Alright, we just got back from the Cure concert over at the handily located Vector Arena – maybe 10 or 12 minutes walk from our apartment. 20 minutes if you add in a side-trip to the supermarket to purchase FORBIDDEN SNACKS which we then HID in the hidden compartment in Annettes handbag. Which, by the way, security at the door FOUND and turned us away. So we sneakily .. and pay attention to the detail of this particular caper, as it’s a bit Oceans 11 in it’s sneakiness … took the food out of Annettes handbag and PUT IN IN MY JACKET POCKET which they didn’t check as they were only checking bags. Good thing no ordinary human could store foodstuffs in a pocket!
Anyway, inside with our ILLICIT FOODS we enjoyed the minstrel-ry of Mr Bob Smith and his Merry Band of Misc Other Guys. It was pretty good – musically VERY tight, though freakin’ loud. Next time, earplugs. The Vector Arena is LOUD. It was also .. LONG. Really long. Hours. 3 or 4 encores. And they played a LOT of stuff – I’m a fan, and I didn’t recognise much of what was being played. It was a three-hour gig and could, to be honest, have been edited down by an hour easily.
There was also a hilarious disconnect between Mr Smith and the audience. For the first 5 or 6 songs they’d just play a song, Bob would say “Thankyou!” .. and they’d launch into the next song. It got to the point where I was laughing each time he did it. There was certainly no “Hello Auckland!” or “Auckland is the rocking-est place we visit!” or any of that sort of thing. Just music, thankyou, music, repeat.
They _didn’t_ play Love Cats, which I was expecting. But they _did_ play A Forest, which I was not. So at least there is symmetry.
August 14, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Yes the “thank you” was amusing and I did respond with my “your welcome” dont think he heard me. My ears hurt still – not sure my right ear will ever recover – damn that venue is loud indeed! Nice to see you!
August 15, 2007 at 12:10 am
My ears are still ringing. I thought about bringing earplugs, but I thought, “Nah, it won’t be that loud.” But I had a brilliant time. And, yeah, closing with A Forest was ace.
August 15, 2007 at 1:26 am
edited down to an hour? You are _weak_ and not truly worthy to be in the presence of Robert Smith. 😛
The concert was really good here too (tho I must also say _very loud)
I know what you mean about the “thankyou”s tho.. he did the same thing here..
I’m not sure if he was trying to come across as a shy quiet little boy or if that’s what he’s really like..
At one point he did mumble into the mic “would it help if I talked more? heheeee?” to which the audience roared “YEAAAAAAAA!” and he mumbled “oh.. ok.. sorry I’m having trouble with the language” and from there on it was back to “thankyou” between songs. 😛
August 15, 2007 at 6:42 am
Edited down _by_ an hour. From 3hrs to 2hrs. Seriously. This could have been done.
August 16, 2007 at 6:27 am
But then it would have been 1 third less awesome. 😛
August 15, 2007 at 6:37 am
OMFG Earplugs? How middle-aged are you? Wuss 😉
August 15, 2007 at 6:42 am
I am .. scratch that, _WE ARE_ old. And it was REALLY loud. Earplugs next time.
August 15, 2007 at 8:09 am
I’ll always be younger than you babe