sister morphine Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 great show, i was third row and had a blast. glenn richards was wonderful too opening.looking forward to tonight. thanks for the setlist Quote Link to post Share on other sites
whatboutbob Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 mwaha...some of the comments on the etree torrent are quite funny - apparently some of our overseas friends are listening to the gig before it happened. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kalle Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 I downloaded it, sounds like a good one Froggie! The one song I really want to hear live is Leave Me (Like You Found Me). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
asleepykisser Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Just a few random comments, keeping in mind that this was the first time I've seen Wilco. 1) It was the quietest gig I've heard at the Palais (I would've seen about 30 gigs there) - this isn't neccessarily a bad thing, but worth noting. 2) I really didn't think much of the mix. I chose my seats because the mix usually sounds best there. I pity the others if that was the case last night. Nels was very, very prominent in the mix and as such I can understand asleepykisser's comments about him to some extent - it really did feel like 'the Nels and Wilco show'. In my very pleb opinion the drums were far too low, as was the bass - Jeff's vocals varied - occassionally just right, but often a little low. Having said that, the Palais is a hard venue for FOH - the SBD is buried waaaay up the back of the room, under the balcony, so what you're hearing there is not indicative of what 2/3 of the audience above is hearing. I'd go so far as to say this is the second-worst sounding show I've seen there (if you're curious, Beth Orton tops them - ridiculously loud bass). 3) The atmosphere was a little staid...I suspect the venue did have a little to do with it, but about 2/3 thru the gig I leaned over to my partner and whispered 'I really expected them to rock a little more' - the last 3rd was a lot rockier. Not making a judgement - just simply saying how expected one thing (Wilco noob remember), and got something a lot mellower for most of the show. 4) I had fun. The band was very, very tight. They're clearly talented musos. Jeff was endearing, amusing and sounded great. asleepykisser: come say hello tonight...I'm flying solo tonight too and will be 3 seats over from you with my taping gear. I've only seen 2 shows there before (Belle & Sebastian, The Three Bens) and last night I was in a far "better" seat than I was at either of those gigs, but there was just something lacking for large parts of the show. It was good, sometimes fantastic, but the other times I've seen Wilco (4 before last night) the magic lasted for pretty much the whole show. Last night there were moments of pure magic, when I just had a stupid big grin on my dial, but it wasn't sustained like the previous times I've seen them. I'm sure the seated arrangement had a lot to do with the atmosphere, as things did pickup once people stood and came up towards the stage. Sitting down and rock & roll music just don't go together well. Looking forward to seeing what it's like tonight from the front of the balcony. What seat number are you in whatboutbob? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aidanjc Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 i thought it was a fantastic show. was on the balcony, 5 rows back, in front of nels...sound was pretty great i thought, particularly for the first half and the encores, there were a few songs in the middle that got a little muddy...but overall i was happy. I kinda liked the fact that it wasn't over the top loud, but maybe that's just me. Crowd was pretty lacklustre where i was, but i was glad we had seats and a little space, being crammed into a tiny room aint all it's cracked up to be imo. highlights were - poor places/spiders, i am trying to break your heart, airline to heaven and obviously acuff rose. All the new stuff was excellent, i really like SBS, but live it seems so much more energetic and raw. Also, a big nels fan, thought he was pretty much the highlight (along with glenn) early on, but i love jammy classic and psych rock so. was a little disappointed with "i'm the man who loves you", that one suffered from poor sound, couldn't really hear jeff too well, so it didn't quite take off. big thanks to the taper, grabbing the show now, makes me extra glad i took the day off work! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 I've been playing guitar for 20 years and unfortunately spent some of that time playing in cock-rock and metal bands. I know guitar masturbation when I hear it, and Nels is guilty of it at times. As I said earlier, he plays some beautiful parts but he also crosses the line into manic guitar masturbation on occasion. Nels is the least showy, most ego-free and musically conscientious guitar player I've ever seen. The injection of intense emotion into a song by an accomplished and sincere musician should not be compared to the ham-fisted ego stroking of some cock-rock jerkoff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
