Modest Mouse in Vancouver = Worst Concert Ever Attended

[djmelbatoast]

This was an incredibly bad time.

I've been to many concerts in many types of venues and never in my life have I heard sound this bad unless I was paying less then a $3 cover and these tickets were over $40 a piece.

The venue can parcially be blamed fot this horrendous show. The PNE forum should not be used for concerts under any circumstances. The sound was that of a muddled teenage indie band playing for the first time with amplifiers. The feedback was deafening and occured everytime any member of the band touched a microphone or moved around AT ALL with their guitars. With a lyricist as gifted as Issack Brock, who I have not been able to get enough of in albums for the last few years, to have his lyrics come out as an undistinquishable melody, which itself was barely discernable form the reverbing shite spewwing out of the rest of the bands instruments, is a travesty.

On top of this it was an all ages show. Which means there was a boat load of drunken teenagers who cheered for everything whether it sound like complete shit or not. Plus, I tell you, by the time I realized that the sound was not going to get better I sure could have used a drink or seven.

To go back to the sound for a second, the sound guy was behind the stage . I thought he was out in the middle but I got in for a closer look and it was the lighting guy. How stupid is that?

The set-up looked awesome. Two drummers, lots of switching up with different instruments. The set list was good.

Paper Thin Walls

Ocean Breathes Salty

Dashboard

Black Cadillacs

Fire It Up

Education

Bukowski

Missed The Boat

The View

Float On

Little Motel

Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes (Extended)

> Lucky Me Again

Doin' The Cockroach (Extended)

> Lounge (Lyric Tease)

Encore:

Trailer Trash (Extended)

> Spilled Milk Factory (Lyric Tease)

Spitting Venom (Extended)

It just sucked serious balls.

These guys could have so easily played the Commadore or somewhere equally as good, but then they wouldn't have had all those teeny-boppers there. Pure greed, with a complete disregard for what music fans with the least bit of taste would enjoy.

Combine this with the troubles I had just getting the tickets mailed to me from their management and the fact that me and my friends traveled from Nanaimo and had to pay for a hotel for the night, and it was the single worst experiene I've ever had at a concert. And I'm a big fan of these guys.

I think they need to smarten up and get some decent people managing them. They are better than this.

Edited April 18, 2007 by Guest

[Jaimoe]

Often, the artists are powerless regarding sound and acoustic issues. I've been to many a concert where the sound/acoustics mar an otherwise good show. Too bad for you, but that's the way it goes. Complain to the venue's PR department or better yet, try to bring this to the attention of the local media.

[Freeker]

> Spilled Milk Factory (Lyric Tease)

Sweet some Ugly Casanova content.

Sorry to hear it was a shit show.

[Tenenbaum]

shitty!

but what I want to know is how was Johnny Marr?!?

[phorbesie]

that sucks, but, i guess you haven't been to the forum before.?

that's what happens when you go to shows there. any time i've been to shows there, they are all ages thrashy shows...that's the type of show that gets put on in that venue. (metal, punk, etc.) and it has always been that way.

i got a bloody black eye last time from a flying boot.

[hamilton]

shitty!

but what I want to know is how was Johnny Marr?!?

I'm guessing djmelbatoast wouldn't have been able to distinguish his guitar fron the rest of the sonic sludge.

I think it's pretty fucking cool that Johnny Marr is playing with these guys.

[AD]

not the band's fault. blame the booker / promoter, they're the ones who decide where the band plays.

sorry that it didn't work out well for you.

how did the ticket situation get resolved?

[phishtaper]

wow. that really sucks, djmelbatoast. sorry to hear this. nothing worse than bad sound in a sh!tty club with an annoying crowd. do u think the band was disappointed too?

[djmelbatoast]

Tenenbaum - Couldn't really make out too many of the sounds from individuals.

phorbesie - The thing is that the band wasn't playing a thrash/punk/metal show, but that is what came out of the speakers.

AD - I know it wasn't the bands fault and I totally blame their management.

With the tickets, we received a call about 20 min before we left for the ferry saying we could pick up our tickets at will call.

phishtaper - I think the band was pissed off. Before they even started Issack Brock was complaining about playing in a concrete shitbox or he might have said shoebox. I can't me sure because the sound was so muddled even before they started playing. Also, during Bukowski, he kept looking back stage looking really pissed off because his banjo could not be heard at all.

At one point, during his solo for Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes, the feedback got so bad that I guess he just got pissed of and made it as bad as it could possibly get by playing his guitar with his teeth for 5 minutes. I can understand the frustration but I don't need anyone pissing in my ears and telling me it's raining.

Also, for what it's worth I heard that the Seatle show was just as bad feedback and sound wise.

[traveler]

Never go to an all ages show!

[meggo]

is the PNE the same as the pacific coliseum?

i saw a hip show there years ago... brutal sound.

[djmelbatoast]

The venue changed after we bought the tickets. It was originally supposed to be at the Collusium, a hockey arena, but was moved to the forum, a horse/dog showing building.

Also, I had never been to an all ages show where there was no alcohol available. Some sort of cordined off section for adults. This is a band who has about 15 songs about drinking.

I'm still pissy.