This year introduced the element of the unknown in a different layout at Bluesfest. Who knows if we would have a rocking good time on the first night out which is usually fraught with logistical issues?
Vero and I headed down to Bluesfest and ended up at the main gate in the lineup from Hell…I would say we would need to wait another 30 minutes before getting in. Luckily Vero discovered a few other entry points that had opened up on the North side so we managed to get in without too much fuss (although it took a few minutes for their scanners to scan my ticket).
I’m going to speak of some logistical issues later, but I figure I should tell you a little bit about the bands.
The Flaming Lips are a band that I really don’t know all that well. I know they’ve been around for quite some time and have quite the fan following as well as a solid live show. The live show did not disappoint in terms of theatrics…Wayne coming out into the crowd in a giant bubble while confetti is thrown everywhere and girls dressed as Dorothy (Oz) dance on the sidelines. I also thoroughly enjoyed the camera which was attached to the microphone which gave us an interesting view of the singer while he was speaking! Overall, I thought their show was energetic, but I didn’t really click with the music and the logistics of Bluesfest were a little daunting to me.
As for Soundgarden, I’m going to have my friend Andre add his review as he is a uber-fan, but I will say this…excellent, excellent concert and it threw Bluesfest into overdrive on the first night. The band is in top shape considering they haven’t been around for 14 years. Chris Cornell can still wail and Matt Cameron is always one of my fave drummers. I will leave Andre to speak about the rest.
Some logistics:
First up, the lineups were ridonculous when coming into the event around 6:45PM. People have told us that there were two lineups in the front…one for ticket holders and one for those who have to pick up. We were still in the ticket holder lineup and it easily would have been 30 minutes if we didn’t move.
The lack of water stations is crap in my opinion especially after having some for the past few years. Water is a necessity, is it not? I bet you’ll save a lot of people from heat exhaustion. I have a feeling that Government funding for the festival was a big addition in the past few years (water stations, Byward Market concerts) but I am going to assume that funding (some or all?) was cut and that’s why we don’t get the perks. To have to seek out the sole water fountain on the premises was a large strike iour eyes. Even if I drink the beer!
I didn’t mind the sound bleed between stages but have heard it was mainly in the rear stages (Subway and Hard Rock). The only time I noticed it was when Soundgarden were between songs. It would be totally different if the sound bleed was DURING the set and affecting my viewing of it…I remember Rush overpowering the Swell Season. That was ridiculous. But in my personal opinion, the sound bleed did not affect me.
The layout…I’m undecided at this point…I was really upset with it when coming in for the first while but when Soundgarden started up I felt that I was still the same distance that I usually am in past years; at the ‘left speaker, third three from the stage’ AND I had a lot more room to maneuver AND it wasn’t that hard for me to hop out and get a drink. If I had the choice, I would choose the old layout, but for the time being, I need a few extra days of rocking to come to a decision. I know for a fact that Andre was quite smart in going to the right side of the stage for Soundgarden, whereas I was trying to figure out a spot that would be to be at each night. Not sure if I want to always sway from one extreme (left of Claridge) to the other (right of MBNA) each night.
So all in all, the first hour was crap but Soundgarden and my excellent spot and some beers made me get over alot of the growing pains.
Setlist:
Black Rain
Searching With My Good Eye Closed
Let Me Drown
Spoonman
Jesus Christ Pose
My Wave
The Day I Tried to Live
Blow Up the Outside World
Hunted Down
Ugly Truth
Fell on Black Days
Burden in My Hand
Black Hole Sun
Rusty Cage
Outshined
Beyond the Wheel
Encore:
Loud Love
Superunknown
Slaves & Bulldozers
- Encore: