The worst sets at Glastonbury

[thewayiam]

On 6/27/2021 at 7:56 PM, Zoo Music Girl said:

I also didn't mind The Who! Certainly wasn't an amazing performance but we were sat at the back drinking port and looking at the pretty sky, shattered, so it fit our mood.

Yeah they were fine for me. I've not a huge fan but Weller and The Who which was unexpected so can't complain.

On 6/27/2021 at 9:08 PM, priest17 said:

Everyone's right coz dizzee smashed it in both 09 and 10, there's a reason he was used in both those years' BBC montages. Mad how many pyramid slots he had around then.

2010 sub slot was great.

On 6/27/2021 at 10:12 PM, Zoo Music Girl said:

Oh god yeah Pendulum were awful. I'd quite liked them for a while before that, having seen them support Prodigy at Milton Keynes, but it was terrible.

 

I enjoy them but their return to Leeds the other year to headline the Radio 1 was epically better. They needed to top the Other stage for the dark instead really.

On 6/27/2021 at 11:08 PM, Scotdy said:

She almost died from exhaustion not long after this. Her 2015 set was amazing. 

Pussy riot + Charlotte Church in the Park

ELO

Both garbage 

I missed her 2016 Pyramid set but the 2015 Other stage set was decent. For me, minus Jamie Lawson, that Other stage 2015 run from Newton Faulkner was great. I ran to Band of Horses at one point too. Great day but the weather made leaving early after headliner a simple choice. 

22 hours ago, Callum_96 said:

I've only got two that spring to mind and that's The Cribs 2015 and New Order 2016 both Other Stage. Every time I've seen The Cribs previously and after they've been amazing but that was a proper off day and New Order was just boring, Bernards voice sounded horrific and it was encapsulated with an awful cover of Love Will Tear Us Apart to close!

I'm glad kind of as I missed The Cribs as had seen them before and the set I went for was delayed a long time meaning I kinda missed them for nothing. Seen them twice since though, one of those bands that I know I'll enjoy 75% of a set.

21 hours ago, shuttlep said:

The Cure 2019 

 

 

how can you not play Love Cats, i ended up falling asleep , Miley Cyrus was far better and I thought she would be dross 

To be fair though there wasn't many better than weekend than Miley.

[Ryan1984]

2 hours ago, The Nal said:

The start of U2 was great and then it really started pissing down. And some of the song choices and placements were bizarre. 

Theyve never really known how to finish gigs though. Saw them in Rome where they started with Vertigo and finished with All Because of You, Yehweh and...... Vertigo. 

Even on the last tour they were sending people home with Love Is Bigger and 13. Abysmal stuff. 

Pride would be the perfect closer for U2 at a festival, wouldn’t it?

Muse 2004 always has bad memories for me as well. I was starting to go off them anyway and then the girl next to me was sick all over my wellies!

[Quark]

31 minutes ago, Ryan1984 said:

Pride would be the perfect closer for U2 at a festival, wouldn’t it?

Muse 2004 always has bad memories for me as well. I was starting to go off them anyway and then the girl next to me was sick all over my wellies!

And that's why wellies will always have an advantage at a festival.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Trying to rack my brains for my worst and happily, I can't recall any real bad ones. Crosby, Stills and Nash was as dull as I've seen but it wasn't terrible. And they didn't play "Our House".

[Quark]

15 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

Trying to rack my brains for my worst and happily, I can't recall any real bad ones. Crosby, Stills and Nash was as dull as I've seen but it wasn't terrible. And they didn't play "Our House".

I'm in a similar. Yeah there's stuff that's not been the best and one that I found magnificently dull, but no car crashes by any stretch.

[ivan]

3 hours ago, gooner1990 said:

I didn't watch them (Was at Primal Scream on the Other stage) but I also thought the same that if they had played the intended slot in 2010 with the great weather etc it would have gone down a lot better.

I wonder if ME or EE will invite them back to have another crack at it or if that's it done now for them.

Why would they ?

All the aggro they got over taxes , similar to Metallica and the hunting issue and the metal @ Glasto debate.

What i did find funny at the time with Metallica was the NME went to Denmark or somewhere to interview the band prior to Glasto and their manager Peter Mensch asked the NME reporter for all the Metallica backlash quotes from likes of Mogwai and Artic Monkeys - which ended up being on some Metallica merchandise i think.

I can just image the NMe reporter quaking as Peter Mensch shouted "Give me it ! "

[Penrhos]

Janet Jackson was terrible as were The Jacksons - seems the only tuneful one is dead....

Being rudely awakened by the slaves shouting on the other stage in 2017 after a very heavy night before wasn't great.

Radiohead 2017 was a disappointment - I expected greatness and got self-indulgent mutterings and tuneless drivel for most of the set, unfortunately I was too drunk and too deep in the crowd to escape which seemed to make it feel so much worse - watching it back on the TV at home it didn't seem half as bad but still a bit of a dirge.

The 1975 not sure what year but they were on early so may have been 2014, Matt was off his tits and could hardly perform - not great.

