Monday 2 November 2009

Billy Talent @ UEA - 30/10/09

I went to see Billy Talent the other night. Previously I had thought they were quite good, having seen them live I can now say that they are not 'quite good', that they are in fact, fan-fucking-tastic. To the extent that I no longer consider the CD I have to do them justice, it's just not as good.

They exploded onto the stage to a song I didn't know (I only have the 2nd of their 3 albums), but then followed it up with Devil in a Midnight Mass which of course I love, so I was happy. Having been separated from my companions early on, I headed towards the front. I pushed my way forward trying to find them, pits kept opening up all around me - I found this fairly surprising cause I've been to a few gigs, Marilyn Manson included and whilst acts like Manson had violent crowds, this just had energy. Maybe it was because it was in a university and all the crowd were young and fit, or perhaps they just played an awesome gig. What matters is that people loved it.

Just as Fallen Leaves began I spotted my friends and I headed towards them. Finally, it had been about half an hour since I'd seen them. I tried to break through the barrier of the 2 large, sweaty guys blocking me from them but to no avail. Then there was a huge surge from my right and I went down with about 4 other people. Whilst they began to get picked up I rocked forward to get up when the ginger girl behind me began to fall, I thought about it - I could dodge, get up and watch her stack it, or help. So whilst sat on my arse I grabbed her back and shoved her forward back onto her feet. My payment was her arm smashing me on the top of my head. This sent me back down against the ground where the guy next to me stacked it again and landed foot first on the right side of my head. It hurt.

When the shirtless, mustachioed stranger picked me up off the floor I could have kissed him! I didn't though - he was male, shirtless, sweaty and had a mustache.

After that it was plain sailing all the way, a particularly powerful rendition of Red Flag put the gig to rest for the evening and everyone filed out. After being dragged to the medical area and checked over (I got this neat little head injury advice card and everything), I was allowed to head back.

The high point of the gig? The fact that Rich gave me £5 for downing a pint of ice cold Snakebite and nearly stopping my heart. And the person who served it had a smiley face drawn on her cheek which I thought was pretty cool.
That and seeing Una. Too. Fucking. Cool.

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