March 18, 2009

So after gushing sweet nothings about Attack In Black several weeks ago, I finally had the opportunity to see them live during Soundwave week and was unusually disappointed. Not with their musicianship or indeed their nervous yet endearing mumblings throughout the set, merely that they didn’t play their ‘big’ songs. The ones they created videos for and thus lulled us into a deeper appreciation for them with. Their last album’s most obvious ‘hits’, the clear standouts, those songs you know the audience was busting to hear, were all noticeably absent. This is not the first time I have experienced this infuriating phenomenon. You hear about it often.

Sometimes the bands appear exhausted by their song’s immense popularity or troubled by the songs lack of relevance for them or their music, and these are all legitimate reasons for not liking a track, but to deny your paying audience of them…is, well, rude. Fuckers.

You know what else is crap? Bands that encourage excessive audience participation. Demanding people rise from their seats, squeal, jump, clap, Mexican-goddamn-Wave at their whim like some large scale, retarded game of Simon Says is balls.

I am engaging in your live performance the way I see fit, sirs. If I do not feel compelled to twirl about like a biddable twit during your set on my own accord, I won’t, and shan’t be nagged into doing so by your buoyant pleas. Leave me the fuck alone. That is all.