Morrissey 2011 - who thought putting this fun-sponge on between Biffy & U2 seriously wants a good kicking, terrible, miserable person and set. 

U2 2011 - I'm a big U2 fan but after being made depressed by Morrissey and the crap setlist U2 chose, and then it started pissing it down it just sucked ass big style.

The Who 2015 - obviously couldn't be arsed to be there, grumpy and tuneless - to think I missed the Chemical Bros for that shite...

Edited June 29, 2021 by Penrhos

[MrHew]

On 6/27/2021 at 6:43 AM, dirtysteve said:

My worst set, or certainly most disappointing, was Arcade Fire on Other Stage in, I think, 2007. Was piss poor and a real let down. 

Was that the Other Stage headline slot? That remains one of my top Glastonbury performances. They absolutely nailed it for me. Watched it again the other night and my opinion hasn't changed.

As for terrible sets, had anyone mentioned the Seahorses yet? 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

11 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

This news article from eFests in 2005 rules them out for 05 but mentions 2007.

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/news/05/050124b.shtml

So the general rule is...mention, rumour or book U2 and it'll piss down 

[Toilet Duck]

3 hours ago, MrHew said:

Was that the Other Stage headline slot? That remains one of my top Glastonbury performances. They absolutely nailed it for me. Watched it again the other night and my opinion hasn't changed.

Penultimate slot, Bjork headlined. There was something about the Neon Bible tour that didn’t click with me for some reason (though I love the album and love the tracks they include in their sets now). Maybe the funeral tour just set such high expectations and the longer, less well paced sets that year seemed a bit tamer in comparison. I thought they were amazing on both the Suburbs and Reflektor tours (despite me criticising them for a lack of spontaneity on the pyramid!). I wouldn’t call either of their appearances at the farm “bad” though!

[sirjonnyp]

Surprised that I haven't seen The Avalanches on West Holts in 2017 mentioned. Much like the Radiohead set a few days before, it seems to be quite divisive on here, with some people saying it was great, and others, like me, who could barely make out the songs. The sound was absolutely dreadful despite being quite near stage right speaker (we tried further back later in the set), and it really just nosedived. It didn't help that they seemed like they were going through the motions once they hit Frontier Psychiatrist. My mate and I were hyped for it, and it was a real disappointment in the end. 

Honourable mention to Foals in 2016. I got dragged there after consuming a box of wine at Craig Charles, and it really confirmed how bland they are to me. Walked off after a few songs, my mate went down to the pit and had a great time apparently. I found my way to Stormzy instead. I only really know Shut Up at that point, and was blown away by his set. A real highlight of that year. 

[plot2pot]

On 6/28/2021 at 3:58 PM, shuttlep said:

The Cure 2019 

 

 

how can you not play Love Cats, i ended up falling asleep , Miley Cyrus was far better and I thought she would be dross 

Was surprised to get to page 6 without anyone else mentioning The Cure. We found it pretty uninspiring despite loving the band. Musically it was excellent but there was no connection and the crowd around us seemed bored. Half our group left midway through and we struggled through to the end but it didn’t get much better.

Strangely though, loads of people I spoke to when we got back said it was immense on TV and were shocked we didn’t enjoy it.  I’ll watch it eventually but it’s too soon at the moment! 😂

[The Nal]

18 hours ago, Ryan1984 said:

Pride would be the perfect closer for U2 at a festival, wouldn’t it?

All I Want is you, Discotheque, Zooropa, Lemon, New Years Day, Desire, Zoo Station, Unforgettable Fire, An Cath Dubh, Exit, Gods country....

Didnt play any of them. Desire. Their first UK number 1.........

[brendan84]

Been to nearly all the Glastonburys since 2004 and the standout remains

Mgmt 2010 on the other stage Sunday evening

Utterly dreadful.  

I really liked that arcade fire 07 set well worth watching over kasabian. 

[sjseabass]

The Cure were absolutely magnificent. Stunned that their 2019 set is being mentioned in this thread.

I’m a massive Radiohead fan, I was right at the front in 2017 and it was my favourite gig of all time (and I can’t really imagine it ever being topped to be honest). However I can totally understand people not enjoying it if they were further back (terrible decision with the screens) and that run at the start with Myxomatosis etc probably wasn’t the best for a festival gig.

Robert Smith and co though - I like them a lot, although hardly a superfan, and I adored the whole thing from just behind the second barrier. Really don’t know what else they could have done!

[The Nal]

2 minutes ago, sjseabass said:

The Cure were absolutely magnificent. Stunned that their 2019 set is being mentioned in this thread.

I’m a massive Radiohead fan, I was right at the front in 2017 and it was my favourite gig of all time (and I can’t really imagine it ever being topped to be honest). However I can totally understand people not enjoying it if they were further back (terrible decision with the screens) and that run at the start with Myxomatosis etc probably wasn’t the best for a festival gig.

