OK, it’s a hell-of-a-job to reduce a 2 1/2 hour show to a one hour festival gig for a festival audience. Cutting you’is a dirty job but somebody’s got to do it. And Todd sure did at Bospop (Weert – The Netherlands)
Answer A: he did it the easy way. Just start the show as usual and when the tiny demons of time reach the 60 minutes barrier then stop and give one encore tot satisfy the dozens of fans who were at the front rows. Answer B: no compromises; just do your own thing. The audience and fans will like it or not. You’re the boss. The fans always want the old stuff mixed with some – and not many - new ones. And when they’re disappointed… time heals! Answer C: take a close look at your 2 1/2 hour show set list and make a fine selection to promote your new album and to satisfy your fans and let the general festival audience say..… hey, I recognise that old songs and I like the new ones!
Well, I’m sorry to tell you that answer A and B are correct at my point of view. It’s courageous that he didn’t play safe by performing a greatest hits show and he did “battle” with the audience and the fans by performing 8 fairly inaccessible songs and 2 “easy” songs. But after one hour “wall of sound” he really left me sore. This was the heavy sound with fewer nuances. Only God said was superb. Todd at his best, a wizard, a true star. The other songs, unfortunately not my favourites, were powerful by turning up the bass and the bass drum. There’s a hammer in my heart, I thought/felt, when Fascist Christ ended. Todd, the angry “young man”, fulminated at a dozens of lairs/enemies by performing Fascist Christ, Liars, I hate my frickin’ ISP, Worldwide epiphany and Mammon. We’re lucky he was also trying to think positive by performing Truth and Temporary sanity. Out of the blue there was While my guitar gently weeps. Never understood why Todd recorded it…. Maybe it was meant for the faithful fans… While my fan gently weeps.
PS The guys of the band were dressed to kill. Nice costumes and unfortunately no LED’s and frames.
