I really didn’t want to be disappointed. I thought some of the negativity in here was unwarranted, however, overall I give the show a C+ at best. As usual this tour Al started out with Let’s Go. This is a good way to start a show but after that it was an audio abortion. I’m not the guy who can remember every song played in order but I am the guy who can remember a 6 song rant on how much he hates Bush. Someone close to Al needs to tell him we get it and there is nothing we can do about it now, his term is almost over. Get over it! Al was pissed off all night at the crowd because we weren’t “rowdy” enough. I just got the feeling that everyone was waiting on him to stop his anti Bush message and just play the fucking songs we want to hear. The best part of the show was the encore, they played NWO, Just One Fix and Thieves to finish out, that was the best part of the show, that and the fact that they played nothing from cover up.
I guess the really disappointing thing is a lot of people payed for VIP tickets (I did not) and a lot of people did not get to meet Al. He stiffed them, took their money and ran. There was a lot of pissed off people at this show. So, anyway, if you bought VIP, don’t be surprised if you get screwed. I did get to meet Burton after the show and he is cool, that and whatever song they played right before Al came out was great, some techno thing, I saw you guys talking about it how cool it was, it’s true. Don’t know what it was though
I just remembered something from the Tempe show: For about the first 5-6 songs, Al would say “STOP” right on the last note of each song, it was a little annoying. Did he do that in Charlotte?
I agree. Things got off to a pretty decent start but started to lag after the first 2-3 songs. I think Al was able to pick up on the crowd’s apathy and that’s when he started talking shit to everyone. It was nice to hear NWO, JOF & Thieves but everyone around me was wondering aloud if Al was gonna play Stigmata, Bad Blood, Burning Inside, Hotrod etc etc.
I didn’t pay for VIP tix either, nor would I. That has got “cash grab” written all over it. Now, what I would pay for would be remastered versions of the entire backcatalogue with some rarities thrown in as bonus tracks.
Yup, that techno-sounding song they played when the lights came on right before the band came out was pretty cool. Is that the new REVCO song? It sounded sort of like some of the dancier Thrill Kill Kult material. It was good in an early 90s house + industrial sort of way.
Best parts of the Charlotte show:
No Cover Up material
3 old songs were played
Burton’s performance was quite a bit better than I expected.
We got to hear Al call Charlotte “A golf town” (I think that’s what he said). WTF???
He was pretty happy with the Hollywood crowd but that was probably due to the fact that there were about 100 vip’s=10,000. Pretty nice work if you can find it! 10 G’s for 45 minutes of saying “hi” a pic and a handshake! It’s like being paid to watch a parade!
He didn’t do the “stop” thing at the end of the song. at least not that I remembered.
Late,
grmpysmrf
No second encore? Was the show even 90 minutes? Al must be burning out fast on this tour. Well, at least you’re spared the crapfest of Cover Up, but you also get 15 minutes less of a show. This is becoming less of a farewell tour, and more of a ‘I just wanna get this shit overwith’ tour.
I’ve never heard more people complain about a VIP package than for this tour, how unfortunate. Al and Angie should really take all this feedback to heart, considering it’s multiple complaints, many of them originating on their own Piss Army forum. Guess it doesn’t matter at this point.
Maybe the state of the encores is dependent upon the energy level of the crowd.
True, and that kinda sucks for the fans who are yelling their brains out. I’ve been to shows in the past where I later found out that other cities got an extra encore, or an obscure song I wish was played at my show. Way it goes. Thanks to all the crazed metalheads in Tempe, we were ‘rewarded’ with the Cover Up encore, and probably So What. I used to get annoyed by the idea that the fans had to cheer the band back on stage for an encore. You know, when the road manager or radio guy would come out, grab the mic, and say something like, “C’mon you guys, you need to be louder than that! Do you want more? You need to make some noise!” I’d just stand there, thinking, Dude, we all bought tickets to see this band, so obviously we want to hear more..
I’m curious what the band is saying backstage after the main set in Charlotte. Maybe, “Man, this crowd sucks, let’s just do 3 more and go. Drop the balloons during Thieves, fuck it!”
For what it’s worth, I didn’t notice him saying “stop” last night. Just smoking & spitting excessively. And despite a lamer set of songs this time around, the crowd last night was much more into it than they were at the 2004 Charlotte show I attended (same venue).
It was like Cover Up didn’t even exist, all the way from the setlist to whatever the people in the crowd were talking about. Al didn’t even try to promote it or mention it even in passing as “our new album”.
P.S. In 20 years, assuming he’s still around, Al will probably be calling Cover Up an “abortion” just like how he calls With Sympathy that now.
bands sweating backstage WANT to hear the crowd, and often if you don’t make noise, well lights up. they’re done. rules of the road.
Absolutely, and if it’s genuinely coming from the crowd, then that makes it a true encore. I just don’t like when an emcee comes out and feels the need to flash the APPLAUSE sign at the crowd. What’s the point? Then the band is just responding to forced enthusiasm, really.
who in the audience needs a prompt. if someone were to throw a real live (dead) steak onstage that would be cool. and by the way, punk rock.
an old friend used to go to punk rock shows wearing steak around his neck and then got his picture in time magazine wearing the steak. time’s punkrock issue. don’t ask me the year. 77,78, earlier?
How did he come up with that idea? “hey, I know. I’ll tie a steak around my chest, that will be cool!”
Lol. I was 2 when that picture was taken!
Late,
grmpysmrf