Robert Smith and co though - I like them a lot, although hardly a superfan, and I adored the whole thing from just behind the second barrier. Really don’t know what else they could have done!

The Cure were fantastic. Sound was so good too. 

No mention of Primal Scream in 05? I loved it but I know loads hated it. Total chaos. Great stuff.

[FloorFiller]

Just now, sjseabass said:

Robert Smith and co though - I like them a lot, although hardly a superfan, and I adored the whole thing from just behind the second barrier. Really don’t know what else they could have done!

Yep it was about as good as a Cure set could ever be. Bob seemed in great spirit and even got a bit emotional halfway through, they played pretty much all their big songs minus Lovecats (although I’ve never been a fan of that one so suits me) and it just sounded so good; a lot of people who’ve been going for years on here saying it was one of the best sounding things they’ve ever heard on the Pyramid/at the festival. Gotta imagine if you didn’t enjoy that set then you’re just not a Cure fan at all.

[Zacko]

5 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

Yep it was about as good as a Cure set could ever be. Bob seemed in great spirit and even got a bit emotional halfway through, they played pretty much all their big songs minus Lovecats (although I’ve never been a fan of that one so suits me) and it just sounded so good; a lot of people who’ve been going for years on here saying it was one of the best sounding things they’ve ever heard on the Pyramid/at the festival. Gotta imagine if you didn’t enjoy that set then you’re just not a Cure fan at all.

Watching on TV was heartbreaking as they're my favourite band and it sounded SO good. I couldn't get over how good Bob's voice was, literally perfect. 

I often listen back to the Bestival 2011 set they released as an album and his voice sounds ten times better at Glasto. I'm not sure what he did in the years inbetween, but I can only assume it involved selling his soul to the devil. 

[balthazarstarbuck]

15 hours ago, Penrhos said:

 

The 1975 not sure what year but they were on early so may have been 2014, Matt was off his tits and could hardly perform - not great.

 

This would be mine- think it was Sunday 2014 just before Dolly, so a pretty big crowd. 
Felt a little bit insulted how out of it he was to be honest. Gone out of my way to avoid them ever since.

[Padjeq]

On 6/27/2021 at 1:50 AM, Leyrulion said:

 

I'd like to nominate Janet Jackson 2019. She was late, didn't perform the big hits. Even the guardian described her set as "one for the purists".

 

 

Show wasn't great. Very quiet, obviously mimed, but I disagree about it being hits-lite. She did (truncated) versions of everything you'd expect, with the dances to match.

Glad I've seen her, and that it cost me nothing.

 

On 6/27/2021 at 4:45 AM, kalifire said:

Lauryn Hill. The danger signs were there from various videos of prior sets online, but Miseducation was so seminal, and an appearance so rare, I think many of us felt duty bound to be there and hope for the best. Unfortunately we all lost that bet. Firstly, she was late. Second, much of her valuable time was used by a DJ playing ‘warm up’ tunes (for what purpose? You don’t need to hype us up, it’s fucking Glastonbury!). When she eventually appeared, yet again her perfectionism spoilt what could have been a wonderful Glasto moment. She seemed consistently annoyed with the sound, gesticulating wildly to sound crews and her production team, at one stage even stopping proceedings between songs and visibly laying into someone verbally, side of stage. We just wanted the hits and a singalong, but Ms Hill didn’t seem to want to be reduced to that, betraying a huge disconnect between the artist and crowd; the kind that kills sets. Killing Me Softly was dutifully trotted out as a kind of token last-song offering but it was too late. Many of us were disappointed, regretting our decision to sacrifice The Comet is Coming at West Holts for this. 

When she wasn't gesticulating wildly at band members who were clearly told not to ever meet her gaze, her voice sounded great. An absolute shame altogether.

 

Worst I saw at Glastonbury were both 08. Seasick Steve, and Martha Wainwright.

Edited June 30, 2021 by Padjeq

[FloorFiller]

9 minutes ago, Padjeq said:

Show wasn't great. Very quiet, obviously mimed, but I disagree about it being hits-lite. She did (truncated) versions of everything you'd expect, with the dances to match.

Glad I've seen her, and that it cost me nothing.

Not a sniff of Together Again though which was the biggest omission imo. According to setlist.fm it was the last song on the written setlist but was cut due to technical difficulties which sucks. I mean, it wouldn’t have been able to save the set ‘cause it was largely crap, but would’ve made it slightly more memorable for me at least. 

[Gnomicide]

The best thing about Janet Jackson being at Glastonbury was that nut job superfan who started posting on here to tell us how good she'd be.

They were mistaken.

[Zoo Music Girl]

7 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

The best thing about Janet Jackson being at Glastonbury was that nut job superfan who started posting on here to tell us how good she'd be.

They were mistaken.

I miss that guy 

[Quark]

5 minutes ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

I miss that guy 

Alas @jntsrb, we hardly knew ye.

[Zoo Music Girl]

12 minutes ago, Quark said:

Alas @jntsrb, we hardly knew ye.

Thank you! Was trying to remember it.