Gigs and Films You've Walked Out Of

[Bruce Rioja]

Inspired by Bijou Bob, why don't we indeed have a thread on this topic?!

As mentioned here, my first ever walk out was from a Riding the Low gig last Saturday.

I don't think that I've ever walked out of a cinema. If I have it'll come to me later.

Before Saturday the nearest I'd come to walking out was from a Charlatans gig at The Academy during which they insisted on playing their entire new (and absolutely shite) album.

So, last night, something that I've been looking forward to for ages. Paddy Considine's band playing in a brewery. The ale was shit but nowhere near as bad as the band, or more particularly the sound. First gig that I've ever walked out of in my life.

That's almost worth a thread in itself Bruce: 'Gigs/Films you've walked out of'.

Jethro Tull at the Apollo. Utter sh1te of the first order. Skyfall - Likewise.

Bruce Springsteen at the MEN - left after an hour of his three hour set. Skyfall too (as it happens) started watching it three times not got more than an hour in yet. Dragged along to Human League by missus at the Apollo - even she wanted to leave (I was only there under duress) so suited me fine.

I bet the staff at the Apsley Cottage must have a million stories from people that have left the Apollo having been somewhat underwhelmed by their chosen artiste.

[Prufrock]

Pearl Harbour and Unbreakable at the cinema. Absolute pish, the pair.

Never from a gig.

[Lord Kangana]

Skyfall is one of the worst films I've ever seen. I should have walked out.

[wigan white]

Macy Gray at the Apollo in the height of her "Big Album"......got dragged along by the ex-wife and her support act was the "Black Eyed Peas" before they hit the big time. Shouldve walked out then but persevered until Macy Gray came on. She was fecking shite, lasted 30mins into the set and walked out.

[Bruce Rioja]

I'm intrigued to see how poor Skyfall is now?!

[Worthy4England]

I'm intrigued to see how poor Skyfall is now?!

The great news is, it shouldn't take up too much of your time to reach a conclusion.

[Little Green Man]

That Petrol Emotion in Sheffield. Utter pants.

[Worthy4England]

Oh - James on their 1990 "Come Home(?)" tour. Got a free ticket of some mates who were going, froze my tits off as it was December, snowing and I only had a T-Shirt on - walked out before half way. Demanded my money back off said mates + a consideration for hurt, anguish and time wasted (which from memory amounted to "a pint"). Bag of untalented shoite (as evidenced by the out of tune videos on youtube)...It was like listening to the English Proclaimers.

[Beefheart]

I can't think of any real instances, though once at the St. Josephs Penny Concert (a Thornleigh thing) this guy did a mildly amusing rendition of 'I want to break free' in drag. He then returned the next year as the final act doing the exact same performance, roughly 10 seconds in everybody just got up and left, including the Year 7's who hadn't seen it the previous year who were presumably just going along with the crowd

Also, I can't remember why but my Dad came with me to a Zappa plays Zappa gig at Bridgewater Hall a few years ago, about half way through, to be fair, what was a 2hr 30m set he just said 'This isn't for me, I'll see you in the bar when it's finished'.

[clapton is god]

Last Tango in Paris is the only film I have escaped early from. No gigs.

Edit to add that Ian Brown at the Manc Arena came closest to getting me walk early.

[KeyserSoze]

Ben Frost somewhere in Elephant and Castle lsat year. Love him, but the sound was so utterly abysmal as to render the entire thing an absolute shitefest. Wasn't helped by the fact the crowd were wankers and the beer was extortionate even for this that london standards.

Several at festivals but i guess they don't really count because you can just go to another tent or something.

Can't remember any at the Cinema. Almost walked out of Casino Royale but decided doing so in freshers week with people i'd only just met would be a bit off.

[Gary the Enfield]

I saw The Wildhearts supporting The Almighty at the Forum in '93 We left as soon as Ricky Warwick opened his gob.

Three years ago I took Little Miss GtE to the Hammersmith Apollo to watch the stage version of Green Day's American Idiot. Now, I know the lyrical content should have been a forewarning but there was no lower age limit on the flyer OR the ticket. I had to hurry her out after the first twenty minutes as scenes of heroin injection, beatings and group sex were rolled out in front of our eyes. Oops.

I left the Blue Oyster Cult gig in 1996 as it was (almost literally) full of middle aged men in Snorkel Jackets tapping their feet (but not sufficiently to upset their pints)

Oh, and left Donington Monsters of Rock when Extreme were the penultimate act. Had more fun in the campsite flinging offal and eyeballs at other campfires and singing '60's and 70's TV theme tunes all night.

