Ever see a professional band get booed off stage?

[benzaco]

Late 1970’s...Park West in Chicago. Dickey Betts and Great Southern was the headliner, and the crowd was full of cowboy hats, feather earrings, and sweet satin/corduroy vests. Out steps this new “punk rock” band from Boston. After two songs, the crowd had enough. “BOOOO YOU SUCK! PUNK ROCK SUCKS!!!!” It was relentless for :20 until they gave up.
(we just booed The Cars offstage. Ooops)

 

[Murat]

Justin Timberlake got it really bad at Sarsstock in Toronto, really bad. The decision to put him in that line up was horrible but still. I will let you listen HIS version of the events at Graham Norton Show (which happens to be the best talk show out there if that is your thing)

 

[Living Dead Drummer]

I saw Justin Timberlake get booed off stage in Canada when he played with Rush, AC/DC, and The Stones.
He did 3 songs and had to leave because people were throwing bottles. It was right after he went solo, and he still had the “Boy Band” persona, and it was definitely NOT the kind of bill he should have been on.

kind of a shame though. Not long after he started cranking out pop hits that I genuinely enjoy.

 

[Murat]

I saw Justin Timberlake get booed off stage in Canada when he played with Rush, AC/DC, and The Stones.
He did 3 songs and had to leave because people were throwing bottles. It was right after he went solo, and he still had the “Boy Band” persona, and it was definitely NOT the kind of bill he should have been on.

kind of a shame though. Not long after he started cranking out pop hits that I genuinely enjoy.

Those bottles had pee in them LOL !

 

[bob]

early 70's , kinsmen field house in edmonton ab. canada . fleetwood mac was booed off the stage

 

[Monday317]

My wife and I used to go to a local motel bar that had a nice space and live music. They booked local bands, mostly mediocre, of the kind that would play the room too loud in the mistaken belief they sounded better.

One night we came in and were hit with a $10.00 cover charge, where $5.00 was the norm. We were told this band was pricier as they were really good and had just signed a record deal.

Their show was to start at 9:00. At 9:30, they started filing in, obviously drunk or high. They brought their girlfriends and demanded a couple tables be set up by the stage for them, and slowly began their setup while partying, apparently waiting for their lead singer to stagger in.

The drummer was more cogent than the rest, but his kit was crap; a mishmash put together from flea markets. His heads were like what you find on eBay drums and his ride had a large chunk out of it.

By 10:00, the singer staggered in and join his band at their party. From time to time, the would sound check their mics: “CHHHHHECK CHHHHHECK CHHHECK CHECKCHECKCHECKCHECK..”, in the most annoying way imaginable.

We knew the manager and asked WTF? He said they needed an amp cable and their roadie was looking for it. At that point we bolted, paid the bill and got our cover refunded.

The band never recorded anything and broke up. No loss.

 

[bigbonzo]

I saw Justin Timberlake get booed off stage in Canada when he played with Rush, AC/DC, and The Stones.
He did 3 songs and had to leave because people were throwing bottles. It was right after he went solo, and he still had the “Boy Band” persona, and it was definitely NOT the kind of bill he should have been on.

kind of a shame though. Not long after he started cranking out pop hits that I genuinely enjoy.

My girlfriend and I saw him in Cleveland a couple years ago. I was surprised at how good the show was, and how well it was put together. Not my kind of music, but still.

 

[Toast Tee]

They weren't, but should have been.
Aerosmith! Tyler was doing blow in stage, and they were AWFUL! I liked them some until that point. Mid 80's. Can't stand them to this day

 

[Vicey]

early 70's , kinsmen field house in edmonton ab. canada . fleetwood mac was booed off the stage

Out of curiosity, and because I've been listening to early Fleetwood Mac recently, what happened?

 

[FRP123]

Having worked with about half the bands mentioned here, I have seen plenty of bad bills and occasionally, booing fans. However, with KISS, we mostly had great opening acts. Seger, AC/DC, and my personal favorite: Cheap Trick. One bill stood out, though. Our genius booking agent put John Cougar Mellencamp on a tour as an opener just after his first album came out (or maybe before it had come out). It was awful. John came out with his band playing acoustic guitar and the crowd was having none of it. Chants of "We want KISS", "F*** you", "Get off the stage", etc. I felt so bad for him having played the same places he did growing up (a little before him). But the crowd wants what the crowd wants. He was dropped from the tour after two shows I think. I was having breakfast at the airport the next morning with KISS's manager and I saw him eating by himself. I wanted to go over and give him words of encouragement because he really was a good player, but he looked so down I left him alone.

 

[michaelocalypse]

I've seen a couple bands that should have been booed off stage, but the audience didn't know any better so I let it slide.

