The Mars Volta '08 Tour

SpinMeRoundRollMeOvr

I saw The Mars Volta last night in Providence.

Seriously, if you can, see them. Their live show is unreal.

Bremerton

Did they play anything off of Deloused?

GetALife

Hi there!

I WILL see them in February in Hamburg, Germany, almost exactly three years after I saw them first there in the same club! I'm SO excited. The show in February 2005 was short but ... incredible ... amazing ... they played 70 minutes, almost with no break, left the stage and immediately the house-lights went on...a few months ago I heard someone saying that the show was (so) short because Cedric had voice-problems...I don't know. 70 minutes of Mars Volta are a worthy trip...a trip, yes that's true

How long was your show last night?

Rock on!

Hitch-Hiker

Seein 'em in March in Paris. WOOP! Can't wait.

pjl44

SpinMeRoundRollMeOvr wrote:

I saw The Mars Volta last night in Providence.

Seriously, if you can, see them. Their live show is unreal.

I was there, too. Holy shit, what a show. Setlist:

Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)
Viscera Eyes
Wax Simulacra
Goliath
Conjugal Burns
Tetragrammaton
Agadez
Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus
Metatron
Drunkship of Lanterns
Ilyena
Meccamputechture
Aberinkula
Day of the Baphomets

DaytimeDilemma

The Volta are seriously the best band out right now.

pjl44

GetALife wrote:

How long was your show last night?

Rock on!

2.5 hours

audiodave

I'm seeing them in March, and on the basis of this thread I thought i'd throw Amputechture into the CD player...but I open the CD case...it isn't there. I've never lost a CD, and I have absolutely no idea where it could be.

Red Lukin

Seeing them in a week - can't wait!

Deadman

DaytimeDilemma wrote:

The Volta are seriously the best band out right now.

Agreed.

SpinMeRoundRollMeOvr

They played a fair amount of new material. It sounds awesome... the new album is gonna be great!

Pauk

Seeing them in March too!

Not the kind of music I can comfortably listen to on CD, but can't wait to check out the live show.

intodeep

pjl44 wrote:

I was there, too. Holy shit, what a show. Setlist:

Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)
Viscera Eyes
Wax Simulacra
Goliath
Conjugal Burns
Tetragrammaton
Agadez
Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus
Metatron
Drunkship of Lanterns
Ilyena
Meccamputechture
Aberinkula
Day of the Baphomets

'

Damn thta is pretty rockin!

Blind Melon

Seeing them Friday... wow, 2 1/2 hours... holy hell.

GetALife

Stay tuned for my review of the Hamburg show from yesterday ...

... all I can say now is ...

2.5 hours without a break...a fucking awesome show...met Thomas and Marcel before the show...took a view and a listen for the soundcheck...said goodnight and thank you to Cedric while leaving the parking lot... ...they were rocking like young gods...

GetALife

Hi there!

After a busy week, as promised, my review of the Mars Volta-show, 17.02. Hamburg, Dock's

3 years ago today was my first Mars Volta-show, which took place at the same venue. On February 24th 2005 the show was very intense but also very short (70 minutes). I was longing for a new tour to come and very enthusiastic about the Euro-tour-announcement. I knew three friends who'd come with me, for them it was the first Volta-show to attend.

After appr. 2 hours we arrived in Hamburg and after a longer while finding a parking space we found one in a street where two large black busses where standing and we were joking "what if these are the tour busses" ... but they were...when we started walking into the direction of the Dock's we recognized Cedric getting on board of one of the busses ...we kept walking on and he disappeared...it was kinda surreal and we also did not want to behave like silly teenage-fans running and sobbing...but the possibility of meeting the guys kept us near the busses. Checking out the front of the venue and walking halfway back looking for a place to eat we met Marcel and Thomas giving autographs on vinyl covers of other fans who recognized them in front of a gas-station. We shook hands with Marcel and even before I could say hello to him, Thomas moved towards me and gave me a 'half-hug' (right chest onto my left) shaking hands and asking how we're doing...normal friendly and warm persons...chatting about the Hamburg show from 2005...then the guys left us going to the bus - it was very, very cold this day (Marcel remembered that it snowed in 2005)...

