I was at the Springfield Va show last night. My first time seeing Anathema, and Alcest too. The opener Mammifer was interesting, but I could've done without them (more on that later). Alcest was a considerable step up, and a couple of their songs really blew me away. They closed with a new song, to be released on the upcoming album... REALLY GOOD. Unfortunately the crowd kind of took away from that performance a bit. A couple of super obnoxious Hispanics found their way next to me and proceeded to have a really loud conversation. One of them then got out his phone to record, right in my line of sight. That was the last straw for me, and I had to push him away. Alcest played for about 1 hour 15 minutes, which wasn't too long, but satisfied me anyhow.
Then Anathema... While the two are technically 'co-headlining' it was clear who the crowd was there to see, and they really brought the energy. I was practically on the stage, as I was the first to arrive at the venue (funnily enough, I pulled in to find Vinny sitting on the curb talking on the phone), right between Vinny and Lee. As for the show itself... WOAH! Interestingly enough, the opening song was a little underwhelming, but every single piece after that blew me away. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I spent the hour and a half with nonstop goosebumps. Highlights from the show, SPOILERS if you don't want to know what songs were played (though, if you don't, you probably shouldn't be here anyways).
Lightning Song
Deep
Thin Air
Dreaming Light
Internal Landscapes
Closer
I honestly can't pick a favorite from these 6, as they were all flawless in my book.
Overall, my only complaint would be the length of the show. I really enjoyed Alcest, and wouldn't have shortened their show. But if they could have done the gig without Mammifer, both bands could have gotten an additional 15 minutes in. Still, what I did get was phenomenal. Sure, the setlist could have used a couple more tracks from Alternative 4 and Judgement, A Natural Disaster too for that matter. But I can't complain about any of the newer songs they chose to play. After the show I bought the Bluray DVD and got the booklet autographed by Vincent and Danny. I chatted a little with both too, and got a few pictures which I'd like to post at some point soon. Danny seemed a little hungry, so I gave him an apple! Both were incredibly generous, kind, and approachable. In a word: genuine. Can't wait for the album next year (which they mentioned during the show), and the next opportunity for me to see these guys live.
Venue: 9.5/10. It was small, cozy, and intimate as all get out. The sound was probably not perfect, but it was damn well close.
Mamiffer: 7/10. Really enjoyable, but like I said, I'd be perfectly happy to sacrifice their slot for 15 minutes more of Alcest and Anathema
Alcest: 10/10. Ignoring the issues with the crowd, I don't think I couldn've enjoyed Alcest more. The heavy parts were executed extremely well, and the rest put me in a trance.
Anathema: 15/10. nuff said.
Overall Experience: 11/10. Maybe the best live show of my life.
Topic: Anathema (Read 271513 times)
