I went to see a band reasonably well known in the UK play in 97 or so, got there really early, they had about three support acts, the first of which started off at about 7.30pm to about ten people in a hall which later that evening had around 2,000 and announced themselves as Snow Patrol. My god they were bad. Really bad. The only thing that kept us in front of the stage was that the security staff couldn't smell the joints we were smoking from there.

15 years later the original band I'd gone to see had faded out of fashion and I went to see them doing a lower key gig and had a drink with them, they told me SP had paid them to tour with them and that it was becoming far too common for posh public school boys to decide to want to be rockstars and bypass the harder times using mummy and daddys bank account, while good bands from the lower classes were forced to split up as managers, bands and tours didn't want to take them on if they could fill the gap with free labour.

other really shit bands I've seen, not gonna mention the poor rappers and djs theres been so many;

Smashing Pumpkins (Was a big fan, went to watch them live, could have sworn the only one who wasn't a waxwork was Melissa auf der Maur, not listened to them since refinding my copy of Siamese Dream last week)

Fun Lovin Criminals: They seemed hammered. Bass player was making so many mistakes he gave up.

The Police: I'm sure it was a great gig, it sounded like it. But we were sat behind the band and halfway through they dropped a vid screen backdrop, meaning our view consisted pretty much of the back of a huge monitor (they didn't even give us a monitor with a view of the stage!) and Andy Summers ass