Band: My Bloody Valentine

[Rimbaud III]

Were you at the roundhouse, Rimbaud?

Yep, I was there, and to a certain extent he's right. The vocals were mixed VERY low, and for a couple of songs it felt as if Shields' mic was actually off! Thing is, if you were stuck at the back, off to one side, all you got was a muddy dirge. I had to walk round to the side and work my way to the front(-ish) in order to actually hear the band to any degree of clarity. I don't think the Roundhouse is a particularly good venue in this respect - the Glenn Branca event was similarly problematic.

As for the stage act - being a short arse I saw very little of it! I never saw MBV in their day, so I can't really comment about them being a little 'stiff' last night (is to be these 'shoegazers'! they look to shoes, no? is schitck?!) but I suppose I see his point, Shields and Butcher did look a *tad* unengaged.

I thoroughly enjoyed it though - right down to the 20 minutes of pure noise at the end.

I was pretty inebriated, so my judgement may not be as sound as folks that were a little less sozzled.

Fuck, I'm sobering up. I may see things differently in an hour or two.

[johnnyshape]

I'm going Sunday.

[sparky]

I'll reserve judgement until Manchester next week but there are some favourable reviews too - Roundhouse gig last night on the Drowned In Sound forum.

There is a wonderful quote in there:

the holocaust was close to frightening - the closest thing to what one must sound like.

So wish I was seeing them. I would not have been so bothered about indistinct/inaudible vocals.

Ooh, and another quote soon after that one:

and I could see the sound guy's digital decibel meter. It read 128.9 dB during the last bit, which is apparently equivalent to a jet taking off, IN YOUR FACE!!!

[Gramsci]

Last night's gig: NC.

My ears are still ringing.

I WAS THERE AS WELL

[Jodi S.]

Ugh, just what I was afraid of! It's like Television all over again! I can'thave my heart broken by this band, I cannot.

[Rodabod]

Are the support worth seeing at the Roundhouse?

I'll bring my earplugs.

[scntfc]

reading the drowned in sound comments brought back memories of seeing them years ago. the 15 minute noise blast at the end of you made me realise....i remember my friends and i looking at each other - with our fingers in our ears - wondering what exactly was happening. awesome in the truest sense of the word. enjoy the show(s), everyone.

[aldofarian]

Are the support worth seeing at the Roundhouse?

I wasnt there but apparently Sonic Boom is supporting and pretty much did a Spacemen 3 set including a cover of When Tomorrow Hits.

...Unless my friends were just trying to piss me off.

[MantaRay]

wow, there's a Teenage Fanclub fan forum?!?

[SecondEdition]

wow, there's a Teenage Fanclub fan forum?!?

A lot of people haven't heard of Big Star.

[qbertsoul]

Last night's gig: NC.

My ears are still ringing.

Were you at the roundhouse, Rimbaud?

Here's a quote from someone on the Teenage Fanclub forum.

Never have I been so disappointed.
I mean, I love this band, yet it saddens me to say that at the Roundhouse tonight, they sucked.
Firstly, the sound was abysmal. The monkey on the mixing desk had no fucking idea. At least I'm assuming it was a monkey, as surely no human being would have left the vocals inaudible, or ignored the many people clamouring for the vocals to be turned up. I shouted myself hoarse. Mrs Lasermonkey actually went over to the mixing desk and asked the "sound engineer" to turn the vocals up. "I can't" was the response.
Then you've no fucking right being behind that mixing desk, you twat.
Ok, not the band's fault, but they would have been able to hear everyone shouting for the vocals to be turned up, but said nothing.
Actually, they said nothing all bloody night.
Bilinda's vocals were only just audible. Kevin's weren't at all, (when he could be bothered to sing) even during the pauses in "You Made me Realise". That must have taken some doing.

I tried so hard to get into it, but it soon became apparent that Kevin would rather have been doing anything else than being on stage. He moped around like a sulky teenager and played with all the conviction of a lettuce. At least Deb and Colm looked like they were getting into it.

My advice if you have tickets for the following shows? Sell them. Offload them onto a tout or some other sucker, because MBV do not deserve your money.
We're already in the process of trying to get a refund.

This review is describing the way they've always sounded. If you watch footage of them playing on YouTube, they're pretty much just standing there without moving much at all. And "inaudible" is a pretty apt description of the vocals as well.

It just has always seemed intuitive to me that you see MBV to hear just how big their colossal, stretching guitars really are, not to hear their quiet dreamy vocals.

[Gramsci]

qbertsoul is right.

I had a great time, I couldn't care less if Kevin wasn't engaging, or the vocals were drowned out by the guitars. I wasn't there for a friendly chat, I was there to have my senses pounded into submission by a band that sounds like an airplane taking off.

