Of Bowler Hats and Red Shoes Dancing
Maximo Park, Munich Tonhalle, 24.10.07
So there we were: Right in the middle of our concert marathon in late autumn, freezing our asses off while waiting to get inside. I was standing there with no expectations, because, well, I have to admit it: I didn't know too much about this band. Seen them live: once, records in my shelf: one, fanscore: below average. I was just waiting to get surprised!
What made me a little scared were the approximately 4 million teenage girls around me. I had to find out really soon (and rather the hard way) that there's a huge fan base armed with emo haircuts, pink earrings and red lipstick who seem to have a pact not to let 'normal' people get close to the stage (and as I guess, not to come closer to Mr. Smith, but that's just a guess...). As we are not afraid of a good catfight, we got right to the front row. Yes, we won the fight! I apologize to the girl with the bleached ponytail standing behind me, if I blocked her view!
We had a very nice experience watching the supporting band, The Research. They were in a good mood, had fun making music and were really friendly to the crowd that couldn't wait for them to leave the stage. (Unfortunately the Blood Red Shoes were not there as was announced originally, but they are on such a hype level at the moment, I think we'll see them at least two more times this year at the festivals we attend, so it doesn't hurt too much.)
After a (very little) break the five guys came on stage. It was like a little explosion, they started with full power from each sides of the stage so I wasn't quite sure where to look at. Soon I fixed my view on lead singer Paul Smith, 'cause he has got such an impressive stage presence, jumping and dancing around from one corner to the other, having a facial expression like an actor of the Viennese Burgtheater (which is a good thing, for those who didn't get it!).
My impression was that no one noticed the light show (it was green and red, so no one is the wrong term, at least I DID notice!) or could remember the supporting band because everyone in this room was captivated by Mr Smith’s presence. Even the guys in the back, who appeared to be only the bored security guards for their girlfriends, were at least nodding their heads to the rhythm. Maximo Park seem to be very experienced in their repertoire, but in a good way. They are like the doctor of your choice: You have the impression that they know what they're doing and you trust them that they will do anything to make you healthy (or in this case, happy). They don't make mistakes, and still nothing seems studied or planned.
I am pretty sure the girls in the front row wouldn't agree, but if you take a better look at those guys, you know that this band is a team, they are not dependent on Smith’s exhilarating swirling front performance (although it is essential, and fascinating to watch!). Every one of them plays an important role, and they are doing it well. Be it Lukas Wooller's ability playing his keyboard while his body is anywhere else but close to the keyboard, Archis Tiku's stoic Bassplay, in which he seems to be in a different dimension, Tom English's perfect Drums or Duncan Lloyd's amorous play with his guitar. But like in every theatre play, there can only be one main character, and today he is jumping around like a wild bunny!
Coming to the sounds: the Tonhalle is not the best choice for a band like Maximo Park (although they could do a lot worse in Munich), when a good live performance gets lost in the Neverlands of an inconvenient hall. But that's of course not Maximo Park's fault. Nonetheless the songs sounded even better played live than on media, which proofs again that a band can show their full abilities only in a concert. It was fun to listen to and to be a part of this dance party. It's only sad that I missed about three years of those extraordinary stage performances.
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