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samojed
09-13-2007, 07:20 PM

A quality show. 95 minutes of bliss and inspiration. They were in a far better form last year, but still, this comes as my third best Tool concert and I was quite pleased with it.

The band has their good and bad days, but they never fail to deliver, so the quality of a show usually depends on MJK's performance. Luckily, he was in a good mood in Belgrade and even addressed the crowd three times (Hell, that's a first!), which is way more talkative than his usual self. He said 'good evening' before and after Jambi, and before Vicarious, apart from the usual goodbye, he went on to say a few sentences that he ended with 'peace.' Too bad I didn't understand what exactly he said. He also said 'Hopefully we will see you... soon,' which, unfortunately, is not very likely to happen at all, let alone any time soon.

The vocals were deep in the mix, but I could still hear it well, though I was standing relatively close to the stage. He didn't push himself too much and his performance was surely not what it used to be a few years ago, but he definitely wasn't slacking off either. We got the scream in Flood and all the parts he was supposed to sing, apart from the Vicarious closure when he, as usual, just turned the mic towards the crowd. We still got the "much better you than I" part though:) All in all, the singing was beautiful and I was quite happy with it.

The overall mix was very good from the very start, which was nice to hear. Apart from Adam, for whom you can't really ever tell what he feels like, the band seemed to be in a really good mood and appreciate the crowd, especially Justin, always smiling at people and saying cheers when he got a beer (though he did get pissed off by something at one point at the end of some of the earlier songs). As a result, after Schism, Adam and Justin went into Lost Keys (yesss!), though it wasn't the usual part of the setlist. However, you could tell that they didn't play it in a while, 'cause it didn't go smoothly. Justin occasionally had problems maintaining the feedback, and by the end of it, Danny went into Rosetta a beat too soon. That was a funny sight:) Adam then got closer,
dead calm and serious as always and with and intent look, repeated the riff, and then Rosetta started properly and everyone smiled at this goof:) Definitely a cool moment! I love that song, it works awesome live when played with that intro!

Schism sounded great as well, but a personal highlight for me was definitely Flood! It was awesome seeing that one again! It sounded really fresh, just like Swamp Song last year. The intro was unbelievably heavy and well-rehearsed! Loved that one to bits. I was surprised most of the crowd didn't know the song. That was the most silent moment in the audience during the show and the all the girls screaming when Lateralus kicked in.

Another favourite was a moment during Stinkfist: a girl singing the "show me that you love me" part and then smooching her boyfriend, surely unaware of the anal motif in the song, lol! I also liked the fact that Danny had to change the snare - that's how badly he beat it, haha! He was awesome as always! Him and Justin playing make an awesome sight!

The crowd was excellent! Maybe not in terms of cheering and singing along (and I don't really care about that), but definitely in terms of appreciating the band and music and keeping relatively calm. Everywhere else where I've seen the band, you just can't stand still in front of the stage because of a bunch of dorks trying to mosh and jump around, tripping they're on a metal show or something. In Belgrade, only a couple of people did that and only occasionally, so I could really enjoy the performance from a few meters from the stage without moving around or pushing and struggling to stay on my feet. That was one of the pleasant surprises of the evening for me.

Two things changed from the last European tour that I din't like too much. They didn't bring all the equipment they had, and I think the visuals would have been so much better if the UFO reflectors, white floor and background, and the mirrors for reflections were still there. Also, during intermission by the end of the show, they nowadays retreat offstage, while they used to simply sit on Maynard's podium and rest together in front of the crowd, so that we could all savour and appreciate the moment together. That was so much cooler and spontaneous, natural. A break, yet a part of the show that I always liked. Too bad they didn't do it that way in Belgrade.

Overall, the show was excellent. They can do better, but it was excellent still because it was their best at the moment. I'm really happy I could see Tool in my own country and with my own friends finally, as well as to witness one of their last shows in a long while. Let's just hope it's not gonna be too long.
Old 09-13-2007, 07:20 PM   #15
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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Re: 2007/09/05 - Belgrade, Serbia - Pionir Hall

A quality show. 95 minutes of bliss and inspiration. They were in a far better form last year, but still, this comes as my third best Tool concert and I was quite pleased with it.