The Dock's takes an audience of 1.200 people...we stood waiting 1 1/2 hours before the doors opened and a long long time we were there with a group of ten to fifteen people, when the doors opened there were maximum 150 people...

...how are the shows attended in the States and how long did you (and how many other people) wait before?

Fortunately a HIM-poster in the club's door missed a large piece --> two good things to do with a HIM-poster: destroying a HIM-poster and giving us the view to watch the Volta-soundcheck:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do0hTxCOlbw

European rock-shows are not seated...I'd guess us standing in the 5th or 6th row in front...when the show started the pit pushed us a little back I was no in the mood to push and 'dance' that way) with the exception of our friend Christoffer who could take great pictures from the second row:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yltiJIWs9Q

(...more videos and photos to come when I fixed my webspace...)

The show started half an hour later than expected but THEN...it was one long, mind-blowing monolith of a show (2.5 hours without a break).

Two negative things to mention: Cedric's voice was not at it's best that night - he missed a lot of notes for I had to press my teeth together and looked a little irritated into the also irritated faces of my mates...

Thomas is an awesome drummer, BUT he would do a better job if he would calm down when the whole improv gets calm...it's like he's always on fire or has to prove something...he should have relaxed somtimes and let the calm mood grow...to make the peaks more worthy...

... did you experience it similarly at your show?

Here's the setlist:

Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)
Viscera Eyes
Wax Simulacra
Goliath
Ouroboros
Tetragrammaton
Agadez
Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus
Metatron
Drunkship of Lanterns
Ilyena
Day of the Baphomets


It's a great pleasure watching Omar and Thomas...Omar was smiling and laughing a lot when watching Thomas and so Thomas...they pushed one another... like in this case:

"Cygnus..." was my favourite of that night. "Frances" is my favourite album, that's one reason maybe... but...the improv...W-O-W...see, when they got to the final riff of the song which fades out on the album...they kept on improvising on it, Omar was soloing, they changed the emphasis on parts of the riff and after a few minutes they were getting faster and faster and faster...then dropping the tempo, dropping it...it became so slow that every note made me expect it to be the last one, but they kept on playing...the "motor" of the whole thing (at every improv but especially at this one) was/were Omar and Thomas, Omar getting closer to him, pushing him, conducting the whole thing with moving his guitar and looking at Thomas... ...they became faster, faster again...dropping it again, getting faster, dropping it, dropping it... a-m-a-z-i-n-g...

...

I was done an hour before the end of the show...it was sooo intense...

...


When we went upstairs on the balcony of the club for to get our jackets we could take a look to the backstage room directly behind the stage (someone left the door open), waving to Cedric wo sat there eating and waving back...

...driving out of the street where we (and they) were parking we met Cedric again to thank a very tired looking man (and maybe disappointed because of his singing?) through the car window...

I'm curious about your reviews...is there another thread that became more frequented than this one here?

Thanks for reading. Looking forward to your respond...

ROCKandROLL!

Red Lukin

Nice review. Watching that first video brings me back to the Toronto show last month. TMV are unbelievable live, and I wish I can see these guys perform more often. I'm totally with you on a couple of things. Omar and Thomas are amazing to watch. Thomas is a beast on drums, and totally has to chill out once in a while. I'm giving him time - I think he'll only get better and play more for the music. Also Cygnus was my favorite song as well. Frances is an amazing album, and that song brought me back to the show I saw in 05'. I loved how the song went up and down - just all over the place.

I really hope Mars gets added to Bonnaroo or Rothbury. I just can't get enough of these guys.

phatucini

Can't wait to see them on march 5th @ the Olympia in Paris. Been looking forward to this gig for months ... by the way has there been an opening band in Hamburg? Real Nice Review by the Way!

