I've been to two live gigs so far in 2008. An improvement for which I went to none last year --it's payback time, bitch!! My remorse stems from the fact that I make a promise to myself to attend at least ONE live event every year to fulfill my lust for lives and last year, I didn't. I am still bitter about it, but that's okay. This year's concerts would be plentiful.
And added to that, I had the pleasure of watching my group's band play it live on two occassions. It was a small-scale event but you know, with music, it's universal, really. It can be a one-on-one thing where you're just playing for a loved one, or on a gargantuan scale of 100,000 where to the people waaaaay behind, you are like a postage stamp possessing a huge voice.
It's a different feel altogether, obviously, if you compare a studio mix with what a musician brings on stage. One of the best things about live music is that you can literally feel the thrum of the band in your veins and running through your bloodstream. It's almost like an adrenaline fix of sorts. When I say the band, I mean just the band. No singer needed. Unless you're a boyband and you need all the members to sing. Yes, I adore those bands too.
When I was at Maroon 5's It Won't Be Soon Before Long concert, Adam Levine was so bad he makes my friend Kit Fan sound fantastic. Okay, so everyone knows the guy can't sing live. And of course I am so thankful that Veronickah managed to snag tickets that were cheaper than the normal selling price because I would not want to be paying $180 for a front row ticket just to hear someone struggle to sing live. I could've just popped in the CD at home or listen to him on Joaquin. The bonus was that we were quite near to big screen and despite being on the highest tier where the cheapest tickets were, we were seated diagonally across the stage.
What I feel makes a good concert are a few factors. The most important being, the band. Those are the small favors that would actually save your ass if you're not a good enough singer. The highlight of Maroon 5's ensemble was of course, the drums. I am a total sucker for those clanging, banging things. You can so totally change the flow of a song just with drums. And their drummer, Matt --or was it Chris??-- was just magnetic. Of course, it wasn't a two-piece drumset like the one Donovan Hepburn --no relation to the late Audrey and Katharine-- had on both of the Take That concerts (macam paham). But he thoroughly utilized it that it could've easily been a two-piece.
His ability to switch it from playing Wake Up Call to Sunday Morning was fantastic. And you know Sunday Morning is this jazzy, swing-style piece that just makes you want to snap your fingers like Harry Connick Jr. I wasn't happy that Matt's face wasn't featured on the big screen as much as I would've liked. Added to that, from where I was seated, the whole drumset was blocked by this enormous hanging spotlight. Tsk.
The next thing I feel that makes a live performance a good one is the songs being played. If they're known, sing-a-long songs, then obviously you'll get the crowd yoddeling together. That was I guess, the plus at the concert. As much as I wasn't that big a fan, I knew of their songs because at one point, I had their latest album. And then I deleted the whole album. Again, Veronickah proceeded to be a lifesaver by sending over the album three hours prior to the concert ala crash course. After the concert, when he was gushing fervently about it while I shrugged with nonchalance, he gave me his bitchiest look and remarked: "Not good!?!?! Excuse me but you were screaming out the lyrics of almost every song. It's your voice that's in my videos."
You could so tell the smugness in his voice so I let that comment slide and made him think he was being funny. Yes, I do get carried away during concerts and that is the whole point of going to concerts --yes, I am a groupie that way. It's where you and 5,000 other people can rock it out without feeling like an imbecile after that.
No matter, I still think the concert wasn't good enough and this was not only because of Adam. The concert was shortlived and seriously, if you want your fans to adore you more, show some love for God's sake. Their crowd interaction was minimalist to begin with and the only time they ever acknowledged the fans to sing together was during Won't Go Home Without You. Why, Adam, why!?! Young --and old-- girls LOVE you. For some unbeknownst reason to me, they think you're hot. Crowd interaction always make the fans feel more special. It's as though you think they matter even if you think they don't.
The thing was, a review the next day by our local reporter that it was in fact, something that fell by the standards of great. I didn't read the review, Rosz did. I cocked an eyebrow at him and asked if the reporter just happened to be wearing earmuffs.
Veronickah showcased some of his more maniacal characteristics when there was a couple standing next to us while we were seated in the bus and the girl was holding on to a single drumstick. Firstly, if you're a drummer you'd be holding on to two sticks and secondly, you'd put it in your bag because that's what bags are for: putting stuff in. So Veronickah and I concurred that this must be the holy drumstick Matt threw off the stage before they left. I wasn't too bothered so I just looked at it for a few seconds before turning to stare outside but Veronickah kept ogling at it like it was a piece of meat and I could sense the girl's growing fear that Veronickah might just wrestle her for it.
Veronickah leaned over and tapped my arm to get my attention.
Veronickah: Hey, I think the girl just got a little more protective over her drumstick.
Me: Because you keep staring at the thing??
Veronickah: Ya...*sheepish grin*
Me: *hisses* Well, stop it. She's going to scream bloody murder if you keep looking. I would too if that were me. Stop looking!!
Veronickah: It's not like I was going to snatch it away from her.
Me: She doesn't know that, does she!? Seriously, Veronickah, stop scaring people like that.
Veronickah: Oh, all right.
These are the three factors that I normally would look for when attending a live act and frankly speaking, the two that I went to still fell slightly short of my expectations. The other act being Colbie Caillat's private showcase at Movida. Bunny got us free passes because her sister didn't want them. Anywazoo, Colbie does sing great live but it was like listening to the studio version all over again. There wasn't any modifications or at least some improvisations to any of the songs except an ad-lib of Boyz II Men's
The big boo-boo was that she wouldn't allow photography and videography. It was a damn shame because we were near enough to kiss her feet. So the moment it was announced that we weren't allowed to partake in any footage, I immediately switched my attentions to something more worthy. Like Tim Fagan's piece of hot
Tim is like the blonde version of Romain Ingrasciotta with hazel eyes instead of Romain's brown ones. When I say hazel, I mean a swirl of moss green blended in with specks of chocolate. I stared at his tall, lanky frame transfixed and mesmerized. Gosh, he had long fingers. Yeah, I actually forgot Miss Caillat was there despite her voice penetrating through my lust-fogged mind. Seriously. I had subconsciously angled my body towards Tim instead of straight ahead at Colbie and my direct faceoff was this Cheena-Banana guy who was most probably from the Yangtze River region and thought doing mouth exercises constituted as mouthing the words to Colbie's songs. It was hilarious.
I spent half my time not bothering to hide my wicked laugh every other time Chippy began pointing discreetly towards him. Thus, making Jan spend half of her time trying her hardest to quieten me so Colbie would not think I was laughing at her instead of the idiot. Bunny was not helping her cause every time Jan began her lecturing because she'd look towards the guy's direction and giggle.
Anywazoo, I have yet to attend a concert this year that would be absolutely mind-blowing and met with all three of my criteria. Not to say that I have never been to a concert that has not. A gig I went to two years ago still burns fresh in my mind because this was the only band by far that managed to meet with my expectations...and then some.
So let 2008 be a year filled with great music and fabulous live gigs for me to burn my money on. Bring it!!
Laterz...
Lenny
P.S I just realized that I should apply for a job as a concert critique. That way, I'd be PAID to attend concerts and write about them later. Inneresting.
Edit: Sorry, like what Veronickah commented, it was indeed Boyz II Men's I'll Make Love To You and not End Of The Road. It would've helped if their songs didn't all sound so similar. Gah.
1 comment:
Hey it was Boyz II Men's I'll Make Love To You that Colbie and Jason sampled...
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