The life of me: June 2010

Ok, so this was a gig that was very eagerly anticipated for me. I adore Spoon, they are one of my favorite bands and they certainly did not disappoint. I had listened to them pretty much non stop for several weeks before the gig and could not wait to see them in such a great venue - its big enough to host international bands, yet intimate enough that you don't get lost in the crowd. I went with a few friends and ended up standing next to Phil from Grinspoon for most of the gig. Interesting as they were halfway through their Groove in the Moo roadtrip... anyway! To the gig! Playlist below:

Before Destruction
Nobody Gets Me But You
Small Stakes
Rhythm and Soul
The Beast and Dragon, adorer
Me and the Bean
The Ghost of you Lingers
Is Love Forever?
The Underdog
A Wolf Parade song I didn't know :)
Stay don't go
Don't you Evah
Don't Make me a Target
I Turn my Camera on
Eddie's Ragga
I Summon You
Got Nuffin
Trouble Comes Running
Black Like Me

Encore
Anything You Want
You Got Yr Cherry Bomb
Written in Reverse

This was probably one of the best live shows I've ever been to. Their sounds is unbelievably haunting and yet incredibly simple and flawless. They've been playing together for so long that they seem to mimic each other and can pull together Britt's self indulgent wanderings (which I normally never tolerate - I have a soft spot for Spoon) into a concise tune that moves right through you.

I really should have put down my thoughts right after the show. Listening to the songs now it's hard to remember that chilling feeling you get as the sound travels around the room - and that's what it feels like at a Spoon gig... during The Ghost of you Lingers, it felt like the sound was moving from one side of the room to another, rather than blasting out of the speakers in a traditional way. And then just as you get the shivers wondering how they make sound work like that, they move seamlessly into a classic pop tune like Trouble Comes Running. Lots of fun.

Their material has evolved over the years to such a standard that even amazing pieces like Finer Feelings and The Way we Get By are not included in their live sets -they didn't play and of their 'hits' the following day at Groove in the Moo in Bendigo either.

I felt they probably could have played a bit longer, but there is no denying that it was a solid set. I sometimes got a bit fed up when a 3 minute pop classic extended out to 10 minutes because of their faffing around, but they did keep this to a minimum compared to other times I've seen them play, so all in all, I was pretty happy for a few days following.

With the exception of Groove in the Moo, probably the worst festival in the history of the world, but that's another story.

Some photos: