hardcore Primus fan) friend B’s sister (both B and his sister are pretty short and small) and friend K.(kinda short.) (it’s general standing area only)
So they come out and everyone’s chanting “Primus Sucks” which is cool.Then they hit the first note, and everyone behinds us slams their bodies into us, squishing is up against the people in front.
The people in front of us turn around and start shoving us back.
This quickly devolves into everyone around us punching, elbowing, shoving.Friend A and I are pretty big guys, so we’re able to hold our ground in this.
But we just look over to see that we’re getting separated from the rest of our friends and we basically helplessly watch as they get pulled into the abyss of the crowd.So friend A and I stand back to back and basically start just trying to keep these god damn maniacs off of us.
I got punched and elbowed repeatedly, I had bruises all over my torso afterwards.He and I both almost fall a few times, and honestly it starts feeling dangerous, if we fell, these aren’t the people that would help us up, they’d trample us.
So we go into panic mode after we almost fell over, and I turn to friend A and say “we need to get the fuck out of here. Let’s just push for the side of the crowd.”He agrees and grabs the nearest person (keep in mind, he’s big and pretty strong) and tosses them out of our way.
I begin following him and we’re just grabbing and throwing men and women indiscriminately out of our way.
We’re both in panic mode at this point after ten minutes of being punched and elbowed and almost crushed.We just keep throwing people out of our way until i was pretty sure we were clear but we just kept throwing people but I kind came to and I tapped my friend and said “hey, I uhh I uhh don’t think that we need to throw people anymore.”
He realized what we were doing and we stopped and walked out of the crowd.We looked like we had just jumped in a pool, we were drenched in our sweat and everyone else’s.
So finally, we turn and actually watch the show(keep in mind, they weren’t playing their heavy songs before, people were getting violent to these calm Primus songs) and Primus actually sucked.I have heard good things from other people about Primus, but we were clearly just another stop on the road for them.
There was no energy and yet they were still sloppy. All around just terrible.After we finally reconnected with our friends. We found out that our friend’s sister had gotten elbowed in the head and she had a concussion.
Username: SchleyDogg

Death Cab for Cutie in Reno, 2015.
I was a fan of them when I was in high school around the time that they released Narrow Stairs.I didn't care much for their newer albums, but Reno doesn't have the best concert scene and the tickets were relatively cheap.
I had high hopes considering that I saw Ben Gibbard's side project, The Postal Service, play in Reno for their tenth anniversary tour in 2013.I was blown away by the show, and I was looking forward to seeing Death Cab assuming that they would put on a similar performance.
How wrong I was.
30 minutes into the show, Ben's amp starts shorting out.At first it didn't seem like a big deal, he said that they would play a few acoustic songs while the stage crew worked on fixing the problem.
He said "You think that an indie rocker like myself would have nice, new equipment, but I've had the same amplifier for 14 years."
That line rubbed me the wrong way, I thought that he came across as really pompous and narcissistic, which was the opposite of the laid-back, down to earth guy that I saw play with the Postal Service.I was also really confused as to why he would play shows with old, unreliable equipment.
Regardless, they played a few acoustic tracks and it seemed like it was fixed.They started playing another song, but the sound kept cutting out on Ben's guitar.
I could tell that he was getting frustrated.Finally, the sound cut out completely and I watched as one of my high school idols threw down his guitar and stormed off the stage like a little baby boy.
The other bandmates stared at each other in confusion, and finished the song without him.
The drummer said that they were going to take a brief intermission, and then come back.After about 15 minutes, the rest of the band comes back on stage without Ben and says that "For the first time in 14 years, we're going to have to cancel a show early. We're really sorry guys, it's been a stressful week. We'll find a way to make it up to you."
And then they disappeared.Over the next few days, they were apologetic over social media but there was no offer of a refund or anything like that.
Apparently they came back to Reno about a year ago and offered a small discount to those that attended the show in 2015, but I had such a sour taste in my mouth that I had no desire to go back.The show ruined their music for me, including the Postal Service.
I just can't get the image out of my head of a 30-some-year-old grown man throwing a hissy fit because his faulty equipment didn't work.
Username: thefutureisnow45

I was severely high on mushrooms at a Tool concert once when a guy in front of me collapsed and started to convulse.

I had First Aid training so I tried to intervene - he stopped breathing and was having some kind of a drug-induced stroke.

I remember looking in his mouth to see if he had maybe swallowed his tongue, and then thinking I should probably start CPR when some real First Aid guys showed up.

They started yelling and called for a stretcher and ambulance while I supported the guys head and neck.

They couldn't get a wheelie stretcher into the crowd but they brought a spineboard - I ended up carrying one handle along with a few other freaked out concert goers (probably his friends,

I'm still not sure) while another guy walked beside us and was using a bottle to try to pump oxygen into his lungs.

They transferred him onto a wheelie stretcher and disappeared down a hallway. I was sure the guy was dead, but there was nothing about it in the news the next day.

I think he must have lived because there were other stories about the event where that information definitely would have been included -

but I didn't know that at the time.

I was seriously freaked out at this point and to make matters worse I couldn't find my friends in the crowd and misplaced my ticket as well.

Then I realized I had blood on me - when he fell backwards he must have split his head open and I didn't realize it -

I had blood all over my hands, shirt, shorts, etc. Somehow I got to the bathroom and cleaned myself up as best I could -

I had to talk to every security person and usher on the way, as well as all the concert goers who told me I was bleeding -

but I could not relax and enjoy the show after that, and the music was making me feel worse and worse. Every second I stayed there was torture.

There were other bands in the lineup - Tool wasn't super huge yet -

but I ended up leaving after wandering around for a while and went home where I spend two hours in the shower,

followed by around five sleepless hours in my bed waiting for the shrooms to wear off.

The funny thing is my friends didn't even realize I was missing until after the concert,

and didn't notice the guy collapsing five feet away from us -

they were a little freaked out when they discovered that I disappeared, but luckily they didn't call my house (no cell phones in those days).

If it wasn't for the blood on my clothes I swear I would have thought I imagined it.

Username: hobbitlover

The Feuertanz Festival of 2003 in Wuppertal. I used to be pretty big into Folk Rock/Metal and with a lineup like that, it had to be amazing:

In Extremo, Blood Flowerz, Schandmaul and two pre-bands.

What could go wrong? Well, what didn't? Shit started right at the gate.

It was a scorching hot day. First order of the day, kindly dump all your drinks, no matter which form, into a big trashcan for "security reasons". Why the quotation marks?

They did not confiscate my then girlfriend's knife.

Anyways, we enter and there are a few souvenir shops up and a singular beer/water tent. That one was empty about 30 minutes in.

Before the concert had even started. Amazing!

The first band started on time, a local gothic rock band called Schattenleben. Maybe they improved but that must have been their very first concert ever.

The leadsinger was extremely shy, she essentially just mumbled into the microphone with what looked like actual tears on her face (face got swollen and glistened and it sounded like sobbing at the end).

They could not hold any melody and after two songs, the Orga had to come on stage and shout at people to fucking stand up (it was a layered stage with stone benches).

Out of courtesy.

Schattenleben continued for a bit and it was time for the next band.

Forgot the name but they were great.

A coverband - they walked onto the stage with big afros and hammered a death metal version of Britney Spears. Aww yeeah.

The next band, Bloodflowerz was a no show.

The Orga didn't think it was important to tell us and left us simmering in the glowing heat for an hour doing nothing.

By this point they had more or less closed down the gate.

You could leave but not enter anymore, so no one could buy something to drink or eat.

By the time Schandmaul and In Extremo came on stage, everyone was exhausted, massively pissed and dehydrated.

Either the lead singer of In Extremo or Schandmaul started arguing with the Orga live on stage about supplying people with drinking water - and threatened to cancel until they do.

The Orga haphazardly tossed plastic Waterbottles into the crowd. I got one. Against my head. Left a funny scar.

I'm surprised this festival didn't turn into an actual bloody mess with how pissed and dehydrated people were.

Username: dEnamed2

I was given free tickets to see David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar co-headlining in Atlanta, 2002.

We really only went to sell beer in the lot, the tickets were an added bonus, or so we thought.

DLR opened the show, it was still daylight outside and a very hot summer day in Georgia. The heat was brutal, and it looked even more brutal up on stage.

One look at the Jumbo Screens and you could see the makeup running down DLR's face.

So bad, in fact, that you could make out his wig line. yes, this was the day I realized David Lee Roth is going bald, or is already there. It was fucking gross.

What was even worse, the girls in the front few rows had to be paid to flash their tits for the jumbo scrrens, they were way too hot to be there and waaaaaaay hotter than the rest of the toothless wonders that inhabit the deep south.

Throw in a little bit of "every song sounds like shit on sandpaper" and you get one crap ass set of classic rock.

Sammy Hagar, while I'm not really a fan, wasn't so bad.

He has musicianship, he's got stage presence, There is some talent there and I see why he was popular at one point.

I wasn't very interested in the set, and since there is more beer to be sold, we left half way through Hagar's set to get ready for the exiting crowd.

I never regretted selling beer after a show except this one time.

Every mother fucker through the door was drunker than they should be, angry at the crap show they just saw, uglier than a catfish with a lazy eye, and aggressive to the max.

I had a bit of trouble keeping it together, as hands dipped into the cooler taking two and three beers at a time, and trying to make an escape without paying.

