Warning this rant may not be what
Tool fans want to hear, but it’s the truth.
Like 12,000 or so other Tool fans I was pumped to see one of my favourite bands perform at the Sidney Myer Music bowel after months of great anticipation, sadly the gig did not live up to my expectations. Some may say I expect too much, when in reality I’m quite easy to please. If I can go to a Spazzy’s gig
(possibly the most boring and repetitive music of all time, but at least they have presence on stage.) and have an absolute blast, surely Tool would knock my socks off.
Sure the band was tight, musically they were awesome after all it was Tool, I wouldn’t really expect anything less as they are great musicians. If that’s all Tool can give me at their live shows I don’t know if I’d bother going to another, what’s the point? Even my friend Nikki arguably the biggest Tool fan I know was very disappointed with the show and for her to even suggest such blasphemy means something went wrong. A key factor was Maynard’s (the entire band for that matter) lack of crowd interaction, I can’t think back to any point in the show where he even tried connecting with the fans.
“His stage show limited itself to flailing like some drunken goblin whilst silhouetted against the picture screens, and sometimes singing.” I can’t state it any better than what I read in Beat magazines review as it’s so very true.
My issue with the gig was their choices in songs. Going in to the show I was expecting some big intros, interludes etc… but they really managed to drag it all out for far too long. Many times I found myself glancing down into the pit to see thousands of fans looking bored and quite lifeless, really what were Tool thinking? They managed to drag out
Wings For Marie (Parts 1 and 2) for far too long, it’s hardly the easiest song for a crowd to get into, especially when the most powerful and interesting section of the track doesn’t begin until 12 minutes or so into the song. I couldn’t believe they left out both
Eulogy one of their most loved songs and even
The Pot which is definitely a crowd favourite from their new album 10,000 Days. After only an hour and forty five minutes of a mostly lifeless, unenergetic performance Tool went into some group huddle and walked off the stage. I like many others expected more, but was left with nothing but disappointed, frustration and a hint of anger.
My highlight for the gig doesn’t involve Tool at all, it was some guy who climbed to the top of the shell like structure of the music bowl itself. At least it was interesting to watch him climb it then get wrestled down by police the second his feet were safely on the ground.
I can’t really end this blog/rant/review any better than Beat Magazines review of the same gig:
”Oh, and thank you, Maynard. It’s now clear how the band arrived at their name.” - Someone had to say it, props.
