Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Fat Bob rocks

It's been well over a week since the Cure concert, and I meant to blog about it much earlier than this. Oh well, what can I say? Life happens.
First, thanks to mum and dad for giving me the ticket and for mum for keeping me company.

Fat Bob is of course Robert Smith, who was not so fat this time as he was in 2000 (yes, it's been 7 years since they've been here). He also wasn't as boring as last time. In 2000, they played far too many songs from the albums of the time - Bloodflowers and whatever the other boring one is. Actually, I just checked the setlist from that concert and it doesn't really seem they played that much from those albums - I guess it was because I was pregnant with Bethany that I fell asleep (yes really!).
Anyway, this concert rocked! It was the first concert I've been to in a very long time (maybe the Cure was the last one too?). As you do, being Adelaide, we bumped into people we know - Tanya and Marco. Still together, happily building boats (and even selling them these days!). The strangest thing for me, not having been to a concert for many years, was seeing all the white illuminated squares in the audience. That would be people's mobile phones. Of course I also got sucked in to taking photos and videos. All very crackly and blurry, but still neat. I even captured the 'peaceful bit'! Aaaahhh......

Mum told me about an interview Robert did where he said they were going to play all old songs, give the fans what they want, and they certainly did. I actually knew every song played (I was a bit worried there might be too much newer stuff as I haven't really enjoyed it so haven't listened that much). They played for three solid hours, coming back for two encores. I found a setlist here but it doesn't really capture the total rocking-ness of the concert. Because there was no keyboard player, and two guitar players (three if you include the man himself), the dynamics of a lot of the songs were quite altered. For the better. Of course the music was way too loud (and a little tinny at the top, I thought) but it was still great. Never Enough was just amazing - totally pumped up and freaked out. Way cool. Robert actually moved around the stage for that one!
He was his usual shy self, apparently there were lots of his Adelaide-based family members in the audience so maybe he was extra nervous. He only made a comment or two, always hard to decipher as well.
The encores were cool, especially the last. Who expects to hear Fire in Cairo live?! The whole 2nd encore was from that album (Three Imaginary Boys?) which was really neat.
There were even a couple of songs from Head on the Door, my favourite album, which was kind of him.
All in all, a fun night. Though I left shaking my head at the total waste of electricity and energy, pumping out that level of sound for three hours, never mind the shipping around the world of all that equipment. Tut tut.
But at the end, he did say 'See you again!' so perhaps I'll make it to one more concert...

Oh I almost forgot, worth the price of admission was watching a very drunk young lady diagonally opposite us totally get into the songs, acting them out when possible, and pumping her fist when not. Her boyfriend sat stony-faced through the whole thing, though another male with them faithfully and energetically played the air drums all the way through. Just great.

2 comments:

Nana Gabe said...

It was great to be there with my eldest daughter. I don't think Iwas the oldest there. Nearly though.

Adam and Eva said...

Can't believe I missed a Cure concert. Good to see you had a good time