Sinister: review of the boston show

[John Johnston]

I know where Joe's comming from (although I don't know where he's been)
with some of his comments on the Boston show (although I don't want
Stuart to ditch the others!!). I've seen B&S 4 times now and I love
their concerts but when he says
	> Five minutes between each song talking amongst themselves so
the show didn't build to any climax. 
I know how he feels.
	>It just ended completely abruptly. It just felt really
	>unsatisfying. 
I've been there as well mate. I'm not asking for millions of costume
changes - laser shows - Stuart on some kind of trapeze flying outover
the crowd but just a bit more rapport with the audience. I love the fact
that the music is king but there is something more than the music at a
concert else we could all just stay at home and listen to the records.

But different strokes for different folks - look at Stein's reaction and
absolutely fair enough. I thought the concert in Shepherds Bush was to
use a technical term "Iffy Biffy" but I know others thought it was
"magical". The great thing is we're ALL right. The band are going to
make their music, do their performances and let us make our own minds
up.

I'd like to finish with some Smut to keep Peter amused and all you other
dedicated followers of filth but apparently I'm far too pure. I did one
of those purity tests which gauge how much crazy, sex/drug/booze fuelled
shenanigans you have got up to. One guy scored 288. I scored 13 - the
comment "You are too pure for the church". So I've got nothing that
would titilate you.

