WOW.
"Tonight's performance will be exceptionally LOUD. It is recommended that you use the provided ear protection (Distributed inside the venue)" --signs posted outside the Wamu Theatre, 04/27/09.
"BOLLOCKS!" --anonymous, handwritten response on one of the aforementioned signs, 04/27/09.
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Some things, there are just no words for. There's no language, not even a simile or metaphor that comes close to expressing the event because you've never quite experienced something like this. You might have come close, but it wasn't close enough.
I thought I knew what to expect when seeing My Bloody Valentine. I'd been spoiling myself by reading setlists, reading reviews, and hearing the tales of people sent streaming from the venue when they couldn't handle it. While I was disappointed that they probably weren't going to play "What You Want," I was also worried that all this pre-reading and excitement was causing hype that nothing could possibly live up to. I mean, I'd spent over $200 Canadian in tickets, travel and accommodation to see them. And here I was, in a ginormous venue, trying out my first pair of earplugs ever, and wondering how one band could inspire such credit card abuse, sudden travel, and breaking of two of my personal rules*. Considering that it takes a hell of a band just to get me to leave the house these days, My Bloody Valentine had some serious expectations to meet.
But the thing is, there's just no way to prepare for something like this. Expectations are pointless, because they'll just be blown apart at certain volume levels. All I could do is take my earplugs out and hold the hell on. Not because they were terribly loud at the beginning, mind you, but because I was still stunned that this was really happening. By the time they played "When You Sleep," I was actually weeping tears of joy. Sure, the vocals were a little buried and things seemed to be getting louder, but wow, it was happening and I was here and they were good and how were they doing this and it was pretty amazing.
By the time there was one song left in the set, the infamous "You Made Me Realise," my senses had been so assaulted by sound and imagery and strobes, I barely remembered that yeah, now was the time to use those complimentary earplugs. Excited, I shoved the little neon pieces of foam in my ears and oh my god, I could feel the music. Literally. The sound from the twenty-minute barrage of white noise and feedback was enough to send my sweater flapping behind me and my jean legs back. I could feel it from my feet up all through my body. I'd take my earplugs out for a minute, only to relent and shove them back in. (I played this game until I went into a trance and just forgot about them.) The strobe lights seemed stronger and more intense. Eventually, I just gave up and submitted to a trance-like state until drawn out of it by the song's close. I've never seen, felt, heard, or experienced anything like that and fear that I just don't have the words to express how fucking intense it was. Considering how unprepared I was by what I'd read, maybe there is no way to express it.
After the show, my ears weren't ringing and I could still hear, but falling asleep after seeing something this awesome was still going to be hard.
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*No ginormous venues, cf. Me Vs. Radiohead fans, 1997, and No earplugs, cf. the fact that I've just never worn 'em.
"BOLLOCKS!" --anonymous, handwritten response on one of the aforementioned signs, 04/27/09.
---------------------------------------
Some things, there are just no words for. There's no language, not even a simile or metaphor that comes close to expressing the event because you've never quite experienced something like this. You might have come close, but it wasn't close enough.
I thought I knew what to expect when seeing My Bloody Valentine. I'd been spoiling myself by reading setlists, reading reviews, and hearing the tales of people sent streaming from the venue when they couldn't handle it. While I was disappointed that they probably weren't going to play "What You Want," I was also worried that all this pre-reading and excitement was causing hype that nothing could possibly live up to. I mean, I'd spent over $200 Canadian in tickets, travel and accommodation to see them. And here I was, in a ginormous venue, trying out my first pair of earplugs ever, and wondering how one band could inspire such credit card abuse, sudden travel, and breaking of two of my personal rules*. Considering that it takes a hell of a band just to get me to leave the house these days, My Bloody Valentine had some serious expectations to meet.
But the thing is, there's just no way to prepare for something like this. Expectations are pointless, because they'll just be blown apart at certain volume levels. All I could do is take my earplugs out and hold the hell on. Not because they were terribly loud at the beginning, mind you, but because I was still stunned that this was really happening. By the time they played "When You Sleep," I was actually weeping tears of joy. Sure, the vocals were a little buried and things seemed to be getting louder, but wow, it was happening and I was here and they were good and how were they doing this and it was pretty amazing.
By the time there was one song left in the set, the infamous "You Made Me Realise," my senses had been so assaulted by sound and imagery and strobes, I barely remembered that yeah, now was the time to use those complimentary earplugs. Excited, I shoved the little neon pieces of foam in my ears and oh my god, I could feel the music. Literally. The sound from the twenty-minute barrage of white noise and feedback was enough to send my sweater flapping behind me and my jean legs back. I could feel it from my feet up all through my body. I'd take my earplugs out for a minute, only to relent and shove them back in. (I played this game until I went into a trance and just forgot about them.) The strobe lights seemed stronger and more intense. Eventually, I just gave up and submitted to a trance-like state until drawn out of it by the song's close. I've never seen, felt, heard, or experienced anything like that and fear that I just don't have the words to express how fucking intense it was. Considering how unprepared I was by what I'd read, maybe there is no way to express it.
After the show, my ears weren't ringing and I could still hear, but falling asleep after seeing something this awesome was still going to be hard.
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*No ginormous venues, cf. Me Vs. Radiohead fans, 1997, and No earplugs, cf. the fact that I've just never worn 'em.