I went to one of those big radio band tour festivals when I was younger. We get a lot of rain that time of year, and our stop was known for mud flinging. One of the dudes from Stabbing Westward kept coming out during other bands' sets and in between bands telling people they will pack their gear up and leave if it keeps getting hit with mud, and that would end the show since their equipment was being heavily shared apparently. The "chemically altered" crowd didn't take kindly to being lectured about something that happens every year, and a large glop of mud slapped the entire side of the guy's head. They ended up playing, but a lot of people lost interest in seeing them. It was an odd mix of their fans cheering, and everyone else jeering.

 

[bigbonzo]

Those bottles had pee in them LOL !

I fail to see the humor in have bottles of pee thrown at someone.

 

[Murat]

I fail to see the humor in have bottles of pee thrown at someone.

No no, no humor at all, just a laugh of incredulity ...and also knowing the situation (there were nowhere near enough washroom facilities and they were too far anyways) it is one of those LOLs where you shake your head at the same time.

 

[bob]

Out of curiosity, and because I've been listening to early Fleetwood Mac recently, what happened?

i really can't remember why ... sorry

 

[bob]

I fail to see the humor in have bottles of pee thrown at someone.

throwing bottles ofpiss is a real european thing

 

[cruddola]

I believe Jimi Hendrix had a rough ride opening for the Monkees. Imagine the parents of those teenage girls...."Wild Thing!"

And Bruce Springsteen early on opened for Anne Murray in Central Park. You can't make this up.


August 3, 1974 | Schaefer Music Festival: Wollman Rink, Central Park

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band were a substitute for headliner Boz Scaggs, as part of a triple bill along with Anne Murray (known at the time for her hit single, “Snowbird”) billed second, and acoustic duo Brewer & Shipley in the opening slot. Anne Murray’s managers vigorously objected to Springsteen taking precedence over Murray on the grounds that she was “more commercially successful” (which was not an untrue statement). Springsteen’s manager agreed to move to the middle spot, as long as Bruce could perform his full 80-minute set.

(You can probably guess what happened next.)

Halfway through Springsteen’s performance, Anne Murray’s managers realized they’d made a serious tactical error, and attempted to coerce manager Mike Appel into ending Springsteen’s set early. This did not happen, and Robert Christgau’s Voice review of the evening (which began, “The evening was professional at both ends and inspired in the middle”) would also report, “But it was Springsteen’s night, probably the biggest of his life, a standing ovation from a full house of 5,000,” and that at least a quarter of the audience had left by the time Anne Murray took the stage. This would be the last time Bruce Springsteen ever opened for another artist (with the exception of multi-artist benefit shows).

Right on! Both my sisters took time off from work as soon as they heard Springsteen was on the Shaefer Festival show. They'd been to numerous Springsteen shows in Jersey where their friends 'worked'. Both relayed the exact same story! Both were backstage via a 'well-connected' friend from Bayville and his 'better-connected' cousin from Asbury. They heard a lot of heated conversations. Springsteen owned it all! A year later they caught the last three Springsteen shows at the Bottom Line with the same guys. They've got the band-signed t-shirts. Clarence had the biggest signature! Great story! Thanks for sharing it.

 

[cruddola]

throwing bottles ofpiss is a real european thing

Uncapped bottles too!

 

[digitaltoast]

Cult opened for Metallica ... 1988? Justice for all tour. Singer ran through audience and his fancy cowboy hat flew off his head... no one picked it up, all were too busy boo-ing. He had to walk back out and pick it up... proceeded to lecture audience on how that was “no way to treat a rock and roll band,” lol.

And then there was Alice In Chains opening for Clash of Titans tour (Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth). Alice was blowing up with Man in the Box and it just wasn’t the right scene for them. Not sure if they completed their set, but was certain to a displeased audience. When Dirt came out I had to admit my role and that they had become much better!

 

[nickrobotron]

I saw Rufus Wainwright get booed off stage. It was terrible. They called him a f*ggot and a hundred other awful things. He was opening for Ben Lee, and eventually Ben Folds. Ben Lee refused to play. Ben Folds came out and shamed the ignorant frat boys doing the shouting before playing his set. The majority of the crowd was cool, but it was a sad night.

 

[wflkurt]

Cult opened for Metallica ... 1988? Justice for all tour. Singer ran through audience and his fancy cowboy hat flew off his head... no one picked it up, all were too busy boo-ing. He had to walk back out and pick it up... proceeded to lecture audience on how that was “no way to treat a rock and roll band,” lol.

And then there was Alice In Chains opening for Clash of Titans tour (Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth). Alice was blowing up with Man in the Box and it just wasn’t the right scene for them. Not sure if they completed their set, but was certain to a displeased audience. When Dirt came out I had to admit my role and that they had become much better!

I saw this tour too with Alice In Chains opening. I also saw them open for VH. They weren't boo'd at clash of the titans but they certainly didn't bring the crowd up.

I always loved that story that Dee Snider from Twisted Sister told when they were playing England I think. They had just been signed and were on tour and someone threw a pile of human waste at them. Dee was like how bad do you have to hate a band if you crap in public and then hurl it at the stage?!? That's pretty bad....