No one rides for free, bitches, not on my watch, so I shut it down and take a seat on the cooler. The angry rednecks begin to disperse, my gf (wife now) is calming down, and things are becoming normal again.

A guy walks by 20 feet away singing a Sammy Hagar tune, when from behind me someone yells "Fuck Sammy Hagar! Hagar fucking sucks!"

The dude instantly turns my way, and begins to beeline it in my direction, clinched fists and chewing his lips like someone that's been up for four days.

He stops inches from where I'm sitting and begins to GO OFF on me, mostly about how Sammy Hagar rocks, I'm an absolute piece of shit, and he is ready to go down swinging in defense of the all might Red Rocker.

I really feared for my face for a second, i was not in the best position for getting my face smashed in.

I tried to explain that some other knuckle head had yelled that, I could give a shit less, and really, I think both SH and DLV suck equal parts of dick.

This was not what I should have said, and I knew it, when I saw the guy take a turn and pull a sucker punch at me.

i was still sitting, and maybe his aim was bad, maybe I had the luck of the Brothers Van Halen on my side, but somehow, he just grazed across the top of my head.

Not a direct hit, but shots fired, and enough time form me to get up off the cooler and at least be in a standing position for whatever comes next.

The guy continues to berate me, a new crowd is forming around us, and quite frankly, I'm kinda scared for my life.

From behind, I feel a nudge, and it's my gf pushing my skateboard into my hand.

I feel the cold steel of the trucks in my hand, and feel an all new confidence that I may escape this with all my teeth intact.

I pull the board into both hands, batter up style, and kindly tell the guy he needs to be on his mother fucking way.

The next 10 seconds seemed like forever, as drunk billy bob evaluates his options, and sees he has few that do not involve a concussion.

A few more volleys of insults, and he finally turns to leave, at the insistence of those crowding around.

Things begin to settle, I start calming down, the crowd starts to leave. It's time to blow this shit show. All we need to do is grab the cooler and go to the......

Wait a second..where's my fucking cooler? In all the hubbub and chaos, someone took advantage of the moment and stole the cooler, with maybe 20 beers chilling on the inside. Of course, no one around saw anything.

In fact, to this day I almost believe the whole thing was a set up just to get my cooler.

I'm not even upset. I mean, I am upset, my shit is gone, but I just needed to be done with this mess, out of this parking lot, chilling on my couch, putting this behind me and chalking it up as a learning experience.

We did finally get out of there, and this was one of my last days going out being a rogue beer vendor in a shady lot.

The pull for this show was pretty good, lots of beers sold early on to under prepared tailgaters, but the anxiety of that scene never left me, so in subsequent attempts, I was more nervous than anything just trying to make a buck.

So fuck you Sammy Hagar, Fuck you David Lee Roth, and most importantly, fuck your shitty fans.

Username: black05pr3y

For me, it was the time someone was an pushy asshole to me and my friends and within an half hour they'd become a martyr that the whole crowd was literally chanting for.

I went to a Watsky concert down in a little hole-in-the-wall Nashville club in 2016. The show starts and the opening act, a rapper by the name A1, starts his set.

He's pretty good, me and my friends are about five or six deep back from the stage and having a good time.

Then we start to notice a group of four people standing right next to us, two of which have turned their backs to the stage to form a circle.

They all have bright-ass cell phones out and are talking over A1 (even during relatively quiet parts of his songs) as if they didn't give a shit.

I notice the person closest to me is a late-20s woman with a full Snow White sleeve tattoo.

Already this is one of my pet peeves. If you don't care about an opening act, at least have the common courtesy to fuck off back to the back of the room to talk.

If you don't care about the opening act but also *have* to be close to the stage for the headliner... shut the fuck up.

Then Watsky comes out. Woo, the thing we'd driven 2 hours to get to and then sat on a sidewalk for 2 more hours to ensure we gave a newbie friend a fun close-to-the-stage first concert experience.

Watsky's here, everything should be better right?

Unfortunately, Snow White and her friends wanted a better location.

I'm standing four inches behind a friend who's never been to a concert before, Snow White tries to get in front of my friend (who doesn't budge), so then Snow White and her gang squeeze between my friend and I without even saying "excuse me."

Like, I had nowhere to go backwards so I just had four strangers rub against me to the extent that my shirt comes un-tucked.

They disappear off into the crowd to our left, we adjust our clothes and try to forget about it.

Halftime comes up and Watsky disappears off the stage to rest, A1 comes out and announces he will do a freestyle rap based entirely off the items in the pockets of people close to the stage.

A lighter, a phone, he's on a roll when I see a be-Snow-White-ed arm thrust up towards the stage holding a flask.

See, we were at Exit/In. Exit/In has posted in *multiple* locations that they don't take kindly to outside containers.