The only band I've seen that gets close to turning sound into something solid was Bailter Space, who - believe it or not - are louder than MBV.

[scott]

Mrs Lasermonkey actually went over to the mixing desk and asked the "sound engineer" to turn the vocals up. "I can't" was the response.
Then you've no fucking right being behind that mixing desk, you twat.
Ok, not the band's fault, but...

So what we have here is a guy who clearly doesn't understand how PA systems work, or live sound in general for that matter. What a nightmare it must be doing live sound and dealing with assclowns like this telling you how to do your job when they don't understand the first thing about it. And the last line is the best. Um, yeah, actually, it *is* the band's fault. Sheesh!

[Rodabod]

The gig was fuck-off loud. In fact, my ears still hurt slightly even with my ear plugs in. The vocals were at times so low that I didn't notice that they were present until seeing with my eyes. I think that's maybe a bit too much - fair enough having the vocals low, but if they are that low then I think it starts to defeat the point of having them. That said, they were reasonable when standing near the desk. I'd hazard a guess they would have brought the vocals up as high as they could with the instruments at those levels which were already too high to manage a reasonable vocal level.

[madmanmunt]

The gig was fuck-off loud. In fact, my ears still hurt slightly even with my ear plugs in. The vocals were at times so low that I didn't notice that they were present until seeing with my eyes. I think that's maybe a bit too much - fair enough having the vocals low, but if they are that low then I think it starts to defeat the point of having them. That said, they were reasonable when standing near the desk. I'd hazard a guess they would have brought the vocals up as high as they could with the instruments at those levels which were already too high to manage a reasonable vocal level.

I'm reminded of Steve Albini's response to a heckler at a London show asking for the vocals to be turned up.

Something like, "Well, some people like vocals and some people like rock".

They play Toronto on (or near enough) my birthday; I might make the trip.

[johnnyshape]

Had moulded -9db earplugs in, swapped them for yellow Earfits for that bit. Still very loud - I was only about 20 feet from the PA though.

It was OK. The lack of movement, communication, and audible vocals started to bore me a bit by the end. I know that's what they are 'about', but it didn't grab me like it used to. Hey ho.

[Josef K]

From TFC again:

Saw them on Saturday and thought they were brilliant. Think mrs lasermonkey berating the soundman may of had a profound effect as Kevin and Bilinda's vocals were clearly audible. In fact they pretty much sounded how i remember they did the last time i saw them 16 years ago, pretty much looked the same too! Didn't think it was painfully loud until You Made Me Realise which has still got my ears ringing now. My advice is put the free earplugs in during the holocaust section.

[Surfrider]

I just got back from the manchester show and well, fuck me. I've waited many, many years to see this band live and i was prepared to be very let down, but they delivered in pretty much every way.

The sound man did a great job in my opinion. The vocals were pretty much exactly the same in the mix as they are on Loveless, which had a really strange effect live. It was nice to just close my eyes every now and then, and be washed over in the waves of strange sounds. The thing that struck me most though was Colm's drumming. He seemed to veer from blending right in, to jumping out with crazy attacks on his snare. He and Deb were fucking tight as a rythym section.

A nice varied choice of material for the set too. Feed Me With Your Kiss was one of the standouts for me.

No matter how much people go on about the 'holocaust' section of You Made Me Realise, it cannot begin to prepare for the absolute barrage attack that being in the room with it is. I've been to see my fair share of noise gigs and so called loud bands but this was something else. Absolutely brutal. Earlier in the show some mancs were shouting "louder, louder". By the end of the show they looked like they were on the verge of tears. Seriously. So funny.

If you are the slightest bit interested in, or are even a very small fan of this band, i recommend you do everything you possibly can to see them live while the chance is there.

Not Crap. Not Crap. Not Crap.

[aen]

Loveless is a grossly overrated record. The sound of it is orgasmic..

Really? I thought it sounded like they forgot to record the bass.

I mean, I voted not crap and all, but not because of "THE SOUND"

[fishingrhod]

vocals mixed low? how dare they! totally unlike all the other inspirational indie-type bands at the moment. where's the singalong choruses etc. MBV will never be a commercial success.

thank fuck.

i do however have criticisms of the gig.

1. not loud enough. the sensitive should stay at home. it is meant to be mind-fuckingly loud. if you don't like that go and listen to folk or something.

2. they should not have handed out ear plugs. see above.

3. the bass was too quiet. listen to Soon, in particular - groovy, prominent bass line.

so bollocks to the doubters. it was a superb gig and they are a fantastic band. and yeah, get something other than Loveless and give it a try. they played a few Isn't Anything tracks which if you get to see them may change your mind about this lp.

NC