2009年 May 16日 Saturday, 15:12
Fri 15 May – The Presets, Wolf & Cub
Support act Wolf & Cub always had a tough ask in supporting an all ages gig of such a mainstream band, however in their home town you'd expect a bit of love - alas it wasn't to be. The guys gave it their all and bloody went off, much to the appreciation of the token spattering of adults in the room. They really know how to put on a good show with immense energy levels getting us pumped for what was to come! However for most, this show of talent was completely lost (particularly in the oddly teen and tween filled mosh area) as the clueless disinterested younguns stared on blankly - I guess we know who they're all here for!
After a short set the guys wrap up, and then… NOTHING!!! Apparently it takes around an hour to set the boys up - various light poles around the stage and all + the mandatory sound check.. Poor form guys - completely killed the mood set by Wolf & Cub (for the adults anyway).
After that excessively tantric wait, the boys burst onto stage to the deafening screams of the crowd. The set springs to life with blinding lights, the crowd erupts in fits of dancing, as the boys open with an epic rendition of Talk Like That. The boys continue to to hammer out more gold, however courtesy of the bands rather hit and miss repertoire, they hit a brick wall as soon as they delved away from their major tracks, reducing the audience into (comparative) boredom with the self-serving wank of their quieter, weaker efforts. This problem was further compounded by the boys seeming disinterest in engaging with the audience. For instance the set lacked any substantive between track banter while they also seemingly suffered a severe Linus complex, unwilling to leave the security blankets of their instruments for long, apart from Kim's belated attempts at dancing (which had a distinct feel of Peter Garrett to them?)
Despite these problems the boys were still able to whip us up to a frenzy, particularly with their harder elongated remix of Are You The One? From there the guys worked us up into a collective climax with My People - sweat dripping off our faces and screaming every word as we moshed in union - aawwww yeah! We erupt - with a chorus of chants for the obligatory encore. The boys come back and much to my disappointment decide to close out on I Go Hard I Go Home (don't quote me on that one though!) We may have gone hard and now were going home but why on EARTH did they pick to go out with such a whimper? They were seemingly enjoying it however I think they were about the only ones who seemed to be peaking with this offering… Call me old school but I'm a firm believer in saving your best for last - keep My People for the end in future please!
The encore was quite reflective of the whole show I found - they are a band of polar opposites. When they're good, WATCH OUT, but when they're bad, they're horribly mediocre. If they are to step it up a level they need to: 1) show more love to the audience guys - stop being wrapped up in your own world and give the audience reason for their going crazy and 2) start working on your next album - make it a solid offering - you need more material to plug the massive gaps in your sets. </rant>