en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal The Last.fm journal for HDcomics. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal/2008/04/27/b8bda_review%3A_porcupine_tree_-_enmore_theatre%2C_26th_april_2008 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:12:34 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal/2008/04/27/b8bda_review%3A_porcupine_tree_-_enmore_theatre%2C_26th_april_2008 Sat 26 Apr – Porcupine Tree, Sleep Parade

Last night, Saturday 26th of April, I was very VERY fortunate to finally attend one of the most amazing progressive rock bands, Porcupine Tree, live in concert at the Enmore Theatre.

This is a concert that has been a LONG time coming for me. I'd hoped and hoped that one day, I would get to enjoy the amazing musical stylings of the incredibly talented Steven Wilson and members of Porcupine Tree, including one of the most amazing drummers I've ever heard, Gavin Harrison and of course the great John Wesley.

So let's start...



I arrived at the Enmore Theatre at 7pm and as I stepped out of the car, where we were conveniently parked across the road, I was astounded by the turn out of fans. Lines of fans in both directions, up and down the footpath, waiting in anticipation in front of the doors of the theatre.

Groups of eager fans began to sing their favourite Porcupine Tree tracks in harmony. I stood close to the door and smiled after hearing the group start to sing Arriving Somewhere but Not Here acapella, then belting out a hilarious guitar solo. You could tell that this was a friendly bunch. Everyone was just so happy that this amazing Prog Rock band had finally come down under. Their were smiles on everyone's faces as they chatted about their hopes for their own personal dream setlist.

After hearing the group of fans happily sing their favourites such as Blackest Eyes, Trains and Radioactive Toy, I heard one fan yell "Sing the lyrics to Wedding Nails". There was a pause in the crowd as people stopped to think which was then followed by laughter as the song is an instrumental.

It's very interesting to note that this crowd was of all ages. There was even a few kids with their parents hoping to hear their favourites and of course, there were the old school Prog-Heads sporting Rush and King Crimson shirts. Sadly, I didn't see a single Marillion shirt, but they've never been here either. As I was wearing my Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast shirt that I bought at the Maiden tour last Feb, I did, as usual, get a few nods from the many guys sporting their Iron Maiden tour shirts that evening.

The doors had finally opened and we all rushed in. Luckily, I was one of the first at the Merch stand and got my hands on two T-shirts, a Fear Of shirt and a Tour Of shirt. The crowd huddled around the small stand hoping to buy some memorabilia for what could be the greatest concert of their lives.

We then hurried to our seats to check out what kind of view we'd be having for the night's entertainment. Left side of the Balcony, Row B, Seat 10. Pretty good view. I stood up to check out the all the fans on the floor who began to congregate around the stage.

The lights dimmed, three men stepped onto the stage. Sleep Parade, the opening act for the evening. Leigh Davies (Guitars/Lead Vocals), James Livesey (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) and most notably, Dan Teng (Drums/Backing Vocals). I had previously checked out some of their tracks when I found out who would be opening for Porcupine Tree, I was impressed at that time, thought they'd be very well recieved by PT fans. The crowd cheered as they played. They were a very fitting band, a good opening sound. The drummer, Dan Teng, was great. Very talented. This three-piece band was, as I expected, incredibly well recieved. Fans shouted out comments like "You guys rock!" and "You're not half bad!", and my favourite, "I'd buy their album!". They played 45 minute set of about seven tracks, all of which were great. Stand outs for me, Carry on, Weeping Walls and Everyday.

When they finished, they thanked the audience along with Porcupine Tree for having them for the evening. As they left, the stage was littered with roadies who began to set up for the upcoming event we were all waiting for. They placed down a carpet in the middle of the stage, there were questions floating around asking why, but come on, Wilson doesn't wear shoes when he plays! He's gotta be comfortable.

I’d never seen a crowd waiting with as much anticipation as this one. Cheers and screams were triggered by the smallest of things. We all waited. The chants began followed by rumbling as feet stomped the floor below. Everyone was ready.

Finally, the lights dimmed again. A screen in the background was seen. Our gods had entered. Steven, Colin, Gavin, John and Richard were on the stage. The crowd went wild. Then we all heard that familiar laugh...the show had begun.

The setlist:

-Fear of a Blank Planet
-What Happens Now
-The Sound of Muzak
-Lazarus
-Anesthetize
-Open Car
-Dark Matter
-Hatesong
-A Smart Kid
-Blackest Eyes
-Way Out of Here
-Sleep Together

Encore:

-Mother and Child Divided
-Trains
-Halo

Fear of a Blank Planet - A perfect choice for an opening track, especially since it's the title track of the newest album. This song was accompanied by an extended version of its video clip seen on the screen behind them. These videos, as usual for Porcupine Tree, fit the song perfectly, giving you a visualisation of what you’re hearing. It was an amazing start to our dream concert.

