The Worst Gig ?

We've all heard tales of woe regarding shoddy live performances by the band over the years, interspersed with absolute blinders, but which in your opinion have been the worst ?

In terms of gigs I've been to, I'd say that the NEC 89 was down there with the worst performance (I can see some people throwing their hands up in shock) - I think I've been lucky in that I've never seen one that I would call truly woeful. I've heard them though, this unknown 85 show, LA 83 and the 1st night at Wellington 82 are all less than zero on the quality performance scale.

What say you, good people of the Orderworld ?

NEC was the end of an era

I too was there and have this story. My mate asks a woman at the Bar for two pints of lager, she replies " we only have Orange juice" my mate replies " Orange juice, that's like taking Junior Disprin at a Hawkwind gig"

Nice T-Shirt shame about the gig, I was at the SECC the night before also.

Mike

At the time weren't too many of them a disappointment?

Is the question based on performance or the gig as a whole as Wembley must rank among the worst simply because of the venue? I was really expecting that to be a good one so soon after Sustance, good set list expected and then pushed into seats and not allowed to boogie? Was there a decent tape made of that gig as my copy sounds as though it were recorded in the car park, I can't tell what the performance was really like.

Dublin 1993 was an abject performance but that didn't matter as it marked their (temporary) return.

agreed nec was pretty horrific...but if that set list appeared next gig most punters would be happy.

sheffield city hall was horrendous, how many times have you ever seen new order come on stage before 8pm ?? to cap off the night they were introduced onto stage by martin fry from abc...by the time he was strutting his stuff on stage..(abc came on last??!!)..we were in the leadmill watching cabaret voltaire and i guess new order were chugging across the pennines on the way to the hac.

Originally posted by PAUL TROWELL agreed nec was pretty horrific...but if that set list appeared next gig most punters would be happy.sheffield city hall was horrendous, how many times have you ever seen new order come on stage before 8pm ??to cap off the night they were introduced onto stage by martin fry from abc...by the time he was strutting his stuff on stage..(abc came on last??!!)..we were in the leadmill watching cabaret voltaire and i guess new order were chugging across the pennines on the way to the hac.

All for charidee though - as was Loughborough the next week !

Originally posted by James Thomas At the time weren't too many of them a disappointment? Is the question based on performance or the gig as a whole as Wembley must rank among the worst simply because of the venue? I was really expecting that to be a good one so soon after Sustance, good set list expected and then pushed into seats and not allowed to boogie? Was there a decent tape made of that gig as my copy sounds as though it were recorded in the car park, I can't tell what the performance was really like.Dublin 1993 was an abject performance but that didn't matter as it marked their (temporary) return.

I was thinking mainly of performance, but in retrospect I suppose you don't notice the performance itself at the gig, it's only when you hear the tape that you realise it was shit !

I reckon the Brixton Academy gig in December 1983 has to rank as one of the most abysmal displays by any band, it did not help them that such high expectation surrounds the band at every turn because of their tragic past. But that particular night, i witnessed them (well, actually Barney) at his most lethargic, inebriated, and indifferent worst performance. The gig on the following night was not much better. Their seemed to be a lot of tension between Barney and Gillian during those gigs and I expected them to split soon after.

Peter, have just done you four US 83 shows, (Montreal, Echo Beach, LA and Washington) will be in the post in the morning. Want any other gigs doing while I am in copying mode ?

Worst venue IMHO was "Mungersdorfer Stadium", Cologne, Aug. 11, 2001.

One million idiots waiting for Robbie Williams, noone listening to New Order. Terrible waste of money...

Originally posted by James Thomas At the time weren't too many of them a disappointment? Is the question based on performance or the gig as a whole as Wembley must rank among the worst simply because of the venue? I was really expecting that to be a good one so soon after Sustance, good set list expected and then pushed into seats and not allowed to boogie? Was there a decent tape made of that gig as my copy sounds as though it were recorded in the car park, I can't tell what the performance was really like.Dublin 1993 was an abject performance but that didn't matter as it marked their (temporary) return.

Totally agree with you about Wembley, James. Wasn't sure if I wanted to go to it knowing what a crap venue Wembley is but went anyway. Wished I hadn't...

Al

The only way to see New Order is in shorts down the front, most unfortunate to be in seats out of the action in em.

I did the Wembley gig, pretty cold after the gig as I remember.

Mike

I remember being disappointed by wembley, but can't remember if it was mainly down to the crap venue....I remember thinking that once I would have relished them doing 'love will tear us apart' but that it seemed lacking and pointless there. I don't really remember the NEC being all that bad really, or sheffield city hall for that matter. I enjoyed them far more than wembley.

