Woot, Jonah! I'm going to the San Fran show in two days!!!! I'm SO happy to hear they were great! Only one question: are the earplugs as necessary as rumored?
Funny thing... one of the bouncers at the music venue actually gave out complimentary earplugs at the beginning of the entrance line! The management actually encouraged their use! We had already brought our own pairs though.
As with any concert where I use earplugs I was always concerned that I was missing some part of the sound. But it's a REALLY loud show, and you can hear some of the sharper elements of the sound over all the reverb if you plug your ears up. I can't imagine some hardcore fans that have been waiting 17 years to hear them wanting to muffle the sound, but I think you'll need them to endure the show.
I couldn't keep them in for all the songs though. Only Shallow and Soon got my bare ears.
Mitchell did you go to the shows 16 or so years ago? Did they play large venues back then, and were they enough of a smash to afford all the sound equipment and light displays that are part of the Pink Floydesque spectacle this tour?
I saw them at the Roskilde Festival this summer (as a matter of fact, I f¤%&in' missed the first half of Neil Young's show to see them ...) and they were great. AND loud.
So, they WERE amazing! That said, the venue distorted the sound enough to where a couple songs were difficult to recognize outside of the insanely heavy base and drums. The vocals, especially Bilinda's were very difficult to hear, at times frustratingly so. But the "worst" part was probably how they extended "You Made M Realize" into a twenty-five minute song, by holding basically a single note for twenty minutes. A number of people left during this, despite it being their (obviously) last song, and considering how packed the floor was, it did get somewhat uncomfortable. I couldn't help from thinking "in the amount of time they're holding this single note, they could have played at least three, if not four, other songs in full." So that was somewhat ridiculous.
But the good far outweighed the bad. It was still MY BLOODY VALENTINE(!!!!!!!!!!!), they can still rage their instruments like no other, and the near-twenty years that have passed between now and the time when the bulk of most of what they played was recorded has done nothing to diminish either the quality of the music (as it shouldn't) or their ability to play it live (which I was surprised it didn't--truthfully, it sounded better than what I heard their 90's tour was like). It was a testament to great music not being hindered by age, technological changes, an underwhelming stage, or even what seemed like their own desire to destroy themselves (goodness, that surely was a loooooong note!).
And I've just got to mention, it was as loud as rumoured, and my ears are still ringing. But then again, there is a reason why they hand out earplugs at the door, and if I have lost my hearing slightly I can blame it on my own stubbornness! So, no I didn't put them in...but yes, I "should" have.