The band has their good and bad days, but they never fail to deliver, so the quality of a show usually depends on MJK's performance. Luckily, he was in a good mood in Belgrade and even addressed the crowd three times (Hell, that's a first!), which is way more talkative than his usual self. He said 'good evening' before and after Jambi, and before Vicarious, apart from the usual goodbye, he went on to say a few sentences that he ended with 'peace.' Too bad I didn't understand what exactly he said. He also said 'Hopefully we will see you... soon,' which, unfortunately, is not very likely to happen at all, let alone any time soon.

The vocals were deep in the mix, but I could still hear it well, though I was standing relatively close to the stage. He didn't push himself too much and his performance was surely not what it used to be a few years ago, but he definitely wasn't slacking off either. We got the scream in Flood and all the parts he was supposed to sing, apart from the Vicarious closure when he, as usual, just turned the mic towards the crowd. We still got the "much better you than I" part though:) All in all, the singing was beautiful and I was quite happy with it.

The overall mix was very good from the very start, which was nice to hear. Apart from Adam, for whom you can't really ever tell what he feels like, the band seemed to be in a really good mood and appreciate the crowd, especially Justin, always smiling at people and saying cheers when he got a beer (though he did get pissed off by something at one point at the end of some of the earlier songs). As a result, after Schism, Adam and Justin went into Lost Keys (yesss!), though it wasn't the usual part of the setlist. However, you could tell that they didn't play it in a while, 'cause it didn't go smoothly. Justin occasionally had problems maintaining the feedback, and by the end of it, Danny went into Rosetta a beat too soon. That was a funny sight:) Adam then got closer,
dead calm and serious as always and with and intent look, repeated the riff, and then Rosetta started properly and everyone smiled at this goof:) Definitely a cool moment! I love that song, it works awesome live when played with that intro!

Schism sounded great as well, but a personal highlight for me was definitely Flood! It was awesome seeing that one again! It sounded really fresh, just like Swamp Song last year. The intro was unbelievably heavy and well-rehearsed! Loved that one to bits. I was surprised most of the crowd didn't know the song. That was the most silent moment in the audience during the show and the all the girls screaming when Lateralus kicked in.

Another favourite was a moment during Stinkfist: a girl singing the "show me that you love me" part and then smooching her boyfriend, surely unaware of the anal motif in the song, lol! I also liked the fact that Danny had to change the snare - that's how badly he beat it, haha! He was awesome as always! Him and Justin playing make an awesome sight!

The crowd was excellent! Maybe not in terms of cheering and singing along (and I don't really care about that), but definitely in terms of appreciating the band and music and keeping relatively calm. Everywhere else where I've seen the band, you just can't stand still in front of the stage because of a bunch of dorks trying to mosh and jump around, tripping they're on a metal show or something. In Belgrade, only a couple of people did that and only occasionally, so I could really enjoy the performance from a few meters from the stage without moving around or pushing and struggling to stay on my feet. That was one of the pleasant surprises of the evening for me.

Two things changed from the last European tour that I din't like too much. They didn't bring all the equipment they had, and I think the visuals would have been so much better if the UFO reflectors, white floor and background, and the mirrors for reflections were still there. Also, during intermission by the end of the show, they nowadays retreat offstage, while they used to simply sit on Maynard's podium and rest together in front of the crowd, so that we could all savour and appreciate the moment together. That was so much cooler and spontaneous, natural. A break, yet a part of the show that I always liked. Too bad they didn't do it that way in Belgrade.

Overall, the show was excellent. They can do better, but it was excellent still because it was their best at the moment. I'm really happy I could see Tool in my own country and with my own friends finally, as well as to witness one of their last shows in a long while. Let's just hope it's not gonna be too long.
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