Frank Burns Blog
Friday, December 01, 2006
Tool - SECC - 25/11/2006
Pfft. Myself and blogging. A sort of on-off relationship.
Anyways. I went to see Tool last weekend. Burns in goes to see ‘prog’ band shock. Tool are one of those bands that have been going for ages (16 years) that just blow you away because of how good they are as well as your utter incredulity that you weren’t aware of them before. They have an entry on Wikipedia that gives all the info you would ever need.
I was first turned on to Tool by an on-line gaming colleague of mine (thanks Sami, he is the beardy Swede in this picture) who basically said “You must listen to this band or I will beat you repeatedly until you see sense”. With an endorsement like that, how could I refuse. Due to the miracles of the internets (all music since bought and paid for so no moralising please), all 4 Tool albums were quickly obtained and listened to.
While some aspects are indeed ones that have to ‘grow’ on you. There is an immediacy in the scope of their music that hooks you instantly. A few listens and I was an addict. Therefore the 27 quid for a ticket was a no brainer.
And what a gig it was. Tool involve visual elements (backdrop was 4 giant vid screens) as well as the music to make the performance a seamless whole. Certainly the patterns shifted your reality a bit given the amount of weed being smoked around me. Taking my own would have seemed pointless, coals to Newcastle etc. The support were the usual crap (Mastodon, bleghh, they really need to learn how to perform live) so the main event was eagerly awaited.
Some random impressions.
* The extremely attractive blonde lass behind me who caught my attention by complaining out loud that while living in Scotland she didn’t expect to find people taller than her (she was my height .. wtf ?) when a few 6’5 biker types parked themselves in front of her.
* The cultural mix, pierced metal heads, hippies, casuals, glasgow neds, clean cut guys who looked like their mammy had dressed them. Everyone just having a great time.
* Maynard. One of the few singers I can think of who could make a purple mohican, sunglasses, no shirt and jeans work as a stage outfit.
They finished with Aenima. A track with the line “Some say we will see Armageddon soon” (lyrics here ) shouted triumphally into the night by a largely Scottish accented audience. Class.