Watching this clip, I wonder how Lux Interior made it even to 62 before dying of aortic dissection. I’m glad he managed to have a singing role on Sponge Bob before he died, though. Which I present to you now. Enjoy:
Archive for the 'Music' Category
There are a couple of things young people like to do (yes, I still consider myself young, so fuck off, will you?). One of these things is going to concerts. I myself am not as avid a concertgoer as some of my peers, mainly because I’m too elitist to listen to most of what is playing in venues near me. But once in a while, I do like to indulge in a live-experience, and whenever I do, I remember another reason why I don’t do this more often: the people.
That’s right, people. It’s similar to the movies, really. You come to see and hear someone or something, and most of the time your enjoyment is hindered by someone else who has come for the same reasons but, unlike you, is an inconsiderate or stupid bastard. Or both.
So let me run down a few things that tend to make me want to shoot someone in the head (“shoot in the head” is of course a figure of speech – I’d actually bludgeon them to death with my plastic beer cup):
- Dancing: Yes, I have heard from people that moving your body in a fashion resembling the way the schoolgirl-zombies move in STACY is something to be enjoyed. I am inclined to believe that notion, but I’m als extremely annoyed when people think it’s their prerogative to move that way in a crowd that’s already as packed as a can of sardines. I don’t exactly care for your idea of feeling the music through weird movements of arms and legs, so bumping into me repeatedly with a look of bliss on your face is not something I take to lightly. I might make use of that plastic cup.
- Cameraphones: Yes, it is perfectly alright to take pictures of your favourite band. I’ve done it! But it’s not alright to constantly take photos with your crappy cameraphone, thus obscuring everyone else’s view behind you, forcing them to watch the whole concert through the crappy lense of your crappy cameraphone. Enjoy the music (don’t dance!), and try to forget about posting crappy pictures off your crappy cameraphone to facebook once in a while, willya?
Actually, that’s it. Apart from the fact that I’m really not into handing in my coat, therefore being envious of all those people who prance around in their tshirts and don’t have to either carry or wear their coats and sweat like a pig, there’s nothing else I’d like to add. I guess I’m only half-way to being the bitter, old man I’m aspiring to be.
It’s not that long ago that I wrote on here about one of the best concerts I’d ever been to. It was Oceansize’s gig at Vienna’s Flex, about two years ago.
I was quite ecstatic, and for solid reasons. First of all, I was in the fortunate position to interview lead-singer Mike Vennart, which in itself is always a nice way to start a night. And second they simply played a fantastic set, seemed to be really into it and, last but not least, the audience seemed to be too.
Last Monday, they played again in Vienna, again at the same venue. The vivid memories from their last gig still fresh in my mind, I went there with great expectations, sky-high I’d like to think in retrospect. Can you guess what happened next? In case my powers of dramatic storytelling have failed me once again, I’ll tell you. It was disappointing.
First of all, they didn’t seem to be too taken with their audience, and the audience didn’t either. I think it didn’t help that lead-singer Mike Vennart repeatedly told them that he’d appreciate if people went outside or to the back to smoke. While I do understand that it must be tough to sing in a smoke-filled club, it’s never a good idea to tell people to do one of the two things that people do at clubs, namely smoke and drink. Especially in Vienna.
Apart from those rather unhealthy dynamics, they also played a set-list with many either very new or yet unreleased songs. They didn’t play a single song off Frames, their latest LP, which I think is their best (which is of course no reason for them to think so too, but fuck, I’d have loved to hear “Trail of Fire”. Or at least “Only Twin”). And after a rather short concert, they played just that one encore. Which actually was quite awesome, I must say.
Didn’t help, though. In the end, it was a great band’s disappointing concert. Which I think is somehow worse than the other way round.
On another note, I’m happy to announce that I’ve won two tickets for a preview of Religulous, here in Vienna’s fair Gartenbau cinema (thanks to the good people over at Supernature). And no, this is not a call for the second ticket, it’s already spoken for. But in case you’re there too, why not say hello.
Cheers!
Went and saw Portugal.The Man again, this time at WUK. The venue is a bit smaller and doesn’t have the sound system of Flex, but I like it better, not least due to the absence of superfluous security “guarding” whatever there is to guard.
The concert was everything and more I expected it to be. Even the support was amazing, an Austrian collective by the name of Steaming Satellites. This being an entry about music, I guess images don’t to the whole event justice, but still, I took pictures, not least because I can’t help it and also because I like to fatten up my meagre writing with graphics. People like graphics, I’ve read once. So, here goes:
The Steaming Satellites. It took a song or two for them, or us, to warm up, but in the end they did a fantastic job getting people all hot and bothered for Portugal.The Man.
Well, those are the only photos I managed to take during the actual concert. It was wild, it was noisy and their rendition of Helter Skelter took my shoes off. Well, not literally. Actually, literally. No, I’m just kidding. It’s a metaphor.
Finally, after the concert, we managed to get ahold of one of the band-members. You wouldn’t believe it, but not only does he rock the stage with lights and fog, he’s also something like an accountant for the band. He was most gracious, but after I took his picture, he hurried back into the venue to do money stuff. I just hope he’s not on the run. If he is, I’m sorry for blowing his cover. But hey, touring with a band when you’re on the run? Not such a good idea, unless the band is called James-Younger Gang and you’re Jesse James. In which case the whole band is on the run, so playing public concerts would be out of the question, and they’d rather be interested in robbing banks than covering the Beatles. I guess.
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