If you're not listening to tape, it's always been a crapshoot. That's part of the point; can they deliver? What could happen?
Went to go see Ministry on the Animositisomina tour. As I'm dodging the 7'2" Frankenstein in the mosh pit, I notice Nivek Ogre come out and do a cameo on 3 songs.
I'd post video, but it was...2004? And not every retard had a cell with video yet.
So, I got to see it; readers of this comment, will not.
"The Venue" in a Stadium/Theater setting doesn't sound like shit, the sound system/mix does. It isn't the back corner of a bingo hall.
Performance wise? Lots of shit can go wrong. Equipment craps out at the worst time.
The bassist/drummer/guitarist/singer/keyboardist is drunk(er)/high(er)/sick insomnia/can't hear themselves/told the mix guy nine fucking times he can't hear the snare/just broke up with their gf/has head up ass/hates one or more of the other guys, etc.
But what do I know? I just roadied, teched, road managed & played in a famous band, multiple tours with lesser acts, played onstage at the 2000 person crowd level, and have gotten to record with my choice of platinum, MTV featured musicians.
It's not like I bought a ticket to a single show. I bow before your vast knowledge/working ears.
Keep in mind, it isn't an mp3 or a MIDI file. For all their flaws, they still do it old school, while in many cases - Crüe - you're paying to watch prerecorded tracks mimed to at maximum volume. The newer the band, the more common this is.
I saw Ozzy/Sabbath about 5 times. He isn't always on, but when he is, you watch a master of holding a stadium in his palm at work.
This song is good on record, and better live. The fact that Kirk plays a real '59 live, played by Green & Moore previously, is also cool, because nobody besides maybe Bonamassa does that anymore.
Also, Slayer got their shit pushed in by Sepultura & Meshuggah as openers, so it's not unusual. That was in their prime, too.
If I had the coin, I'd love to go see, say, ZZ Top, even though it's not the Fandango! era. I was like -9 at the time.
I'll never get to see the real thing, now. RIP Dusty.
I definitely have worked more shows than I've gone to in the past 15 years. But if I had the coin I wish I had seen certain acts before they quit.
I had one chance to see White Zombie live, and my dad nixed it. Year & a half later they broke up, forever.
I got to see Peter Steele tell a fellow fan, by the bus:
"Der Üntermensch? Well, that song was written on a Thursday. Four mornings in a row, I'm up at dawn to go bust my ass to serve my community, and I walk past stoop after stoop full of niggers still up from the night before drinking & getting high.