40+ Of The Most Unforgettable Terrible Live Performances Of All Time
Live performance is inherently unpredictable. There are instances when things simply do not go as planned. These musicians were having a bad day, with failing props, skipped vocal tracks, and even some very terrible appearances on Saturday Night Live.
Mariah Carey, New Year’s Eve
Mariah Carey has established herself as a musical legend. Plus, as the holidays approach, her music is pretty frequent. As a result, she seemed like the ideal candidate for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
Mariah Carey, New Year’s Eve
However, in 2016, the celebrity gave an infamously terrible performance. Carey’s staff later claimed that the singer was having trouble due to a defective earpiece that was interfering with the sounds she was meant to be hearing.
Robin Thicke, MTV Music Video Awards
The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards included a few unexpected moments. Robin Thicke’s duet with Miley Cyrus was the highlight of the evening. Unfortunately, they stole the show in the worst possible way.
Robin Thicke, MTV Music Video Awards
Viewers and critics alike described the performance as unsettling. Later, Cyrus stated that she believed the performance was expected of her and that she has since chosen a different performance style.
Ashlee Simpson, SNL
Saturday Night Live appears to be a venue where musicians either get it right or get it wrong. Ashlee Simpson will be remembered for the wrong reasons.
Ashlee Simpson, SNL
When Simpson took the stage to perform her song “Autobiography,” the vocal track for another of her songs caught her off guard. She attempted to make the best of the situation by dancing, but reviewers and fans were unimpressed.
The Everly Brothers, Starting a Hiatus
If you don’t know anything about music from the 1950s and 1960s, The Everly Brothers were a force to be reckoned with. For much of their childhood, the two brothers performed together.
The Everly Brothers, Starting A Hiatus
The two were supposed to do a concert together in 1973, but it was canceled before they even finished their set. When Don Everly arrived in poor physical condition, it sparked a major feud between the two, resulting in a sabbatical.
Miguel, Billboard Music Awards
You have to do more than just sound excellent when performing live. Many musicians put a lot of effort into their live performances. People go to great lengths to keep the crowd entertained.
Miguel, Billboard Music Awards
Miguel attempted to leap over the crowd from one side of the platform to the other while performing at the Billboard Music Awards. The only issue was that he collided with a fan in mid-flight. Following the incident, the singer was also named in a lawsuit.
Poison, MTV Awards
Poison made a good start in hair metal with live shows that almost always impressed audiences. When the band performed at the MTV Awards, however, it was not the case.
Poison, MTV Awards
When the band was about to start playing “Unskinny Bop,” guitarist CC Deville switched to “Talk Dirty to Me.” Deville and lead singer Bret Michaels had a backstage brawl following the shambolic performance, and Deville departed the band shortly after.
Winter Magic Halftime Show
Halftime performances during the Super Bowl haven’t always included the current pop singer or rock star with fireworks. However, the Super Bowl XXVI halftime performance in 1992 was unusual.
Winter Magic Halftime Show
Football fans were treated to a live show with legendary figure skaters, who danced to tunes like “The Nutcracker.” Overall, it doesn’t appear to be a poor live presentation, but it could be due to the unusual location and audience. The following year’s selection of Michael Jackson suggests that they have chosen to shift tactics.
Justin Bieber, Feeling Unwell
We can’t hold Justin Bieber responsible for what occurred at the concert. Nobody wants to be sick, after all. The singer seemed to start strong on his 2012 tour, “Justin Bieber Believe.”
Justin Bieber, Feeling Unwell
But things quickly changed as the musician came to a halt and puked twice before exiting the stage. Later, when confronted with the problem, he’d blame it on too much dairy that night, so everything was well!
Lana Del Rey, SNL
It was a big event when Lana Del Rey appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Her debut on the sketch program in 2012 made her one of the few musicians to do so before releasing a full album. She did, however, have fans from previous singles.
Lana Del Rey, SNL
The performance on Saturday Night Live, however, did not impress them. The singer didn’t provide the worst performance we’ve ever seen, but she just seemed lifeless that night – everyone has a bad day at work!
Greta Van Fleet, SNL
Greta Van Fleet was a musical guest on Saturday Night Live in 2019. Unfortunately, they earned a reputation as one of 30 Rock’s worst performers.
Greta Van Fleet, SNL
Given the band’s inspiration from 1970s big rock groups, the audience was ready to be wowed. What they actually saw on stage was a shaky performance that disappointed the audience. Even yet, it wasn’t a career-ending performance.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Halftime Show
Some bands appear to have the potential to put on a good halftime show. The Red Hot Chili Peppers could have been an excellent option. Instead, fans rapidly became aware that something was wrong.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Halftime Show
Was the band actually performing? The band’s instruments were discovered to be unplugged shortly after the show. The vocals were live, but the drums, guitar, and bass were not, according to bassist Flea.
