Well, one of our forum buddies just stated that he walked out on an Elton John concert in the early 70s and there was some discussion as to why.

So, I thought I would start another thread to see if there have been any other famous walk outs among forum members.

I walked out of a Stevie Ray Vaughn Concert back in the 80s at the garden and I LOVE Stevie Ray. The problem was, he got JEFF BECK to open for him.

Jeff Beck came on stage with a drummer and a white Stratocaster, walked up to a mic and said "Hi"--then launched into a seamless guitar solo of many songs and parts strung together that was about an hour a half long non stop. The most dazzling and mind-boggling tour de force of guitar virtuosity I have ever seen. It was like a tour through the cosmos, and a visit to Mars. When he was done he walked back up to the mic and said "I'm Jeff Beck. Good night."

The crowd went nuts. Absolutely berserk. It was like a fifteen minute standing ovation.

Then Stevie Ray came out and started "If the house is a rockin'.." or one of those tunes.

It just didn't work. People were like "Huh?"

Moral of the story:

Never have Jeff Beck open for you. Career suicide.

Other stories??

I don't think I've ever walked out of a concert. Heck, I paid good money and I was going to get my money's worth.... good or bad.

I have sat there through the opening acts thinking, "When are these clowns gonna be done so I can hear some good music?"

I've walked out on plenty of local bands though.

Here's a few of the seriously mismatched shows I've been to.

Chick Correa opens for Leslie West and Mountain. What was the promoter thinking?

Foghat, Poco, Johnny Winters.... in that order. Poco was the ones who walked out. 3 songs and they put their instruments down and walked off due to people throwing trash at them. Rock band starts....country with steel.... uhhh, rock fans not happy.... then Winters comes out and chews out the audience for being rude to Poco.... which they did deserve. He played a longer show and had Rick Derringer on guitar that tour.... a two-fur rocking show. I went out the next day and bought a Poco album.

The Philadelphia mummers, Gary Wright and the dream weaver (keyboard band) , Peter Frampton, & Yes. This was a huge show in the Philly football stadium, 1976 or there about. I felt sorry for the mummers.... in full feathered costume, 95 degrees, full sun.... and no one was interested in hearing banjo's being strummed. Frampton was doing the "Comes Alive" tour, and YES was freaking amazing. If you are familiar with Relayer..... they played it note for note...all 21 minutes of it. WOW!

I've walked out of a concert. A Jazz concert. The top bill was Oscar Petersen. We booked early and paid extra for great seats in the balcony, overlooking the stage. However, Oscar was ill, and never made it. Undeterred that Oscar wasn't going to be there, there were still some great names in the line-up, and we all still wanted to go.

However, the seats sold were less than the promoter expected, so they never opened the balcony, and put us in the stalls, at the back, like the very back.

Was there a stage up the front somewhere?

Disgusted, we walked out. Not because of the performers, but because of the selfish promoters. They lined their pockets and simply didn't deliver. I learned that promoters have a reputation for that kind of thing.

The list would be long and still would be incomplete.

In the 50's and 60's I was carted to every 'Grand Ole Opry' star's show that came to Charleston.

My family walked out of many concerts because:

'Name your favorite 50-60's country star' - too drunk to perform...

Charlie,

There is just absolutely no way I am going to believe that one of those was Johnny Cash. No way.

'Name your favorite 50-60's country star' - too drunk to perform...



Uh.that would probably be The Possum.

You guys know your country stars. Ira Louvin was another who had some fame for drinking.

Charlie Daniels was late coming on stage for an outdoor concert in Raleigh NC around 2005. Thunderstorms were threatening I don't think they wanted to start the show if it was going to lightning. It started pouring rain, and a wind storm, just as he began his 3rd song "the Devil Went Down to Georgia". I ran for shelter. Soaking wet I just kept on running to my car.

George Jones

Last summer my wife treated me to a surprise weekend at 'Guitar Town' in Copper Mountain Resort, CO.

Saturday is 'acoustic day' with wizardry galore - favorite of the day was Andy McKee.

Sunday is 'electric day' with Steve Vai as top billing. Here were the performers for electric day last year, before Vai:

Matt Schofield

John Jorgenson Electric band with Chris Casello & Stig Mathiesen

Sonny Landreth

Robben Ford

and then Steve Vai.

Favorites were Matt Schofield and Chris Casello. Schofield is in the vein of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Casello is a mixture of a whole bunch of players and the best entertainer of the entire lineup.

Vai's sound guys must have been somebody other than the rest of the day, because they actually were clipping the main speakers of the PA. It was punishingly brutal. I had both disposable and custom hearing protection with me and the bass guitar as well as the drums were actually clipping the mains - this is actually easy to hear with hearing protection in place. There was no music, and I like Vai's wizardry for what it's worth. We stayed for two songs and then left. Vai made all kinds of funny faces as he played, which he is known to do, and I wondered if he has any hearing left whatsoever to hear simply how terrible it sounded.

We also walked out of Eric Johnson's set the day before because guess what he played mostly at 'Guitar Town'? The piano. Yes, THE Eric Johnson, on the billing as the headliner for the acoustic day, played about 75% piano (and just o.k. piano playing) and 25% acoustic guitar. Highly disappointing.