What Happens Now - A track from the Nil Recurring mini album. After hearing a live version of this track, I had great expectations for it. I have to say that experiencing this song FAR exceeded my expectations. I was elated.

The Sound of Muzak - A favourite of mine for the evening. I've always loved this song and knew it'd be a great live one. Wilson's voice was just perfect.

Lazarus - A beautiful track, I've heard several live version of it, including the acoustic one from We Lost The Skyline, but they cannot beat this one. Probably because I was hearing it straight up, I was there to experience it, but it was great.

Anesthetize - Now for the epic we'd been expecting. Hearing this live, in person, words cannot explain the experience. It was far better live than the studio version. The visualisation for this track was incredible. It featured kids on computers and lots of pills. Kaleidoscope pills. I'd love to have that on my computer. Supurb.

Open Car - I'm not the biggest fan of this song. I've never been that big on the studio version, but this live version...I was blown away. It was just such a good song to hear live.

Dark Matter - This song fits well after Open Car, it's got a great solo. It was nice to sit back and enjoy this one.

Hatesong - This is another song that I'm not as big a fan of the studio version, though I am very fond of the music in it. It's a great composition and hearing it live like this has pretty much swayed my opinion of it. It was enjoyed by many. That familiar bass line, gotta love it.

A Smart Kid - One of the softer tracks, it was placed well in the setlist. Another song that was great to sit back and enjoy it.

Blackest Eyes - As expected, this song was loved by all fans. In the pit below me, headbanging, jumping, everyone sang along. A true crowd pleaser. It was given a standing ovation.

Way Out of Here - EPIC. Did not expect this at all, I was blown away by how good this was live. The accompanying visualisation was great. A very moving piece of film.

Sleep Together - Right after Way Out of Here, it kicked straight in with a visualisation of a little metal man...thing, which I thought looked really cool. It's also on the Tour Of shirt. That little dude was moving to the beat. I was incredibly pleased with this song. This was the "closer".

Encore:

Mother and Child Divided - A great instrumental. Steven had said that they didn't play it in Melbourne but they played it for us because we're a bit more of a "Metal Crowd".

Trains - A very popular PT track. It's one of those songs that everyone at the gig knows the lyrics to. Everyone sang along, it was great for the audience.

Halo - The closing song that I expected. I love this song and it was great to hear it live. The visualisation in the background with the lyrics, as seen on the Arriving Somewhere dvd, was great. "God Gives Power. God Gives PAIN."



The setlist was great, though I still would've liked to hear songs such as Arriving Somewhere but Not Here, Even Less, Piano Lessons, Lightbulb Sun, shesmovedon and Russia on Ice. But as Wilson said on the night, we weren't all gonna hear our dream setlist no matter how much we yelled out what songs we wanted. I did get to listen to all the songs I would've liked to hear on the way home in the car, so I was happy.

This concert was amazing. I was truly blown away. I went home very happy. I know everyone else had a great time, you could see it in their eyes. All I've got to say is Thanks Porcupine Tree for a great evening. I hope you keep your word and come again soon. It was an amazing experience that I won't forget. I honestly have to say, my favourite concert of this year so far.

It's so hard to give Porcupine Tree a rating since whenever I do, it's 5/5, or I try not to give them 5/5 which is hard. And that's what they're getting for this concert. SO yes, Porcupine Tree, I give you 5/5 for this concert. Good job :)




-Happydevil]]> http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal/2008/03/02/b8bd9_review%3A_porcupine_tree_-_we_lost_the_skyline Sun, 2 Mar 2008 07:16:03 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal/2008/03/02/b8bd9_review%3A_porcupine_tree_-_we_lost_the_skyline
Porcupine Tree - We Lost The Skyline

Well, it's always nice to hear a new Porcupine Tree album pop up. I just got my hands on We Lost The Skyline, a new live and acoustic release. This album is an in-store performance at Park Avenue CDs in Orlando, Florida, with 200 fans in attendance. It was originally planned to feature the full band, but due to lack of space, only guitarists/vocalists Steven Wilson and John Wesley had attended.

I gotta say it's some great new versions of tracks that PT fan's love, and even has some pretty funny moments from our beloved Mr Steven Wilson.

