On the first page...
...there's a story about an open mic night at the Talking Heads bar in Southampton. Funny enough, my 'worst band' were a band we were the support act for a couple of years ago at said bar.

Godsized

I know there are people out there who love these guys. Fair enough to you. However, having met them in person/played with them, I can confidently say that they are utter felch-badgers.

To start with, every band, including them, was supposed to have a 15 minute sound check slot. They not only showed up late, but took 45 frakking minutes to minutely adjust their instruments that only dogs with good hearing could notice. The end result of this? We got a half-a-song sound check before we were told to stop, meaning we couldnt hear each other through the monitors at all during our set.

Before all that, our drummer had called and spoken to their drummer beforehand, to arrange a kit share. To those not musically inclined out there, for smaller gigs with a number of bands on, typically all the bands will use a drum kit from one band, changing only minor bits such as say, a snare drum, or symbols. Godsized had agreed to do this for everyone - huzzah say we. When they show up, they basically say 'no. our drummer has set his kit up correctly. no one is touching it now', meaning all the other acts (us included) had to frantically search for a new drum kit an hour before the gig (luckily found one to use).

Thirdly - completely unprofessional. In fact, the MOST unprofessional band I've had the displeasure of working with. On these kind of nights, the bands will always intermingle, share a few pints and laughs, watch each others acts (for the most part) and make a good night of it. Not Godsized. They refused to talk to anyone, and sat in a corner, scowling at anyone who wasn't them. They just thought they were the puppy's privates. We'd played with some bigger acts, such as Electric Eel Shock, who were fucking ace guys, chanting to your songs from the side of the stage.

Finally, the music. My. Sweet. Zombie. Jesus. It wasn't just that they wanted to be Zakk Wylde/Black Label Society musically. That was painfully obvious in the 'every-tune-sounds-the-same' kind of way. No, they went the whole hog - long blonde hair and beards, all playing Zakk Wylde signature buzzsaw Gibson's. All Marshall stacks. Even the singer/lead guitarist was doing his best Zakk impression.

Mind you, for comical value, facking brilliant - the lead singer would put on his most americanised ZW accent during his vocals, but when talking to the crowd he was brummier than the river Rea. Bloody classic. That and when they played, everyone but one drunk middle aged tramp who'd wandered in for warmth had left by the end.

Length? 10 minutes of badly played, pinch-harmonic filled wah guitar solos too long
(Brighton RAWK at the tone, the time will be:, Wed 5 Jan 2011, 12:24, 7 replies)

I fucking hate drummers who do that sort of shit
we had a kit share with a band at one gig. Naturally they arrived late and with a bass drum, snare, high hat and a ride cymbal, while our drummer is used to making good use of a full kit.

They also walked off with our bass players tuner pedal and despite subsequent contact have completely failed to send it back.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 5 Jan 2011, 13:12, closed)

What a complete shower of helmets
And the drummer behaving in that way is phenomenally unprofessional.

They sound like the sort of band you'd want to go up to halfway through their set and ask
"Do you guys know any Bon Jovi?"
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 5 Jan 2011, 13:45, closed)

it astonishes me how many bands are like that
not just bands though, promoters and venues are just as bad.

I think the tagline on my band's next CD will be "most punctual band in the South West"
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 5 Jan 2011, 13:55, closed)

There's something akin to a 'Blitz spirit' amongst a lot of musicians, venues, etc.,
Most of them appreciate that there's very little money sloshing around, and it's hard to get people to come out and see live music. It's therefore particularly unpleasant when you bump into bands who think they're so good the world owes them a living, promoters who won't let you play unless you bring twenty people to the venue (which is surely their job, as promoters?) - who or what do they think they're helping by being complete twats to all and sundry?

(Like the tagline, by the way!)
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 5 Jan 2011, 15:15, closed)

lol cheers, i try ;)
(Brighton RAWK at the tone, the time will be:, Wed 5 Jan 2011, 15:57, closed)

I know this all too well. Some bands are proper cunts.
Nice you got to play with Electric Eel Shock. Love that band. I got to meet them after they played in Leeds once. Proper nice guys.
(John_Bonham's_snare gave you tinnitus on, Wed 5 Jan 2011, 13:54, closed)

EES
Yeah Electric Eel Shock were a right laugh - a real bunch of nutters. We were their opening act for a gig they did at the wedgewood rooms in portsmouth. The band i was in at the time were a NWOBHM type band, like iron maiden with a mix of proggy dream theatreyness. It was fun because, I was up there singing, halfway through a song I'd look right off stage and see the EES boys headbanging a long with pints in hand, really enjoying themselves. Big confidence booster that one :P
(Brighton RAWK at the tone, the time will be:, Wed 5 Jan 2011, 15:59, closed)