Manchester 18.7.2004

Sat nine rows from the front in the centre. After the first couple of numbers something wasn't quite right with the sound tonight and it appeared to be the fact that Kasim's bass was quite heavy. However, since he's such a great bass player this, in the end, didn't really bother me. Todd's voice was excellent (as ever) and special mention for Jesse who did really well in his solo despite a string breaking. I was slightly disappointed that the set was still exactly the same, this was the last night of the UK tour afterall, and it would have been great to have heard a least a couple of other tracks from 'Liars' such as 'Stood Up' 'Wondering' 'Afterlife' or 'Living' but it was not to be.

Overall, I think the Bristol gig was the most enjoyable. All the songs from Liars stand up really well and, in the week that Fahrenheit 9-11 was released in the UK and the 'Butler' report came out, the timing of this tour couldn't have been better. Liars is about Truth and it would have been nice to have had certain political and religious leaders chained to Todd's mic stand when he sang 'Liar'.

I'm uncertain whether Todd actually gets round to reading these reviews, but if you do Todd, thank you for bringing the tour to the UK (visit Cardiff in Wales next time though!) and for all music in the past and, probably more important, for the music yet to come in the future.

Please return soon.