20 Disastrous Gigs That Music Legends Would Rather Their Fans Forget
Being in a band or operating as a solo artist must be right up there with the best things possible in life. Think of the fame. The adulation. The money. The plentiful opportunities for excess. But while most of us would do anything to be in the shoes of these bands and musicians, it isn’t always as rosy as it seems. Performing, for instance, can sometimes be a nightmare. So while the following artists may have achieved legendary status for their many fans, on these occasions everything that could have possibly gone wrong for them while playing live did.
20. Amy Winehouse, Kalemegdan Park, Belgrade, Serbia, June 18, 2011
British singer Amy Winehouse brought jazz and soul back into the mainstream in the mid-2000s with her hit album Back to Black and songs such as “Rehab” and “Valerie.” But the troubled Londoner would struggle with addiction during her short life. This would often affect her live shows, which were inconsistent, to put it mildly. But perhaps none would be as infamous as her performance in Belgrade, Serbia.
The Final Show
The gig in the Serbian capital on June 18, 2011, would sadly turn out to be the British soul singer’s last. On the day, a clearly inebriated Winehouse cut a sorry and dejected figure, unable to hold a note, let alone sing any of her songs competently. In fact, she didn’t even seem to know where she was, hailing the “Athens” and later “New York” audience. Jeered off by the fuming crowd, Winehouse died a month later.
19. Nickelback, Ilha do Ermal festival, Portugal, August 19, 2002
Ah, Nickelback. Probably the most critically reviled rock band of all time. Often placed up there with the likes of Limp Bizkit and Creed in a who sucks the most battle. But the Chad Kroeger-fronted band’s plodding, post-grunge sound seems to appeal to a very large number of people around the world. Judging by their often impressive album sales and lucrative tours, anyway.
Forced Off Stage
But they’re not so popular with Portuguese rock fans. That’s if Nickelback’s performance at the Ilha do Ermal festival in August 2002 is anything to go by. Just two songs into their set in the Iberian nation, the band quit after being mercilessly showered with rocks. The onslaught led a shocked Kroeger to ask, “Do you want to see some rock ’n’ roll, or do you want to go home?” Erm, home please, Chad.