Best part of the day however was that I won a Taylor 414ce guitar in a drawing.

It was hard comparing with what I got to see/hear in 2009, the other time I've been at the festival. Tommy Emmanuel at about 10' away.

I walked out on the Grateful Dead....sorry Deadheads. They milled around on the stage for what seemed like FOREVER between each song - to the point so much time would pass that I was looking at my watch - I was so bored I couldn't take it anymore.

I walked out on a rock concert in the early 80's, I can't remember the name of the group now but it holds the record in my mind for the loudest - it was so loud that the music was literally pounding my chest. I don't think I made it through one whole song.

I wish I'd walked out of a George Strait concert. You'd have thought he was Elvis or the Beatles - nothing but constant screaming and couldn't hear most of the music for the fans. I was not expecting that at all so I kept thinking they'd settle down by the next song....wrong.

So... the Dead milling around on stage... they were simply waiting for the acid to kick in.

Everybody was loud and still are. The most excruciating concert I've ever attended was a country artist. Kenny Chesney. Loud, clipped, no bass. I kept thinking the bass was going to come in on the chorus, but the chorus came and went as did the rest of the set. The only reason I didn't walk out on that show was because my entire family and a few others were there and they adored him.

George is the man around this house. He's the number one guy with the ladies here. We've been to several GS shows and I've got to say, your experience wasn't what we saw. Yeah the ladies in the crowd go crazy over him, but they did hold it together reasonably well. The sound at his shows is superb. Loud enough but not so that your ears are bleeding. I've enjoyed his shows.

“The sound at his shows is superb. Loud enough but not so that your ears are bleeding.”


That had a lot to do with having Paul Rodgers and George Olson at FOH. Not a bad little PA either!


http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/george_strait_the_cowboy_rides_away_with_l-acoustics_k1/


Regards,

Bob

Ha ha ha. Josie, I did too!!! I think I walked out after song number 2.

I really did not get it.

The people down front who were dancing and taking their clothes off seemed to be having a great time though so obviously they were hearing voices from another plant I was not tuned in to.

I am so surprised to hear Herb Hartley suggest they may have been tripping on acid.

The Grateful Dead?

Oh surely you jest. That just couldn't be. I won't believe it.

So you were, what, about two hours into the show?

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Right!

I'm sorry, but anyone who walks out of a SRV performance because Jeff Beck kicked butt before him merits little more than an eye roll and shaking of the head, to be kind.

PS: I'm a massive Beck fan...grew up in the 70s idolizing his ground-breaking instrumental stuff. But I've seen both live and numerous videos of them both live...and Beck can only dream of being half the virtuoso SRV was. In fact, I've seen a video of SRV playing with Beck and he made Beck look like a bumbling high schooler. lmao @ this.

Anyway...

I only walked out of one concert: Spyro Gyra. It was a "date concert" and for those who don't know, they have a lot of accessible, so-called smooth jazz stuff......but mind you some really good stuff despite that. Anyway, apparently on this tour they were determined to show they are "real jazz musicians" and went off on these ridiculously long and ridiculously shall we say "interpretive" solos/songs....I get jazz, I like jazz of all kinds and am pretty open-minded, but I'm sorry this just sucked. Bad. We left about half-way through.

Canned Heat. I didn't walk out only because I didn't need to because the band was booed off the stage.

The band moseyed out on stage, announced they were not going to play any of their hits and started playing absolute junk. The crowd started booing and the boos got louder and louder. After about 10 minutes the band put downtheir instruments and walked off stage while the boos were replaced by cheers.

The next group, The Royal Guardsmen, came out, anoounced they lost their lead singer and then started a hour and a half set that everyone enjoyed.

"The next group, The Royal Guardsmen, came out, anoounced they lost their lead singer and then started a hour and a half set that everyone enjoyed."


They are from our area. Some of the guys are still playing around here - as "The Crossfire Band".

http://www.crazedfanboy.com/spotlight/guardsmen.html


Regards,

Bob

But, but, but...like Spyro Gyra is the most killer and most awesome band of all time, and like, Stevie Ray LOVED then. They were his favorite.

Now I am just going to cry, My feelings are really hurt, I have to say. I can't roll my eyes because I am too busy crying. Thanks man. You broke my heart.

Steve Vai. I find his facial expressions and strange stuff he can do with a guitar somewhat entertaining. He was the headliner for Guitar Town 2015. Punishing Volume from clipped mains. Event organizer claims that the FOH engineer was sick in his room and the guy running the board was a stand in. At least that's what he shared with me in an email after I complained. Thing is, there were plenty of head bangers just loving the pounding. The only thing I can figure is that they had already suffered hearing loss but typically those with compromised hearing and raised hearing thresholds are more sensitive to very loud sounds. There's just no excuse for such audible abuse. Lasted 2.5 songs before we left. Robben Ford was right before him and it was getting bad during his set. Day before walked out on Eric Johnson's set because he was playing.........piano! And not all that well, at an event called Guitar Town.

Wow, glad he didn't pull that when I saw him.

I think it's his current gig. He was on the Acoustic day, not electric day as the headliner. His acoustic playing is good, but several earlier in the day have loads more acoustic chops (Andy McKee, Richard Smith, Etc.)

I think he's probably just bored with electric.