可能有一些人跟我一樣，是從音速青春開始認識Broken Social Scene，記得當初看到pulp專業的圖文並茂演唱會review就覺得相當精采。因此雖然並非像許多文青朋友一般熱衷並且專精獨立搖滾，但08年錯過了台北場，這次新專輯暖身巡迴又正好有光臨LA，加上在喜愛的小場館票價才$26美金超佛心! 錯過真是有些可惜哩 :p
去年暑假Gomez的巡迴因為計畫回台灣看Nine Inch Nails因此自然是錯過了。所以得知今年初還會繼續新專輯A New Tide的宣傳而重回LA，早打定主意在第一時間買了票。
連續兩晚的週末演出票房似乎還ok，禮拜六的場次甚至sold out。活力十足的南加州揪團王rascal也幸運在最後一刻在莫名其妙買到了票(ticketmaster愛藏票也不是一兩天的事)，所以加上hsawn三人就開開心心的carpool同行前往LA市區的El Rey Theatre。
El Rey的內部裝潢和舊金山的The Fillmore有著相似的感覺，場館略小一些不過仍是相當精美舒適。由於我們三人相當散漫的先在Alhambra集合並享用了rascal煮失敗的羊排，因此就像隨性看表演的老美一般錯過了當天的暖場團The Little Ones。
Gomez登場後帶來相當不錯的set，新專輯的幾首搶耳曲目好比Little Pieces, Win Park Slope均未缺席，A New Tide也許不是他們的peak但仍維持相當良好的水準。綜觀整場演出，相信現場的樂迷都可以在她們的音樂中找到想聽的東西 (好比一張白紙去聽的rascal就很喜歡See the World這首)。我則是幸運的聽到了出自How We Operate這張當年被大大低估的優秀專輯開場曲Notice! 本來想說這首舊作出現在setlist的機率就是一半一半，加上過去又聽了太多back2back的演出，想聽的歌總是出現在第二天 orz 能夠終於聽到這首帶有Gomez特有溫暖的民謠作品，實在感到相當幸運。雖然現場歌迷聽到這首前奏的反應沒有預期熱烈，演唱的momentum也跟我的期待有小落差。也許這便是他們不常選擇場場演出的原因之一? (個人還是覺得相當動聽就是 :p)
一大早起床先驅車前往Century City和一個craiglist上賣票的傢伙碰面，一開始高速公路還算順暢，直到接上10號整個堵到不行。他上班的地點位在兩棟很壯觀的摩天大樓Century Plaza Towers(沒記錯的話)，停車超級貴的沒記錯20分鐘就要十幾塊美金，還好他可以幫我弄到一個小時的parking permit。才一個早上就見識到了LA恐怖的交通和高消費。
據說這家是全美GC的總店。姑且不論是否有此一說法，論規模日落大道這家真的比我去過的其他四間(San Francisco, San Jose, San Bernadino and Rancho Cucamonga)大上許多。而且別具特色的entrance更是和Hollywood中國戲院前那一片地磚相呼應!
Still remember the very first song I heard from them was This Modern Love. The guitar was beautiful (since I've been always want a Fender Telecaster.) And when it comes to the vocal, Kele did amazing job. Every words was so honest like coming from the bottom of the heart, simply catchy and outstanding. Then not to mention other hits from the album Silent Alarm. Although due to the military service restriction, I'm not that familiar with the second album. Yet their show won't disappointed me, even though the bassist Gordon is not able to join this tour. I'm so sure of that.
During the half an hour setting, me and Ashleigh kept on talking about the instruments on stage. Such as, “oh do you see Russell's Tele? So many cute stickers on the pickguard! man!......” Yeah almost crazy because we're so close to the stage and can see everything. Can't believe we're freaking close to a band like Bloc Party but not a small local band in town. I also found Matt's setlist stick onto the amp or something besides him. Yet it's too far so we can only tell there's about 10~15 songs, which is totally not enough!!
I don't know how to describe the excitement of the crowd. But After the first notes drop of Waiting For The 7.18, all we can do is enjoy it and follow the music. It's like Kele took us to somewhere that we've never been to. Just like Prince, Black can always have different touch in Rock, which is unique and with tension. Then is Hunting For Witches, one of my favorite from the second album. Russel's doing guitar effect, then Matt's solid drumming. The lyrics is also cool and full of attitude. Maybe Bloc Party can be categorized as some kind of post-punk/disco-punk band like other hypes, somehow the lyrics and attitude will be a lot different though. After the warm and sweet Blue Light comes their world famous single Banquet. I'm probably the only one who can't sing along really well, haha.
When people were getting a little tired, songs which is not so popular can just let us stop pushing and shoving then relax a bit. Then it's my personal favorite So Here We Are and This Modern Love, between them was the new single Mercury. Honestly, I dunno it's because the new song was pinch in between two of my Bloc Party favorites, or just because I'm still not that familiar with it, it seems mediocre to me. I mean there are not too much surprise in it, when you compares to Flux, one of my best single of 2007.(The music video is also EPIC!) Anyway, to see This Modern Love Live is really a dream come true. I've been watching it on Youtube and Austin City Limits' DVD for hundreds of times. It's better than in any recording. If it were not for I'm sweaty and stinky, it's a must-cry song for me lol.
The Encore, they perform 4 songs, which everyone was so familiar with it of course. Among the four songs, two of them totally showed us the crazy drumming from Matt. From the first verse of Positive Tension, you can easily found that every notes were so grooving with Kele's vocal, then layer by layer comes the chours, “Run run run run run run~”, amazing. Not to say the live got even better. Flux is so great with sharp tone of post-punk guitar and accelerated synth beats. I told Ashleigh that I love Kele's British accent in the final chours, “We need to Talk~” lol.
Finally is the Matt's drumming masterpieces Like Eating Glass and simply last song Helicopter. Frankly not only Ashleigh was disappointed with it when Kele's guitar splash (For she's hoping to hear Skeleton all night), I was also not satisfied with Helicopter as the ending song. Because there seems to be some problem without Gordon's bass or something. The chours was a bit empty though, which means it suddenly lost tension(especially it comes with such a killer guitar riff intro!). However, Like Eating Glass was too good and make everything worth it. I can say it's the best song of the night. Everyone was dragged into the music. So much passion and love stretching from the music. Absolutely moved me sooooo much.
Me and Ashleigh both bought a T-shirt after the gig. Too bad the new single was still unavailable, which Ashleigh want it badly. But she got Matt's setlist, which was found by me before the show lol. It's a pity that they skip some songs whcih I really want to hear like Pioneer. But anyway what a wonderful night! It's so great that I almost can't write something for it. Beyond the words, live magic is the best remedy for boring, suffer life =) I'm so lucky to have support from Ashleigh, especially we share same taste of music. She's so sweet and such a nice person. After all is the great Bloc Party, this is a couldn't be better start for a new life. Thank you guys.