DaytimeDilemma

4/20 at the Aragon in Chicago.


I'll be there. Who else?


Fuck yes.

jb13letters

4/1 in Orlando. Can't wait!

DaytimeDilemma

Anyone from Louisiana or Texas?


April 7th – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues

April 8th – Dallas, TX – Palladium Ballroom

April 10th – Austin, TX – Austin Music Hall

April 14th – Houston, TX – Verizon Wireless Theater



Just added to da tour.


Seeing Volta twice in April...


sweet fucking shit hell yes.

GetALife

phatucini wrote:

Can't wait to see them on march 5th @ the Olympia in Paris. Been looking forward to this gig for months ... by the way has there been an opening band in Hamburg? Real Nice Review by the Way!

I'm glad you like it! ... No opening band ... maybe a DJ ... couldn't see anyone but the selection of doo-wop and soul-music that was played before they started sounded like a DJ-like selection, like a little dynamic concept... In 2005 they had a DJ playing (as far as I remember 'chilly') electronic music...

GetALife

...by the way: I'm the guy talking in the background of the rehearsal video

...I forgot something in my review:

On that very day the Kosovo declared its independence. Soon the place/parking lot before the club (not directly before it, a little street was between us and this place) was filled by cars and people dancing and holding hands in a large circle with flags and stuff to folklore-pop from their home-region... I had a weird vision of what the show might sound like... in one ear I heard the TMV-soundcheck, in the other one the music and the screaming of these folks...a very strange experience

its_ok

Saw them in Stockholm last Wednesday...must be one of the best live bands around. God this bands got tallent!! They played for nearly 2 h 40 min in one of Stockholms most beautiful venues, 1500 people or so.

The setlist looked a lot like the one from Germany. The beginning with Roulette Dares was amazing! And Cedric went totaly crazy and during one song and ran around in the crowd for like 5 minutes....so great entertainers!!

It hard to believe these guys can pull off a show like that wherever they go!

Cant wait to see them again!!

DaytimeDilemma

So apparently these guys are playing 3 hour + shows as of late and the sets look like this:

Roulette
Viscera
Wax
Goliath
Ouroborous
Tetris
Agadez
Cygnus
Aberinkula
Drunkship
Asilos
Miranda
Baphomets

Hitch-Hiker

DaytimeDilemma wrote:

So apparently these guys are playing 3 hour + shows as of late and the sets look like this:

Roulette
Viscera
Wax
Goliath
Ouroborous
Tetris
Agadez
Cygnus
Aberinkula
Drunkship
Asilos
Miranda
Baphomets

Yeah the Paris show was around 3 hours. Actually too long for my liking for their style of music. They were really good, but by the end I was just bored.

Red Lukin

What, they're playing Miranda now?!?!?

I really hope they do another US tour....and soon.

Pauk

Seeing them Thursday!

I expect to be bored by the end, but I plan on just sitting back and enjoying, don't think I'll venture anywhere near the front.

Hitch-Hiker

fowls wrote:

Seeing them Thursday!

I expect to be bored by the end, but I plan on just sitting back and enjoying, don't think I'll venture anywhere near the front.

Good plan. I started at the front but I couldn't hear the vocals. Guess that depends on the different sound at different venues though. Also, being at the back ensures a quick exit if you get too bored.

DaytimeDilemma

Red Lukin wrote:

What, they're playing Miranda now?!?!?

I really hope they do another US tour....and soon.

Um...they are.

Pauk

Hitch-Hiker wrote:

Good plan. I started at the front but I couldn't hear the vocals. Guess that depends on the different sound at different venues though. Also, being at the back ensures a quick exit if you get too bored.

I'll be with a hardcore MV fan so I doubt escape will be an option
The venue they're playing in manchester is an old theatre, so has pretty damn good acoustics.