A1 takes the flask, raps about it, hands it back to Snow White.

The second that flask touches Snow White's hand a pissed-off looking security guy crosses the stage and tells her to get out.

Snow White refuses, Security Guy gets down in the crowd and starts moving her towards the door.

Watsky's enough of a bro that -- despite never having seen or touched said flask-- the moment he hears someone being kicked out of the crowd he sprints on stage to a mic and starts yelling "IT WAS JUST WATER, BRO."

So the entire audience except for my friends and some neighbors who also were rubbed on by Snow White are booing.

Watsky looks at one of Snow White's gang and asks what her name is. Snow White's name was Lacey.

And that's how 99% of the audience of a Watsky concert started chanting the words "Free Lacey," to no avail.

They started tweeting #FreeLacey. Everyone that is, except a small pocket of people who Lacey had pissed off.

The real bitch of it all? Watsky closed out the show by having the crowd surf him to the door so he could go talk to Lacey.

The next day her Insta was full of pictures, apparently A1 and Watsky had come outside during the show and given her free merch, chatted with her, and months later she got an engraved flask from A1 in the mail as an apology for accidentally narc-ing her out.

I get it, they wanted everyone who came out to have a good time, but holy shit.

Username: MediocreParagon

My first exposure to the "metal" "band" Five Finger Death Punch. This was recent.

I went to an all-day festival type concert a few months back that had a good number of bands that I like/used to listen to back in High School. Mastodon, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson (although he left the tour shortly before it came to my city), etc.

I haven't really stayed up to date with newer bands in that genre since '06 and had no idea who the fuck Five Finger Death Punch was,

but I figured they'd at least be comparable to Mastodon, Zombie, etc and figured "Hey, why not grab some tix and go with some friends who used to listen to these bands with me back in the day."

They had no idea who FFDP was either...

So we watch Mastodon, they do an awesome show, and figured we'd at least check FFDP out because we they were the last band to play before Zombie closed the show.

That's when, all of a sudden, the venue got HOARDED with die-hard fans of FFDP.

I mean, the venue was plenty packed for everyone else who played, but it seemed like all of the FFDP folks were waiting out in the parking lot for the show and only came in when FFDP came on.

So the band comes on stage, the crowd goes wild, and me and my friends get to hear their music for the first time...

It took about a minute for us to realize that not only does this band suck and have absolutely no depth in terms of writing songs or playing anything remotely technical, but their fans are just as obnoxious and ignorant to Metal music as they are. It felt like I was suddenly thrown into a Trump rally that served alcohol.

Song after shitty song went on.

The singer babbled on in between songs about being in the military or some shit and started bragging about being a rock star and being friends with all the other bands. and for some reason had a painted hand print on his face... Nothing even particularly "metal" about it... just a hand print.

Anyway, while they were playing their songs, I couldn't help but notice that most of their clothes, instruments, and other equipment on stage had the Monster Energy Drink logo on it.

So I'm thinking "Ok, so they're basically just KISS, but with more explicit advertisements on their stage:

A shitty band with generic songs, very limited musical talent and little "gimics" to keep their fans entertained like painted faces and quirky haircuts."

And that's exactly what they were/are!

I'm sure we all have been at concerts where we had to sit through acts that we didn't care for, but DAMN were these guys terrible.

As far as musical technicality goes, I know that Zombie and Manson aren't much to talk about either, but at least their music is genuine and entertaining.

When their set was over, their fans suddenly left the venue and didn't even stay for Zombie to come on, but I didn't mind that at all.

Maybe I'm just out of the loop in terms of metal, but these guys ruined my perception of the genre and humanity in general.

I hope this isn't the direction that metal is heading in.

Username: PhillyComedy

Lollapalooza 2006 to see Queens of the Stone Age and the Red Hot Chili Peppers when I got heat stroke.

Now the concert itself was pretty great, but the festival experience was awful.

Queens was playing right before the Chili Peppers and me, my friend and his girlfriend decided we wanted to stake out a spot near the front where we would be able to get a good view.

They had these fences going up to middle leading to the sound board, so we staked out spots against it to have something to lean our backs against.

We tried to bring in a giant jug of water, but security wouldn't let us, so we each bought one small botlle inside and decided to take turns filling them up at the water fountain.

Most of the day was fine, but it was one of the hottest days of the year and it got brutal. Eventually the crowd around us got so big we couldn't walk to refill our water.

A bunch of us sat around in a circle talking and this security guard with a ponytail and handlebar moustache walked up to us and said if any of us had any weed to trade he would hook everyone up with waters throughout the rest of the day.

We all looked around giving each other, "Is this guy for real?" looks. I had weed but no way in hell was I trusting this shady fuck.

