Yeah, the Novotel worked out well eh?
Sorry we didn't meet up... maybe next time : )
SO:
The March 10th Toronto show was the best Sisters show I’ve ever seen. Spencer might prefer a messier more variable experience, but Toronto sounded like the kind of performance that would go on an official live release. And from the front row it was insane.
So the plan this time was not to head front and centre. My wife and I figured we had done that, and so it might be interesting to move about the venue a bit more, and see the light show from a respectable distance. People always say the sound sucks up front anyway. So I figured we would wander over for about when the doors open, peruse the merchandise stand and have a good night. Excitement got the better of me, so Tiff and I ended up in line about 7pm, doors were at 8. Even so there were only about 10 people ahead of us, which seemed a bit sad. I was looking around for people I knew. There was a tall red head up towards the front, but it was only when I spotted the Osama beard next to her I was sure enough to walk over and say hi. Andrew and Eva are much fun, and clearly are quite fond of The Sisters of Mercy. Andrew looks like he could be Eldritch in disguise though. I was also supposed to meet up with Spencer, and luckily he also came over to talk to Andrew and Eva. Spencer is also much fun, and we had a good ride up to Montreal the next day.
So the doors open, and our plan was still to wander in and wait around the back of the crowd. Fate stepped in again I suppose, as after we had meandered in, and stopped to get some shirts, there was still space up at the barrier next to Eva, so what the hell. I’m glad it worked out that way, ‘cause it was amazing.
Right, so the show itself:
The Warlocks were surprisingly good, based on past experiences with opening acts. I really enjoyed them. They seemed kind of down in Toronto, but had perked up by Montreal. At the Toronto show the bass player’s equipment died repeatedly. She ended up having to walk off stage and come back with a roadie, who brought in another tech, and they eventually fixed it and she got back to playing. I have to say the band handled it really well under the circumstances, and played on. Good set.
Flash forward 30-45mins: Down go the lights, up comes the intro music, same as the last few years. They started right off with Temple of Love. It sounded great, the sound did strike me as being less loud then one would expect from a concert, but you got used to it quickly. Andrew has said he can sing well, or he can sing loud. Too often in the past few years they have chosen loud. Toronto’s lower volume (and I mean, this is all relative, it was still pretty loud) made for clearer sound, and better vocals. I could actually hear him singing, it was great.
I don’t think I can go through song by song, but the entire night was amazing. Some of the newer songs that I’ve not heard in person, like Crash & Burn and Slept were treats. Crash and Burn in particular got the crowd going, which was nice to hear from a new song. By that point George was behind us, and his enthusiasm did add to the experience. At the start of each song you would hear a happy “Oh no, oh no! This is it! This is the one!!� Good stuff. The slower stuff worked nicely as well. WYDSM and Something Fast sounded great, and were well received. I really enjoyed the way they played Lucretia. When they kicked over from the soft start to the loud chorus was one of the best moments of the concert. It was one of those moments when the band and sound meet with the exploding lights and the seriously palpable energy of the audience. It’s the kind of thing they mean when they talk about the concerts being a religious experience and you find yourself with a big stupid grin on your face. I think that flash of white light, with all three band members leaning towards the audience, and everyone singing back is the quintessential moment of the show for me. Snub Nose (another one I’ve not seen in person) also works great and is just so much fun. There really is no better way to describe it. It is fun. Then on to F&L&A and closing with Vision Thing…. Great, awesome, what have you. This last encore works better than the top nite-temple-vision thing encore that they played in Montreal. Having F&L&A in the middle, not that it is a slow song as such, just makes for a better three song set, and gives the right rhythm to end the show with Vision Thing as the kicker.
Top notch, best show I’ve ever seen, Ben’s guitar sounds great, and Chris is just amazing. We were on his side, and he is just so obviously loving it. These guys are as good as any guitarists I’ve seen with the band.
So all in all, Venue / Sound excellent (better than when Kool Haus was the warehouse)
Merchandise, very good. I like the tour shirt, got me an official new logo shirt, which is nice. Didn’t go for the STFU shirt, but it is fun. I wish there had been more stuff, buttons and the like, but what they did have I liked)
Opening act, perfectly acceptable, bordering on really good.
The Sisters of Mercy concert. Grade A #1 goodness.
Meeting all the people I meet, icing on the cake.
Cheers,
Tony
We later agreed that we should have hired a trustworthy ‘designated recorder’!
Andy was singing something like “…I’ve slept with all the girls of New Berlin�? No wonder he hasn’t put out that record yet!!!
