Gig cancellations — Forum Archive

29 May 2009, 06:49

This year I've had tickets for Section XXV, the Specials and ACR, all of which have been cancelled.

(Well, the Specials was 'rescheduled' but you get the point).

This week we've seen NOOL'ers have gigs cancelled for Depeche Mode and Morrissey.

Oh, and Michael Jackson has had to reschedule his first four return gigs (maybe more, I dunno, it was four last time I looked).

Why is this? Simply because we're going to see bands who're a bit past it and ain't up to the task anymore? Lot of it seems to be health issues, perhaps it's a case of physically not being capable?

Bands simply never cancelled in days of yore? Did they?

Question is: did anyone have a band cancel on 'em twenty years ago?

I seem to remember that Plymuff Rocks thing getting canned but that was contractual and happened well in the advance.

I don't ever remember being due to go somewhere though, and that band blowing the gig out at the last minute. Perhaps indeed they couldn't blow the gig out at the last minute because we didn't have the likes of mobile phones and the t'internet to pre-warn people, so the show simply 'had to go on', so to speak, the bands themselves had no choice as the promoters enforced it. Nowadays it seems our lily-livered singers get a cough and think they need to pull out. Probably says quite a lot for our society, er, but I can't quite figure out what is says.

Yeah, well, carry on.

29 May 2009, 07:06

Elvis costello pulled a manchester gig about 30 years ago,, made the 2 dates either side of that though,, lou reed pulled out the Reading festival in the 70,s with the excuse,, imagine yer mum died only 10 tens worse that s where lou is at the moment,,, and was only thinking last night viewing simon and garfunkels aussie ,zealand tour with tickets at $339 ,, imagine how peaved you would be if you went all that way and they cancelled...

the sounds of silence.

29 May 2009, 07:13

i note moz managed to drag himself out for his birthday bash. can't help feeling this week's farce might have been avoided, or at least alleviated. why such short notice on some of the cancellations? and why has a 50 year old man got *quite* such an intensive tour schedule in the first place?

it would be nice to get a 'sorry' too, instead of just a bald statement. us smiffs fans are delicate little flowers.

29 May 2009, 07:31

Actually, the very best cancellation was at Coachella when the Cocteaus were a no-show and their fans were walking around wearing Cocteaus t-shirts with little stickers saying, "Yes, We Know!"

Cancellations though. What a cnut, eh?

29 May 2009, 07:40

bloodynora wrote: i note moz managed to drag himself out for his birthday bash. can't help feeling this week's farce might have been avoided, or at least alleviated. why such short notice on some of the cancellations? and why has a 50 year old man got *quite* such an intensive tour schedule in the first place?

Money.

Morrissey, (and more importantly, his promoters) know that playing in small venues night after night is a guaranteed ticket seller, as the same people will go night after night after night, each paying £40 a time, no questions asked (i.e. Me, a few years ago). There's also the slightly older crowd, who spent the 80's and early 90's listening to the old records, who now live in Brackley (for example) and will happily go to Oxford for a night out, who can happily afford a night off work and a nice hotel, but wouldnt dare dream of going to London (i.e. my Mum and Stepdad).

And lets be honest, Morrissey probably quite likes the attention and adulation he gets. Because, when he doesnt get it, he sulks!

29 May 2009, 08:22

The Teacher wrote:

Money.

how unutterably vulgar.

you're right, of course, but surely he could do the same number of gigs in less of a clustered fashion? and if he's sufficiently under the weather to cancel a gig 24 hours away, shouldn't he also cancel the gig 48 hours away?!

big girl's blouse.

dave gahan has cancer. i'm going to let him off.

29 May 2009, 09:19

El Jarvo wrote: Nowadays it seems our lily-livered singers get a cough and think they need to pull out.

To be fair in DM's case though, I think Gahan had something vaguely cancerous going on :uhoh:

I like the term "lily-livered singer" though :laugh:

29 May 2009, 12:47

El Jarvo wrote:

Question is: did anyone have a band cancel on 'em twenty years ago?

Twenty years ago, Newcastle Riverside:
Went to see Happy Mondays who were supporting James. After the band were due on stage an announcement came that the Mondays hadn't shown up, think it Shaun Ryder on "walkabout". Got treated to an extra long James set who,, at the time were going through a shit phase.

Fifteen years ago (ish) Leeds Duchess of York: Turned up to see Revenge only to find a note on the door; " gig cancelled, he has gone to Italy." Reminded of this earlier in the week reading Hookys blog where he was recalling good times at the Duchess, had to smirk.

29 May 2009, 16:01

fall - blackburn king georges hall 1982.had to endure the support only instead,fucking nico! i went RADIOHEAD - toronto harbour about 6 years ago..cancelled..fault was total power failure in the all of north america new york upwards.how often does that happen for fucks sake. proper reason for the radiohead one ,but some of this recent batch that noolers have endured,smacks of footballers type above our station,cant be arsed stuff. i suppose it is like the footy games i used travel to back in the day that were off used to bad pitches about 30 minutes before kick off. its a pisser :nono: at least morrissey turned up for The Smith gig at preston that night.but he fucking jacked it in after 2 minutes of opening song 'Queen is dead' because a coin hit him. special regrets to monty by the way who went so far south for mozzer gig :(

29 May 2009, 17:09

Well, LOADS of gigs have always got cancelled over here. Usually a few days after something got blown up. Musicians are generally quite stupid and tend to have no conception of large numbers and statistics you see. And there are enough godtards with power over here to still have gigs cancelled for the baby jesus.