Originally posted by KnownPleasures Peter, have just done you four US 83 shows, (Montreal, Echo Beach, LA and Washington) will be in the post in the morning. Want any other gigs doing while I am in copying mode ?

many thanks Tim, any of the below that you happen to have on CD The Boys Club, Bedford 21st March 1981 Victoria Hotel, Aberdeen 18th April 1981 Valintino's Edinburgh 19th April 1981 Chateau Neuf, Oslo 25th May 1981 Bradfor Uni 23rd Oct 1981 Cinema Club San Francisco 7th Nov 1981 The Channel, Boston 17th Nov 1981 Peppermint Lounge, New York 22nd Nov 1981 SFX Hall Dublin 5th March 1982 Palais Theatre, Melbourne 25th November 1982 Seaview Ballroom, Melbourne 27th Nov 1982 Victoria University Wellington 6th December 1982 SFX Dublin 26th April 1983 I-Beam, San Francisco 25th June 1983 Commodore, Vanvouver 27th June 1983 First Ave Minneapolis 29th June 1983 St Andrew's Hall Detroit 2nd July 1983 Palais De Danse 4th June 1984 Inside Festival, Luik Leige 12th Aug 1984 Salford Uni 17th April 1985 Rotters Doncaster 18th April 1985 Osaka, Japan 4th May 1985 Hacienda, Manager 16th July 1985 Opera House, Boston 2nd Aug 1985 Bismark Theatre, Chicago 6th Aug 1985 Fox Theater Atlanta 11th Aug 1985 Irvine Meadows 23rd Aug 1985 EXO 7, Rouen , France 12th Dec 1985 Connolly Hall, Cork 23rd Jan 1986 Sir Francis Xavier , Dublin 24th Jan 1986 Queens Uni, Belfast 27th Jan 1986 Royal Court , Liverpool 8th Feb 1986 Civic Hall, Wolverhampton 27th Feb 1986 Loughborough Uni 21st June 1986 Valby, Copenhagen 16th Aug 1986 Winter Gardens Malvern 3rd Oct 1986 San Diego, Aztec Bowl 31st Oct 1986 Irvine Meadows, Irvine 1st Nov 1986 Maceba Theatre, Houston 14th Nov 1986 City Coliseum Austin Texas, 17th Nov 1986 Fox Theatre Detroit 22nd Nov 1986 Massey Hall Toronto 26th Nov 1986 McMaster Uni, Hamilton Canada 30th Nov 1986 Syria Mosque Pittsburgh 2nd Dec 1986 University of Philadelphia 4th Dec 1986 The Orpheum Boston 6th Dec 1986 Constitutional Centre, Washington DC 8th Dec 1986 Fox Theatre , Atlanta Gerogia 12 Dec 1986 Nagoya Japan 30th Jan 1987 Hacienda, Manchester 10th June 1987 Mansfield Great Woods 18th Aug 1987 Montreal University Montreal 1st Sept 1987 CNE Grandstand 3rd Sept 1987 Darien Lakes, Buffalo 4th Sept 1987

Originally posted by Solitude I reckon the Brixton Academy gig in December 1983 has to rank as one of the most abysmal displays by any band, it did not help them that such high expectation surrounds the band at every turn because of their tragic past. But that particular night, i witnessed them (well, actually Barney) at his most lethargic, inebriated, and indifferent worst performance. The gig on the following night was not much better. Their seemed to be a lot of tension between Barney and Gillian during those gigs and I expected them to split soon after.

Completely agree Pedro. I'd been waiting to see New Order for over two years and that was my first gig, it was a f***ing let-down. Barney was shitfaced, none of the songs really sounded sharp and I didn't know what to make of Slim doing Love Reaction at the end. And it was raining if I remember right.

Originally posted by Solitude > Originally posted by KnownPleasures Peter, have just done you four US 83 shows, (Montreal, Echo Beach, LA and Washington) will be in the post in the morning. Want any other gigs doing while I am in copying mode ?

many thanks Tim, any of the below that you happen to have on CD

Nearly all of them on CD ! I'll do some more random ones :)

Doing Osaka 85, Chicago 85, Malvern 86, Detroit 86, Boston 86, Washington 86.

Worst gigs?

Brixton Academy 1983 (relatively speaking at the time) Wembley 1980's NEC Brum 1989 The WHOLE of the USA 1989 tour

DM

I have no live gigs on CD :( apart from the BBC live in concert one - what is the quality of the recordings usually like?

I'm tempted to say that any gig opening with Touched was a bad 'un, in retrospect!

Originally posted by KnownPleasures I'm tempted to say that any gig opening with Touched was a bad 'un, in retrospect!

finsbury park super tent..i am sure that opened with touched. and this was a peach of a gig

I didn't enjoy it - they chose all the wrong songs for me !

