[Punk] Alkaline Trio Live

The announcement of an Alkaline Trio tour made me really excited, so I waited and waited until the Glasgow date was announced. Unfortunately that date never came, it was to a very small 4 date tour ending at the Liverpool Academy. Ticket in hands we took the 4 hour drive to the venue. First time I saw the trio it was at the QMU, and then twice more at the Barrowlands, so it was a welcome treat to see them play a QMU sized venue.

The Trio exploded on to the stage with Private Eye, merging straight in to Mercy Me seamlessly. At this point I was thinking that this may end up being a greatest hits set when something unexpected happened. "This ones for you, its called My Friend Liverpool", and the band burst in to My Friend Peter from their Asian Man Records days. This is one of my favourite songs, and I hadn't heard it live, so this made me a very happy bunny. The surprises didn't stop there with Warbrain (from the Rock Against Bush album) and Queen of Pain got their airing. The latter being an audible setlist change due to one fan's sign they had brought along. Midset Matt Skiba asks the audience "Does anyone know of an album called Goddammnit?", leading the band in to a furious version of Cop.

A call of "On you go Danny Kruger!" and the band started I was a Prayer, definately the one best songs Dan Andrino has written for the band. Also in the set was another Dan penned song for Crimson in the shape of The Poison, which on record is a barnbuster of a punk rock song, however the downtempo arrangement performed felt a little below standard.

The energy of the crowd dissipated during the bands cover of Lucretia, My Reflection by Sisters of Mercy, however this was quickly revived by an encore of Time to Waste in to Radio via an obscure cover of something that I can't for the life of me name!

All in all this was definately the best I have ever seen the Trio perform. The band looked like they were having 100% fun, Matt interacted more with the audience than usual and the setlist was top notch. Apart from a lack of Good Mourning material such as Emma and All On Black, at one and a half hours of music I am not complaining.

Setlist (not in 100% order):
Private Eye
Mercy Me
My Friend Peter
You've Got So Far To Go
Maybe I'll catch Fire
Cop
Warbrain
The Poison
I Lied My Face Off
I Was a Prayer
Lucreita, My Reflection (Sisters of Mercy Cover)
Deathbed
Burn
Crawl

Time To Waste
Unknown Cover
Radio

**Ghostsuit** · 28th February 2006, 6:26pm

Sounds like you had a cracking time, I've a feeling I saw them a thte Barrowland a few years back with Aprils Last Chance support but I might be getting confused.

DoNotResus · 28th February 2006, 6:57pm

Yeah, that was the Good Mourning tour, the night before Rancid. That was a good show, but this one was off the scale!

pANDAS Radio · 6th March 2006, 7:31pm

The Barrowlands show on the Good Mourning tour was utter pish, honestly. I know people who have been listening to the band since the Asian Man days who were bored shitless by how terrible they were that night.

m0nkeymafia · 6th March 2006, 7:43pm

The only time that I've seen them play a decent set was at the catty in 2000/2001, every other time they've been boring as hell

*blaine* · 6th March 2006, 7:49pm

you just made me jealous, that looks like an awesome list of songs, would love to here warbrain and my friend peter live

Baz · 7th March 2006, 1:01pm

they played My Friend Peter when they played the QMU. so if you were there like you said you woulda seen it then. just my tuppence

DoNotResus · 7th March 2006, 8:21pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baz

they played My Friend Peter when they played the QMU. so if you were there like you said you woulda seen it then. just my tuppence

To be absolutley honest, I wasn't a huge fan back then, so I couldn't really remember what songs were played etc... In fact, I even prefered the Snowdogs at that gig.. However after discovering them, I listened to everything by them i could lay my hands on and they are now one of my favourite bands in the planet. This being reinforced by the set I just reviewed.

Baz · 8th March 2006, 4:06pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoNotResus

In fact, I even prefered the Snowdogs at that gig...

*Charlie Parker* · 8th March 2006, 4:09pm

It's a crime that one of the few bands ever to write a song about PIs are so awful, why Chandler and his banjo are spinning in their grave

monkey star · 13th April 2006, 5:06pm

the cover you dont know might have been the tsol cover they did for the shite tony hawks record

Dec · 13th April 2006, 5:35pm

Or the Damned song they covered the first time they headlined the Barras, Wait For The Blackout.

Haha, I love the punker than thou posturing in this thread. Makes me chortle.

apunkyprincess · 13th April 2006, 8:11pm

i rather enjoy the cover of halloween theres somehting haunting about it.

Dec · 14th April 2006, 3:04am

Quote:

Originally Posted by apunkyprincess

i rather enjoy the cover of halloween theres somehting haunting about it.

Aye, it's one of the better Misfits covers around. Cause you know, it doesn't just go "We're a punk band, the Misfits were a punk band, let's play the whole thing note for note".

monkey star · 14th April 2006, 4:59pm

You need to thank good old mike park for that idea