(the abscense of campness and flailing limbs suggests my pic was took five years ago!)Last time I saw the Pet Shop Boys in Wolverhampton, the backdrop was non-existent, there were many people on stage, and they all played instruments. It was a departure from the usual PSB show, and one that appealed to me, as I loathe backing singers and dancers. The kind of concert set-up you usually see on a Barclaycard advert or something.
This time round, I had an inkling that they’d gone back to the ‘theatrics’, but thought the venue wasn’t big enough for the overtly theatrical, and maybe it’d still be a band set-up. It wasn’t.
Opening with the terrible ‘We are the Pet Shop Boys’, on plodded the PSB’s, along with four dancers, who proceeded to writhe around like East 17 video’s never happened. Track two kicked in, ‘left to my own devices’. More awful dancing, and the introduction of a wailing bint who looked like Missy Elliot if she’d had a fight with Alan Titchsmarsh, such was the metallic tree thing on her head. I’d like to say it took your attention away from the wailing, but that’s impossible. Even if it were possible, your attention was soon dragged back to those fucking dancers.
‘I’m with Stupid’ came next, followed by ‘Suburbia’. During Suburbia, the dancers had a bit of a dance off, and I seriously considered a fuck off. I lasted the track, despite the return of Metallic Tree Woman, only to find the next track was ‘Can you forgiver her’. Tarrar. I liked the PSB up until ‘Very’, and then they went too camp for me. Homosexuality I have absolutely no problem with, but I can’t stand cliché’s, and campness is such a big one.
So, four tracks in I put on my Beastie Boys jumper and headed to some bemused looking doorpersons, who told me if I leave I can’t get back in, “that’s the plan”, I replied, adding that I needed to leave for the sake of my sanity. One of them pointed out the Beastie Boys jumper and says I got the wrong ‘boys’ gig, something that never occurred to me when choosing such garment for the gig.
My mate Graham came out to the gig with me (click the I Brummie link on the right for his review). Graham stayed to watch the entire set, as he’s not fussed by backing dancers and the like, which is fair enough as, despite my tastes, the band were no-doubt brilliant.
The thing is, I think Chicken is brilliant. I just don’t want to eat it if it’s covered in flamboyant colourings and additional spices!
1 comment:
The 2002 tour is the only one they've ever done without dancers and the big staging ; pretty much every othe rtour is documented on the live videos and DVDs featuring ridiculously over the top flamboyant dancing and the like. So I expected the dancing and backdrops.
As pop bands go, the pet shop boys at least i)Write and produce their own songs ii)Aren't just miming mannequins pretending to be talented and iii)Are possessed with personality.
The dancers are a distraction and completely uneccesary, but I can live with that.
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