Rage Against the Machine
They are one of those bands really transmit energy to the audience. So why is this a Rant and not a Rave? Jack and the boys did great, it was the rest of the experience that put me off somewhat.
Maybe the English just don't get it. One thing that made me laugh was the announcement as people were queuing - "Management would like to inform you that moshing and stage diving are prohibited in this venue", Yeah Right! But it is a symptom of how this concert was run.
I haven't been to the Wembley Arena before, and as such, I got lost finding it (I was meeting people there). I must have followed the wrong group of black tee-shirt clad youths, and it is rather obvious if you know what you are looking for. But if you do not, then the sign posting is very inadequate. Getting the tickets from the box office was fast and efficient, so quick in fact I had time to watch the freezing 13 year olds (clad only in jeans and black tee-shirt) smoking and trying to look old. The bands leading up to Rage were not advertised, and seemed to be nobodies. We therefore spent some time buying a couple of tee-shirts, and keeping a drunk Paul awake. With enough time to get to the seats, and took a slight detour for "food" (English burgers <shiver>), before the scheduled time, a long wait ensued. I think they must have been almost 30 minutes late getting on to the stage, and the management played some amazingly inappropriate tuneless pop music while people fumed.
Then the lights dimmed, and the boys stepped up to thrill, jump, and wail some sounds out. The sound was, from our seats, a little distorted, and had too much drums/not enough vocals. I am not sure if that was just an intended "feature", or because we hadn't managed to get standing tickets. Such a bizarre idea seating people too, not that many remained so once the music started, but it suppressed ones ability to jump around furiously.
I guess the telling factor is, that if I had the chance to do it again, I wouldn't. Trying to get standing tickets might have made it better, but something was lacking. I have heard Rage Against the Machine at the Big Day Out, so I know the package can be better. Maybe I am just getting old, but this was an "ok" concert, not "momentous", and not like I remember them.
In my days....
