Music
Virgin Forgoes the Cherry and gets its Pumpkin Smashed Instead
Why hang out with some chick named Tiff when you can romp around with 30,000+ virgins? I just don't understand some people...
The second day of the Virgin Music Festival saw Toronto get visited by big shots The Killers and Smashing Pumpkins, while also getting some love from local favs Metric. With a large crowd showing up even earlier than the Saturday show, expectations were riding high. For the most part, the bands at the main stage delivered.
The real fun suckers were the thousands of people packed in tight at the main stage. I never thought I'd hear myself say this after moving to Toronto two years ago; I really, really missed being in Montreal because of you people.
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I'll save that rant for later, though.
Kevin didn't really care much for Tokyo Police Club, but don't let his grumpiness bring on the frowns. I thought they were alright. What they had going against them were the last three monster acts coming on after Stars. TPC definitely ain't on my list of "must see" acts, particularly for a $125 ticket, but they were in good form and were very much alive on stage, unlike a certain other police agency.
After Metric finished playing some new material the roadies came onto the stage in full force to set up the relatively elaborate (for a festival show) stage dressings for Brandon "My Cock is spelled with a capital 'C'" Flowers and The Killers. I'd show you how pretty it was, but media wasn't allowed to take any photographs of the stage for the duration of their set. See Figure B below for more information.
As much as I really would like to wax on about how holier than thou The Killers may or may not be, it's hard to deny that they put on a tight show. I didn't have any real expectations, never having seen them live, but there wasn't a moment when every member of the band wasn't dead on in their roles as full on arena rockers. Brandon Flowers was a great showman, making full use of the stage and playing the keys like the pro he needs to be.
All that and more, despite the hideous facial hair. Looks kinda like a 15 year old who refuses to use a razor because he's so enamored with the fact that, HOLY SHIT! He's got some facial hair!
Nonetheless The Killers plowed through all their hits as well as a number of new tracks from Sam's Town, their latest album. Interpol take note, there are ways to engage a crowd aside from the obvious "What up To-Ron-To!" though even that would've sufficed on Saturday.
Still, it would've been nice if Flowers had the courtesy to say "Thank you" to the 30,000 people who paid a hefty price; he walked off the stage after singing the last word in the closer, leaving the band to finish things off and wave to the crowd in thanks. Didn't seem like many people cared, though, they damn well should.
Big cahunas Smashing Pumpkins were due next. Bands like Tool have seen their fans rabidness skyrocket due to long lapses in touring, but it's a bit harder to quantify the thirst many people must have had for another Pumpkins show after the band called it quits after their fourth studio release (b-side collections and box sets notwithstanding).
Colour me saddened that we didn't get Everlasting Gaze as the opening tune, which was what Montreal got during the Summersault tour in 2000. New material works just as well though, and mixing right into Bullet with Butterfly Wings as early as the third song would seem to set up the night for the cock-rock fest to end all cock-rock fests.
Didn't really happen, though. The Pumpkins played a number of their big hits, mostly from the Mellon-Collie days, a notable standout being a Corgan-soloed acoustic version of 1979. I never cared for the song, but standing on stage alone with just a guitar and not even a drum machine ended up being awesome fan service all around.
What didn't work was what a friend coined as "rock jizz"; long extended solos and general fretboard mashing that churns itself into something resembling mashed potatoes, without the delicious butter flavour. Corgan, along with original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and the new touring band were undeniably tight as a group, but the middle of the set deteriorated into something of a mess after Zero as a result over the over-extended self-indulgence, though, Billy Corgan can two-hand tap a solo with the best of them.
It's a good thing they ended with a one-song encore of Today. Corgan was a great showman throughout, and even played "Oh Canada" briefly in the vein of Jimi Hendrix's memorable performance of the USA anthem. That was Hendrix, right? Either way, a nice treat indeed. Regardless of the rock jizz, Corgan has undeniable (unless you're a total anti-fanboy) presence; he owned the stage from start to finish.
And now, the rant about the festival goers. My views are my own and are not representative of the writers, photographers and editors of blogTO. Here on in I'll be referring to anyone in the main stage area as "you". If you weren't there, then this doesn't apply to you. Those last two "yous" don't count, btw.