The day went on, but being out under that brutal hot sun was definitely taking its toll on us. We got water sprayed on us occasionally from security people but it was not enough.

QOTSA was awesome and we were looking forward to the Chili Peppers.

About one song into their set my friend's girlfriend was feeling like she was going to faint, so he told a security guard and they pulled her out. A couple of songs more and he looks at me and asks if I'm alright.

I didn't want to say anything but I felt awful, like I was gonna pass out and seeing things like I hadn't slept in days. I tell him I'm fine, but he looks at me and says, "Dude, no you're not. You should go too and have then look at you."

I eventually caved and got pulled out as well.

The security guard walk me down the path to basically the front of the stage and then off to the right to a patch of grass with a bunch of sick people. He sat me down and told me to wait.

About a minute later some lady comes to check on me. She points a flashlight in my eyes and says, "Whatcha take?"

I told her nothing because I hadn't taken anything. "C'mon, whatcha take?" I told her again, "NOTHING! I've been in the fucking sun all day."

She says "Uh huh" then signals over to someone who comes and dumps a bucket of ice water on me and gives me a bottle of water.

I just sit there, soaked, for the rest of the concert and then try to find my friend and his girlfriend after the crowd had cleared.

I finally find them and they ask me why I'm all wet. I ask why isn't she wet?

Even though we both got taken away for the same thing I was the only one that had a bucket of ice water dumped on me.

She got a bottle of water and to peacefully enjoy the rest of the concert from the side. Still pisses me off to this day.

Username: -eDgAR-

I got free tickets to Ozzfest in Dallas one year. It was in the summer, hot as fuck and in a concrete parking lot.

At about noon, I got extremely overheated, which triggered a migraine.

I went to the only dark place i could find, a little enclosed bar.

Then I had to pay two dollars an hour in ice water as penance for taking up the bartender's precious wall space.

I wasn't a huge metal fan, especially not the metal typical of Ozzfest, but I wanted to see Ozzy and it was FREE.

So, I toughed it out. I drove eight hours for this show so just going home wasn't what I wanted to do.

My girlfriend stayed with me in that bar until the sun went down enough for me to be able to stand to walk out.

I got to see Static X, which was alright, not really my thing but I can respect what hey had going on.

Then I saw Lordie, that was a wonderfully, amazing, strange surprise. I had heardany people that were jealous that j was going to see Lamb of God.

Now, again, this type of metal isn't really my jazz but I am extremely eclectic musically, so I went in open minded. I thought the *music* was great, but once the vocals started, I just couldn't hang.

Can't do the growly stuff. Just pulls me right out. So I sat in the grass and chilled. I was there for Ozzy.

Finally, the Ozman cometh. I was excited. My head wasn't blazing like the fire of the sun anymore, I was about to see Ozzy. He came out, little frail, but I can get behind it.

He started off, his voice sounded a little shaky, but hey, I saw Blue Oyster Cult not in theory prime, I can handle this.

Then his voice started breaking...bad. Really bad. His voice was obviously shot. Completely. Off key and vocal breaks galore.

After about thirty to forty minutes in, he took a 10-20 minute break to drink some tea with honey to give his voice a break.

I'm gonna get some shit for this next bit, but inhatw Zakk Wylde.

He seems like a prick, I know a guy that did a clinic with him and he said he was a prick.

But aside from that, I think while a techinically good guitar player, he has no taste or music sense. It's always balls to wall all the time, no matter what.

Time and place for shredding, time and place forellow. He doesn't have that. Isn't just pentatonic scales as fast as he can blaze with an overuse of pinch harmonics because that's his thing.

But whatever, that's just a guitarist's issues. He will never be Randy.

I had to listen to Zakk Wylde "solo" in front of a fan blowing his hair around for 15 fucking minutes. I don't care how good someone is on guitar, that gets boring.

Fast. I don't like his style so it was especially annoying.

Ozzy finally came out, played all the songs you would expect at an Ozzy show. His voice was shot, he shouldn't have been playing and I wish I had never seen it.

It was just a disappointing experience that I put myself through a shitload of pain to witness. I still like Ozzy, and he fired Zakk Wylde (good riddance), but I don't think I could see him again.

Username: CryoClone

I’ve been to hundreds of shows over the years but hip-hop shows have always been the most disappointing.

From the notoriously bad sound to the bad vibes in the room and drunk and disrespectful crowds, hip-hop takes the cake.

Guru from Gangstarr NYE 2004 @ Aria in Montreal.

I was pumped to see him because I had been a fan of his for years up to this point. He took the stage and I was really feeling his set, but the rest of the crowd was not feeling it and acted like they didn’t know who he was.

The crowd was more of a gangster scene and everyone was acting tough and there was not a lot of positivity in the room.