asleepykisser Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Nels is the least showy, most ego-free and musically conscientious guitar player I've ever seen. The injection of intense emotion into a song by an accomplished and sincere musician should not be compared to the ham-fisted ego stroking of some cock-rock jerkoff.Musically conscientious??? Turn it up! I'd been trying to work out what the hell Nels was thinking at 4:18-4:20 in Impossible Germany, and I came to the conclusion that he must have thought, hmm this song is sounding really good.....think I'll just play some atonal garbage for a few seconds and nobody will notice. In fact some pompous twits might even lap it up, interpreting it as some moment of musical inspiration that the unsophisticated simpletons won't be able to comprehend. Now I know he was just being "musically conscientous". What makes you think all cock-rock guitarists are/were any less sincere about what they do than Nels is? What a ridiculous assertion. You're coming across as such a Nels aplogist that if he farted on the strings you'd probably argue there was artistic merit in it and pore over it searching for some non-existent metaphor and meaning to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anna Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Amazing show! Haven't had time to read all these comments, internet tmer ticking down and about to catch flight to Sydney. Glad everyone had a great time too! After all the hassle of pre-booking from NZ I ended up with row J (9 rows back). Initial disappointment wore off when I realised how close I seemed when sitting down. Jeff seemed genuinely taken aback to see everyone had standed and moved down the front for the encore. It was nice to move a little closer for the encore songs - and Acuff Rose, my god! See ya in Sydney. Enjoy Melb tonight! (The band walked passed me in a restuarant on that main St in St Kilda. Pretty much made my afternoon). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Musically conscientious??? Turn it up! I'd been trying to work out what the hell Nels was thinking at 4:18-4:20 in Impossible Germany, and I came to the conclusion that he must have thought, hmm this song is sounding really good.....think I'll just play some atonal garbage for a few seconds and nobody will notice. In fact some pompous twits might even lap it up, interpreting it as some moment of musical inspiration that the unsophisticated simpletons won't be able to comprehend. Now I know he was just being "musically conscientous". What makes you think all cock-rock guitarists are/were any less sincere about what they do than Nels is? What a ridiculous assertion. You're coming across as such a Nels aplogist that if he farted on the strings you'd probably argue there was artistic merit in it and pore over it searching for some non-existent metaphor and meaning to it. You seem a bit angry about Nels. Or maybe you're just mad at Hixter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 You seem a bit angry about Nels. Or maybe you're just mad at Hixter. Either way, let's turn the venom down a notch, please. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
whatboutbob Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Either way, let's turn the venom down a notch, please. oh come on...what the world needs is more anger... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 What makes you think all cock-rock guitarists are/were any less sincere about what they do than Nels is? What a ridiculous assertion. Yes, it would have been a ridiculous assertion if I had actually made it. I didn't say anything about *all* cock-rock guitarists, rather I was pointing out the difference between a low-key guitarist and a swaggering showoff who makes his O face while striking rock star poses and hogging the spotlight. Yes, I think "musically conscientious" is an apt description of Mr. Cline's presence on any stage. Ask the people he's played with if they agree with you about Nels' "atonal garbage" and fits of "manic guitar masturbation." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenl Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 last nite was my first time at the palais & while i thought wilco playing at a seated venue was bizarre, i never thought people would stay seated the entire show. i thought my chair was going to break with as much as i was dancing in it. i have to agree with asleepykisser, this was the most 'ordinary' performance i've seen wilco give (and I've seen them probably 4 or so times as well). the energy was low (which i contribute to the lack of audience participation via the seated arrangement). i felt frustrated and disappointed until the encore. i'm not saying wilco's performance was bad - the atmosphere was bad. i'm going tonight as well & i can't sit through another show like that. whoever else is going (asleepykisser, whataboutbob, anyone else)... let's stand. chat to the audience around you before hand, if people start standing, the ushers won't be able to get everyone to sit. and everyone will enjoy the show more. i'm in row W tonite - i think stuck somewhere in the middle. twitter me at Ycnt_ibdonlyjen (http://twitter.com/Ycnt_ibdonlyjen ) for a drink before or coordinated dancing. jen Just got home from the show (and some post gig bevvies) and overall it wasn't the most inspiring Wilco show I've seen. There were moments of complete brilliance but several factors seemed to undermine the performance: 1: The venue - The all seated format definitely didn't work tonight, and for the most part there was a noticeable lack of atmosphere. For the second encore a lot of people left their seats and came up the centre aisles towards the stage, and the atmosphere improved markedly. Jeff even kept apologising for the apparent lack of excitement in the audience. When everyone came up the front he said something like "what did you do to the crowd that was here before?" (editted bits out) Don't get me wrong, I love Wilco and it was still a good show, but tonight was probably the most ordinary performance I've seen from them, and compared to other standout gigs I've seen in the last 6 months, ie Midlake at the Corner Hotel, well it didn't even come close. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex_king_john Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Yes, it would have been a ridiculous assertion if I had actually made it. I didn't say anything about *all* cock-rock guitarists, rather I was pointing out the difference between a low-key guitarist and a swaggering showoff who makes his O face while striking rock star poses and hogging the spotlight. Yes, I think "musically conscientious" is an apt description of Mr. Cline's presence on any stage. Ask the people he's played with if they agree with you about Nels' "atonal garbage" and fits of "manic guitar masturbation." What has it got to do with the guys on stage with him. I'm sure all the members of Motley Crue think they are each wonderful players in their own right. It's what the guy in the audience thinks that is important. Having seen Nels on Monday night I can say that there were comments there about his playing as well. On the whole though they were comments and not criticisms. I suspect that was because the overall sound at the Tivoli was very good. His work didn't at any time really overpower the mix. I can well imagine that if the sound was off and the vocals and bass down his playing would be a central part of the sound and it's easy to see why someones comments would become criticisms. It's also possible he was having a bad night. Everyone has them, even Nels I suspect. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