How on earth can anyone justify spending at least $80+ (for a one day pass) to see huge rockers like Metric, The Killers, and Smashing Pumpkins, spending some much needed time working their way into the main crowd area in front of the stage, only to stand there listlessly while the Pumpkins hammer out Tarantula? All around me were people standing still, staring at the two big screens, I'm assuming hoping to see the camera focus on them so they could show everyone how much more awesome their hands could mimic the devil's horns than anyone else. You people bored the living crap out of the bands all weekend long, with the only crowd worth a damn being the one that turned up for M.I.A.
Think about it, $80-$125, and all you guys did was stand there, smelling of horrendous B.O. which is only excusable when you've been fucking moshing all day long. Every single concert I've ever been to in Montreal, right down to the unremarkable Tripping Daisy (anyone remember "I Gotta Girl"?) had an awesome crowd that danced, pogo hopped, and just plain enjoyed the show because they paid some hard earned cash to do something other than listen to what they could easily get on their home stereo. Sure, my idea of a good time is not necessarily your idea of a good time, but if you're not going to move a muscle then stay in the back; you're standing in the way of a good rock show.
About the only thing Toronto crowds have been good have been some light dancing in small clubs like Rivoli and the Horseshoe, and even then the bands have to fricking plead for you guys to get off your asses and move around before they slit their wrists out of sadness.
It took a LOT of searching, but in the middle of Zero I managed to find 4 other people who were jumping up and down, headbanging, and screaming their lungs out. Around us were a bunch of jaded couples holding hands and looking at us like we were jumping on newborn kittens. To those people I say "fuck you, you make bands not wanna play concerts. You also also make baby Jesus cry," if you believe in that sort of thing.
Generally, there was a great lineup at this year's Virgin Festival, even if it kinda seemed mashed together and not make much sense at times. Kudos to M.I.A. for getting people moving, for once, and shame on us, the city that somehow manages to be the main tour stop in Canada for bands, for not showing them the appreciation we all claim to have.
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I noticed a few other types of fans who didn't seem like they belonged. First, there was the families who brought strollers/grandma in the wheelchair who absolutely HAD to get a few beers at 7pm on Sunday and ran over my foot. Secondly, there were the drunken frat guys who surrounded me and my girlfriend during Bjork and would simply not shut up the whole time ("Who's BJork!? She sounds weird! Will you go out with me?") Frickin irritating.
Still, great show.
As for this review, please please editors ... .edit! This needs at least two to be anywhere close to a pleasant read.
1- Jen should have used a semi-colon instead of a colon.
2- "Fans don't belong" isn't quoting anything I said.
3- Jen's usage of an ellipsis is also flawed; ellipses are meant to signify an intentional omission.
4- Don't get me started on the space before and after the ellipsis, followed by a period!
This concludes today's editorial lesson.
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Maria, maybe I did run into you during Zero, possibly in a literal fashion!
Ryan, I'm not talking about your grammar - this is simply atrocious writing. And I was directing it too whoever runs this blog. Edit-in these rants, you're bringing the blogosphere down. The writer of the post shouldn't rant, leave that to the commentors. It's your job to write well and clean, and if you can't do that, you shouldn't be here.
Last year I went to see Eagle of death metal at the Koolhouse and I was dancing just outside the mash-pit. Some big dude had his arms crossed like a doorman and DIDN'T MOVE and when I was getting "too close" to "mister-I'm-an-electric-poll", He was giving me the elbow!! The second time I asked him 'what's ur problem man?'~ He said 'I got a headache.' What??!! I told him to move away if he didn't enjoy the show 'cause this was a concert and people were here to have a good time. Lucky me, I'm a girl so I didn't get smashed in the face...
Or you have the other way around were the crowd just don't respond, moving their head a little to follow the beat. Toronto crowd is shy to express pleasure, like if an anglo-saxon belt was restraining their capacity to let go and have fun a little. Come on Toronto, Have some fun!
even worse: the two hipsters in front of me who text messaged thier way through both the killers and pumpkins. seriously folks, find another time to talk about how much you miss your significant other.
Jen, welcome to the Internet! It's great to have you here. Though you know, it may shock you to hear that some people choose a fairly liberal form of media (that you so lovingly refer to as "the blogosphere") to read others' opinions.
You may also be interested to know that the very basis of "the blogosphere" depends on people expressing their opinions, either in the form of a rant, or a structured argument.
Ryan's post is written both cleanly, and well. Sure, it's not structured the same as an article from say, The National Post, but if that's what you want, then go read the paper.
I'm not even writing this from my position as a writer and contributor to blogTO, but as someone who wants to know how the show was because I wasn't able to attend. He got that across pretty well, so I'm happy.