The Pussycat Dolls, American Music Awards
The Pussycat Dolls put on a show in 2006 that no one will soon forget. At the American Music Awards, they performed their song “Buttons.” That was the plan, at least.
The Pussycat Dolls, American Music Awards
Melody Thornton, a member of the band, took center stage at the conclusion and began improvising vocals. Nicole Sherzinger, the group’s other vocalist, was noticeably taken aback by the move, creating a pop culture moment that no one will soon forget.
The Replacements, SNL
The Replacements were all set to put on a great display at Saturday Night Live. The dress rehearsal, in fact, went off without a hitch!
The Replacements, SNL
When the band performed live, it was evident that they had partied before the event. This resulted in a chaotic set, including an unfiltered profanity on live television. SNL producer Lorne Michaels swiftly barred the band from returning.
Queens of the Stone Age, Rock Am Ring
Some shows appear to fail at every turn. The Queens of the Stone Age got tattoos to commemorate the occasion because it went so badly.
Queens Of The Stone Age, Rock Am Ring
When they performed at Rock Am Ring in 2001, the band was no slouch. Even so, they had to contend with equipment failure, a non-stop smoke machine, and an audience that could only hear the guitars from the show.
Katy Perry, NRJ Music Awards
When Katy Perry took the stage at the NRJ Music Awards, she was expected to sing “Roar.” Instead, something embarrassing occurred. As the show progressed, it became evident that the singer was experiencing difficulties with the backing music.
Katy Perry, NRJ Music Awards
The host approached her shortly into the act and asked if she wanted to restart. The singer was accused of lip-syncing, although the NRJ Awards later clarified that she was singing live but had launched the incorrect backing track.
Karmin, SNL
Karmin began their career by singing covers on YouTube. The pair was eventually invited to appear as musical guests on Saturday Night Live.
Karmin, SNL
The transition to television could have provided more exposure, but the duo was broken apart for the live performance. Critics panned the entire presentation, from the music to the manner the actors performed. It didn’t help that Whitney Houston’s death had only been announced a few hours before.
Led Zeppelin, Live Aid
The Live Aid event was expected to be Led Zeppelin’s true comeback. Since the death of the band’s drummer, John Bonham, the band had not performed live.
Led Zeppelin, Live Aid
To the dismay of fans, Led Zeppelin returned to the stage at Live Aid five years after Bonham’s death. Robert Plant was hoarse while Jimmy Page labored with an out-of-tune guitar. Phil Collins was brought in as a drummer, but he didn’t appear quite ready for the show.
Altamont Speedway, 1969
The Altamont Speedway concert in 1969 was planned to be a peaceful gathering featuring notable acts such as The Rolling Stones and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
Altamont Speedway, 1969
However, instead of hiring a standard security crew, the event hired The Hell’s Angels. The only problem was that the plan didn’t go as planned, and the event was far from tranquil. Furthermore, it was said that the motorcycles drowned out a lot of the music.
Corey Feldman, Today
When Corey Feldman appeared on Today for this performance, he was already a well-known celebrity. He wasn’t known for his music, though. Feldman was making his musical debut after a long career as an actor.
Corey Feldman, Today
Unfortunately, the audience’s expectations were not met. Instead, they were given a perplexing set and dancing movements that were not well received by critics. It wasn’t the end of his musical career, either.
Green Day, iHeartRadio
Green Day has been performing for a long time. During an iHeartRadio performance, Billy Joe Armstrong reminded everyone of this.
Green Day, IHeartRadio
The singer realized the band had a warning on a screen informing them they only had one minute left as they began their final song. Instead of continuing the song, this time was rapidly filled with a diatribe that ended with a smashed guitar and an angry walk off the stage.
Smashmouth, The Bread Incident
Some things are expected to be seen at a concert. Normally, however, you wouldn’t see audience members carrying complete loaves of bread. When Smashmouth performed at a food festival, that’s what one of the vendors gave out.
Smashmouth, The Bread Incident
As a result, when the band came on, the audience had enough to throw at them. Steve Harwell, the main vocalist, began to lecture and threaten the audience before being stopped by security.
Fergie, The National Anthem
Some performances receive a lot more criticism than others. A fantastic illustration of this is performing a pre-written song like the US national anthem.
Fergie, The National Anthem
Critics were harsh when Fergie took the stage at the NBA All-Star Game in 2020. The vocalist attempted to give the song her own touch, but the outcome was an odd tone for the song, with notes that were far from show-stopping.
Sly Stone, Coachella
When Sly Stone took the stage at Coachella in 2010, he had a lengthy history of performing. The only issue was that this was by far one of his weakest performances. Fans who were looking forward to seeing the icon take the stage quickly lost interest.
