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Gigs 'n' Tours

Went to see Slipknot in Budapest a few weeks ago. As expected a great show, but not quite as "wild and chaotic" as I expected it to be. I suppose things have changed since 2002. It was great to see one of my favorite bands live though and I would definitely like to see them again. I know they are bringing Knotfest to Milton Keynes this summer so I might get tickets for that.

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So, as we know, I went to see Dream Theater in 'ammersmiff on Friday evening. I've lost count of how many of their concerts I've attended in the last 11 years, but they really outdid themselves with this one.

Scenes From A Memory is already one of my all time top 5 albums and to see it played all the way through was a special time - even tracks like Through My Words and Home that I usually bleep over gave me goosebumps, whilst Dance of Eternity, Spirit Carries On, One Last Time and Finally Free all received standing ovations. Naturally, the whole crowd including me sang every word (even the spoken word sections) back, whilst Lain sat next to me had clearly been let off the leash for the evening and was playing every recognised air instrument and probably a fair few non-recognised ones!

A lot of new stuff was played too (the set lasted 3 hours including intermission) and I've found their latest album a little patchy (save At Wit's End, Barstool Warrior and Pale Blue Dot) but again, the performance gave me a whole new appreciation for these, though it was perhaps a little odd to have a new song for an encore.

My only minor complaint is that for some reason, the band have insisted on playing all-seated gigs since 2012, and it can be a little grating to have to sit there being polite and British when 16 minute assaults like A Nightmare to Remember get wheeled out. Speaking of ANTR, it was also a shame to see the usually growled verse done in a sort of singsong style, due to the absence of the much-missed Mike Portnoy. Don't get me wrong, Mangini absolutely NAILED the set, but he just lacks the charisma of the original drummer.

I also have a new t-shirt - never thought I'd reach that age where I bought metal band t-shirts in white!!
 
the set lasted 3 hours including intermission

That's a long set! (I suppose that makes sense though with how long their tracks are)

Had a fairly opposite gig also at Hammersmith Apollo on Sunday when I saw Babymetal (they only performed for an hour). This was like the 4th time I've seen them now, as always it was an excellent time with the crowd really elevating the experience. Love a happy crowd and this crowd was ecstatic! The stuff from the third album went down a treat and seeing robo-Joakim from Sabaton on a massive screen during Oh! Majinai was a moment of pure amusement and epicness (Nic can attest to the pure JOY expressed on my face). Despite the shortness of their set it was packed with absolutely amazing moments, like the sheer shock and joy when they played a song that wasn't released in Europe where Su-metal raps and it's actually really good.

The support act were ok, there were a few moments of drama from people crowdsurfing. One managed to grab the mic and sing into it and wouldn't let go for ages and then another that wasn't caught by security dropped head first into the ground - they pulled the kid up on to the stage after stopping the song who seems to be ok just has a bloody jumper.
 
^ at the Manchester gig the same support band (Creeper) were lit really weird ; I genuinely wondered whether the lead singer of the band had done something to annoy the Babymetal machine somehow and so they had explicitly told the lighting people just not to light him; Basically the rest of the band were all in white and you could see them all clearly, whereas lead-singer-chap was dressed all in black (not in itself a problem) but then had no spotlight (or any lights at all) shone at him so he was just a black silhouette in front of the rest of the band. I didn't think that they were bad overall and certainly got a pretty good reception from the crowd, but I shall not be rushing out to stock up on their catalog.

Babymetal were pretty great tho' - same set as you would have had in London - I do forgive them for the shortness of their sets as they are not just singing but basically doing an hours worth of high-energy, high-choreographed dance routines as well. Been struggling to get that break in KARATE out of my head for the last few days :)
 
Ha, I think you might be right about the lead singer in Creeper, he was lit that way in London too. He also kept swinging the mic round like an idiot and I think he hit himself at one point.
 
was due to see the levellers last friday, but listened to a couple of their albums instead - They played a triple encore of "this garden" which was great!
 