The crummy crowd alone is much worse than the 2-hour ferry lineups, and at one point we were almost ready to leave. The music rocked, but I'm not sure I'll be back.
We're lucky to have such a terrific music scene; we should at least act a little more grateful.
I guess its like going to the movies, in that ideally you don't go to the movies to see the same movie you've seen 100 times before. Even if its replacing dinosaurs with giant robots, at least its not dinosaurs -again-, and maybe it had that one part that will always stick in your mind as great dialogue or cinematography or effects.
I've been to tons of shows over the years, and been a part of some awesome crowds. Whenever the crowd is great, its because the band just exudes a certain energy that is addictive, and that no one can resist.
Examples would be Tom Morello (as the Nightwatchman) at the Horseshoe in May, or Prodigy last year at the Kool Haus, or APC at the Kool Haus back in 2001. Could pretty much put any NIN show up there too.
Maybe its the big stage, but I've found that arena and festival shows don't have the same energy. Its different. Its almost as if bands are playing to what they think the audience wants instead of to the audience themselves.
At small venues, I'm more likely to feel like the band is truly playing -for- us, not to us. Basically, you have to win the crowd. To just go to a concert and mosh to non-moshable songs, or dance when the band is just going through the motions, is to just try and be entertained because you already spent $80. How does that make any sense?
Did Interpol really disappoint you that much? I thought they played a great set and I was not surprised at all by Paul Banks' stoic performance. They are NYC hipsters with dark melodic tracks. Plus, Daniel and Carlos did a great job of providing some energy on stage.
It's too bad you didn't make it over to the Futureshop stage for Explosions in the Sky and the Editors. Explosions in the Sky mesmerized everyone watching and put in one of the best performances of the weekend and the Editors would have been a great closer on the main stage, but I was thrilled to see them play a smaller side stage. The Editors had the crowd moving and cheering throughout their entire set.
In response to your article about day 1, I can see how you were unimpressed by the Arctic Monkeys. I've seen the Arctic Monkeys 4 times now and I don't go to see them to watch Alex Turner or any other member of the band jump around the stage. The bands performance is tight and the songs are completely original. Maybe if their songs were typical late teens early 20's angst then they would need to jump around the stage to keep the fans entertained, but that is not the case.
RE, Arctic Monkeys: I thought I'd gotten my view across but maybe not. To clarify I thought the Arctic Monkeys were alright. It just seemed really by the numbers was all. In contrast, The Killers played a pretty by the numbers set as well, but the band's energy was infectious (for me and a select few other people, some of whom are commenting today!).
Re, Interpol: I just don't understand the love these guys get. The songs lack hooks and the arrangements are dry. Coupled with a live show that looked like a mirror image of the listless audience, I wasn't persuaded to think any differently of Interpol. A few thousand people disagreed with me at the end of every song, though.
Re, EitS: First, that acro is awesome! I head about a few great acts I missed, like them as well as Editors. Sucks to have been me in these cases!
Lastly, I don't mean I want the bands to jump around like they're on meth. Bands like Metric know how to engage an audience, and frontmen like Billy Corgan and Brandon Flowers (regardless of my distaste for the Killers' frontman) have this way of commanding the stage like it was their third hand. The last two Killers albums had a select few fantastic songs, with a bunch of others that I'd chalk up as filler and so-so "whatevers", but having now seen them live I can understand why the following is as big as it is. I'd pay to see them headline their own show.
The last really big arena festival I'd been to was, in fact, Summersault Tour in Montreal in 2000. Bands like Foo Fighters, A Perfect Circle (before Maynard started singing with his back to the crowd), and Pumpkins circa the Machina tour had an audience went nuts for them, and the audience was repaid with shows that scaled markedly in terms of the bands energy levels as their sets drew to their eventual climaxes.
I'm pretty happy that Corgan managed to still hold a commanding stage presence, regardless of the crowd, but when Emily Haines has to ask the crowd "Are you guys ok? You seem a little confused" just because the band played a song that most people hadn't yet overplayed on their iPods was truly sad to witness.
And to all the commenters, thanks for sharing your opinions. Except Jen whom I've grown a great distaste for, mainly because we disagree on relatively trivial matters.
Also, you mentioned that the last big concert you went to where people was summersault in 2000. I used to go to shows back then here in Toronto and remember quite a lot of moshing and jumping around. Maybe it's not just Toronto crowds be lame... maybe the moshers just got old (would be interesting to hear what the crowds at Osheaga were like this weekend).