Keep on keepin' on
John
xx

> -----Original Message-----
> >But here it goes: 
> >
> >The Geek Chic contingent was in full force. Security seemed to be
> checking
> >people's attire at the door. No one not dressed in Airwalks, corduroy
> pants,
> >t-shirts with cardigans and thick black-rimmed glasses and smoking
> clove
> >cigarettes was allowed into the auditorium. Truly a Smiths crowd if
> I've
> >ever seen one. The Alannis Morrissette concert was the same night as
> well as
> >game 4 of the Yankees game. Cool, artsy, effeminate guys (hey I'm one
> so I
> >can say that!) at B&S, Jocks/Frat boys at bars for the Yankees game
> and just
> >all-around lame-o's at the alannis show. Typically, the so-called
> 'cool'
> >station (WFNX)was in full force at the alannis show, playing alannis
> all day
> >on the radio while they still have NEVER played a B&S song. 
> >
> >As for the show, it was good, not great.  I love the band but they
> really
> >need to work on their stage presence. I don't think I've ever seen 9
> >musicians (yes 9!) be less dynamic in my life. 
> >
> >Here's the point by point review with the playlist at the end:
> >
> >Morse auditorium is a lousy venue for concerts with poor acoustics, a
> tiny
> >stage and forced movie theater-like seating (which stops most people
> from
> >dancing or even standing up to enjoy the band). B&S should've played
> a club
> >instead but then I guess Alannis had Avalon covered now, didnt she?
> >
> >The band's song list wasn't the best. They skipped most of their
> great
> >material and played a lot of their weakest tunes along with two new
> songs.
> >(Do we really need to hear 'space boy dream' live?)
> >
> >The sound mix was a bit fucked up with the synth coming out twice as
> loud as
> >the rest of the instruments. 
> >
> >The band seemed really disorganized, and spent more time talking to
> each
> >other between songs than they actually did playing songs. Also, half
> the
> >band members looked like they REALLY didnt want to be there (ie
> Isabel who
> >seemed to be having some sort of argument with the lead singer
> between each
> >song.)
> >
> >But the lead singer was AMAZING. He is truly great. He actually hit
> those
> >high notes he hits on the CD's (meaning his voice isnt doctored in
> the
> >studio like so many other artists.)If he got rid of the rest of the
> band
> >(and all the distractions they entailed)and just sang his songs by
> himself
> >with just his guitar, it would be perfect. He's that exceptional. And
> seeing
> >him live was worth all the letdowns from the other problems.
> >
> >Like the big sticking point. Virtually no talking to the audience.
> (except
> >during a great mock cover of 'more than a feeling' by Boston) Five
> minutes
> >between each song talking amongst themselves so the show didn't build
> to any
> >climax. They played for maybe an hour, maybe a little longer (though
> again,
> >half of that was spent talking amongst themselves) and then out of
> the blue,
> >they just walked off the stage. No warning. No "this is our last
> song". And
> >no encore. It just ended completely abruptly. It just felt really
> unsatisfying. 
> >
> >The opening act "Containe" was pretty weak. 
> >
> >Doors were scheduled to open at 8pm but due to a long soundcheck by
> B&S,
> >doors didnt open til 8:45. When we got into the theater, Containe
> were
> >starting their soundcheck. The show started late which might explain
> why B&S
> >didnt play an encore? Maybe they had to end the show by a certain
> time?
> >Still, they should just get rid of the opening act and double the
> length of
> >their performance.
> >
> >Still, I do love them even if they suck live. (don't flame me)  It's
> just my
> >expectations were so high. But seeing them live, I doubt they'll ever
> be in
> >the smiths or echo & bunnymen league. They just don't have the stage
> >presence to make the leap to superstar status. (So I guess they'll
> remain
> >our little secret, which is fine by me anyway)
> >
> >Here's the playlist. 14 song set. They opened the show brilliantly.
> (Which
> >may have been cause for my letdown. They were so tight and excellent
> for the
> >first few songs that it was startling to see them just fall apart as
> the
> >show went on)
> >
> >This isn't the exact order but its reasonably close.
> >
> >They opened with "Simple things" from arab strap. Then "Beautiful"
> from
> >3.6.9. seconds. Then "is it wicked not to care?" from arab strap.
> Then
> >"Century of Fakers" from 3.6.9 seconds. Then some song I've never
> heard
> >before which sounded like it was about someone named Tony who sat in
> the
> >back of class and eventually became a transvestite. I think the lead
> singer
> >said it was a new song. Then the other guitarist who has the absolute
> worst
> >voice I've ever heard sang some new song he'd just written which was
> >abysmal. Well, it would be okay if the lead singer with the gorgeous
> voice
> >sang it instead. Seriously, these people need to get a clue and let
> the lead
> >singer bask in the spotlight since he's the one we all came to see.
> (Isabel
> >lost all her appeal to me after the way she acted on stage).  But
> that new
> >song by the guy with the lousy voice just took the wind out of the
> >performance and the show derailed from there. My friends and I were
> trying
> >to guess what the lead singer and isabel were arguing about. or more
> >precisely, what he seemed to be apologizing to her for while she
> sulked. We
> >decided maybe she was jealous that he sang backup too loud on 'is it
> wicked
> >not to care'. Or maybe that the crowd seemed to be applauding for him
> and
> >not her. 
> >
> >ANYWAY....
> >
> >Then they played Sleep the clock around, seeing other people, like
> dylan in
> >the movies, space boy dream,  get me away from here I'm dying, boy
> with the
> >arab strap, judy and the dream of horses and then closed with 'the
> boy done
> >wrong again'. (great closer, huh?)
> >
> >So they didnt play most of my favorite songs, like stars of track and
> field,
> >if youre feeling sinister, mayfly, ease your feet in the sea, summer
> >wasting, dirty dream #2, chickfactor, brilliant career, put the book
> back on
> >the shelf, etc, etc.
> >
> >thats it. I'm sure I pissed some people off by coming off too harsh.
> Like I
> >said, it was great to see them live, it just wasnt a great show.
> >
> >Joe
> >
> >
> >+--------------------------------------------------------------------
> --+
> >      +---+  Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list  +---+
> > To send to the list please mail "sinister at majordomo.net". To
> unsubscribe
> >   send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to
> > "majordomo at majordomo.net".  For list archives and searching, list
> rules,
> >   FAQ, poor jokes etc, see http://www.majordomo.net/sinister
> >          +---+   "legion of bedroom saddo devotees"  +---+
> > +-+  "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list"
> +-+
> >+--------------------------------------------------------------------
> --+
> >
> >
> +---------------------------------------------------------------------
> -+
>       +---+  Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list  +---+
>  To send to the list please mail "sinister at majordomo.net". To
> unsubscribe
>    send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to
>  "majordomo at majordomo.net".  For list archives and searching, list
> rules,
>    FAQ, poor jokes etc, see http://www.majordomo.net/sinister
>           +---+   "legion of bedroom saddo devotees"  +---+
>  +-+  "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list"
> +-+
> +---------------------------------------------------------------------
> -+
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
      +---+  Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list  +---+
 To send to the list please mail "sinister at majordomo.net". To unsubscribe
   send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to
 "majordomo at majordomo.net".  For list archives and searching, list rules,
   FAQ, poor jokes etc, see http://www.majordomo.net/sinister
          +---+   "legion of bedroom saddo devotees"  +---+
 +-+  "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list"  +-+
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+