Item one:
In the thirty or so years since the advent of thrash metal
there have been countless shows performed in a variety of locales and
venues. You would think that in that
time, someone would have figured out how to mix a show that attendees could actually
hear and comprehend. Instead of crisp,
rapid-fire riffing and screaming minor-scale solos, all anyone can hear (feel)
is pounding drum beats stabbing through a wall of incoherent din. If I didn’t already know what Burnt Offerings
sounded like, I wouldn’t have been able to suss it out of the background
noise. Just because your amp head can go
to eleven it doesn’t mean that’s the only setting you should ever use. It’s no wonder more people aren’t into thrash
metal. It does all sound the same live:
an amorphous mass of distortion.
That’s a real shame because I got to see Alex Skolnick on
Saturday, whom I’ve been a fan of for nearly a quarter century since I
initially heard him on Testament’s Practice What You Preach. I’ve followed his career through four acts
and shifting styles. He was probably
really good. He is on recordings and in
the past when I’ve seen him with his jazz group.
I guess I’ll just have to read his autobiography, Geek to
Guitar Hero, to get my Skol fix.
http://geektoguitarhero.com/
Item two:
How did people enjoy concerts before smart phones? Was it ever even possible to watch and listen
to a band and enjoy the show without texting or live tweeting the event? Were human beings ever able to form memories
on their own before they could record poor-quality video with inaudible audio
of the event on a handheld device?
Examples follow.
Notice in some of these shots you can see people recording people
recording. How meta!
After watching those, it was almost like you weren’t even
there.
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