Blink-182

8th June 2012 - O2, London. REVIEW

Friday night could not come soon enough for the die-hard blink fans who had been waiting well over a year to see their beloved pop-punk jokers turned stadium rock band with a twist. The re-scheduled tour from last year gave the first opportunity for the trio to present their latest effort to their London faithful. Its safe to say that there was intense anticipation in the air throughout the warmup acts and before the curtain finally dropped.

The warmup acts themselves will not draw floods of discussion in relation to their performance. A quick set from the slightly heavier Four Year Strong, entertained the half full arena for half an hour or so, but was almost drowned out by the size of the venue in comparison to the enthusiasm of the audience. It seemed a strange selection for a blink companion on the first leg of their tour. Second up was the much more well known All American Rejects. They have a strong back catalogue, with plenty of radio play in Europe. Personally, i was looking forward to seeing them and hearing some of the songs that sprout memories from teen-hood, something many associate with Blink-182, making them a very sensible choice for a supporting act. However, Tyson Ritter's idea of humour met mixed reactions from the slowly filling crowd as he insisted on consistently insulted the seated audience, especially those in the boxes.... repeatedly. Not cool. Especially referring to them as 'rich kids', hard to comprehend as standing tickets usually cost more than a seated. However, a good performance enjoyed by most but still viewed as a procrastination by others rather than a warm up. Especially those who had had their ticket for well over a year.

Blink or, Blink 18eee2.....is......a tough one. An acquired taste... marmite. The same can be said for a live performance from three guys who do seem an odd fit. Like an old married couple, who clearly are sick to the core of the other's voice yet still have an evident love, lust (?) and understanding, Tom Delonge and Mark Hoppus share their banter and toilet humour on stage. All the mean while the superior musician Travis Barker, spends his time getting on with things and putting on an exceptional, professional show. They ripped through their back catalogue and blended it nicely with the more modern anthems and the post break up tracks. Man Overboard and Josie providing an excellent triggers for personal memories of jumping into bushes and other teen antics. After this, i felt rather old. Then i realised everyone there seemed to be of a similar age. all between 20-30 and some above. To my surprise there were few of a younger age. Clearly the band maintaining their older fans through the bands trauma over most of the last decade. The show sounded and looked good and was topped off perfectly with the standard procedure of the Travis Barker solo, which makes his fellow band members appear as though they are performing in their garage. The gap between them is not as bad as it has been previously. Practice has clearly been had, and the gig seemed to flow better than it had done in the past. With Delonge at times actually sounding quite good. A rarity that only few had seen before. Hoppus performed with his usual enthusiasm and i cant help but feel sorry for him attempting to professionally get through his music despite Delonge forgetting words and the odd bum-note from his guitar. This however, is what a Blink show is all about. You don't go to listen to the fine music on display, you go to have a good time with mates you havent seen in a long time, and not take life to seriously. The band admit they never used to take it seriously (Whether they do now is a discussion for a different day) so why should we? An enjoyable show for those who love the band for who they are.


I love this band, and the strong set they have put together, they take me back to better times. If you spent your teens listening to them, go see them you wont regret it. As said before, Blink 182 are a Marmite sandwich. You would not go see Blink 182 if you like Marmite???

SET LIST

Feeling This
Up All Night
The Rock Show
What's My Age Again?
Down
I Miss You
Wishing Well
Dumpweed
Always
Violence
After Midnight
First Date
Heart's All Gone
Man Overboard
Ghost On The Dance Floor
All The Small Things
Josie


Travis Drum Solo (Can the Drummer Get Some)
Carousel
Dammit
(Blow Job/Family Reunion)

Coldplay

 1st June 2012 - Emirates Stadium, London

This being the Jubilee weekend, it was only right that Britain's finest take to the stage in the capital for a 3 day stop in what is a show which comes close to the dramatics witnessed through jubilee flybys and fireworks. All eyes on London (one of the worlds great cities), all eyes on Coldplay (one of the worlds great bands).