It was basically a bunch of guys who were there to party and were not into the music or reacting to the songs, and Guru could tell. He wasn’t feeling it either.

He did about 3 or 4 songs and then quickly disappeared, saying he would be back later...

I waited around for awhile but he never came back, so we went to the house room and luckily I heard amazing sets from Deep Dish and Marco G.

The night was saved!

Other least memorable moments were seeing Wu-Tang Clan at Ottawa Bluesfest 07/07/2013. Having been a fan for years, I was stoked to see them.

Unfortunately, the sound guys were probably volunteers and didn’t know who was who, they just couldn’t turn up the mics loud enough and the Clan was not able to hear themselves either.

Method Man was trying to keep the crowd pumped but it was pretty obvious they were disappointed by the weak sound which ultimately led to a bummer of a show because we couldn’t hear them rhyme at all.

It was totally not their fault, but was a major let down as I was really excited to see them.

Last but not least, Busta Rhymes @ Ottawa Bluesfest 07/16/2009. Busta was partying in Montreal and was over 40 minutes late for his set, so he did a 20 minute mash up of all of his best songs.

He pretty much only did a verse and chorus from each song before cutting to the next song.

The crowd was pissed from waiting so long, and the short set was whack.

The funniest thing was that Live was supposed to play on another stage but they couldn’t start on time because Busta ran over his time slot and Live couldn’t start on time because of sound bleeding from his stage.

When they started their set they dissed him and thanked him for postponing their performance, and it made headlines.

Because they were the last act of the night they had to cut their set short and stop right on time because of noise bylaws.

I’m still a fan of hip-hop, but for some reason many of the live shows end up being major let downs for me.

Do you find certain styles of music are more likely to have shitty concerts?

Username: brokenracket

Chuck Berry in Portland, 1988.
I was so excited to see and hear one of the original architects of Rock and Roll.IIRC it was part of some neighborhood festival of sorts and the stage was under a giant tent.
It was well known that he didn't travel with a band.He simply used musicians that opened for him (also routinely insisted on being paid in cash).
In this case the band that opened was a locally popular oldies band at the time called Jonnie Limbo and the Lugnuts.After they wrapped-up the stage hands adjusted the set a bit, leaving the piano, rhythm guitar and trap set.
The necessary Lugnuts came out and took their places, then out comes Chuck after his intro.Once the rousing welcome began to fade and bows complete Chuck counts out "1-2-3-4" and hits that famous riff.
The band joins in and the drummer is obviously a beat and half or two behind everyone else.Chuck stops the band looks angrily at the drummer and taps his foot hard and counts more loudly.
The song starts again. Same result.The 2nd time he walks over to the trap set, dresses the drummer down and starts once again this time shaking the headstock of his guitar as if it was a conductor's baton to keep the drummer on the right beat.It went well for a few measures but quickly fell apart.
That's when it REALLY sideways.Chuck threw his guitar towards the rack and both things went flying across the stage.
He grabbed the mic and starts yelling for "someone in charge .... get your ass backstage".He storms backstage while the band members look at each other with this "WTF do we do" kind of expression.
Half the crowd is chanting "We want Chuck" and the other half is booing.After a while some guy with a lanyard and headset comes out with another guy in tow and taps the drummer on the shoulder and he sulks away.
The other guy takes his place. THEN before they restart the crew readjusts the monitors and include the drummer this time.
The music starts and things sound alright.But, he spent so much of the rest of the show bitching about his accompaniment and short stopping songs and the whole cringe worthiness of the drummer swap just completely ruined the vibe.Kinda took the "Living (then) Legend" sparkle off him and made himself look like just another asshole musician that can make you regret you parted with your hard earned money.
Username: blind_venetians

OFWGKTA. I had been really into them about 6 months earlier, and I had bought a ticket, but I had mono and wasn't able to go for obvious reasons.

So this is about 6 months after, 6 days before my birthday, and I was pretty stoked (mostly on nostalgia, but still stoked nevertheless).

It was at the Sound Academy which is notoriously shitty, and a pain in the ass to get to since it's in the middle of goddamn nowhere.

So my friends and I end up going there on an empty stomach (not the smartest idea, I realize) and wait for around 4 hours in the late October cold. So we finally get in, and end up waiting 2 and a half hours.

Seeing as hip hop (if you can even call them that) shows sually don't have an opener, it was just normal house music, time filler tracks.

So as you are probably already aware of, Odd Future's fans are for the most part, obnoxious assholes.

So as we get in there, it's busy as all hell and everybody is pushing to the front. At this point I've been split up from my friends and am in the middle of two guys screaming and pushing the crowd.

So this goes on for easily 2 and a half hours.

The main DJ, Syd, comes out and starts playing some Waka, and I'm getting pretty hyped up.

