View Single Post
vforvicarious
07-28-2009, 07:31 AM

I saw em last night for the very first time and was....disappointed.



Lemme start out by saying that Tool is prolly my fave band ever. I have spend the last nine years memorizing the lyrics to just about song of theirs, so needless to say when I heard the opening notes of Jambi I was ready to go.



Adam, Danny, and Justin were great, they were focused, but still loose enough to allow the music breathing room and just let it overtake your senses completely. And they looked like they were having fun and engaged. However, I thought their instruments were turned up way too loud. I saw NIN in the same venue last year and I was right up against the barricade like I was last night and I thought the sound was perfect.



But like I said, I was disappointed, and that came down to one thing. One bright, glaring thing......Maynard. I have idolized Maynard. I think he's the best lyricist in music today and have spent hours analyzing his lyrics. But last night it was like he wasn't even there. He couldn't be bothered to take off his sunglasses or sing directly facing a paying audience. He'd either sing with his side to us or his back to us. But the absolute worst part was his vocals. For one, they were extremely mumbled and turned down way low. He alternated between a traditional mic and this megaphone type thingy and I couldn't hear shit between the two of them. But what I did hear was crap. I'm trying to sing along to Stinkfist and in some spots he's changing the words around to random gibberish. He even skipped an entire verse! And at the end of the night, he said "Thanks for coming out" and walked off while the other three guys riled up the audience and threw out drum sticks, guitar picks, water bottles, and generally seemed humbled and appreciative of the sold out arena's love for them.



This has led me to a terrible conclusion that I never thought I'd ever find myself thinking. Namely that Maynard is the weakest link in Tool. I think he's finally let the fame and accolades go to his head where he's thinking he's too big for Tool and he can act any way he wants to just because of who he is. 10,000 Days was nowhere near as deep or insighftul as Lateralus, even though the music on that record was probably the best on any Tool record. I would not be surprised if their next album takes a sharp decline in quality because of Maynard's ego.



Last Friday night, Marilyn Manson put on the very best show I have ever seen. Yes, he's a pretentious, egotistical artist like Maynard, but he seemed there, he was focused, and YOU COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GODDAMN FUCK HE WAS SAYING!!!! I honestly thought for a moment that Tool would unseat Manson's short lived reign as "Best Show I've Ever Seen", but they didn't even come close. Hell, last Linkin Park show I was at was better than this Tool show.
Old 07-28-2009, 07:31 AM   #21
Level 1 - Lurker
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Gawgia
Posts: 2
Bincount™: 0
Re: 07.27.09 - Duluth, GA @ Gwinnett Arena

I saw em last night for the very first time and was....disappointed.



Lemme start out by saying that Tool is prolly my fave band ever. I have spend the last nine years memorizing the lyrics to just about song of theirs, so needless to say when I heard the opening notes of Jambi I was ready to go.



Adam, Danny, and Justin were great, they were focused, but still loose enough to allow the music breathing room and just let it overtake your senses completely. And they looked like they were having fun and engaged. However, I thought their instruments were turned up way too loud. I saw NIN in the same venue last year and I was right up against the barricade like I was last night and I thought the sound was perfect.



But like I said, I was disappointed, and that came down to one thing. One bright, glaring thing......Maynard. I have idolized Maynard. I think he's the best lyricist in music today and have spent hours analyzing his lyrics. But last night it was like he wasn't even there. He couldn't be bothered to take off his sunglasses or sing directly facing a paying audience. He'd either sing with his side to us or his back to us. But the absolute worst part was his vocals. For one, they were extremely mumbled and turned down way low. He alternated between a traditional mic and this megaphone type thingy and I couldn't hear shit between the two of them. But what I did hear was crap. I'm trying to sing along to Stinkfist and in some spots he's changing the words around to random gibberish. He even skipped an entire verse! And at the end of the night, he said "Thanks for coming out" and walked off while the other three guys riled up the audience and threw out drum sticks, guitar picks, water bottles, and generally seemed humbled and appreciative of the sold out arena's love for them.



This has led me to a terrible conclusion that I never thought I'd ever find myself thinking. Namely that Maynard is the weakest link in Tool. I think he's finally let the fame and accolades go to his head where he's thinking he's too big for Tool and he can act any way he wants to just because of who he is. 10,000 Days was nowhere near as deep or insighftul as Lateralus, even though the music on that record was probably the best on any Tool record. I would not be surprised if their next album takes a sharp decline in quality because of Maynard's ego.



Last Friday night, Marilyn Manson put on the very best show I have ever seen. Yes, he's a pretentious, egotistical artist like Maynard, but he seemed there, he was focused, and YOU COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GODDAMN FUCK HE WAS SAYING!!!! I honestly thought for a moment that Tool would unseat Manson's short lived reign as "Best Show I've Ever Seen", but they didn't even come close. Hell, last Linkin Park show I was at was better than this Tool show.
OFFLINE |