Originally posted by David Molyneux Worst gigs?The WHOLE of the USA 1989 tourDM

Sorry to hear that, I thought the 89 show on the first leg was quite good, but not nearly as good as the 85 tour. Back then, the Civic was about the only place NO could've played (maybe the Schnitzer would've been better, too bad that the Crystal Ballroom wasn't in use back then). Definitely not a rabid audience at the show either, I'm not so keen on seated venues for shows like that.

Originally posted by David Molyneux Worst gigs?The WHOLE of the USA 1989 tourDM

Was this because the songs they were playing didn't suit themselves to a live scenario do you think, or was it because the chemical intake had reached unmanageable proportions ?

Wembley 87. Like others on here stuck towards the back. Acoustics were shite.

The WHOLE of the USA 1989 tour

Agreed, though I didn't see it all, the 7 shows I did make gave me a pretty good gauge I'm sure. Despite the general malaise surrounding that tour I'll break it down even further and say the Atlanta show was the worst of all. In addition to the fucked up band, there were technical difficulties with both Hooky's and Barney's amps and the setlist was horrible: 7 technique songs (is there a worse NO live song than love less?) and we had to stand around 15 minutes cheering for them to come out with a truly uninspired True Faith for a one song encore.

Originally posted by Mark Smith Wembley 87. Like others on here stuck towards the back. Acoustics were shite.

"Acoustics were shite" Not unlike the Alexanderrzz Palace new years eve gig 1998... And that Blue Monday rendition with Bez was soooo crap

Originally posted by Captain Chaos Worst venue IMHO was "Mungersdorfer Stadium", Cologne, Aug. 11, 2001.One million idiots waiting for Robbie Williams, noone listening to New Order. Terrible waste of money...

I was there!!! Down the font about 5 from the stage jumping up and down like a lunatic!!!! There were only about 7 of us (6 germans who I had met that day) Hooky thought we were funny amongst all the 16year old girls. Got absolutely wankered after it. NO NO!! A GREAT DAY!!!!

:bag:

Originally posted by Murv > Originally posted by Mark Smith> Wembley 87. Like others on here stuck towards the back. Acoustics were shite.

"Acoustics were shite" Not unlike the Alexander Palace new years eve gig 1998... And that Blue Monday rendition with Bez was soooo crap

Wembly 87 was my first gig! Even though I was up in the rafters watching the hordes jump the barriers to get down the front as the lights went down......

I was on the front barrier for Alexandra Palace, first timeI had heard them do Heart & Soul, nearly shat me pantys. Another great night.

You bloody musos....... :bag:

bradford st georges hall kicks up some bad memories for me..not for the set or venue as they both were pretty decent..but for my stupidity that night. during this heavy gigging period there were 3 or 4 of us who used to go everywhere together..for some reason about 4 other lads tagged along with us for this gig..( all n.o first timers from derby ). our normal procedure was to have a couple of beers then head down the front quite early and spend most of the gig there. on this occasion we decided to have a right session in the st georges hall bar which was at the basement of the venue. as time moved on and the bar emptied i kept reassuring my new order virgins that it was way too early to enter the "pit"..they wont be on till way after 10pm. i remember carrying a tray of lager from the bar when state of the nation kicked in about 9pm..we had to leg it up about 4 flights of stairs and spent about 9 songs trying to work our way to the front...i think they only played 1 more song and no encore. i wasnt forgiven for a very long time

Originally posted by PAUL TROWELL bradford st georges hall kicks up some bad memories for me..not for the set or venue as they both were pretty decent..but for my stupidity that night.during this heavy gigging period there were 3 or 4 of us who used to go everywhere together..for some reason about 4 other lads tagged along with us for this gig..( all n.o first timers from derby ).our normal procedure was to have a couple of beers then head down the front quite early and spend most of the gig there.on this occasion we decided to have a right session in the st georges hall bar which was at the basement of the venue. as time moved on and the bar emptied i kept reassuring my new order virgins that it was way too early to enter the "pit"..they wont be on till way after 10pm.i remember carrying a tray of lager from the bar when state of the nation kicked in about 9pm..we had to leg it up about 4 flights of stairs and spent about 9 songs trying to work our way to the front...i think they only played 1 more song and no encore.i wasnt forgiven for a very long time

Did the same thing myself on more than one occasion. Got to a point where I would forego the trad.pints before gig in order to get straight to the front and reserve the spaces. On several occasions I canned up in the car on the way to the show (wasn't driving).

Managed to miss an entire Fall show though once, through drinking in the pub across the road from the venue !