To say i am Coldplay's number one fan would be a lie, yet its difficult to deny the sheer class that they bring to the industry. Chris Martin's mastery of songwriting is slowly projecting him into potential musical greatness with album after album appearing to be the masterpiece only to be outdone in a different and interesting way each time by the ensuing album. Therefore giving live shows a freshness and a certain anticipation for greatness from their millions of eagerly yearning fans. The Mylo Xyloto show takes this to a new level.

Upon entering the stadium attention is immediately pulled towards a walkabout area which is similar to stage layouts used by rock greats The Rolling Stones, allowing the band to move into the crowd and allows those further back to get and idea of what it is like to see what Chris Martin's sweat looks like without the aid of the four 50 foot screens above the stage. To get things started the more eager of the fans are treated to the experience and almost forgotten Northern Irish rockers, Ash. A band i personally used to frequently listen to in years gone by. The did however slowly fad towards the end of the last decade and have recently appeared in support of Coldplay. For this reason interest was high on my behalf to get a glimpse of Tim Wheeler's Flying V once more. I could not help but feel a subdued atmosphere killed my excitement slightly as most were desperate for the main act, more so than any gig i have ever attended. This can also be applied for the other supporting act, Marina and the Diamonds, headed by a Welsh singer-songwriter with a name that appears slightly suspect to me. Marina Lambrini Diamandis hit the scene in 2010 after reaching second in the BBC sound of 2010. I can honestly say i am less exposed to her music as i am to Ash but i couldn't help but recognise several songs, mostly from my forays into daytime Radio 1 recently in my attempts to understand what a Glee is. However, anticipation seemed to wash out the warmups and eventually is was greeted with one of the most incredible sights i have ever witnessed at a show.

The light began to diminish from the early summer sky and the wristbands which were handed out to every ticket holder (see above image) sprung into life in what was a stunning celestial display of unity between band and crowd. Blues, Greens, Purples and reds blended with the neon coloured stage set up which made the entire stadium look like something out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The lights pulsed with the beat and was very much the core of the visual aspect of the show. Paired with neon butterflies and birds floating about with coloured balls bouncing around the crowd, it made for quite the breathtaking display. Towards the end of the show the band disappeared for 5 minutes only returning at the back of the stalls area on a small stage giving a very intimate performance for the later arriving crowd members.

As i sit watching my wristband continue to flash spontaneously a week after the gig, it distracts me from commenting on the music however the music was exactly as expected, belting modern melodic rock anthems such as Yellow and In my place led to an energised crowd singing along with splender despite the £5 price tag attached to their pints and glasses of wine.  Nothing could disuade this crowd from their beloved crowd which included my Mother, clad in Coldplay merchandise. I also got the feeling that she was not the only parent there, the majority of fans there were your typical Coldplay fan. Middle class Mothers and Fathers from London and the Home counties. Never the less, the energy was unbelievable as the band move on to favourites such as The Scientist and Fix you, clearly moving for both the fans and the band. Moving on to the Grand Finale, fireworks, lasers, more frenzied waving of LED wristbands, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall rung out to finish up what is probably one of the best shows the tens of thousands in attendance will have ever seen. This show really was unmissable, a fan or not the sheer spectacle of the show makes it worth the £80-£100 ticket price which may have put neutrals off. Even the local Arsenal fans cannot deny that the spectacle show would rival MR Van Persie even on his finest day.

The band met expectations yet again, a fresh new show, fresh new music which will last the ages and a souvenir in the shape of a wristband that im starting to think will continue to flash until the next time Britain's finest hit the road.


Set List

Mylo Xyloto, Hurts Like Heaven, In My Place, Major Minus, Lovers In Japan, The Scientist, Yellow, Violet Hill, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Princess of China, Up in Flames, Warning Sign, Don’t Let It Break Your Heart, Viva La Vida, Charlie Brown,Paradise, Us Against The World, Speed Of Sound, Clocks, Fix You, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall