Audioslave

Well well well... just got back from the gig.

About the sexyness of the crowd, well the guys were as usual I think, but the girls did look generally cool and sexy. No bimbo, no heavy metal pierced&pale creature, no annoying preteen and no potential grand-mothers either. A cool show for that

Got there early to get the tickets and good standings.

30 Seconds from Mars opened the show. Decent. Not catchy enough to work on another band's crowd though, and way to much ass kissing (You're the best crowd on the planet, we've never seen nothing like you guys, etc... shut up and play). Maybe in some years.

Then Seether hit the stage. I saw them a couple of years back opening for Finger 11 and Evanescence. At the time I rated them a Nirvana wannabe band, but they've evolved brilliantly I think, and they were themselves and very good at it. No ass kissing needed here to get the crowd going. And shall I say this now or for later in this review... oh **** it... they had the best sound of the 3 bands tonight.

Now for Audioslave... I'm a bit undecided right now. The music is fine, good rock, you headbang naturally ... Chris Cornell's got a great voice and the rest of the band issued from Rage Against The Machine is good enough. Though the bassist is average and the drummer depressive, Tom Morello on guitar is impressive (could use more feeling though).

What ruined Audioslave's set was the very poor sound settings on the vocals with way too much reverb and was way too loud. I didn't manage to catch a single word on the songs I didn't know, it buzzed in the ears in a very unpleasant way . I mean amplifiers and loudspeakers were invented so everyone could hear, no so everyone could be deaf.
A shame really because this band has a great potential live, though the peak points in the set, energy wise in the crowd, were the RATM songs.
Another low was Chris Cornell needing 7 to 8 songs to get warmed up and actually realise his right arm can move and that his legs are NOT tied to one another with a 18 inch long rope. Ok, so he is sexy, but I'd fearlessly bet 20 bucks on JBJ actually outdancing him (and outsweating him too).
This man also obviously has a clumbsy thing against mic stands, breaking two during the show and throwing a third one on the security lads without even wanting to. Ok, so he is sexy.

Also they should work on their style and clothes, because they look like RATM+Chris Cornell (Picture like JBJ in his tight pants and leather jacket leading Richie, Dave,Tico and Hugh dressed up as Limp Bizkit), not like a whole coherent band called Audioslave. Not the most imporant thing but would be a +.

So overall a good show (brilliant considering it was free ), though some disappointment. A "Good, but..." show. I will however look into their studio stuff more than I have and consider seeing them again when I'll know their catalogue better. They deserve time I think, then they can be close to the biggest bands in there.

Ponrauil

Too bad that the sound settings weren't too good - the show I attended, had a magnificent sound (although the bootleg I got afterwards, had still very poor sound).

When it comes to Chris, it sounds like you were looking at and listening to a whole other man! I remember him being full of energy from the first song on and his interaction with the crowd was great. And we had zero mic stands incidents. But hell yeah; sexy he is! So I wouldn't care about what he's wearing, since I'd still be drooling over the man inside the clothes

Good to hear that your overall impression was good, but I did think you would have more of a blast.

I find your clothing observations very funny. True, Tom Morello seems a bit dorky, but neither the drummer nor the bass players seemed out of place at all... In fact, I always found it awesome that they didn't seem to care about their image/outfits/cutsiness - they are there to rock the joint and most of the time they do. No need for ass shaking, tight pants, and designer shirts. I love them for that Even Chris, who would still be hot as hell if he wore a potato sack, isn't much into his looks. The feel I get from the audience is that they don't care either - they want sound, not pretty boys shaking asses. Unlike the band you referred to

Like Alex, I found Chris to be an exceptional frontman and I don't think he stood still for more than two seconds - his interaction with the audience is like nobody elses, plus it is original. Green Day have a great audience interaction, but all their shows are the same, almost down to what they say to the audience. Just for comparison purposes, I thought JBJ should go and see a few AS shows to get the hint and realize he isn't even half as good as he believes he is. It must be the shows we've seen.

As for the sound. The last show I've seen was in a venue where the sound is notoriously bad, but I was surprised to see AS pulling off a pretty good sound. However, if I don't know the songs, I pretty much never get the words to them during a concert - except for a Joe Cocker concert maybe. The rest just sings too fast...

Anyway, I am glad you are going to check out their studio stuff - it's well worth it.

Took him a while to get his interaction with the crowd work both ways. The crowd was his from the start, but it looked like he didn't really have anything to say or do until the 7th or 8th song. That's about when he realised he could actually jump and walk around the whole stage, up near the drummer's kit and all.

That sound thing was really a spoiler.

I know it's not important. I got over it quickly but when the curtain fell, it really looked a bit weird. I don't care what style they're in, I just think it would be a little plus if they all had the same.

What he said and how he was once he got started (half way through the show) was indeed cool and original without seeming fake. But that sound thing etc...

It definitely wasn't because of the venue, since Seether had a huge sound vocals included. And it was really the vocal settings too, because the guitar, bass and drums were perfect. And thinking of it now, backing vocals were fine too. I heard other people being very happy with the sound, but people around here enjoy it when it's as loud as they can take, rather than loud AND enjoyable.

I forgot to mention, starting the encore with an acoustic medley on his own, he slipped in a song with French lyrics. Didn't recognize the song but thought it was cool from him to do it for the Montreal crowd.

Listening to them now

Ponrauil

It's really like it's a total different guy He started to talk to the audience right after the first song and the stage seemed to be totally his.

Whoohoo!

Good Boy.


Oh and I can't believe you got a new song *evil face* -- or so I gather...

Yeah he mentioned it being brand new and meant to be on their next album, yet to be titled. He said even their manager, recordo co and family adn't heard it yet. Of course...
Sounded good.

Ponrauil

Here's the setlist by the way :

Your Time Has Come
Set it Off
Doesn't Remind Me
Out of Exile
Spoonman
Hunger Strike
The Worm
Be Yourself
One in the Same
Bulls on Parade
Sleep Now in the Fire
Exploder
Shadow on the Sun
Like a Stone

Black Hole Sun
Can't Change Me (in French, wasn't a French song after all ) - short
The Curse - short
I am the Highway
Show Me How to Live
Killing in the Name
Cochise

Ponrauil