30 Seconds To Mars- May 4th Hordern Pavilion..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
We arrived at the gig at what we thought was early enough, but were we wrong! At just 5.30pm a line stretched from the gates all the way around the bend and to the street entry of the Entertainment Quarters. Eager fans in an orderly fashion, waiting for the night ahead. Once the gates had opened the masses began flooding into the Hordern Pavilion. Within minutes the Merchandise stand was already selling hot, and the keenest fans raced to the front barricade to secure the best spot in the house.
The night opened with Central Coast lads Angela's Dish. Not having heard any of their music, I was a new pair of ears that needed convincing. They began to play, and by the end of the first song I was already sold! The set was what I would describe as pop rock with a soul. The crowd gave them a very appropriate welcoming of wild applauses after each number, and seemed to be impressed with these guys. Notable highlights from their set, were the occasional interjection of Aussie humour from the lead vocalist, and the permanent smile on the face of Bassist Peter Clarke (as well as the music of course)
The lights were up, and the crowd was getting restless. Slight relief was shed when the giant 30 Seconds to Mars Banner was unfurled from the roof, accompanied by untamed screams from the crowd. After the long wait, darkness finally filled the room. Deafening screams rose up from the packed floor space. Never have I heard a band received so well in this hall before. I stood there in awe at the sound being made. It was incredible. Mozart's masterpiece Carmina Burana O'Fortuna began building suspense through blasting speakers. Flashing red lights floating amongst the hazy atmosphere invaded the blackness of the stage and forced squinting eyes to try and make out silhouettes on the stage. Jared Leto was the first to come into full view. Resuming stance at the front of the stage, he was attired in military inspired gear, along with what appeared to be a form of black gas mask covering his mouth and nose. Focusing his eyes on the rapturous sound of the crowd before him, he held there till the other members had taken stage. The band ploughed into "A Beautiful Lie", the title track of their latest record. The crowd instantly responded with their bodies uniformly being thrown into the air and back down again. Security had their work cut out for them, almost every minute having to pluck some euphoric fan from the grate of the barricade. I had the displeasure of standing behind two seemingly ten year olds, who insisted on screaming in high-pitched loveliness "Jared, you're so HOT!" about every other second.
A highlight was when Leto, apparently unimpressed by the efforts of the crowd, ordered that a death circle be made in the front centre of the moshpit. Resembling the eerie orderliness of a cult, the crowd obeyed and moved outward, forming a large circle. Leto proclaimed this the "VIP section" and resumed the show. Not before exercising his safety advocacy and insisting the VIP's run "clockwise only"
"From Yesterday" was instantly recognisable as the lightly synthesized beginning mellowed through the room. Surprisingly, the crowd mellowed with it. The violent moshing subsided to a gentle swaying, and many we're more concerned with singing along rather than injuring the person next to them. The band moved along into "The Fantasy", involving maximum crowd participation with the catchy break down mid song, and "The Story", which bore witness to many swaying arms.
None compared to the bands biggest commercial hit to date "The Kill". This seemed to be the point where the crowd was enthused once again and returned to it's beginning proportions. Thousands of voices backed Leto's from start to finish, and he showed his appreciation by letting us borrow the microphone for a bit! Obviously of theatrical persuasion, Leto unleashed his character during this song. With what began as simple dance moves and some sashaying across the stage he then launched himself into the crowd without hesitation. In defiance of the two large "Crowd surfing is dangerous" signs posted, which threat possible eviction from the venue, Leto floated atop the more than willing crowd.
After the band retreated backstage for a quick break, Leto returned alone with acoustic guitar in hand. Asking the crowd for requests, and being screamed at instead of actual audible words being produced, he decided to strum out "A Modern Myth". This was played rather beautifully with a soft, lingering guitar riff juxtaposed with the harsh yet melodic vocals. At this point he had won over about 90 percent of the female population in the room, including myself! This harmonic atmosphere was sharply interrupted by the sound engineer, who managed to kill the guitar output. After a curious pause, Leto made light of the situation with an encouraging "Thank you Buck and entertained the crowd while the frantic engineer Buck tried to solve the problem. After a few short seconds we were back on track and picked up from where we'd left off.
Only one song was performed from their debut, self-titled album, which was a little bit disappointing. A look of confusion was shared around the room as the first album was mentioned, mainly amongst the ten-year-old population. However, the proud faces of the "hardcore mother fuckers" responded truthfully when Leto asked them to choose out of "Buddha For Mary" or "The Mission". The latter won unanimously, and the band launched into its pumping verse. The final song, "Attack" set havoc amongst the crowd. I am unsure as to whether it was the electricity of the song, or the fact that it was the last song, that sent the audience feral. They squeezed every second out of this last track, and the crowd was eternally grateful for the luminous performance they had just witnessed.
During the show, Leto promised the crowd they would stay behind after the show, and meet every single fan. And they did. The band must be commended for this amazing effort. No band that I am aware of has shown this level of dedication to those who love their music. The band sat at a table that was set up in the foyer of the Hordern Pavilion. The line was approaching epic proportions, and after around half an hours wait, I was in! Special praise must go to Jared Leto who looked up at every single person in front of him and thanked him or her for attending. Mesmerized by his gorgeous eyes, I wasn't able to speak all too well. It was a brief meeting as security was quickly ushering the line along.
All in all, I was extremely impressed with the show. Their performance could not be faulted and their genuine appreciation for the audience was evident and exciting to see. It is certain they've left an indisputable impression on their Australian fan base, and here's hoping they will return to our shores soon.
*Carissa Harlequin
30 Seconds To Mars's album "A Beautiful Lie" is out now- go grab a copy!
Angela's Dish is currently playing across the country. Check out their space www.myspace.com/angelasdish for tour dates!!