Sly Stone, Coachella
The musician began yelling on stage and produced a vocal performance that was mediocre at best. Overall, the former member of Sly and the Family Stone didn’t deliver what festivalgoers had hoped for.
Carly Rae Jepsen, 20 Teacups
Whether or not you appreciate her music, Carly Rae Jepsen supported a good cause by performing at a DAVIDsTEA charity event. We have no way of knowing if the singer performed in the best show of her life.
Carly Rae Jepsen, 20 Teacups
For their Cup of Warmth promotion, the event expects to sell roughly 30,000 cups of tea. However, the attendance only reduced that amount by 20 sales, indicating that there wasn’t much of a turnout. Despite this, the artist hosted a meet-and-greet for the small audience.
Stornoway, Oxford
Live shows are pre-rehearsed shows. This implies that, like any other live performance, expecting a band to improvise for a while is no easy task. The final challenge was thrown at Stornoway in 2006.
Stornoway, Oxford
The band was meant to be one of three performing that day, but they were the only ones who showed up. Given that the band had been trying to get one of them, Tim Bearder, to come out for some time, they tried their best to make it worthwhile — despite the circumstances.
Lindsay Lohan, Good Morning America
Lindsay Lohan, like many of her Hollywood colleagues at the time, was attempting to diversify her career beyond acting by adding music to her portfolio.
Lindsay Lohan, Good Morning America
Lohan made an appearance on Good Morning America to promote her new music, performing “Rumors,” a track off her upcoming album. Critics and fans were upset with the premiere performance because it was lip-synced rather than performed live.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers, SNL
Here is another SNL performance that made things difficult for Red Hot Chili Peppers. Actually, the band’s guitarist, John Frusciante, was the one who chose to cancel the show.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers, SNL
Anthony Kedis characterized the performance in his memoirs Scar Tissue as, “Getting stabbed in the back and hung out to dry in front of all of America while Frusciante was off in a corner in the shadow, playing some dissonant out-of-tune experiment.”
The Sex Pistols, Winterland Ballroom
The Sex Pistols are one of the most well-known punk bands in history. They didn’t go there, though, because of their continued chemistry. To say the least, the band wasn’t in great shape when they performed at the Winterland Ballroom.
The Sex Pistols, Winterland Ballroom
Lead singer Johnny Rotten would later say, “By that last gig, I’d lost interest. I’d become incapable of caring about writing another song for this outfit.” That night on stage, he said, “Ever got the feeling like you’ve been cheated? ” We’re sure some fans definitely did.
Katy Perry, SNL
When Katy Perry arrived at SNL to promote her then-new album, she was all set to steal the show. Neither song was well received by the public. Perry’s decision to dance on a table of fruit while performing “Bon Appétit” was more than a little perplexing for the crowd.
Katy Perry, SNL
In her performance of “Swish Swish,” she attempted to include some youthful talent, but many critics thought her choice of Fortnite dances was uncomfortable.
Creed, Sued by Fans
Fans will pay a lot of money to watch you perform live, especially if you’re a well-known band like Creed.
Creed, Sued By Fans
However, at one show in Illinois in 2002, Creed member Scott Stapp wasn’t giving it his all, sometimes not even singing at all. As a result, the event was so bad that fans decided to sue the band because they didn’t believe they were getting their money’s worth.
Nickelback, Portugal Performance
Nickelback has been the target of a great deal of criticism during their career. One show in Portugal went horribly wrong. However, in 2002, one audience went too far. The audience began throwing rocks and bottles at the band while they were performing.
Nickelback, Portugal Performance
Two songs in, lead singer Chad Kreuger offered the audience the opportunity to change, but when he was met with another aimed at his head, the band decided to call it a night.
Oasis, Wembley Stadium
When Oasis ascended the stage at Wembley Stadium in 2000, their popularity was already on the decline. The performance did not improve matters. Noel Gallagher appeared to be prepared for the show throughout the performance, but Liam Gallagher was not.
Oasis, Wembley Stadium
As the show progressed, Liam began to talk more than sing, and he began to sing songs with purposefully erroneous lyrics. It wasn’t precisely what the audience had been expecting.
50 Cent, BET Awards
50 Cent was all set to perform at the 2007 BET Awards. When he did, supporters were left perplexed as to what had happened.
50 Cent, BET Awards
The musician appeared to mess up the first stanza, skipping it entirely in favor of welcoming other performers in the audience, including Snoop Dogg. The rapper later revealed that he was distracted from the first verse when a dancer accidentally collided with him, interrupting his flow.
Guns N’ Roses, Booed Off the Stage
Guns N’ Roses are known for their live performances. They’re fantastic if the band manages to show up and give it their all on stage.
Guns N’ Roses, Booed Off The Stage
While their history has been marred by a lot of walkouts and poor performances, a 2010 event in which Axl Rose arrived 40 minutes late was rather on-brand, as any fan knows. The Dublin audience booed and began throwing objects in return, eventually forcing the band to exit the stage.
