What a night ! I'm still shocked.
I was as if Mark had read this forum, and wanted to send us a message: ok, you think I'm too static, playing the same thing over and over ? Let's see then.
Although I know OUATITW by heart, it took me a lot of seconds to actually name it - my brain had a failure and just could not connect what it was hearing with what I knew.
I was so happy to hear WAM as an opener - and what a version ! Selfishly it is also because I never had the chance to hear it live - Now it's done in the best way
Hearing Silvertown and MFN (with fantastic old intro ! ) were also shocking experiences, in the best of ways. I thought TR would be dropped, but no ! It was in a such a dream state when it came, that I thought that the "karaoke mode" might be dropped and the first guitar solo would be resurrected ! Alas no, but never mind.
Almost everything has been rearranged with the new musicians. This last solo your has a bit of a feel of the last DS tour: crowded stage, and every musician has a chance to shine... Negative people will say that Mark is trying to burry the (lack of) guitar under sax and trumpet, but who cares, the result is a fantastic new sound !
I was moved to tears. Never seen Mark so chatty. Lame humour was dropped in favor of self-deprecating farewell talk ("I'm an older man"..."grandpa needs to go to bed"..."it is not only hello Barcelona but also good bye Barcelona"... Strangely, no band introductions. To save every bit of time for music ? The show lasted an incredible 2.5 hours, unseen since 1996 !
Songs like Heart full of Holes and Machstick man were taken a whole new level compare to the album, with majesty and sounding like personal confessions. Even the Spanish crowd, that was a bit disrespectful at times (wisteling during STP for instance) was dead silent during these intimate moments.
Too bad we didn't get One Song At a Time as a closer - this would have been perfect. As usual, Mark didn't do complete justice to the new album. One Bacon Roll was fabulous, and why choose "Nobody does that ?" Nobody does that but you, Mark ! Never mind
But it was so good, then why stop, then ? Well, don't you think it is better to leave on a high than on a low ? I just hope he can finish this tour as well as he started it. I was very close to the stage and I could clearly see him shaking, struggling to focus with intense concentration. He his pushing himself to his current limits. Thanks for that Grandpa - we love you so much !
