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28 November, 2003, Carling Academy 2, Birmingham, UK review by Tom As this was the first time for me seeing Mr. Lanegan, I
was expecting a great deal from this show-and it delivered! After hanging
about for an hour and half, Enemy took to the stage sounding like a cross
between QOTSA and Tool although this isn't perhaps surprising considering
Troy's the guitarist and vocalist. They were neat and got a few heads
banging in the crowd but after a mere 25 mins they left and the crowd
surged forward to get a good spot for Mark's performance. After what seemed
like an eternity Mark hit the stage and launched straight into his set.
I can't remember the entire set list, but I remember that he played through
'One Way Street', 'River Rise', 'Mocking Birds', 'Hospital', 'Message
To Mine', 'I'll Take Care Of You' and about 15 more songs. Mark's voice
is unreal in person, and I've never been so moved by vocals in all my
days, especially on the higher harmonies in 'Message To Mine'. Some of
the guitar atmospherics were stunning too, and I think that the whole
crowd was moved as between songs, you could hear a pin drop in the audience!
There was only one heckler, screaming for 'Dollar Bill' at a couple of
instances but Mark dealt with it with humour. I was surprised at how little
acoustic content there was in the set, considering most of the instrumentation
on Mark's records. In fact, the only two tracks that Troy picked up the
acoustic on were those in the encore ('River Rise' and 'Mocking Birds').
Sadly he only came back on once, but he'd played for about 95 minutes
anyway so we got our fill. All in all, the gig was an amazing experience.
The band was flawless, Mark's voice was in tip-top shape and the atmosphere
was serene. I closed my eyes at a couple of points and got lost in the
music. Before the show I was only a mild fan of Mark's solo stuff, but
hearing it live, my opinions have changed. I hope the rest of the tour's
as good for everyone else! review by Ryan wow what a show the venue birmingham troy kicked off the nite with some good good sounds from his band and boy can he play guitar they played a good 7to9 songs cant remember so we await the man mr mark lanegan and his band the wait woz long they played the whole fucking new muse album which made alot of people pissed off me included then the band make there way on to the stage the biggest cheer is left for mark of couse they kick off with a new song called message to mine which sets the the tone mark voice just fits every word he sings wow. then they play 5 or so more songs all so so dark but so fucking great then its time for another new song called skeletal history which woz the iceing on the cake the band played about 10 more many i dont know dont have all marks albums.time 1020 time for 2 slow ones then the oncore. on this performance mark shows us just what he made of pure fucking class if only the mainstreme knew of mark its there loss our gain thank you mark top efort. big fuck you to the cock sucker who asked for dollir bill what a dick. marks eyes said it all along with the many fans crys off fuck off you dick to the big mouthd boy.....ryan...... review by Tony A long trip from Leeds to Birmingham with one agenda...........to see The Lanegan. This is the second time I have seen him solo, the last been 2001 in Manchester, and the performance was incredible. The venue was dark, seedy, small and incredibly smoky, indeed, a perfect setting for the evening. I missed the support band but was there just in-time to order a beer and spark up a cig before the band and Mark strolled on to a very warm reception, launching straight into "Message to Mine". Playing for around 80 minutes, punters weren't left short changed with a set that included: Message to Mine I'm sure there were a few more including two songs I've never heard before which I presume are covers, one of which was some psychedelic eastern-tinged jam. The band were incredible tight, and considering the nature of the venue, the sound was superb, very crisp, unlike the muddy sound last time I saw him. I often found myself shutting my eyes and losing myself in the music and the potent pot that filled the air, particularly during "Because of This" which must have gone on for around 15 minutes as a hard guitar driven jam with "Hotel" slotted in the middle. Incredibly stuff. Mark gave every song every ounce of strength he could (which was a lot), and was on top form, hanging on to the mic stand for dear life, giving very little chat during songs other than low rumbles of "Thank you". The set list was well chosen, nicely covering his five albums and his new EP, which although sounds quite different on record, live it transformed to blend seamlessly with material that's over 10 years old. Hardcore fans were treated to the "Stay" B-side "Death Don't Have No Mercy" which was a surprise. Somebody cheekily requested "Dollar Bill" but was quickly answered with "ahh, fuck off!" from another crowd member which received a small applause and a nod of agreement from Mark. Fans couldn't have asked for more from the encore when Mark strolled back on with Troy Van Leeuwen and his acoustic guitar and proceeded to run through beautiful renditions of "Mockingbirds" and "River Rise" which sent parts of the crowd into hysteria. It's a real indication of song writing ability when an artist can get on stage 14 years after their debut and play the opening song off their first album to such reaction. The cover songs off I'll Take Care of You were done magnificently as if they were his own, with On Jesus' Program been once again, outstanding. His facial expressions were constantly turning with every change in every song, looking as powerful as it sounds. Mark even paused to dedicate a song to his missing long-term collaborator, Mike Johnson, "wherever he is". After seeing Lanegan several times with the Queens, including the Glastonbury 2002 show, I can safely say that his voice and performance is better than ever. Kurt Cobain was once quoted in saying that Mark has the greatest voice in rock. Thursdays show once again confirmed this and if Kurt could see him now, he'd say the same again. I went to the show as a huge fan, and came out an even bigger
one. Just hope he comes round again when the new album comes out. Two
years is an awful long time to wait....worth every damn minute though.
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