Pendulum: Live at the Arches.

Let's be honest from the outset. I'm surrounded by wankers. If you've ever been to a gig in your life, you'll recognise the token wanker. Pissed up, pilled up, throwing him/herself into the back of your head with gay abandon, regardless of the fact there's no band playing, regardless of the fact that everyone is staring at them with bad intent, and displaying all the self preservation instinct of a Rangers fan in Coatbridge, with blue paint on, and nothing else. I'm surrounded by these bastards. And you know what? Fuck them.
I'm here to see Pendulum.

Although it's the first date on their first UK tour as a full band, Pendulum have an easy gig. Face it, they'd have to personally Dirty Sanchez every single audience member to the Benny Hill theme tune for this gig to be a disappointment, and even then most of the crowd would love it. This is at its most obvious when the vocalist gleefully announces that 'we'll recognise this'. What, that tune the Prodigy wrote and you added more drums to? Yes, yes we do thanks. Unfortunately for me, I'm sober, so to avoid disappointment, Pendulum had better be fucking amazing. Do they satisfy? Yes, just. Thank god.

Considering both the 'rockier' direction of the live show, and the standard of sound in the majority of Glasgow venues, most of the subtleties present in the music are lost to the void, meaning Pendulum have to rely on infectious tunes, heart-stopping bass and sheer fucking power.

They do enough, but no more. Sure they're tight (Enter Shikari - take fucking note), but some tiny thing is still missing that would lift this show from just good, to killer. They snarl, when they should roar. They maim, when they should kill. The same of course can't be said for the audience. When Pendulum say jump, they don't just jump, they attack with all the ferocity of an over-protective mother faced with a Maddie McAnn joke. This is living, violent proof that long term ecstasy use causes Schizophrenia, as the mass of people surrounding me don't know whether to dance, jump, mosh, or just fuck each other, and who can blame them? The night's flaws are minor, and insignificant when compared with the sheer excitement and energy given by a crowd who would kill to see Blood Sugar live and fucking dangerous.

By the end of the gig I am tired, my lip is bleeding, I am sweating more than I ever have in my life, and I'm surrounded by absolute wankers. The worst part is, I'm enjoying it, quite a lot.
Bastards.

Wreakin_Havok · 4th November 2007, 12:47am

Aye the place was full of rude arseholes and how enter shikari won best live band at the kerrang awards i dont know.

behind all the dance shite they're songs are musically very simple and after the amount of shows they've played they still cant play together.

AMillionScreams · 4th November 2007, 9:12am

Jeepers, no need to like, swear so much and some cringe worthy simile usuage...still, got the impression of the gig over well and it's not like you see me trying to do any better

Historic Bongo · 4th November 2007, 9:29pm

gig was top notch as far as I'm concerned

the sound was just the dogs and I was happy to go outside and have a smoke while still being able to hear them clear

Posh · 5th November 2007, 3:31pm

Hilarious review.

MarkMono · 5th November 2007, 6:02pm

Aye, bore little or no relation to the gig I was at.

Apart from the arseholes everywhere, but that occurs everywhere I go.

StuntGirl · 6th November 2007, 2:22pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wreakin_Havok

Aye the place was full of rude arseholes and how enter shikari won best live band at the kerrang awards i dont know.

behind all the dance shite they're songs are musically very simple and after the amount of shows they've played they still cant play together.

Totally didn't see you there, but why would I? I couldn't see a foot in front of me most of the night.

Awesome gig, weird crowd. The desire to punch fuck out of at least 70% of the people there was nigh on overwhelming, but given that I left the vicinity barely able to walk, sweating pure vodka and smelling like a jakey's armpit, I'm under absolutely no illusions that the feeling was probably mutual.

AMillionScreams · 6th November 2007, 11:49pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by StuntGirl

Totally didn't see you there, but why would I? I couldn't see a foot in front of me most of the night.

Awesome gig, weird crowd. The desire to punch fuck out of at least 70% of the people there was nigh on overwhelming, but given that I left the vicinity barely able to walk, sweating pure vodka and smelling like a jakey's armpit, I'm under absolutely no illusions that the feeling was probably mutual.

God, I fancy you just as much as the first day we met...where did it all go wrong???

StuntGirl · 7th November 2007, 5:09pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMillionScreams

God, I fancy you just as much as the first day we met...where did it all go wrong???

I don't think anything went wrong...wasn't I reeking of booze and incapable of unassisted walking for the first six months of knowing you? I thought that was my USP.

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