About the listless crowd... I must admit, I had to sit for the Pumpkin's last couple songs (but not the very last one). I was just too damed tired! I was in the back though, not taking up valuable moshing space in front (which I agree- if you're not there to mosh, don't be in the mosh pit area).
About Ryan's writing style (cause really, that's what the argument is about)... if you don't like it- don't read it. Ryan had shit to say, and he's got an outlet for his eloquent (but possibly long-winded, sometimes!) "rants". The beauty of blogTO is that a wide array of opinions get expressed... that's the point of any blog, isn't it?
(Sorry for my abuse of the ellipses... I can't help it!)
Irregardless, my comment is related to the organizers of VFest, and their placement of the Main Stage Beer Garden. Specifically, why isn't, or couldn't, the designated MSBG area be along one side of the stage, and more importantly, in FRONT of the stage - as opposed to essentially behind, and to the direct side of the stage ?? At $6 dollars per can of (lousy) Budweiser beer, the thousand(s?) of fans living it up in here / there, are paying significantly more into the organizers coffers than (the apparent sleepwalkers making up) the lawn audience ! At LEAST give us / those music, and party loving revelers the courtesy, respect, and gratitude (for alleviating our pockets of ALL of our hard earned cash) by simply pointing a few concert speakers, and a third big screen directly at the MSBG side of the stage facing this indomitable group of rebel rousers.
Metric did a decent job, but one song they performed off their upcoming album was awful. It sounded like a song you'd hear some girl pop star sing.
Regarding the crowd; just look at the band line-up for that day and it should be obvious! Metric, Stars, and the Killers are not hard rockers compared to The Smashing Pumpkins. I mean, didn't anyone else find it funny that The Killers dressed up the stage with pretty floral arrangements, when the Smashing Pumpkins were up next. Makes you wonder how a conversation between Corgan and Flowers would've went; Corgan in his white outfit, and Flowers in his gold glitter blazer and make-up.
Plus, it didn't help that getting booze was so damned difficult. Line up -> buy tickets (5 ticket max. at any one time) -> line up -> bag check -> line up -> get into beer garden/b-live tent -> line up -> max. 2 drinks per visit. Who has time for all of that AND see the bands? What a hassle!
It seems like the oldschool ravers, who occasionally drag their butts out to shows, are the only ones who actually let the performers/djs/whoever know that they are having a good time!
Toronto is so apathetic about everything. Boo.
More importantly...WHO CARES...if nobody else around you is freaking out !? Just enjoy it yourself, in your way. If you are finding it enjoyable, do what you've got to do. What's the deal ? Need the confirmation of a communal safety blanket of mass approval in order to have your own good time? If the music is jacking me up, I couldn't fucking care less whether or not I am the only one around me that is jumping, grooving, yelling, and screaming. For the record, and maybe this just happens to be because of the type of concerts that I gravitate to (see above), my experience is that Toronto crowds fucking ROCK THE HOUSE !! Hell, even at the Coldplay shows, the audience approval was deafening. Why the hell do (the proverbial) "you" think that TO happens to be thee favorite city for many huge acts ?!
I gotta agree with the review of the Pumpkins. After the fifth or sixth guitar solo, all I could think was "it rocks, but where is 'Cherub Rock'?"
You obviously didn't see me in the crowd-My throat is still a little sore and I think I was getting carpel tunnel syndrome from all the air guitar playing I did to the Pumpkins. I could care less about other people dancing or not. I don't understand why more people weren't rocking, but whatever, I was having fun. The only band I have ever seen where the crowd truly went nuts was when I saw AC/DC play at Downsview Park in Toronto. There were about 500,000 people there that day and when they came on, the whole crowd went completely nuts to EVERY SONG. It was awesome.
I gotta agree with the review of the Pumpkins. After the fifth or sixth guitar solo, all I could think was "it rocks, but where is 'Cherub Rock'?"
You obviously didn't see me in the crowd-My throat is still a little sore and I think I was getting carpel tunnel syndrome from all the air guitar playing I did to the Pumpkins. I could care less about other people dancing or not. I don't understand why more people weren't rocking, but whatever, I was having fun. The only band I have ever seen where the crowd truly went nuts was when I saw AC/DC play at Downsview Park in Toronto. There were about 500,000 people there that day and when they came on, the whole crowd went completely nuts to EVERY SONG. It was awesome.