Tuesday 17 May 2011

I've lost that loving feeling

I don't want to keep quacking on about Rush, it's very boring for you and even I'm starting to get fed up of it. Thing is that last night's Rush show might have been my last. I don't know what it was but it was all just a bit 'meh'. 60% of it was good, 40% of it was merely okay. Nothing was particularly excellent, they just seemed to be going through the motions. The tour's called Time Machine; as they've no new LP to promote at the moment it's a 'greatest hits' package but with the 1981 classic album Moving Pictures played in its entirety. That bit was great, as it was proper 'old' but there was too much stuff from the blandathon mid-80s and early-90s albums.
The band themselves even looked like they were going through the motions. The drum solo, a highlight for many Rush fans, was lacklustre. They tried to do comedy at the beginning of both halves of the show by showing overlong films they'd made trying to be funny. Neither film worked particularly well. And we were kept back for another ten minutes at the end while another 'funny' film was shown featuring two blokes from a film called I Love You, Man (no I've not seen it either). I watched this film in the belief that Rush were going to come back on and blow us a way with a rip-roaring run through of Anthem or The Trees, but when it finished the houselights came up and I was just left a bit miffed that I'd missed out on beating-the-rush-to-the-car-park time.
Somebody also needs to have a word with Geddy Lee about his vocals - he strains, and I mean really strains - to hit top notes these days. It was painful to hear, especially during 2112. Perhaps he ought to think about dropping down an octave or two.
I was just left a bit deflated after all the excitement, and that was the general consensus in the car afterwards. Hmmm... Still, I did have a bit of an 'Elbow moment' when I saw them walking out onto the stage, so it wasn't all bad.
Whether they'll come back to the UK remains to be seen, they're recording a new album due for release next year but I can't see them coming back in such a short space of time. And Neil Peart has hinted that this might be their last album. I think that might have been the last time I'll see them. Farewell to Kings.

Remember them this way, I suppose...

2 comments:

Hawkfall said...

Funny you should mention Geddy's voice, as I have the Snakes & Ladders DVD, and I was thinking that he struggles a bit on it.

By the way, I notice that the Show of Hands DVD (yup, went on a Rush DVD spree last year) was filmed at the NEC. Were you in the audience?

Bright Ambassador said...

No, I wasn't there, Thumps, sorry. Thta was recorded in 1988, the year I first heard Rush. I have seen them twice at the NEC in 1992 and 2004.

It wasn't all bad on Monday; a lady in her 30s of about 5'0" was headbanging furiously in the row in front of me during the rockier moments. I found the whole thing rather, er, sexy.
So there's a handy hint for any ladies out there who fancy a bit of Bright Ambassador action - shrink yourself, wear a skinny-fit Rush t-shirt and learn how to headbang.