Wolfmother - Tonhalle Munich 29th January 2010
Andrew Stockdale
Setlist: Dimension / Cosmic Egg / California Queen / New Moon Rising / Woman / White Unicorn / Colossal / Apple Tree / White Feather / Far Away / Sundial / Back Round / 10,000 Feet / In The Castle // Vagabond / Joker & The Thief
I was shocked when I looked back to see what date I’d last seen Wolfmother: 11th November 2006. That’s just over three years ago! Back then, the setlist looked like this: Dimension / Pyramid / Apple Tree / White Unicorn / Love Train / Woman / Mind’s Eye // Colossal / Joker And The Thief. Not that different to what they played tonight, if am being honest… but I don’t mean that in a bad way; those songs from the first album are cracking tunes and I was glad to hear them played live again. In fact, I would have liked it just fine if they had also slotted in Pyramid and Mind’s Eye as well.
I was shocked when I looked back to see what date I’d last seen Wolfmother: 11th November 2006. That’s just over three years ago! Back then, the setlist looked like this: Dimension / Pyramid / Apple Tree / White Unicorn / Love Train / Woman / Mind’s Eye // Colossal / Joker And The Thief. Not that different to what they played tonight, if am being honest… but I don’t mean that in a bad way; those songs from the first album are cracking tunes and I was glad to hear them played live again. In fact, I would have liked it just fine if they had also slotted in Pyramid and Mind’s Eye as well.
Before the gig, I was a little perturbed for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I wasn’t entirely sure where the gig was being held. Originally, it had been advertised at a place called The Backstage. Then, it sold out and a second date was added at the same venue. By the time I got to one of the ticket outlets, it was too late, I couldn’t get a ticket as they sold out almost immediately. I tried all the places I could think of in Munich, but it was the same story everywhere I went. Eventually, I bought a ticket on eBay, for well above the face value. I wasn’t too worried about that though, I’d got my Bruce Springsteen ticket at half face value, so I figured that it was swings and roundabouts; at least I had a ticket! When it came, I saw that it said it was at the Tonhalle. I couldn’t confirm that it was at the Tonhalle, even on the day of the gig, which was a problem, as the two venues are on opposite sides of the city. Still, The Backstage wasn’t listing, so I made my way to the Kultfabrik (the site of a complex of clubs and locations suitable for live music, including one of my favourites, the The Metropolis) trudging through the quite heavy snowfall and enduring the sub-zero temperatures of a January in Munich.
The Tonhalle, is a medium-sized hall, somewhere around a thousand capacity mark, comparable in my experience to Manchester’s Academy 1, and easily twice the size of The Backstage. On this cold, snowy night, everyone was wrapped up in their warm coats and the queue was quite long by the time I got there. One thing was for sure, there was something going and I caught a glimpse of someone’s ticket and saw that it said Wolfmother, so I joined the line, relieved that I was, at least, in the correct place.
Security people were frisking the punters, for God only knows what, as it was impossible to determine what people had on them, given the fact that everyone was layered up against the bitterly cold weather. Still, I chose the young girl and let her pat me down, although she completely missed my camera, which was secreted in an inner pocket of my Jack Wolfskin fleece. She did find both of my phones, my wallet, and a pack of tissues, but never queried what the bulges were. Maybe she just liked laying her hands on people; I did! I showed my ticket at the door and made for the Garderobe (Cloakroom) and stood in yet another line for a half an hour, waiting to hand over my 2€ and get rid of the continental quilt I was wearing.
Of course, dressing for the outdoors means that, once you get inside, you start sweating like a bastard. Normally, the Tonhalle, is not exactly cold, but wearing a fleece is a good idea in winter, unless you’re going to go into the thick of it, right down the front, where it can be a bit warm and intimate. I hadn’t seen the place so packed before; this was definitely a sold-out show, no doubt about it. I went and got myself a Helles and wandered down the left-hand side of the hall, staking a place at the side near the front. It was unlikely that I would enjoy the support act, I rarely do, and shortly after they appeared, I went for a smoke; freezing my nuts off outside was preferable to having my ears assaulted by the bunch of ham ‘n’ eggers cluttering up the stage. I don’t know what they were called, but they were obviously a buy-on, as no-one could seriously have put them on the bill out of choice – money must have changed hands. Eventually, after another Helles, or maybe even two to numb the pain of the support bland, the lights went down and the familiar opening of Dimension boomed into the room.