whatboutbob Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 last nite was my first time at the palais & while i thought wilco playing at a seated venue was bizarre, i never thought people would stay seated the entire show. i thought my chair was going to break with as much as i was dancing in it. i have to agree with asleepykisser, this was the most 'ordinary' performance i've seen wilco give (and I've seen them probably 4 or so times as well). the energy was low (which i contribute to the lack of audience participation via the seated arrangement). i felt frustrated and disappointed until the encore. i'm not saying wilco's performance was bad - the atmosphere was bad. i'm going tonight as well & i can't sit through another show like that. whoever else is going (asleepykisser, whataboutbob, anyone else)... let's stand. chat to the audience around you before hand, if people start standing, the ushers won't be able to get everyone to sit. and everyone will enjoy the show more. i'm in row W tonite - i think stuck somewhere in the middle. twitter me at Ycnt_ibdonlyjen (http://twitter.com/Ycnt_ibdonlyjen ) for a drink before or coordinated dancing. jen Sorry mate...Mr Sleepy and I won't be much help to you from up in the balcony tonight - standing's banned up there (i kid you not...they're afraid it'll fall down... still not kidding). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 It's what the guy in the audience thinks that is important. That's true if you're talking about record sales, ticket sales and the size of your fan base. But as far as presenting the music as its creator(s) intended it to be presented, who would know if a musician was stinking up a piece better than the aforementioned creators? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenl Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 now that's just scary! so not only could my chair have broken last nite but the balcony could have fallen on my head?!!?? wow! Sorry mate...Mr Sleepy and I won't be much help to you from up in the balcony tonight - standing's banned up there (i kid you not...they're afraid it'll fall down... still not kidding). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
candyflosser Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Acuff Rose was the highlight of the show.. awesome. Cant wait for Sunday Night now!!! PLEASE PLAY MISUNDERSTOOD though!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex_king_john Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 That's true if you're talking about record sales, ticket sales and the size of your fan base. Um, I don't think I or anyone else here giving our opinions is talking about any point of view other than from the 5th row. So Jeff can say what he wants about Nels and I'm sure he does regularly to Nels but it doesn't change the fact that some people sitting in the 5th row the other night thought he was a distraction at times. My suggestion was mewrely that the sound mix may have contributed to that impression. But as far as presenting the music as its creator(s) intended it to be presented, who would know if a musician was stinking up a piece better than the aforementioned creators? That attitude basically disallows any criticism of art by anyone other than the artist. It's rather limiting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 > Um, I don't think I or anyone else here giving our opinions is talking about any point of view other than from the 5th row sound was fine in the 4th row to the left > Acuff Rose was the highlight of the show.. awesome. you're welcome... a will do Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kungfuonion Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 > Um, I don't think I or anyone else here giving our opinions is talking about any point of view other than from the 5th row sound was fine in the 4th row to the left > Acuff Rose was the highlight of the show.. awesome. you're welcome... a will do heheh... yeah, that's up there with my top five musical highlights of all time... i'll give you a pat on the back in sydney. btw, nels was a little low in the mix at some times from the otherside of the stage (fourth row). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 you can give a pat on the back tonight if you come... the only bad thing about the position i was in was that i could see mikael at all. he looked a bit like roger waters from the angle/lighting - nels amps were in the way Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kungfuonion Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 you can give a pat on the back tonight if you come... the only bad thing about the position i was in was that i could see mikael at all. he looked a bit like roger waters from the angle/lighting - nels amps were in the way i'm coming tonight, but i'm further up the back and arriving late... and i assume we'll both be up the front in sydney... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
damo Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 sounds like brisbane was alot better, i wish they played 2 nights at the tivoli would have been so good Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 > i'm coming tonight, but i'm further up the back and arriving late... and i assume we'll both be up the front in sydney... yep, see ya saturday.. just got home and have a morning flight to sydney Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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