The fruit of 45 minutes fighting with the website on Friday.
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Almost 13 years since I last saw them and wasn't sure I ever would again. Am I a bit over-excited? Yes, yes I am.

*bump*
Typically, this has been rescheduled to June 20th; the day BEFORE the provisional date for the lifting of Covid restrictions. Sigh...
 
*bump*
Typically, this has been rescheduled to June 20th; the day BEFORE the provisional date for the lifting of Covid restrictions. Sigh...
Yep, 2 MCR gigs and Rammstein a few days before the 21st :( it's been too long since we last saw MCR together Will......
 
Ahh I just saw that Rammstein have postponed their next tour to 2022....

....but that has allowed me time to book a hotel in Cardiff and a ticket to the stadium. :)


A while to wait though.
 
Just grabbed a ticket to see the 'phonics in the Summer - hoping Neal will sort his life out and do the same...

Music events?! What brave new world is this? :)

Annoyingly though, I've now got Have a Nice Day in my head...
 
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Had tickets to see the original line-up of The Damned at Hammersmith Odeon in July but it's just been postponed until an unspecified date next year :(
 
Bumping this thread since I saw my first metal show since the pre-Covid era on Monday. Deicide/Kataklysm/Internal Bleeding/Begat the Nepheleim/2 local bands whose names I didn't catch.

It was a ton of fun. Kataklysm is one of my favorite bands (even their stupid stuff is like pizza, it's pretty good even when it's bad). I walked away with a day's worth of tinnitus and bruises all over my body from the mosh pit. Still have a ton of bruises on my chest and biceps as of today.

I'm very glad the death metal shows are back - I'm strongly considering seeing Goatwhore this Sunday, and I think Black Dahlia Murder is going to be in town 2 weeks from now
 
Saw Foals at Cardiff Castle.

Being in a crowd that large was surreal enough but the performance after an 18 month break; even more so.
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I went to a proper concert tonight!

Well, none of that proper modern music, Britpop 90s throwback stuff - double-header with Sleeper then The Bluetones (both playing their debut albums in full).

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Had seen The Bluetones a few years ago and liked that, never really listened to much Sleeper (apart from in the last week to catchup) but they were very good too, took a little while for them to warm up I think (they were on first) but by the end of their set they were right on form. Bluetones had a few technical issues with guitars and lights at the start of their set, but recovered - very good. That Mark Morriss is a witty chap too.

Covid wise ; once inside the venue* you'd never had known anything was up. Lets hope all that vaccine business pays off then.

(*Indoors, medium sized venue, not packed full (seen it proper packed in the past) but still pretty busy)

EDIT : crowd view found on Twitter, just for infos.

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^
I think my recommendation takes the credit for that :p

I'm excited to hear there's a sequel to the Silver Scream album if it's anywhere close to the first :) [And a track called F.L.Y to my amusement]
Slightly annoying that they'd go through the hassle of coming to the UK and then proceeding not to play any proper gigs though.

I still haven't got back to one - ended up selling my 'phonics ticket as the idea of going to Scarborough and back in a day was just too much. With both my favourite bands releasing albums in the next two months, I'm kind of hoping some dates get announced :)
 
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^
I think my recommendation takes the credit for that :p

I'm excited to hear there's a sequel to the Silver Scream album if it's anywhere close to the first :) [And a track called F.L.Y to my amusement]
Slightly annoying that they'd go through the hassle of coming to the UK and then proceeding not to play any proper gigs though.

I still haven't got back to one - ended up selling my 'phonics ticket as the idea of going to Scarborough and back in a day was just too much. With both my favourite bands releasing albums in the next two months, I'm kind of hoping some dates get announced :)
Yh I would say so haha!

And they're playing a few festivals here I think? The thing I've got tickets to says 'special guests' will appear and they're in the UK around that time so I'm hoping maybe we get a sneaky set or at least a song or two? Who knows.
 
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