This is tricky, partly because it's a while ago now and partly because it was the first time I saw them and I had such high expectations, being a jd fan etc... So I'm not sure if this qualifies as a worst gig...

Auckland 23 May 1985, there was this storm and I came up to Auckland on a bus (4 hours). The weather was so bad I was worried that we weren't even going to get there. I guess I was expecting pcl and mment tracks, what I got was a big chunk of Low life, as it is when it was and that weird, never to be repeated encore of love juice.

Being fairly young and inexperienced vis-a-vis concerts and touring I was really dissapointed, not to mention totally bewildered by all these songs I'd never heard before, not being introduced by a band that didn't seem to want to be there (still young enough for... but they're only here because I bought a ticket... Ah! the folly of youth). Add to that Barney abusing the audience and it really wasn't that much fun.

They could have played really well and maybe they did the atmopshere just sucked. Actually my two biggest memories of this show are the keyboard line from denial hitting me in the chest and later at the start of the encore...

Peter Hook comes back onto stage by himself and says (I've lost the tape of this show so this is from memory) "...we weren't going to do an encore... they (the rest of the band) don't give a fuck about New Zealand, I do my mother was born here...

The rest of the band had come out by now any they did this stellar version of Age of consent then Love juice.

I dashed up to the stage at the end and got one of the roadies to give me a set list, which I still have. As I said above I just came away bewildered by the whole experience.

If any one has this show I've lost my copy - I'd be most grateful for a copy.

Saw them again in 87 and that show rocked - which made up for it a lot.

Still, a year later I saw the Jesus and Mary chain in Auckland and they didn't say one word from begining to 45 minute end so maybe I was getting off light!

I recall the Warrington gig in 1986 and after they finished Blue Monday we thought there wouldn't be an encore and from what I remember the house lights came up. So we pissed off to the coach we came in. Imagine some months later when I came across a recording and found they did Shellshock ( the instrumental version ) as an encore. Totally gutted!!

No it didn't list the encores. So I guess they were still making them up on the night back then.

It was written on a piece of paper towel tissue - that hard wearing stuff you dry your hands with.

I've just gone and found it, so the whole tracklist as it's written is:

Love vigilantes Blue monday Temptation Sub-culture Elegia K.W.1. (Your silent face) New one (As it is when it was) Little dead (Denial) confusion perfect kiss sunrise

The bits in brackets are me

Originally posted by 586 This is tricky, partly because it's a while ago now and partly because it was the first time I saw them and I had such high expectations, being a jd fan etc... So I'm not sure if this qualifies as a worst gig... Auckland 23 May 1985, there was this storm and I came up to Auckland on a bus (4 hours). The weather was so bad I was worried that we weren't even going to get there. I guess I was expecting pcl and mment tracks, what I got was a big chunk of Low life, as it is when it was and that weird, never to be repeated encore of love juice.Being fairly young and inexperienced vis-a-vis concerts and touring I was really dissapointed, not to mention totally bewildered by all these songs I'd never heard before, not being introduced by a band that didn't seem to want to be there (still young enough for... but they're only here because I bought a ticket... Ah! the folly of youth). Add to that Barney abusing the audience and it really wasn't that much fun.They could have played really well and maybe they did the atmopshere just sucked. Actually my two biggest memories of this show are the keyboard line from denial hitting me in the chest and later at the start of the encore...Peter Hook comes back onto stage by himself and says (I've lost the tape of this show so this is from memory) "...we weren't going to do an encore... they (the rest of the band) don't give a fuck about New Zealand, I do my mother was born here...The rest of the band had come out by now any they did this stellar version of Age of consent then Love juice.I dashed up to the stage at the end and got one of the roadies to give me a set list, which I still have. As I said above I just came away bewildered by the whole experience. If any one has this show I've lost my copy - I'd be most grateful for a copy.Saw them again in 87 and that show rocked - which made up for it a lot. Still, a year later I saw the Jesus and Mary chain in Auckland and they didn't say one word from begining to 45 minute end so maybe I was getting off light!

Matt, mail me a postal address and I'll do you a copy, or can put it up on my server for you to download. Up to you !

Originally posted by 586 If any one has this show I've lost my copy - I'd be most grateful for a copy.

I have a copy that's marked 4th generation, (though it sounds better than that, oddly enough) 586, email me with your address and I'll send it out.

--Sam

yes looking back you both are right ...but what they played was not that important at the time..it was trying to stay alive in the crush.

Originally posted by PAUL TROWELL yes looking back you both are right ...but what they played was not that important at the time..it was trying to stay alive in the crush.

Getting crushed has never made a gig "good" for me !

Too bad for me, I have never had the chance to catch a New Order live show anywhere....

:(