Then all of a sudden theres this huge wave of pushing, and I pass out.

So as people do, they were crowd surfing. I need to get out.
So I jump up on some dudes back (I lose my shoes in the process, don't ask me how) and they start crowd surfing me to the front. In the process I lose my semi new/expensive coat in the crowd.

I get to the front and get thrown down on the floor by the security guard and pushed away.

At this point I'm on my way out in a t shirt, and no shoes.

As I'm leaving I'm knocking people out of the way left right and center, it was pretty intense.

I get to the exit, the guy says no ins and outs.

I take out my ticket, crumple it, and throw it at him saying "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK" and walk outside.

Low and behold, it's fucking pouring out.

So I ended the night by walking to the main road with bloody feet, and no coat in the pouring rain to a cab.

I came in, and my mom laughed at me. Worst concert experience of my life.

Username: blaisebailey

The worst concert I have ever been to was Armin Van Buuren at Marquee (club in NYC). I should've known something was up when I was the only person in line not wearing a button down...

Armin was stupendous, started out with "Embrace", played a lovely remix of "New York City" by The Chainsmokers, and even mixed in some of "In and out of love," my favorite throwback track of his. Armin wasn't the issue.

He is my favorite DJ and will remain so until the day I die.

Marquee however is the worst concert venue on Earth.

Marquee probably has the worst layout I've ever seen, with both coat check lines arranged in such a way that the lines spill out into the dance floor and bar area.

There was this one girl chilling out by the bar who kept tut tutting at me as I waited over an hour in line just to check my coat, because she couldn't see the stage. Lady decides to post up in the one area that is constantly obstructed by a line of people, but I digress.

Why was I waiting for over an hour to check my coat? Because the venue ran out of coat hangers, and one bouncer was openly taking bribes to let people skip the line.

I distinctly remember the coat check girl stating that they were out of hangars, *right* as I was next in line no less, only for the bouncer guy to lean over and tell the girl "not this one" gesturing to some douche who had just slipped him some cash.

An hour passes and my coat is finally checked, and I truly understand just how terrible this venue has been set up.

See, most VIP sections are off to the side in most clubs, or on some sort of raised balcony area. In Marquee, the VIP section is right in the middle of the dance floor.

So, you're either stuck behind this VIP couch section, which may as well be bleachers because someone is always sitting on the back of them.

Or, you try to force yourself into the already ungodly packed front and have everyone hate you.

See, I'm the kinda guy that likes to go to concerts to dance, really just let loose and get lost in the trance.

At marquee though, I couldn't go thirty seconds without someone bumping into me, or having someone from the wait staff ask me to move to the side.

At some point during the night, all the lights go down, and the wait staff has a bunch of road flares lit as they stand in a line.

I'm getting excited, as this night as been hell but clearly something amazing is about to happen...and then I see it: a happy birthday balloon.

A cake is led out with a procession of the waitstaff and road flares to the middle of the VIP section to give some kid his cake.

Fucking. No.

I've seen road flares and birthday cake at club venues before.

And I've seen DJs and artists bring the lights down to share an intimate moment with us.

Hell, I've helped sing happy birthday to NERVO during a show.

But stopping a show, just so the entire club can wish some rich kid a happy birthday?

This made me livid, the straw that broke the camel's back and all that jazz.

I love Armin van Buuren, he is my favorite DJ and he is amazing live, but goddamnit, this is a concert, not some rich kid's birthday party that we were "lucky" enough to attend.

So for the first time ever, I left a concert 45 minutes early. I will never go to that venue again.

Username: ZombieSnake

Obviously it's personal taste thing, but I'm not too bothered about bands/artists interacting with the crowd.

For me, I'm there to hear the tunes. I get a bit fed up when folks try too hard with jokes, this side vs that side stuff, or just general talking (I love you Dave Grohl, but I'm very much looking at you here). Just shut up and play the hits!

In terms of disappointment from the artist, acts I've not already seen mentioned.

The one that stands out the most was **Frank Ocean**.

God I love the man as an artist, but he just should not perform live. He just cannot do it. I get that he gets super anxious, and has pretty bad stage fright, but it's just such a bad show.

Saw him at a festival in London (Loveboxx maybe?), was literally only there for him. He insisted on having his own stage and speaker set up - which made it a nightmare to get a decent spot, and caused crushing everywhere. He was nearly an hour late on stage.

Played a bunch of songs no one knew, loads of random backing music, sound was super quiet and his mic was turned all the way down.

He spent half the time behind some box tinkering with some knobs or some shit, and the rest of the time was being filmed super up close by spike jonze so you could just see him and his camera.

Then he hit curfew, shrugged and just left.

Also didn't help the crowd was mostly teenagers who'd been off their face on ketamine all day, who spent half of the set drowning him out singing bloody Justin Bieber songs.