30 May 2009, 03:59

New Order at Phoenix Festival 1998 :laugh: . Alright, the festival was cancelled with a few weeks notice rather than Barney or Hooky crying off sick. Was still a sickener as had been looking forward to seeing em play relatively local (Long Marsden near Stratford Upon Avon) to me for the first time. They were to have been the Saturday night headliner but in the end rescheduled and (contrary to myth) played second top at Reading 98

30 May 2009, 05:16

johnny wrote: They were to have been the Saturday night headliner but in the end rescheduled and (contrary to myth) played second top at Reading 98

garbage!

And in reply to the original topic, I don't think I've been to any gig that's been cancelled.

The nearest I've come is Ladytron at the Astoria last year, where they blew up the mixing desk two thirds of the way through set, and played another date with same tickets valid (so we got one and a half gigs for price of one)

30 May 2009, 08:14

The Final Solution day out with NEW ORDER 26th Sept 1982, cancelled due to weather.

I still have the ticket though :laugh:

30 May 2009, 11:41

Weddoes cancelled last year due the guitarist having broken his foot. At the rescheduled gig, there was no support. It was to have been Russian band Blast!, but they'd been detained and then deported at Heathrow due to irregularities in their paperwork. As excuses go...

The only other one I can think of was Geneva, Andy Montgomery had been told to stop singing for a while or risk permanent damage his voice.

30 May 2009, 15:20

johnny wrote: New Order at Phoenix Festival 1998 . Alright, the festival was cancelled with a few weeks notice rather than Barney or Hooky crying off sick. Was still a sickener as had been looking forward to seeing em play relatively local (Long Marsden near Stratford Upon Avon) to me for the first time. They were to have been the Saturday night headliner but in the end rescheduled and (contrary to myth) played second top at Reading 98

Aye,ad got tickets AND lifts sorted out for this bugger too :cry:

Sent the tickets back in the post and they got "lost",never got my money back either :banghead:

:nuts:

http://neworderinfoweb.piczo.com

30 May 2009, 15:56

johnny wrote: New Order at Phoenix Festival 1998 . Alright, the festival was cancelled with a few weeks notice rather than Barney or Hooky crying off sick. Was still a sickener as had been looking forward to seeing em play relatively local (Long Marsden near Stratford Upon Avon) to me for the first time. They were to have been the Saturday night headliner but in the end rescheduled and (contrary to myth) played second top at Reading 98

I had a ticket, a place to stay, and a plane flight from the US, would've been my first time seeing New Order. Cancelled everything when that fell through (and for some reason I couldn't make it to Reading). Still haven't seen NO on home turf and now I probably never will. Bummed all around.

30 May 2009, 16:26

Just remembered,was sposed to be going to the Kasabian gig in Sheffied Dec 07 n they cancelled at the last minute,good job really as we missed the train!

They re-scheduled and cancelled again,we ended up in Sheff off our tits.up all night,M.D.M.A scenario,not good! :barf:

:nuts:

http://neworderinfoweb.piczo.com

30 May 2009, 16:35

had tickets for Helmet years ago...gig was canceled because Page Hamilton broke his leg...other than that...I can't think of anything...

well...there was Nine Inch Nails pulling out of lollapalooza...but that went on without them...

30 May 2009, 16:41

Jeffari-al-Texani wrote: had tickets for Helmet years ago

Nothings changed with you then. Still trying to see Helmet.

31 May 2009, 08:11

jd cancelled a load of american ones didn't they? :uhoh:

interpol cancelled some recently year & they ain't exactly a bunch of fogeys

31 May 2009, 12:04

I stood in front of a venue once, just to see that Huey Lewis cancelled the show. OK the poor guy had no voice obviously... So I never saw him :(...

And Mr. Henry Rollins cancelled a this years September(!) show that I had already tickets for...

31 May 2009, 12:21

The Primitives at the Barrowlands circa 1989. Can't remember why. That's been the only gig I've missed through cancellation ever.

1 Jun 2009, 01:13

Actually, I've just remembered one from yesteryear.

One of ACR's many appearances at the Subterranea in the early 90's (they seemed to play there every 3 months) had a yellow post-it note stuck up in the window (the club had a small round window in the main door) just saying they'd cancelled. And the venue was in total darkness. Nice.

And I've just remembered the cnuts cancelled London earlier this year, didn't they? So that's four cancellations I've had already this year. Again, er, nice!

1 Jun 2009, 20:54

Simple Minds on their U.S. New Gold Dream tour....think they sold a grand total of 15 tickets for Portland before they pulled the plug.

The Gun Club should've cancelled, Jeffrey Lee Pierce could hardly stand up and Patricia Morrison could hardly be bothered. Kid Congo was cool though.

2 Jun 2009, 11:31

R.E.M. when the drummer had his aneurysm. Queued ages for the tickets and would have also seen PJ Harvey as support. Still not seen either live.

2 Jun 2009, 11:32

I saw Morrissey at the first Madstock. He didn't show on day 2 due to being bottled off stage the day I was there.