Mr Riot's Blog
"Does it still sound good if you turn it down?" - Mr Riot.
1/12/07
Date: Wednesday 28th November
Venue: Carling Academy, Birmingham
Artists: 69 Eyes and Within Temptation
Twenty minutes, and one new friend later, (Hi Rob!) we entered the venue. The Carling Academy is on two levels - the street entrance opening onto a wide balcony and a lower floor, with bars on both levels. The stage is raised a good metre and a half. There was already a crowd blocking the view from the balcony, so we went downstairs and stood next to the mixing desks.
The lights dimmed and 69 Eyes bounced onto the stage. These lads are from Helsinki, and the long dark winters up there obviously provide plenty of time to practice. They went straight in with a little number called "Never say die". Hard, driving bass and tight drumming backed up good vocals and a howling lead guitar. The drummer had the most outrageous Mohican, and a penchant for leaping about over his kit. An hour later, Caz & I were nodding at each other - the rock box will be making another sale on Saturday!The road crew did the changeover, the lights dimmed again, the boys of Within Temptation trooped onto the stage, and amid crazed applause, started playing the intro from "Silent Force". Then Sharon's voice rang out from the back of the stage, and they launched into "See who I am". I'm so glad I was wearing my trusty Hearos "Rock 'n Roll" plugs: my ears were OK, but my ribs still hurt. Tight, heavy bass hard enough to punch though concrete, keyboard and guitars in perfect time and above it all, Sharon's voice - pitch perfect and melodious. I have never heard a rock singer perform like this: so many just scream the words, but this was musical. The next number was "The howling" from the new album "The heart of everything". Another stunning performance, this is one of their more commercial tracks, very straightforward rhythm but at the same time, their usual orchestral complexity.
Then came another of their anthems, we were invited to "sing along with this one". It was a hackle-raising experience: two thousand people screaming the chorus: "what have you done" "what have you done" "what have you done" "what have you done now", forked fists stabbing the air with each beat (including Mr Riot's <blush>)The rest of the evening was more of the same, one anthem after another, from every album. I confess I find their earlier discs hard work, the latest two - Silent Force and The Heart Of Everything are much more accessible.
When things were getting too heavy, they lightened up with some simpler numbers, just vocal & keyboard or vocal and acoustic guitar, then another bounce.Many compare WT with Evanescence. Yes they cater for a similar audience but frankly, I have DVDs of Evanescence in Paris, and Within Temptation in Holland, and I'm sorry Amy - you have been displaced from your pedestal. Sharon's ability to hold a note in that sound level is astonishing.
I was surprised to see teenagers standing shoulder to shoulder with 30 and 40 plus giggers. I guess it proves that good music transcends any age and language barriers.Our round trip of 250 miles on a Wednesday night was probably over the top, but no regrets. Its only diesel.
Mr Riot's verdict: If they are performing near you, BE THERE!