Here's the tracklist:

01-The Sky Moves Sideways
02-Even Less
03-Stars Die
04-Waiting
05-Normal
06-Drown With Me
07-Lazarus
08-Trains

The Sky Moves Sideways (4:02) - A great track from one of my favourite PT albums. Wilson's vocals are perfect, a great live/acoustic version that keeps the mood of the original. A fitting opening track.

Even Less (3:27) - This is a much shorter version of one of the most amazing epics of progressive rock, but even with that being said, it's still amazing to hear this way. Again, vocals are simply amazing and the guitar sounds so nice.

Stars Die (4:33) - The first PT song to ever be likely to play on the radio, and it did. This classic song sounds great as an acoustic. I really admire Wilson's voice, and this song is a great example for why I do.

Waiting (3:52) - A great acoustic opening to this song, really nice strumming. Some great harmony between Wilson and Wesley's voices. And the crowd cheered.

Normal (4:52) - Wilson explains how hard it is to play this track, in his own words "Fucking Hard", and how many times he had to record it to get it right. After one week of practicing he plays it amazingly, and doesn't continue until he gets it to his standard. A true performer. The only downside is that it's not the whole song, but basically just the chorus.

Drown With Me (4:09) - The combination of both great vocalists and guitarits in this track makes it such a pleasure to listen to. It really is a nice gift for the ears.

Lazarus (4:29) - I always thought this was a good song for acoustic, it has such beautiful lyrics which carry the song, I could honestly just listen to Wilson singing it and I'd be happy. Listening to this, you forget it's live. Again, great vocal harmony. Simply Beautiful.

Trains (4:04) - Being probably the most popular acoustic Porcupine Tree track makes this a fitting closer. I love this version of the track, but I still long for that drum solo. But my love for drums aside, this track was perfect.


So, Overall, if you didn't get the hint already, this is an amazing set of tracks. Recommended to all Porcupine Tree fans and everyone else...except you bastards who listen to terrible music. Go Die.

Anyway, Steven Wilson, you are my God and I give you 4/5 this time. You continue to please me. Can't wait to see you in April.

Why not 5/5? Because you continue to amaze me with every release, and we gotta leave it open. I really should start rating out of 10 or 100. It's hard to rate you when everything you produce is pure gold.




- Happydevil]]> http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal/2008/02/11/b8bd8_what%27s_another_way_to_say_%22fucking_brilliant%22%3F Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:41:24 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal/2008/02/11/b8bd8_what%27s_another_way_to_say_%22fucking_brilliant%22%3F Well, last night I was very fortunate to attend the Sun 10 Feb – Somewhere Back In Time World Tour. Iron Maiden's second show for Sydney.

The night began with a sea of guys with black shirts and blue jeans, and I was happy to be one of them sporting my Iron Maiden "Killers" tshirt, a popular choice for the evening.

As I approached the entrance of the Acer Arena, one of the gaurds told me that I would need to check my wallet chain in the cloakroom around the corner. His reason: "It's a weapon". My reaction: "Weapon?! You're fucking selling them inside!". Minor inconvenience of the evening, but in no way Iron Maiden's fault :)

Appetizer, Lauren Harris, the daughter of the great Maiden musician, Steve Harris. Her band was good, music was enjoyable. Her voice could've been better, but to be fair, I didn't know what to expect from her. Quite tasty, full flavour, not too dry.

Entré, Behind Crimson Shi- ...I mean Behind Crimson Eyes. I think the majority of the crowd of the evening would agree that they weren't very well accepted to support the Irons. The style just didn't fit, so yeah, let's just say that the bird got flipped about a few hundred times. Bland tasting and clashed with main meal, too much garlic for my taste. ;)

Main Course, Iron Maiden. Fucking Brilliant. Like seriously, the Churchil speech and then straight into Aces High, the crowd was going wild. Highlights of the evening: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Powerslave, The Trooper, Can I Play With Madness, Fear of the Dark and of course, Hallowed Be Thy Name. Creamy and Delicious. Groin-Grabbingly Transcendent.

I won't forget that concert. Thanks for a great experience. I left with 2 great tshirts.

Up the Irons.


-Happydevil]]> http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal/2007/09/22/b8bd7_review%253A_foo_fighters_-_echoes%252C_silence%252C_patience_%2526_grace Sat, 22 Sep 2007 05:04:26 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal/2007/09/22/b8bd7_review%253A_foo_fighters_-_echoes%252C_silence%252C_patience_%2526_grace
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

I got my hands on the newest Foo Fighters album today, which is just released in stores. This is the 6th studio album recorded by the Foo Fighters and it's titled Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.

