Tool - Cardiff

[~Tr1st@Inactive.]

Absolutly (cant spell atm finger fooked) AMAZING. They played Stinkfist for the first i creamed in me panties. Vicarious, Jambi and Schism was played. Luke and Tom i saw you and called you on the way out! I WAS ABOVE YOU SHOUTING OII LUKE!

[Cerpin Taxt]

It was insane.

[Cerpin Taxt]

Swamp Song has gotta be one of my favourite Tool songs, it fucking owns,

[V e l o c i t y]

10,000 Days was stunning, Lateralus I went nuts and Mastodon were great.

[V e l o c i t y]

Oh yeah and sorry Trist I couldn't hear you man



From a London gig but hey same setup, the lasers man!

[Kanenite]

Looks pretty mad.

[V e l o c i t y]

Tool supported by Mastodon – Cardiff International Arena

November 30th 2006

Setlist

Stinkfist
Forty Six & 2
Jambi
Schism
Lost Keys
Rosetta Stoned
Swamp Song (ft. Phil Campbell of Motorhead)
Wings For Marie
10,000 Days
Lateralus
Vicarious
Ænema[/center]

Earlier in the year I was really excited to hear about Tool coming around, I asked my good friend Tom and we discussed the possibility of seeing them, the idea kind of died down and for a while I forgot about it. But two weeks before the gig, my excitement kicked back in and I knew I couldn't let this chance just pass me by. So I asked Tom again and the tickets were ordered. I had really high expectations and from what I heard from other people including my other good friend Tristan who had seen them earlier in the year at Download they would not disappoint…

November 30th. It was about 5:30 and I was eagerly waiting on the roadside to be picked up, tickets sealed in an envelope and wearing my Tool t-shirt. It was pretty damn cold and dark. A familiar car pulled in and I resisted the urge to scream "I'm gonna see fucking Tool tonight, fucking yes!" and plonked myself in the backseat. The exchanging of money and tickets took place and we were off with 'The Grudge' being blasted in the background, what a cool car journey even though we got stuck in a little traffic jam. We reached our destination and there was no freakin' queue, doors were suppost to open at 7.00 but we got there around 6.30 and walked straight to the front barriers and positioned ourselves in front of Adam Jones' set up!

An hour passes… we discuss previous concerts, insult the music over the PA system except for the one Mars Volta track they played, Tool etc... Also during this period of time I found out the guy next to me is a Cornish-nerdy-emo-hair sweeping-teenage twat who likes Dream Theater and along with his other friends can't say the word "Guitars" properly. Mastodon hit the stage and kick right into 'This Mortal Soil', another good thing about this gig along with all the other points is that I really like Mastodon so…Rather than see some really, really terrible support act, you get a damn good one you like. I had previously read some bad reviews about Mastodon's sound during there tour with Tool and I gotta agree. I could make out most of the songs but the drums and bass were really above the guitar, my friend hadn't really listened to Mastodon properly so I think he found most of it just a wall of noise but enjoyed the odd solo and the technical drumming.

After Mastodon's set all the roadies came along and took away their equipment, I turned around and only just noticed how quickly the venue had filled up. Slowly the stage began to take shape, monitors being placed accordingly, the big four screens behind the stage unveiled, lasers and lights being tested along with guitars, drums and bass. The lights dimmed a bit and the crowd surged forward, instant cramped conditions and hardly unable to move. If people had been smoking a lot more and my chest was against that barrier all night I would have passed out. I saw movement to the left side of the stage and the band members took their places, I let out a large scream and some enthusiastic clapping, just like the rest of the crowd. Adam just like 7 ft away from me stares into the crowd, effortlessly with his Les Paul conjures some screeching feedback. Slowly it gets faster and I realise what's about to be played…'Stinkfist'. Instantly hitting me hard in shock and excitement I manage to sing along for abit. "Something has to change. Undeniable dilemma. - I don't want it. I just need it. To feel, to breathe, to know I'm alive." Maynard wore his UV orange hoodie which looked freaky in the dark but later took it off and did some dancing.

Totally stunned the next few songs just flow but I take note, 'Forty Six and Two' was fantastic the drum solo had me staring at Danny's drum kit for almost the whole song. 'Jambi' got everyone really active and it was a really cool atmosphere. 'Schism' was right on perfection but in the middle they sped everything up… Seriously again I was shocked. They returned to normal tempo and Maynard's vocals haunted the crowd, "Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion". Seriously the atmosphere and just how these guys make music is jaw dropping. Now for the next song I was in pain, infact it still kinda hurts now a week later. My chest was being pounded onto the barrier I really couldn't enjoy 'Lost Keys/Rosetta Stoned' due to this but it still rocked. Many reviews said it sucked but I thought it was really good, another highlight except for my chest almost caving in. Next up was 'The Swamp Song' I thought the crowd and Maynard really worked together on that song and half way through Phil Campbell appeared on stage and just started solo'n. I'm not a Motorhead fan, but still it was pretty cool. Also the annoying Cornish guy next to me on his blog stated that I was an idiot, who stared dumbfounded during the whole song as if I didn't know what they were playing. Let me tell you now my Cornish amigo… Fuck You. You were screaming "Omfg its Kirk Hammett lolz!", and you called me an idiot? Anyway it was sweet, would of liked to see 'Sober' but hey something different. That concluded the first part of the show.

The band members sat on stage for the intermission and stared into the crowd. Justin took out two lighters and started to wave the ignited flames in the air, the crowd joined in with this ritual. Smoke machines to the sides of the stage started operating and the air was really misty, after a while they returned once again to their instruments. A silence fell all around as this thick powerful green laser stood alone on the stage, I just stared and then I heard the start of 'Wings For Marie/10,000 Days' it echoed and a huge cheer erupted from the crowd, this was going to be amazing! The build up and tension was incredible. The bass deeply churned into the second part and I whispered to Tom "This is gonna be intense". For the next eleven or so minutes I stood in silence, so enchanted by this moment I didn't want it to end. The lasers became wider and between the smoke actually looked like wings. I gazed between band members and took the time to appreciate how every second counted. "Ten thousand days in the fire is long enough your going home - Give me my, give me my wings." That was the best song of the night, just perfect. No other words, just perfect. The applause that came afterwards was immense.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better… Adam quietly picks the intro to 'Lateralus" I'm the first to shout and go nuts, I've been waiting for this for a long time. The only thing that was wrong with this was the damn steward who was shining his torch into the crowd and had his crotch in my face during the shredding solo… other than that perfection once again. It was massive sheer huge, the ending just blew me away. The next two songs we had problems… Maynard was wearing his gas mask due to the smoking problem and the mic kept cutting out. We didn't get to hear the great ripping vocals near the end of 'Vicarious' which was a real let down for me. I knew 'Ænema' came next and would be the last song so enjoyed it while I could. It really surprised me how heavy and epic it was, much better live. "Any fucking time. Any fucking day. Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay."

A very sweet night in deed, thanks for reading.

-Luke

[Ayce_13]

Holy sh*t d00d, ^ that should have gone in the review section ... concerts can be reviewed can't they? You just reviewed one LOLZ.

[Cerpin Taxt]

Awesome report, man.

To me, the performance of the Swamp Song was the best of the night. Can't believe I didn't recognize Phil Campbell though, probably as all the pictures I've seen of him were taken 20 odd years ago.