[Prufrock]

Oooh! Bruno. Left that after about 20 mins. Of a first date. That was not a good choice. Excruciatingly bad.

[Bruce Rioja]

Several at festivals but i guess they don't really count because you can just go to another tent or something.

Ah yes - walked out on Bjork at Phoenix Festival once but I wasn't there specifically to see her / hear her screech so don't really count it.

I was about to walk out of a dreadful Jim Jefferies 'comedy' gig at the Comedy Club, but someone jumped on stage and twatted him instead.

[Worthy4England]

Oooh! Bruno. Left that after about 20 mins. Of a first date. That was not a good choice. Excruciatingly bad.

Great pick! Who were you dating? Harry Carpenter?

[Lord Kangana]

I'm intrigued to see how poor Skyfall is now?!

All the money they garnered from the diabolically clunky, obvious and lazy product placement should have been sufficient to make a good film. Its not, its shit. With loads of obvious product placement. Really, don't bother.

[Dr Hotdog]

I left midway through an Elbow gig at the Apollo in 2006. To be fair I was only there to see Mew, who supported, but I stuck about to see Elbow perform for themselves (had previously seen them for about 20 minutes before Coldplay at the Reebok (that was a freebie)). They weren't up to much so after about 4 numbers I left. It was musical greyness.

In terms of headline acts: I left during the cocaine-riddled Beck in his 'Guero/The Information' days at the Apollo. Such utter bullshit. Faffing around between numbers, keyboardists becoming bassists, bassists becoming drummers, drummers going off for a pint, guitarists becoming flutists, flutists becoming handclappers... There was no flow. He thought he was Prince. It was fecking Bullshit. A couple of years earlier he'd played the Apollo, left the seats in, and just played, alone, with a mixture of guitars and an occasional backing beat from a machine of some sort. That was during his 'Sea Change' days. Far superior. Far less overheads. He should do it more often.

There was a tour, around 5 or 6 years ago, featuring Mastodon, Hatebreed, Slayer, Slipknot. Now, back then Mastodon were the 'next big thing' and had cancelled a UK headline tour of their own (where they would have played the Star and Garter) to open for this METAL PACKAGE. I was big into them having seen them in the small Rock City in Notts a few months earlier. I arrived at the MEN Arena at about 6:55pm and Hatebreed were already on. I'd missed them. Unbelievable Jeff! Hatebreed are thug monkeys in camo with little-to-no imagination or redeeming aspects, so we went for a pint and to look at how overpriced the Merch was. Slayer were OK - aging but could still play, it was the 'classic' line-up featuring Dave Lombardo on the kit - that was enough for me. Slipknot came on and thought they were 1973 Genesis. It was nu-metal panto. Angry panto. So terrible I can't put it into words. Revolving drum kits, pyrotechnics coming out of their arses (literally, probably, I can't directly recall). Left after about 3 songs. I have no idea how we got tickets but there's no way we paid the full whack, someone must have got us in for nowt. It was annoying, Mastodon's work for the evening was done before 7pm. They could have easily played their own gig somewhere in town later that night.

Can't think of many more although I'm sure there are many. Certainly can't think of leaving the cinema. I probably should have done with Storytelling though...

[thebish]

never walked out of an actual cinema, but have done the equivalent on family movie nights - where we have all decided to turn it off about 10mins in...

Meet the spartans
21 Jump Street

unanimous dumping in both cases after about 10mins...

[truewhite15]

I can't think of any real instances, though once at the St. Josephs Penny Concert (a Thornleigh thing) this guy did a mildly amusing rendition of 'I want to break free' in drag. He then returned the next year as the final act doing the exact same performance, roughly 10 seconds in everybody just got up and left, including the Year 7's who hadn't seen it the previous year who were presumably just going along with the crowd

Also, I can't remember why but my Dad came with me to a Zappa plays Zappa gig at Bridgewater Hall a few years ago, about half way through, to be fair, what was a 2hr 30m set he just said 'This isn't for me, I'll see you in the bar when it's finished'.

Yeah, my mates encouraged me to do the encore. In hindsight, wasn't the best idea...

[TANGODANCER]

Can't contribute much as my "gigs" have been a little sedate, like The Halle and The Buena Vista Social Club, Paco Pena and Juan Martin etc. I never walked out on any, and the last gig-type events I went to were Johnny Kidd and The Pirates and The Merseybeats. I did once have strong words with a woman at a Glenn Campbell concert and almost got ejected from Southport Winter Gardens.

My speciality on bad decisions is undoubtedly buying and rapidly binning crap D.V.D films. Too many to mention, but The Forbidden Kingdom and The Last Templar are typical examples of poor choice.