Dave Matthews - Manchester Academy 12th May 2006
Setlist: Bartender / Everyday / Satellite / Little Thing / Smooth Rider / American Baby / Stay or Leave / Crush / Save Me / Some Devil / Dancing Nancies / Gravedigger / So Damn Lucky // Sister / Tripping Billies / Ayhee /// Crash into Me
I have been trying to see Dave Matthews live for the last 8 years, ever since I discovered the wonderful Crash and Don’t Drink The Water CDs. However, getting tickets, especially here in the UK, for the few shows that he has done, is rather like being in debt – hopeless. Of course, being brits, the ‘Who is Dave Matthews?’ campaign a few years back, did nothing to further his cause here. Whoever came up with that strapline needs taking out at dawn and a good kicking delivered to their soft bits. Fercrissakes, we’re English, we don’t do things that way!
Last year, I was working in the US and tried to get tickets to a Randalls Island NY show; I couldn’t even get on the list, to get on the list, for a chance of being able to buy a ticket! So, the day the tickets went on sale at Manchester, I dispatched my eldest daughter, who happens to go to Manchester University, to buy me a ticket. Sorted!
Dave Matthews is a pretty unique character in the music business. No major label behind him, Dave and his organisation own all their own material, song and merch rights and refuse to succumb to the norm. The only other band I can actually think of that runs a similar operation, albeit on a smaller scale, is Marillion, another of my favourite acts.
In England, mention to someone that you are going to see Dave Matthews and 9 out of 10 faces will respond with an expression akin to that of a dog that has just been shown a card trick. No, really, 90% of people (maybe more), in the UK, are totally unaware of who he is, what he does, or what his music is like. So, I was a little surprised to find that Manchester Academy 1 had sold all of its 1800 tickets for his performance last Friday. The DM following is, obviously an underground movement, over here anyway!
I have been trying to see Dave Matthews live for the last 8 years, ever since I discovered the wonderful Crash and Don’t Drink The Water CDs. However, getting tickets, especially here in the UK, for the few shows that he has done, is rather like being in debt – hopeless. Of course, being brits, the ‘Who is Dave Matthews?’ campaign a few years back, did nothing to further his cause here. Whoever came up with that strapline needs taking out at dawn and a good kicking delivered to their soft bits. Fercrissakes, we’re English, we don’t do things that way!
Last year, I was working in the US and tried to get tickets to a Randalls Island NY show; I couldn’t even get on the list, to get on the list, for a chance of being able to buy a ticket! So, the day the tickets went on sale at Manchester, I dispatched my eldest daughter, who happens to go to Manchester University, to buy me a ticket. Sorted!
Dave Matthews is a pretty unique character in the music business. No major label behind him, Dave and his organisation own all their own material, song and merch rights and refuse to succumb to the norm. The only other band I can actually think of that runs a similar operation, albeit on a smaller scale, is Marillion, another of my favourite acts.
In England, mention to someone that you are going to see Dave Matthews and 9 out of 10 faces will respond with an expression akin to that of a dog that has just been shown a card trick. No, really, 90% of people (maybe more), in the UK, are totally unaware of who he is, what he does, or what his music is like. So, I was a little surprised to find that Manchester Academy 1 had sold all of its 1800 tickets for his performance last Friday. The DM following is, obviously an underground movement, over here anyway!
For some reason, the tickets had not been sent out by the promoter so everyone, who had bought tickets, had to queue up to collect them, before being able to queue to get inside. Surprisingly, this went very smoothly and I got inside about half way through the support act’s set. Even more unexpectedly, Dave appeared on stage at 20:39 to a huge roar from the Mancunians.
I had a decent spot about half way back and just wanted to soak up the atmosphere for a while, which was so thick you could have cut yourself a slice for later. I remained where I was through Bartender and Everyday, before moving down the left side to see if I could find a nice spot, for a bit of photography. On stage, Dave regaled us with a very funny tale about his kids’ swearing and the copious amount of sweat that was clearly soaking him through already. This definitely had the potential to be an awesome gig.
I had a decent spot about half way back and just wanted to soak up the atmosphere for a while, which was so thick you could have cut yourself a slice for later. I remained where I was through Bartender and Everyday, before moving down the left side to see if I could find a nice spot, for a bit of photography. On stage, Dave regaled us with a very funny tale about his kids’ swearing and the copious amount of sweat that was clearly soaking him through already. This definitely had the potential to be an awesome gig.