Now, a minor digression is needed before I continue…
The first Wolfmother CD was astonishing in its quality and power. The notorious ‘difficult’ second album syndrome was always going to arise. However, Andrew Stockdale rather complicated matters by firing the other two members of the band after the initial album/tour. When I saw them three years ago they were superb. The power trio format just makes me moist and they did it beautifully, with the bass player doubling-up on keyboards where necessary. Whilst it was always, without question, Stockdale’s band, I did question how changing 66.6% of the group would affect the second CD, not to mention the live performance. Just listening to Cosmic Egg answers the first question quite quickly. The difficult second album usually comes down to the fact that you now have expectations that were not present with the first recording. When the debut release is so strong, the follow-up has to be that much better; just as good will not do. Cosmic Egg carries on the style of the first CD but adds just enough to convince you that there is growth and progress. In terms of the live performance, turning the trio into a quartet, gives the band a different sound, with bass and a second guitar to give the sound a little more thump. It isn’t necessarily better, but it is different. I suppose you could even look at it and say that Stockdale has circumvented the second album pitfalls by releasing another first album, the only common factor being him.
Whatever the ins and outs of all that, the end result is that they were bloody good. Opening with Dimension was a smart move that pulled the audience in immediately. Thereafter, three new tunes, four old tunes, and back to new stuff. Clever setlist structure keeps everyone interested and if you don’t know the new songs too well, you don’t have long to wait for something to sing along to. All in all, a very well-balanced set, performed by a tight band with a very distinctive focal point. A most enjoyable gig and I am unable to fault it. Of course, if you subscribe to my theory that Cosmic Egg is another first album, rather than a second one, that would make the next release the difficult second?!
No need to worry, we’re still living in Colossal times.
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
1st February 2010
The Tonhalle, is a medium-sized hall, somewhere around a thousand capacity mark, comparable in my experience to Manchester’s Academy 1, and easily twice the size of The Backstage. On this cold, snowy night, everyone was wrapped up in their warm coats and the queue was quite long by the time I got there. One thing was for sure, there was something going and I caught a glimpse of someone’s ticket and saw that it said Wolfmother, so I joined the line, relieved that I was, at least, in the correct place.
Security people were frisking the punters, for God only knows what, as it was impossible to determine what people had on them, given the fact that everyone was layered up against the bitterly cold weather. Still, I chose the young girl and let her pat me down, although she completely missed my camera, which was secreted in an inner pocket of my Jack Wolfskin fleece. She did find both of my phones, my wallet, and a pack of tissues, but never queried what the bulges were. Maybe she just liked laying her hands on people; I did! I showed my ticket at the door and made for the Garderobe (Cloakroom) and stood in yet another line for a half an hour, waiting to hand over my 2€ and get rid of the continental quilt I was wearing.
Of course, dressing for the outdoors means that, once you get inside, you start sweating like a bastard. Normally, the Tonhalle, is not exactly cold, but wearing a fleece is a good idea in winter, unless you’re going to go into the thick of it, right down the front, where it can be a bit warm and intimate. I hadn’t seen the place so packed before; this was definitely a sold-out show, no doubt about it. I went and got myself a Helles and wandered down the left-hand side of the hall, staking a place at the side near the front. It was unlikely that I would enjoy the support act, I rarely do, and shortly after they appeared, I went for a smoke; freezing my nuts off outside was preferable to having my ears assaulted by the bunch of ham ‘n’ eggers cluttering up the stage. I don’t know what they were called, but they were obviously a buy-on, as no-one could seriously have put them on the bill out of choice – money must have changed hands. Eventually, after another Helles, or maybe even two to numb the pain of the support bland, the lights went down and the familiar opening of Dimension boomed into the room.
Now, a minor digression is needed before I continue…
The first Wolfmother CD was astonishing in its quality and power. The notorious ‘difficult’ second album syndrome was always going to arise. However, Andrew Stockdale rather complicated matters by firing the other two members of the band after the initial album/tour. When I saw them three years ago they were superb. The power trio format just makes me moist and they did it beautifully, with the bass player doubling-up on keyboards where necessary. Whilst it was always, without question, Stockdale’s band, I did question how changing 66.6% of the group would affect the second CD, not to mention the live performance. Just listening to Cosmic Egg answers the first question quite quickly. The difficult second album usually comes down to the fact that you now have expectations that were not present with the first recording. When the debut release is so strong, the follow-up has to be that much better; just as good will not do. Cosmic Egg carries on the style of the first CD but adds just enough to convince you that there is growth and progress. In terms of the live performance, turning the trio into a quartet, gives the band a different sound, with bass and a second guitar to give the sound a little more thump. It isn’t necessarily better, but it is different. I suppose you could even look at it and say that Stockdale has circumvented the second album pitfalls by releasing another first album, the only common factor being him.
Whatever the ins and outs of all that, the end result is that they were bloody good. Opening with Dimension was a smart move that pulled the audience in immediately. Thereafter, three new tunes, four old tunes, and back to new stuff. Clever setlist structure keeps everyone interested and if you don’t know the new songs too well, you don’t have long to wait for something to sing along to. All in all, a very well-balanced set, performed by a tight band with a very distinctive focal point. A most enjoyable gig and I am unable to fault it. Of course, if you subscribe to my theory that Cosmic Egg is another first album, rather than a second one, that would make the next release the difficult second?!
No need to worry, we’re still living in Colossal times.
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
1st February 2010