When I heard Garbage were doing a ‘comeback’ tour promoting their new album ‘Not Your Kind Of People’ I knew I had to attend. It is the first new material in 7 years from this electrifying rock band and the first album on their record label STUNVOLUME.
Not surprisingly, tickets sold out in a flash, which meant I missed out. However, those who know me well appreciate my determination, especially when it comes to live music. Reluctant to accept defeat, I went on a mission to score tickets. For two and a half months, I searched E-bay, ticket outlets, put the word out on the street, and monitored Craigslist. A day before the concert (3 days after my 26th birthday) still no luck. Aagh!
However, maybe there is a music God (I envision a mixture of Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin) because at 4.00am on Tuesday the 28th of May I woke up for no apparent reason. I gave the creepy Craigslist another scan. Someone posted that Ticketmaster had just released extra tickets. I rubbed my eyes. Wishful thinking or dreaming? I seemed to be conscious so logged onto the website and scored a ticket. Yes! There was no way to get back to sleep so in celebration, I plugged earphones into the computer and my party of one rocked to Garbage until the sun rose!
After picking up the ticket from Sunrise Records I expected to attend the concert solo. I’m used to this since travelling, but for a Garbage concert it didn’t feel right. My sister, Mary Jane back in Australia should have been with me. Last time I got turned on by Shirley Manson and the Garbage crew live Mary Jane was by my side singing, moshing, dancing and rocking out. Super excited to be going to the concert there would something special missing.
I ended up meeting up with a new friend for a few drinks before the show. After great conversation, he decided to try his luck buying tickets out the front to come with me. Part of me was nervous because being new friends he’d witness a different side to me. ‘I can come off a little crazy at gigs,’ I warned him. He managed to buy a ticket and proved he is just as crazy when it comes to rocking out to live music — although no one can take the place of my sister!
The sold out concert meant people covered every inch of the venue. Fans packed so close together you could feel the breath of the person behind you on your neck. Excitement painted the air and when the lights went low and Garbage took the stage the giant orgy of screams and gyrations began with the first note. Bodies moving constantly from the first song until the band left the stage.
This night was one of the sexiest concerts I have ever been to because Shirley just gets finer with age infusing almost every Garbage song with the essence of sex. They opened the set with Supervixen. The boys rocked their instruments; Shirley teased and enticed with her dancing. This continued throughout the heart-racing set. They powered into Temptation Waits, which brought a tear to my eye. A reminder of my missing sister and her Buffy the Vampire Slayer obsession. I completely lost control not gaining emotional equilibrium again until the ordinariness of the subway home.
Garbage performed better than the last time I saw them with a flawless set list. Every song chosen for the fun the band obviously have when performing but also with the fans in mind, sticking to the cream of the best of their songs from the past (lying heavy with tracks from Version 2.0, which is in my top albums list) and sprinkles of their new tunes from Not Your Kind Of People.
The animated audience appeared to lose control on mass yet managed to sing every lyric along with Shirley. Much loved, Garbage has not lost their talent or fan base. Shirley Manson is a rock goddess, a fantastic performer who sings her songs with the essence of girl power. She is not afraid of displaying sexuality or being different, she lets her freak flag fly. At the concert, surrounded by strangers, I actually felt I belonged in this strange mad world. Empowered, I screamed the lyrics to Shut Your mouth, got turned on by Queer, identified with Why Do You Love Me, danced around to Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!), lost myself in Special and Milk, reminisced to Bad Boyfriend, completely lost the plot with Push it and shouted along with Only Happy When It Rains.
Throughout the concert, Shirley took her time bantering with the audience and her beautiful Scottish accent echoed throughout the theatre. People listened with respect, her laugh bringing joy to the males and females who now in their late 20s grew up with pictures of the sexy redhead on their walls. Many remembered how as angsty teens, secluded in their bedrooms, they’d blast Garbage albums from front to back, over and over.
Teased with a short break at the end of the most energetic performance I have ever witnessed, we were treated to an encore ending on one of my favourites, Vow. When Garbage left the stage for good, the crowd came down from a high that I am sure equated to the best orgasm they will ever experience. Slowly and reluctantly, fans exited the building, leaving only the smell of a brilliant rock show to linger in the air.
I would have loved to hear Sleep Together and You Look so Fine but there is only so much time at a concert and that was my only disappointment! The Darkling’s Army is still strong, Garbage back, bigger and stronger than ever. I hope new members to The Darkling’s Army will be recruited and Shirley, Garbage, and quality sounds will drown the regurgitated pop taking over the music waves.
The day after the concert, I woke with a slight hangover, half a voice, and an aching neck but even if I had woken up in hospital the pain would have been worth it!
By Anne.
Set List:
1. Supervixen
2. Temptation Waits
3. Shut Your Mouth
4. Queer
5. Metal Heart
6. Stupid Girl
7. Why Do You Love Me?
8. Control
9. #1 Crush
10. Cherry lips (Go Baby Go!)
11. Blood For Poppies
12. Special
13. Milk
14. Man On wire
15. I Think I’m Paranoid
16. Bad Boyfriend
17. Only Happy When It Rains
18. Push It
Encore:
19. Automatic Systematic Habit
20. The World Is Not Enough
21. Vow