Another in the same field was **Aphex Twin**.

Different festival, think it was Field Day? The majority of the set just felt like white noise, deafening industrial sounds and visuals that seemed designed to enduce a seizure.

It was frustrating because their were snippets of absolutely genius sounding stuff in there, but would last about 20 seconds before the full on sensory assault resumed.

It felt like you were being tested to see if you deserved the good stuff.

In both cases, it was probably my own fault for expecting more from notoriously tricky acts that aren't exactly crowd pleasers.

Another was **The Avalanches** when they just came back and started playing again around the second album.

Again, maybe I shouldn't have expected much different.

It was like a bad Libertines show at the height of their troubles.

Dudes were completely off their faces, kept messing up songs, forgetting what they were doing and could hardly stand up. Spent half the time spraying champagne around, which then caused technical issues.

I have seen them again since, and they were much better - so probably just one of those nights.

Also, not necessarily disappointing - but caught **The Jackson 5** (sans Michael) at a festival and it was sad and kind of embarrassing.

A bunch of overweight old men that couldn't sing or dance. They disappeared off stage for about 10 minutes half way through and just played a video about their lives on screen. It didn't even mention Michael once, which seemed very odd.

Username: Ok_Constant7066

Godspeed You Black Emperor... I'm a fan and figured the show would be a bit of a snooze fest just because of the kind of music they make.
I was unprepared for the load of bullshit they unleashed from the start.They all walked out and started tuning their instruments.
Not a big deal but you'd think this would be done before the show started.Also, the drummer was still bringing pieces of his kit out to the stage from the back.
They then proceeded to open the show by playing a note, ONE FUCKING NOTE, for THIRTY MINUTES.All members of the band playing the same note on their respective instruments.
Of course, they had some bizarre looking instruments which gave the appearance that they were just being misunderstood geniuses on stage.Fuck that! It was one droning note, no beat or rhythm to it...
just fucking noise for thirty minutes.They eventually started playing songs but, between every song, they played about 10 minutes of the same note from the intro.
They played for over two hours but it seems that more than half of the show was them playing that note.I was so bored and pissed off at the lack of music happening
and I was left wondering what the hell I paid for.The worst part was that the venue was absolutely packed and everybody seemed to love what was happening.
I was shocked at the thunderous applause that the one note intro received.
Fuckin' hipsters!I was so disappointed that I had to reconsider whether or not I even liked the band.
I spent the next day listening to the records that I like from them...surprisingly, I still really like the records.
However, I will never spend $30 to watch them jack themselves off on stage like that again!
Username: existentialence

There's the concert that nearly killed me.

It was Suede back in the early 90s, and the venue had people packed in waaaayyyy over capacity. Plus the fire doors were locked.

I'm 5ft 3" and back then, I weighed only about 7 stone. I was where the mosh pit should be, if it didn't actually stretch all the way to the back wall.

I'd got some tall blokes around me (all strangers) and it got so packed that I was lifted off my feet by the force of it. I was only upright, because I was wedged against those lads.

Second song in, it was a big hit at the time and so the place went wild. The lad next to me stumbled and that gave me enough space to go under.

There was no room to get me out. People fell on top of people on top of people.

It went so dark and too warm. I couldn't breathe, but it was ok.

That's something which has always been so weird about this. I almost miss it.

My body must have been flooded with all the adrenaline, endorphins and whatever else activates, when the flight or fight kicks in, but there's nothing you can do.

I was in the most serene, beautiful place, with no pain at all.

There was no sense of time down there. I could have been there for seconds or hours.

I knew the moment when bodies were lifted off me enough to allow me to gasp in red hot air.

But that was more or less all. I was fine. I was totally fine. Like I said, I half miss being down there.

I could hear this woman screaming.

You know that tone and desperation that makes you want to just drop everything, in order to rush and save them?

Her scream was like that. I couldn't do anything to help her.

My face was clear, but the rest of my body was still trapped under several others (a witness later said there were at least nine with me on the bottom).

All I could do was lie there, hearing the pitch of her panic and willing the lads around us to forget me - I'm fine - just get her the fuck out!

Seconds, hours, a lifetime later, two fingers pressed under my chin.

I don't know how the sweet proverbial he did it, but a bloke lifted me enough WITH HIS TWO FINGERS in order to grab my head and yank me free that way.

A ring of lads held back the entire over-packed surging crowd to give him the tiniest space to do that.

That complete stranger held me aloft in his hands, like I was an infant being presented to the masses, or he was the Hulk or something.

The adrenaline must have been pumping through him too. Six blokes pushed a path before us, and he carried me through the press and out into safety of the corridor.

It was only then that I discovered, it had been me screaming all along.

Username: MerchGwyar