17/12/11 - 02 Arena, London Gig News

[cricri]

Originally Posted by mr bowlase

Bradders was at the after show party, along with Nicky Wire, Gruff, Wayne, Simon Price, Martin Hall and Holly from the NT album cover.

Me and two other friends managed to blag our way into the after party. We told the manager on the door of the club that we were friends of JDB. He asked us to write down our names on a piece of paper, and my mate wrote:

James,

It's Greg, Tris and Guy. Stay Beautiful x

The manager then went to find James in the party. We thought we'd get rejected, but he came back and said we could go in!

The next thing I know I'm shaking hands with JDB himself and telling him how surreal it is to finally meet on of my all time heros. He modestly thanked me for my kind words and said that he hoped it wasn't disappointing to find out my hero was shorter than me. What a legend! He also said he'd had a great gig, and he thought the crowd had been amazing, and he'd really connected with them.

WHAT A NIGHT!!!

best. story. ever.

[junkymotown]

Just made it back to Guernsey after the gig (yes, it does take THAT long!).
Absolutely loved it. Nice to hear some live songs I'd not heard done at gigs before - LBAL, Revol, She is Suffering etc...
Great atmosphere, altho the moshing was fairly subdued (not always a bad thing!) and the band seemed a bit too chilled...!
But absolutely loved all the same

[lopaz]

Originally Posted by mr bowlase

He also said he'd had a great gig, and he thought the crowd had been amazing, and he'd really connected with them.

WHAT A NIGHT!!!

Yeah, we were awesome ^^

Originally Posted by Lowri

Who knows if their on FD, but whoever was with their children all decked out in eyeliner at the Slug and Lettuce: BEST CHILDREN EVER. They looked adorable!

LOL OMG YES. Was wondering how much of that was the kids' choice xD

Highlights of the gig:

- Nina gave me a boner
- Gruff was awesome. (PS I literally only just realised he's not the same person as Griff Rhys Jones)
- James shredding like a beast
- the Motown Junk violence
- seeing Revol performed live. LOVE IT
- big-ass screen with all the videos on it

Negatives:

- the band were too self-conscious. Wish they'd stop talking down on their own songs and realise how great they are.
- it was only 3 1/2 hours long

[satankidneypie]

I really enjoyed myself apart from dying of manflu all weekend. Really glad I had seating tickets in the end. Thought Gryf was brill on LRS, but I thought Nina couldnt sing at all. Sound was really really good. Anyone else notice the visuals were well out on faster?

The gig was definately recorded for either a DVD or to be broadcast, the give away was the condensor mics pointing at the crowd. Microphone at the crown indicate it was recorded.

[The Crow]

Originally Posted by il_capo

Not sure I think all this laughing at people in their 40s for failing to cope with the mosh is cool. The Manics are in their 40s and I guess alot of their fans are in their 40s and 50s too. Lots of teenager girls (and some boys) not used to the mosh struggle too. Is that as funny when they panic and retreat in the mosh as ageism? If you're arguing it was funny because they were trying to push in, ok. But calling people wimps for not being as strong as you in the melee isn't cool.

You get skinny people who stick it you get stocky people who can't & vice versa but when its obvious that that you 'know' their not going to last it is funny because they've gone into the battlefield (if you like) thinking they are tough/can handle it & the white flags come up & they bail out like wimps is hilarious to me because you see it before it happens.

You gotta be aware that a moshpit etc ain't gonna be happy families, its gonna be pretty wild & nuts at times, if you can't hack it stay away.

That crowd weren't tough at all, come to a proper metal gig & see the difference, you get it all there. This has nothing to do with ageism its more about fitness I'd say. I've seen small people give it & I rate them, the people last night I've seen over 100 times.

Big error, just because the Manics are in their early 40's does not mean their fan-base is, the 1st LP was 1992 & the gigs then were people say in their mid teens 14 - 16.

[Littlesue]

There were quite a few people up in the seats who were in there late 60's early 70's plus a lad about 10

[covfan]

Everyone else has said what I've wanted to say so I'll keep it short.


