No. 1

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No. 1

28 January 2010

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Posted by athena

Hello AMUK! I have decided to write a blog that will monthly (or thereabouts) share with you some of the musical experiences I have. Here is numero uno.

The following review of Them Crooked Vultures is dedicated especially to Andrea, Vasco and Juliette.

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A friend and I made our way to the Record Exchange situated on the upper level of some weathered building. As the clock upon City Hall chimed 3:30, I imagined we'd better get a move on as gates would open in three hours. For a small building, not larger than your typical New York apartment, the Record Exchange was packed from top to floor and there-in-between of music memorabilia of the past century I'd imagine. Shirts hanging from the ceiling, vinyl records piled up everywhere - this place was heaven I'd imagine for any avid enthusiast and collector. Nevertheless, we purchased our tickets and after a bound and a leap down the flight of stairs (and a slight bump into a passer-by), we were off.

The River Stage is an enormous outdoor venue beside the Brisbane River. When I say enormous, imagine walking up a road and you can't see what is ahead of you. You get to the top and there is just a green field ahead of you. Larger than a football field I estimate, there was a slight decent to a concreted area which lies in front of this stage. We had no idea how to get to this venue, so we just wandered through the University until we heard some music playing. The most logical idea was to follow that sound.

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Waiting in the line for at least two hours, it seemed rather odd that there were not more than thirty people in line, categorised as Under, Over, Under, Over, 18. The line did eventually grow in the half hour leading up to gates opening, and to my pleasant surprise, they allowed us in early. Being the second pair in line felt like a super accomplishment for me although, if it were not for the bag-checks and confiscation of my water bottle I bet we would've made it in the front row against the barrier and we could've stayed there all night. That was not the case and we ended up second row which wasn't bad for the support act...

Zeahorse was an exciting viewing experience and it must be noted for anyone who will ever see them in the future, that they really like to use guitar effects and are quite fond of incorporating feedback in their songs. We often saw the frontman constantly to-ing-and-fro-ing his guitar into the amp to create that wailing feedback effect. Their music was bold, polyphonic and distorted which in turn took away from the vocals as their levels I assume, had not been tested properly. Regardless their on-stage performance was quite entertaining and the audience was rather accepting of this band despite no word of them prior to supporting Them Crooked Vultures.

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Zeahorse & Them Crooked Vultures' stage set-up.

In the lead-up to Them Crooked Vultures making their way onto the stage, a number of songs were played including Aretha Franklin's 'Chain of Fools', Bill Haley's 'Rock Around the Clock' and my personal highlight, Crying Lightning. I had zoned out at the point where Crying Lightning had come on after concentrating on how hungry I was after passing off the idea of stopping for dinner prior. It wasn't until I felt that vibe you feel when you watch videos of 'When the Sun Goes Down' live, and everyone is singing, that I realised it was playing. No other song played until then was given the reception that it was given and it was a rather pleasant and uplifting feeling to be in a crowd that was singing a song like that.
When Them Crooked Vultures came on stage it was extremely hard to comprehend that you were seeing three of music history's most legendary musicians standing before you. The crowd was filled with generations of fans and seemed significantly more mature than previous crowds I had been a part of. You had a range of Crooked Vulture, Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Eagles of Death Metal, and Red Hot Chili Peppers' fans including music enthusiasts in general. One band drawing such a diverse audience spanning a few generations was quite amazing and their presence continued throughout the night, to reinforce their impact on music and on their listeners.
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Not even a week ago this same stage had seen the likes of Miami Horror, Dizzee Rascal, Calvin Harris and Lily Allen. Now, it was seeing Josh Homme, John Paul Jones and Dave Grohl. I don't think to this day I have understood that I have seen live the man from Nirvana who I had admired for most of my youth. The man who worked with Arctic Monkeys and helped to form this Humbug era which I so dearly love and the man whose songs I have made arrangements with to play in string quartets.
Their music is so beefy! It's something you can really sink your teeth into. It's full of driving bass lines which are so rich with a warm fulfilling timbre. Josh's guitar solos are mesmerising. It was like watching him make sweet love to that guitar as just the most wonderful heartfelt tunes poured out with ease - he literally sang through his guitar. Then there's Dave. He looked rather more aged that what I had expected him to be however, the way he played his kit, did not show evidence that age posed a problem. He was an absolute machine and the whole electric atmosphere they had conjured together was absolutely amazing.
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We did not last long in the moshpit as there were many larger older men behind us and it became rather uncomfortable to the point where we could not bear it and we had to make our way back a couple of rows. We found ourselves where all these people were smoking weed. It was unpleasant but the fresh breeze which wafted through the air was a nice relief.
Coming from this event, I have three highlights. The first is when they played Caligulove. It was simply wonderful. That song is great live and the outdoor venue certainly provided the best setting to appreciate that song to its full entirety. Secondly, was when John went and sat by the keys and starting playing this sweeping and melodic tune - the whole atmosphere shifted gears from a beefy electrifying state to a magical and lyrical '505' moment. Everyone stopped their cheering not for the fact that there was this shift in mood and they could be disappointed by this slower movement, but I think as a sign of respect towards what we were all witnessing. For the time it lasted, I can only remember thinking to myself 'Wow. Wow. Wow.' I was completely encapsulated by his sole keyboard performance. Thirdly, the audience made the concert experience just that more special. As I mentioned before, it was rather nice seeing all those generations and different fans coming together to share this experience.

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So essentially, it was a rather pleasing and absolutely thrilling experience. If any of you around the world ever have the opportunity to see Them Crooked Vultures, I strongly recommend it. Even if you have not allowed their album to sink in, their concert will certainly be one to please. These three men are certainly masters of their art and definitely know how to put on a show.

As my photos did not turn out well, all pictures taken at the Riverstage Gig and used in this review other than the ticket scan and the photo of their set-up, have been sourced from Flickr for the sole purpose to provide an insight into the experience and to have a contrast in medias. All rights belong to the respective photographers.

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