After the first listen, I thought it was a pretty nice album with some stand-out songs. Mixing all past Foo Fighters styles, this album is a great addition to their collection.

Track listing:

01-The Pretender
02-Let It Die
03-Erase/Replace
04-Long Road to Ruin
05-Come Alive
06-Stranger Things Have Happened
07-Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)
08-Summer's End
09-Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners
10-Statues
11-But, Honestly
12-Home


The Pretender (4:29) - soft introduction to the song, changing to a heavier style. Catchy lyrics and great music. A classic opening track for the album and great first single.

Let It Die (4:05) - very nice acoustic guitar intro accompanied by pleasant vocals. We get a more electric taste halfway into the song with some true Grohl vocals.

Erase/Replace (4:12) - nice pounding drums by Taylor at the intro with Grohl starting up with the opening lyrics "PAY ATTENTION!". Softer beat about three quarters into the song with a nice solo.

Long Road to Ruin (3:44) - classic rock sound, similar to the styles of Gin Blossoms and Bon Jovi. A pleasant beat and chorus.

Come Alive (5:10) - sweet and soft acoustic picking and strumming with harmonic vocals. A nice rock closing with great drumming.

Stranger Things Have Happened (5:20) - a bit reminiscent at parts of the band's Nirvana roots. Nice acoustic strumming joined by Grohl's really smooth vocals.

Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running) (3:40) - up-beat and pop-friendly. The Learn To Fly of this album.

Summer's End (4:37) - California Country Rock, probably the weakest song of the album but still fairly good with a nice solo reminiscent of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners (2:31) - a bluegrass instrumental track dedicated to the miners trapped in the Beaconsfield mine collapse. A promise Grohl made to a miner who was trapped and asked for an ipod filled with FF tracks to keep him company. A nice instrumental with guest appearance by American guitarist, Kaki King.

Statues (3:44) - a piano ballad with some nice lyrics. The piano and drums make a sweet sound.

But, Honestly (4:35) - fast strumming in the intro with a great build up to a heavier sound with a great guitar solo.

Home (4:52) - soft and slow piano ballad with murmuring vocals, a disappointing closing track.


Overall, it's a pretty good album. A great addition to my music collection. Another set of nice tracks to add to the anthology.

I give this album 4/5. Recommeded to all Foo Fighters out there.



-Happydevil]]> http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal/2007/09/16/b8bd6_review%3A_porcupine_tree_-_nil_recurring Sun, 16 Sep 2007 01:08:04 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/HDcomics/journal/2007/09/16/b8bd6_review%3A_porcupine_tree_-_nil_recurring
Porcupine Tree - Nil Recurring

I've been a Porcupine Tree listener for a long time, my father introduced them to me quite a few years back and I loved it. I just listened to their new EP, Nil Recurring, which is yet to be officially released, but I just have to say that it's amazing.

It's got a great sound to it and in my opinion it's like a mix of Fear of a Blank Planet, Deadwing and The Sky Moves Sideways with a little touch of Blackfield. It has the "Porcupine Tree style" that we all love and expect in a new PT album, it also gives you that little bit more that you crave. Each track has its own unique feel to it.

This mini-album includes 4 tracks:

01-Nil Recurring
02-Normal
03-Cheating the Polygraph
04-What Happens Now?

Nil Recurring (6.08) - an instrumental track with outstanding drumming by Gavin Harrison and a sound reminiscent of the tracks Anesthetize and Arriving Somewhere But Not Here.

Normal (7.07) - probably my favourite track out of the four. Has an exceptional acoustic intro and a solid rhythm. Beautiful lyrics and an alternate chorus of the track Sentimental. The acoustic guitar throughout the song makes it a really nice song to listen to. This song has gotten itself high in my favourite PT songs.

Cheating the Polygraph (7.06) - a progressive song, starts out slow but gets to a strong beat. Great drumming again from Gavin Harrison accompanied with beautiful guitar by Steven Wilson. An enjoyable song to listen to, but probably my least favourite of the 4.

What Happens Now? (8.23) - This song really impressed me, some really nice lyrics and great vocals from Wilson. I really enjoyed the music in this song, it has some really pleasant parts which are very satisfying for the ears. You might recognise one of the guitar riffs from Anesthetize in this track. A great ending to the song and to the EP also.


Overall it's an amazing set of tracks and I can't wait until it's released so I can get my hands on a copy and add it to my PT collection. A must-have for any Porcupine Tree fan. Steven Wilson is one amazing musician.

I give this mini-album as a whole a solid 5/5. Every track was gold and I absolutely loved it.



-Happydevil]]>