Fergie, Sweet Child O’ Mine
A Super Bowl crowd will always be impressed by a few things. When the Black Eyed Peas surprised the crowd with guitarist Slash, they had a perfect idea.
Fergie, Sweet Child O’ Mine
The band opened with a Guns N’ Roses song, with Slash playing the beginning riff of “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” which Fergie quickly joined on lead vocals, although the attempt to replicate Axl Rose’s voice rather than relying on her own style wasn’t appreciated by all fans.
Nirvana, Buenos Aires
In many circumstances, the musician is responsible for giving a solid live performance. However, we can’t hold Nirvana responsible for their reaction to the Buenos Aires crowd. Calamity Jane, an all-woman band, opened the event for the grunge giants.
Nirvana, Buenos Aires
The audience acted badly throughout their performance, hurling rocks and spitting at the band. When Nirvana entered the stage, Cobain wanted to cancel because of how they handled Calamity Jane, but instead chose spiteful compliance, punishing them with a bad show.
Katy Perry, X-Factor
Katy Perry has performed numerous concerts throughout the years, and not every one of them has gone off without a hitch. Even yet, when the pop singer took the stage, X-Factor viewers were underwhelmed with the end product.
Katy Perry, X Factor
It’s not that anything went wrong, but missing notes and a mediocre performance didn’t leave the X-Factor audience delighted with her performance of “Fireworks.”
Fyre Festival
For those who could afford it, the Fyre Festival was hailed as a promising music festival experience in 2017. Furthermore, an island dedicated to concerts seems like a musical haven. However, such was not the case when concertgoers arrived.
Fyre Festival
They didn’t even receive a live performance. Instead, guests were met with tents and limited food amounts rather than music. It was clearly not worth the $1,500 admission price — but some people spent up to $12,000.
Woodstock ’94
Woodstock has always left an impression. The 1969 story is legendary, and the 1999 version was downright hazardous. When it comes to poor live events, you’d have to be cool with a lot of muck to attend Woodstock ’94.
Woodstock ’94
The festival, dubbed Mudstock, was drenched on day two, prompting attendees to throw mud at one another. Before Nine Inch Nails could even take the stage, they were completely covered in muck.
Robin Thicke, Paula Tour
Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” soon put him in trouble, and as we’ve seen, it wasn’t exactly a smash hit live at the VMAs.
Robin Thicke, Paula Tour
Thicke’s destiny was sealed by his subsequent tour and album Paula, which was devoted to his ex-wife. The star became infamous for pausing during record promotions to implore his ex-wife to accept him back. Overall, it contributed to the end of his time in the spotlight.
The Vines, David Letterman
Late-night broadcasts frequently feature a wide range of musical acts. It’s a terrific method to bring in a steady stream of talent and give bands some exposure. The song “Get Free” was set to be performed by The Vines on The Late Show with David Letterman.
The Vines, David Letterman
Lead singer Craig Nicholls began to fade in and out of the song as it progressed, alternately yelling and dropping phrases from the tune. To Hamish Rosser’s chagrin, he eventually turned to smash the drum kit to bits.
Meat Loaf, SNL
Meat Loaf was a rising figure in rock history after the publication of his album Bat Out of Hell. So much so that he was invited to play on Saturday Night Live.
Meat Loaf, SNL
Overall, things might have been a lot worse: Meat Loaf was never kicked off the stage, and his performance wasn’t exactly a disaster. However, it was marred by missing notes and a shaky vocal performance that fell short of what the audience had hoped for from the emerging star.
Fear, SNL
John Belushi of Saturday Night Live expressed interest in collaborating with Fear on a forthcoming project. He got them a place as a musical guest on the show he’d previously been on when it didn’t work out.
Fear, SNL
Everything went to hell as they took the stage. The band didn’t hold back at 30 Rock, staying true to their punk beginnings. The band managed to damage $20,000 worth of property with frenzied dancers and strewn props. We’re curious as to what Belushi thought of the show.
Supertramp, Reading Festival
Supertramp was scheduled to perform at the Reading Festival in 1974. To their credit, they persevered and put on a show despite the odds.
Supertramp, Reading Festival
When the weather changed, the band was more than soaked, and without a large amp, they received shocks every time they touched their wet, electrified instruments. We’re delighted the band made it through the show despite everything going against them!
Milli Vanilli, MTV
Many musicians use lip-syncing at some time. Nonetheless, botching the procedure is frowned upon. Milli Vanilli was involved in one of the most tragic occurrences.
Milli Vanilli, MTV
Milli Vanilli had a skipping track on MTV Live in 1989. This would have been humiliating, but the backlash effectively terminated the duo’s career. Soon after, it was discovered that the duo never sang live or on record. Even their Grammy was returned by the two.