ryan adams irish tour

an_damhan

MojoRisinnnn wrote: »

2 or 3 extra songs over interaction all day. How was the support? Excited for tonight!

Didn't make it in for the support but spoke to a few people afterwards who said she wasn't great...

krustydoyle

MojoRisinnnn wrote:

2 or 3 extra songs over interaction all day. How was the support? Excited for tonight!

Yeah she wasn't great.. Her band were good musicians but something wasn't there.. Jack White must of got the talent in their divorce

Last night in the Olympia was a much better experience for me than the Ulster Hall last Friday. No reflection on Ryan and the band who were great. I just wasn't in the best frame of mind when I got up to Belfast, plus I wasn't mad about the venue and the acoustics of it for a rock show.

Last night though was very close to perfect for me. The sound was amazing where I was (floor standing, behind the second railing) - Guitar solos and riffs which were a muddy mess (sound-wise) in the reflective Ulster Hall were beautifully clear in the Olympia last night.

There were some great jams, and some interesting takes on old favourites like 'When the Stars go Blue' and 'Cold Roses' as well as newer songs like 'Broken Anyway' and 'Prisoner'. Ryan's voice is in great shape IMO, and the times when he pushes it into that high, wailing falsetto raised the hair on my arms.

As for the show/tour - Like what's been said, this is Ryan's big, fun rock show. Loud, overdriven guitars, lots of sublime Hammond organ. Stage props featuring giant Fender guitar amps, a wall of old analogue TVs, this is Ryan doing his late 80s/early 90s Neil Young show. It looks an absolute nightmare to transport around, but so worth it when it's all set up on the stage.

Of course, with his own personal touches thrown in. One I'll spoiler because it's nice when it happens without expecting it

The discoball in 'Stars'

and another that I find amusing and unique - Ryan and band disappearing in a cloud of dry ice at the end of the gig!

Another quirk - The smell of incense at random points during the show?! In Belfast, in the Olympia, definitely a tour specific thing and not venue specific like I thought in the Ulster Hall. WTF?! :pac:

As for his verbal interaction with the crowd, or lack thereof, this doesn't bother me. The first time I saw him was with the Cardinals in the Ambassador in 2008. This is possibly my favourite gig of his which I've been to, and he only spoke to introduce the band before the final song. As well as that, he wasn't pulling the shapes that night with the Cardinals that he was in the Olympia and Belfast, it was a tighter, more intense mood in 2008. On this current tour you see an artist having some fun playing his music with his band and wanting to share that fun with his audience.

The set is super slick - One song just flows into the next with only the odd pause between songs to change a guitar. I like this because I remember going to see him a few times on that acoustic tour about 5 years ago. The amount of time I spent hearing/watching him tune that fúcking Buck Owens acoustic guitar between songs was too damn high!

Anyway, roll on number 3 tonight. It would be great to hear 'Political Scientist' which I see got played in Cork on Saturday. Don't mind either way what he plays though. I bought tickets for 3 shows on this tour because I thought they would be 3 varying setlists. Now that that's not the case, I really don't mind. On a night like last night in the Olympia when Ryan is on form and he and the band are really enjoying themselves and are a very tight unit - I'd listen to him sing just about anything.

lordgoat

Deleted User wrote: »

This was a great post ^^

Didn't want to have the whole post quoted but i agree with alot of it. Thought at times the songs sounded Springsteen0esque in places but there's a massive Petty/Young feel about it.

Did you see the gig in the National Arena here before? Can't remember the year. That was my favourite of his.

krustydoyle

lordgoat wrote:

Did you see the gig in the National Arena here before? Can't remember the year. That was my favourite of his.

That was some gig.. I was lucky enough to get tickets only 3 rows back right in front of the stage, Ryan's and Neil's harmonies that night were unbelievable

CountingCrows

Wow, just wow. A rare thing these days but the crowd was impeccable. Shades of Springsteen, Neil Young and Chuck Berry. The man is a legend. Countless magical moments but the Stars Go Blue was my personal highlight. Encore? Who needs one after a show like that.

lordgoat

krustydoyle wrote: »

That was some gig.. I was lucky enough to get tickets only 3 rows back right in front of the stage, Ryan's and Neil's harmonies that night were unbelievable

ya man, that gig had everything for me, the setlist, the performance, the company, one of my fav gigs.

krustydoyle

lordgoat wrote:

ya man, that gig had everything for me, the setlist, the performance, the company, one of my fav gigs.

Remember he hit that note in "The Sun Also Sets" I'll never forget it.. Anyway sorry for jumping in there

Wooderson

One of those gigs that *really* enhances the record being toured. "We Disappear" for example. Can't get it out of my head.