Saw my Bloody Valentine in Boston last night. It was incredible - one of the best shows I've ever seen. Overwhelming from a sensory point of view. Amps floor to ceiling. Sounds I never thought possible to coax from guitars. Gloriously deafening volume. And yet the sound was absolutely controlled and precise. No extraneous movements. The band basically stands still and rips out this gloriously psychedelic and trippy music without moving one inch from their area. The atmospheric songs were gorgeous. And the rockers were absolutely fierce. The drummer in particular banged the shit out during the more intense songs. (Their drum sound is almost always drowned out on the albums). The female lead singer stands their statue-esque and mournful looking, whispering these hushed vocals which just sound incredible. The light show was amazing, designed precisely to highlight the intensity of each song.
The pinnacle was when the drummer was thrashing away and there was a perfectly coreographed fireworks display projected behind him. Cliched perhaps, but absolutely perfect. Not one word was said by the band to the audience. except when someone screamed "Kevin, when's the next EP coming out?" He smiled slyly and whispered "next year". Between songs it was almost completely silent - no cheering or screaming. I think people just needed to catch their breath.
I actually left after an hour. Partially, my back cant tolerate standing in one place for 3+ hours. Partially, it was just too intense to take any more. So I went and leaned against Fenway's Green Monster, eating a sausage from a cart, huddled against the cold, and enjoyed the rest of the concert from there. (It was still loud, outside the building and 50 feet away across the street.) Afterwards, I completely forgot where I parked the car and wandered for half an hour disoriented around the Fenway till I found it. An absolutely amazing night. Highly recommended if they are coming to your town!
Post Edited (11-08-13 13:43)
