Parlotones live @ Cresta! Mid May 2011

So a particularly fine, (not as chilly as usual but I still wore my beanie), Sunday night popped along and my cohorts and I went off to watch the Parlotones live at the Barnyard theater!!!
This was only my second live concert,, so I was interested to see what a local band could pull off compared to an international one with the force that Rammstein* had had!!

Please excuse the quality of these pics, they were taken on a cellphone by a very hyperactive Jo so they are not the star quality I like to deliver! *Head bowed*

*For the Rammstein blog:- http://sparkyjoadventure.blogspot.com/2011/02/rammstein-johannesburg-11-02-2011.html


We arrived at Cresta shopping center with time to spare! We were the very living definition of EAGER! We also found the official Parlotones cars and had some fun, fangirl moments, taking photos. I have no clue what type of car it was or if it's a luxury one or just a really, really shiny one but eh, details details. It's nice to see them having to park in with the rest of us! (Though I bet they didn't have to pay the cover charge!)


The entrance to the Barnyard theater. I meant to come back and take a better snapshot of the Parlie's poster but with one thing and another, mostly me talking, talking, talking, it got left behind. But if you super enlarge the pic, squint and chant rhythmically it should become clear! (Or you will hyperventilate, either way, new experience!)


Here is everyone milling about before the show starts. Half the folk had ordered pizzas and got them so soon I had a feeling they were ice cold by the time the show started. Everyone, bar one lass, was in jeans, and everyone, bar me, was in dark clothing like it was a funeral. (I had on a nice bright blue jumper that I thought rather fetching in a 'neon-blue-for-airplane-landing-strips' sort of way.)

Unlike Rammstein there was no air of anticipation which I thought was a bit daft! It's a concert! Music and good times! Where's your spirit people? But the only spirit I saw was in bottles. Almost everyone was calm and relaxed and almost a bit like they were going into a business meeting, but one that allowed food and beverage so it couldn't be that bad right? Ho hum.


A snap taken from my seat of the stage ahead. It's obviously still decorated for the 80's show that either was recently on, was currently on, or was about to come on. (Unlike many I was actually talking and getting excited and not staring at the posters in a 'I'm-bored-but-like-in-a-cool-way')

The sound check guy was most amusing! He'd try all the different instruments, very aware he had center stage but acting applaudingly calm. He'd then go to the microphones and say, "Test! 1, 2, testing! Yo! YO!!" Which was mildly alarming when you didn't expect it. He'd then make a bunch of random hand signals, either to someone in the loft above or to god, we never found out, and then move on to the next piece of equipment or disappear and reappear like the toy of a whimsical child.

Finally the concert started! And if you're looking at the above picture and going, "HUH?", yeah well my cellphone is not top of the range, it was the best pic I could get! *sulks*
I also got a few videos but the sound is ghastly, it makes you think you're in a rock n roll wind tunnel with the Hound of the Baskervilles wheezing away behind you, so me thinks it best not to post them!

But the concert was DYNAMITE!! We danced to every song, sang along (well close enough, there was some improvisation and ad-libbing but I don't think the band's heart was broken by it), and I had a total ball! The sound was excellent and the music fantastic! (Though after a while one song started to sound suspiciously like another...)

All in all it was really wonderful! And the small, slightly apathetic audience, at least meant we got to see the band full on and feel far more a part of the music then with Rammstein. So see? There are some pluses to going small and local!

Below I've included two links to two of my more favorite Parlotone songs! The first has a fantastic music video and was the song that hooked me onto the band! The second is just pretty and well worth a listen! Seriously give them a try, who knows, next time they come round I might see you there! ^_^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPo3KLZ4SpM


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUJ6rFtjzoM&feature=related

RAMMSTEIN JOHANNESBURG!! 11-02-2011

So Friday dawns and I’ve been up since 3.3am waiting and itching and over excited and ready!
Ready for RAMMSTEIN!!!

Eeeek!!!

Now see I didn’t know I was going to go until the very last week before the concert so when I realized I was going to go! Oh my! Excitement central!! I was actually annoying myself! (And probably a few other very diplomatic people…)

My partners in crime were Brendan and his sister Anthea, whose daughter had canceled and thereby freeing up a ticket and making me her eternal fan forever and ever or close enough!

The event was held at the Coca cola dome in North gate. I’d never been there so visiting it alone was mighty interesting. We didn’t even hit that much traffic there, which was really nice. Swimming upstream in crowds or trying to find parking on top of a tree isn’t one of those pearly memory moments.

Walking along to the concert we could pretty much tell who was going and who wasn’t. Not only by the fact that every second guy had a Rammstein shirt on, black of course but mostly by the phenomenal amount of black people were wearing in general. This turned out to be the colour of choice for pretty much 100% of the audience.

And yes, I wore a black dress, but at least it wasn’t jeans! The concert goers clothing of choice. AND I was the only brightly red head there, everyone else being bottle black or shades of brown and blonde and boring. So there!

Waiting was the worse part. Esp as we were trying to find a place to stand where we could actually see the stage! Of the three of us, Anthea was the shortest and guess who had every tall guy in the room standing in front of her? I swear she was an absolute magnet! Like she had a sign saying, “If you’re 6ft or taller please gather ahead of me”

The other thing that wasn’t kosher were the smokers. Geez they stank! Ciggies and weed! And no one offered me any! Um…. Which was a good thing! Kids, just say no!
But then the lights went down and the crowds roar went up!
The music built, the black curtain fell, and there they were RAMMSTEIN!!


[The opening of the Concert! Can they build tension or what? Those little lights all over the place? That's people filming with their cellphones! The 80's had people swaying lighters above their heads, we have blackberries!]

OH
MY
WORD!!!

Did they deliver?! Awesome pounding music (that didn’t rip your ears to shreds), flames, fireworks and a vibe that went right down to your bones!!!


We didn’t stop moving and bouncing along for the entire show! Magnificent!! I’ve never shouted that loud ever!!!
[Pyromaniacs rule!]
[Yes, that's a flamethrower!!]
[Just W O W!!]

[Because you deserve it! Enjoy!]


When it was over we ended up leaving, dazzed and confused, like refugees who sort of got used to being squashed in the dingy. We were dripping with sweat from the dancing and flames, we were tired, we were groggy and we were elated!! HOW FRIKKING AWESOME WAS THAT?!!!

I only have two complaints:-
1. The show was too short! Only an hour and a half! I was hoping it would be a full 3 hours. Boo!
2. For a first concert, that’s set my bar pretty damn high for what I expect from now on! How will anyone else hope to compare?!!

So next time they come round to South Africa, who wants to go with me?! ^_-