It was a nice little spot too… except for the loud-mouthed tart to my left who just would not shut the hell up. She was prattling at such volume, and at such length, that I couldn’t hear a lot of the banter coming from the stage. I decided that she probably was going to witter all through the show and made my way around to the opposite side of the stage. Normally, this is my preferred location at the Academy, but tonight it proved to be just as annoying as anywhere else in the building. The pair in front of me was a prime example. The bloke was obviously the fan; his girlfriend, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be very keen on the fact that someone else was getting all the attention and spent the entire evening facing away from the stage, trying to get him to take notice of her. Well, you say, that’s not a problem for you, is it? Yeah, it is when she is a six footer with a bloody huge pony tail that totally obliterated my view of the stage! The number of totally black photographs I have, thanks to her 33lb head, is more than the ones that came out all right. Don’t get me wrong, Dave was fantastic and his inter-song chat was very enjoyable; the setlist was excellent and hit all the right buttons.
The audience really pissed me off though and it isn’t the first time that a Manchester crowd has done that. A few years back, I went along to see Van Morrison and Bob Dylan and the Evening Nazi Arena and was appalled by the amount of talking during the show and the constant getting up to go to the bar/toilet. I just don’t understand such behaviour. Firstly, it’s bloody rude. Secondly, why spend £25 or £30 on a ticket to see someone and then spend the entire evening talking through the performance, or worse, getting so shitfaced you can’t remember anything the following day? I suppose what makes it more amazing, to me, is that you would expect an audience at a gig like this to be more refined, cultured, respectful of the artist, especially as UK gigs are about as rare as me getting a bonus from my employer. At a heavy metal gig, I can understand it. It’s metal. There is a much higher proportion of youngsters and fat, hairy, rock apes in attendance and, let’s face it, some heavy metal fans are not the sharpest knives in the box. Hell, some of them are struggling to evolve the powers of rational thought, never mind concert-going etiquette.
The audience really pissed me off though and it isn’t the first time that a Manchester crowd has done that. A few years back, I went along to see Van Morrison and Bob Dylan and the Evening Nazi Arena and was appalled by the amount of talking during the show and the constant getting up to go to the bar/toilet. I just don’t understand such behaviour. Firstly, it’s bloody rude. Secondly, why spend £25 or £30 on a ticket to see someone and then spend the entire evening talking through the performance, or worse, getting so shitfaced you can’t remember anything the following day? I suppose what makes it more amazing, to me, is that you would expect an audience at a gig like this to be more refined, cultured, respectful of the artist, especially as UK gigs are about as rare as me getting a bonus from my employer. At a heavy metal gig, I can understand it. It’s metal. There is a much higher proportion of youngsters and fat, hairy, rock apes in attendance and, let’s face it, some heavy metal fans are not the sharpest knives in the box. Hell, some of them are struggling to evolve the powers of rational thought, never mind concert-going etiquette.
In spite of all of the moans above, I did greatly enjoy seeing Dave Matthews perform and I do hope he comes back soon with some friends. Had I not been made redundant (yet again) last week, I would have also gone to the Birmingham show, but simply couldn’t afford the petrol, never mind the ticket.
For me, the high point of the evening was Crush/Save Me/Some Devil/Dancing Nancies/Gravedigger section of the show. This was simply awesome and contained most of my favourite DM songs. It was also great to hear Tripping Billies in the first encore and then, for an unexpected second encore, Crash. For sure, I would have loved to hear Don’t Drink The Water, Lie In Our Graves, Two Step, Proudest Monkey… I could go on and on… but, as always, even if he’d played twice as long, he would have still missed out someone’s favourite. No, the setlist was excellent, the performance was great and it was a relief to know that seeing him live was in no way a disappointment, as can happen when you build up your expectations over a long period of time.
Of course, the next step is to see DMB live which, hopefully, won’t take me another eight years.*
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
15th May 2006
* No, just about four years. Munich 2010 and Manchester 2010
For me, the high point of the evening was Crush/Save Me/Some Devil/Dancing Nancies/Gravedigger section of the show. This was simply awesome and contained most of my favourite DM songs. It was also great to hear Tripping Billies in the first encore and then, for an unexpected second encore, Crash. For sure, I would have loved to hear Don’t Drink The Water, Lie In Our Graves, Two Step, Proudest Monkey… I could go on and on… but, as always, even if he’d played twice as long, he would have still missed out someone’s favourite. No, the setlist was excellent, the performance was great and it was a relief to know that seeing him live was in no way a disappointment, as can happen when you build up your expectations over a long period of time.
Of course, the next step is to see DMB live which, hopefully, won’t take me another eight years.*
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
15th May 2006
* No, just about four years. Munich 2010 and Manchester 2010
About the photos...
Please. What you see is all there is. Dreadful view, tall people in front of me, loads of poseurs flailing their limbs...
Worst set of photos eeeeeever!
Sheesh!
Worst set of photos eeeeeever!
Sheesh!