That was absolutely fantastic! But was I the only person thrown by the lyric change in slash and burn?

[everlasting]

I remember Nicky taking a photo of the crowd at the end when he stood on the amps, I'd love to see that photo. I was saying to my brother before we went inside the venue that it'd be awesome to get a photo of all the dressed up Manics fans together in a nice group photo but the only way to do that would be to get on stage. Nicky read my mind. Maybe.
Please announce this will be released on DVD in the new year sometime!!!!!

[The Gutless Wonder]

Couldn't get hold of my cousin until Sunday so that was that!

Glad you all had a fantastic time.

I had a nice scampi lunch at the Harvester just opposite Brighton Pier today to cheer me up though!

Did Shug make it?

[The Crow]

Usually anything being recorded requires a good 5/6 cameras & I didn't see that many at all 2 if that.

If not that a digital MP3 version of the gig would be the next best thing.

[Lowri]

Originally Posted by The Gutless Wonder

Did Shug make it?

Yes, she did. What a lovely person she is!

[il_capo]

Originally Posted by The Crow

You get skinny people who stick it you get stocky people who can't & vice versa but when its obvious that that you 'know' their not going to last it is funny because they've gone into the battlefield (if you like) thinking they are tough/can handle it & the white flags come up & they bail out like wimps is hilarious to me because you see it before it happens.

You gotta be aware that a moshpit etc ain't gonna be happy families, its gonna be pretty wild & nuts at times, if you can't hack it stay away.

That crowd weren't tough at all, come to a proper metal gig & see the difference, you get it all there. This has nothing to do with ageism its more about fitness I'd say. I've seen small people give it & I rate them, the people last night I've seen over 100 times.

Big error, just because the Manics are in their early 40's does not mean their fan-base is, the 1st LP was 1992 & the gigs then were people say in their mid teens 14 - 16.

As a veteran of many a mosh pit I have to say that last night was very tame indeed. Since big artists like MSP have sold their tickets online a very different crowd turns up. MSP gigs 92-94 were alot more "violent" (to use your "battlefield" analogy) than anything I've seen this century. Getting punched and kicked in the head by crowd surfers used to be a problem at MSP gigs in the Richey era - I say a problem as I don't think these are good things. Riot Grrrl gigs back in the early/mid 90s tried to deal with excessive male aggression in the mosh pit and give girls a better chance.

If anything a skinny kid is always going to cope better than a stocky person as a stocky person will feel the heat more. But I'd rather go to gigs where teenage boys and girls and older men and women can get a decent view without being subjected to excessive moshing. Last night afforded that opportunity. Metal gigs are another matter - for many a large part of the experience of going to a metal gig is participating in moshing.

[everlasting]

Originally Posted by The Crow

Usually anything being recorded requires a good 5/6 cameras & I didn't see that many at all 2 if that.

If not that a digital MP3 version of the gig would be the next best thing.

There were two at the front on a track, I saw two at the back when looking around once in the venue, there was also a guy walking around Sean all the time filming him.....so you never know. Fingers crossed!
And with regards to the mosh pit, I was on the outside of it watching it and laughing with my brother mostly at one pissed up guy who was all over the place falling into everyone. It looked pretty hard core at one poin and after Nixon came on that was the end of it. Revol before it though was incredible, the crowd really were up for that one, it's been along time coming, I went crazy for it and think I pretty much lost my voice screaming out the lyrics!

[covfan]

Originally Posted by The Crow

Usually anything being recorded requires a good 5/6 cameras & I didn't see that many at all 2 if that.

If not that a digital MP3 version of the gig would be the next best thing.

There were two at the sound desk. One right in front of the stage and two on the stage,

[The Gutless Wonder]

Originally Posted by Lowri

Yes, she did. What a lovely person she is!

Yay! So happy for her! Makes up a bit for me not being able to go!

Nina better than James, Hanna? I think not! (I do like Nina, obvs!)