Bell X1

*marie*

Was anyone at the Bell X1 gig last night in Portlaoise? What did you think? It was organised through their site so not many people knew about it. It was fantastic, the lads put on a great live performance as usual. I can't go to the RDS gig tomorrow night (rage) so at least I have this one to keep me going!

Baggly

just got back from the rds gig, it was fan-tasmic.

they are a class live act.

absolute class.

as you can see, i can articulate how i feel well.....:D

Creamy Goodness

how was josé hope he kept you's entertained?

would of went but it sold out before i had money to go.

ThomYorke

I wouldn't say this was a fantastic gig. It was atroucious.:mad:

The RDS is an awful place to have a gig for a start, it is as bad as the Point and that takes some doing. The sound was brutal and there was far too much light, it was like daylight in there. I hate to see my neighbours when am at a gig. Atmosphere wasn't great either, i think loads of people were disapointed too.

Then the gig in itself was very disapointing, i think it was due to the sound but that can't explain it all.
I saw them live 3 times before that and they were so much better. The 1st time was in the TBMC and i thought they were the irish version of Radiohead. The next couple of times i saw them, they seemed to improved and i was thinking, going into last night gig, that it would be even better.
Last night they sounded like a cheap version of Colplay (and god knows how much i hate them).
And WTF is Noonan on about? Bell X1 are a bigger band so they play bigger venues but he doesnt need to be big headed about it. He was like a f*cking gobsh*te on stage. Not one of the song were even close to the standard they set on the albums. His singing was dire, it was embarassing.:eek:

It was so bad i left before the end. It was the 1st time in my life i leave a gig before the end. And i wasn't alone, the number of people running to the exit pas unbeliveable.


I am left so disapointed by them. I have been praising them for the last 4years, telling everyone how great they were and that they should give them a go. Well, that won't happen anymore.
Still i might give them another chance, at a much smaller venue, i just like to see if Noonan's head can still fit in normal doors or if it was only last night that he thought he was god.

alfa147

^^^ em i totally disagree with u on that one.. i was near enough the stage and i thought they were brill. THe sound was very good considering it was a big enough venue and they played all of there good tunes.

where i was standing i didnt see anyone leave near the end like u said.. i think ur being very critical and ive heard many bands live who were sh1te before.

how u can say the singing was dire is beyond me.. i dunno u can't please some people :rolleyes:

flasher0030

I think Thom Yorke (who posted the only negative Bellx1 comment so far about the RDS gig) got lost and ended up at a Will Young gig. How could last night's gig possibly be described as "atroucious". The sound was brill after about 2 songs, the lighting was class. And the energy levels were electric.

You seem like one of those indie floppy heads who likes to worship a band when no-one knows about them, declare to everyone how you were the first person to follow them and then disgard the band when they get reasonably famous, because it's not cool.

Anyway, titties to you that you left early, you missed an excellant encore.

*marie*

flasher0030 wrote:

I think Thom Yorke (who posted the only negative Bellx1 comment so far about the RDS gig) got lost and ended up at a Will Young gig. How could last night's gig possibly be described as "atroucious". The sound was brill after about 2 songs, the lighting was class. And the energy levels were electric.

You seem like one of those indie floppy heads who likes to worship a band when no-one knows about them, declare to everyone how you were the first person to follow them and then disgard the band when they get reasonably famous, because it's not cool.

Anyway, titties to you that you left early, you missed an excellant encore.

Yeah I've been checking out their message board and it seems to be good reviews all round there...just wish I could have gone!

Also Paul Noonan is probably one of the least big-headed lead singers in an Irish band imo, I don't know what you're talking about Thom.

ThomYorke

I think everyone is in title to it's own opinion. I don't know what kind of "standard" of concert ur used to, but last night was poor IMO.

I might be a bit of an indie head (nothing wrong with that is there? )but I never worshiped Bell X1, i was just trying to promote them around my circle of friends (and on the web) because I thought they deserved it.
I don't mind them getting famous. Being famous is not the issue, it's what you do with your fame and how you act when you're famous.
But because you like them doesn't mean you have to kiss their arses after everyone of their gigs. I thought they took the piss last night (Noonan in particular, he can sing so much better than that), the music was never unleashed. They can do so much more by their own standard.:rolleyes:

I wasn't at the front (Left the bar too late I guess;) ) but I wasn't miles away either and the sound was poor. I don't blame the band for that but the RDS, which is a sh*thole place to have a gig. :rolleyes:
I did like the way they played with the lights and shadows at the start but it stopped there. Lights were so powerful, it was brighter than a summer day and that didn't help create an atmosphere (if you were at the front you will certainly have a different view), you need lights to play with the band, not to see what your neighbours look like.

I am not critising for the pleasure of it, I was looking forward to last night gig.I was there with a mate, who loves them as well. He was as disappointed (if not more) as I was and am not lying when I say people were leaving early: we were sitting outside the pub beside the RDS (forgot the name) and we could see people leaving but could still hear the gig going on.

But I admit it might be my own fault, maybe I thought they were better than they really are, which explains the disappointment. I was expecting too much and maybe with less expectation I would have enjoyed it more.

Beastieboy

Great performance in a crap venue.

Dick Darlington

That light show thing at the start is a direct rip off from Sigur Ros on their current tour and in the Olympia last November.

Bell X1 have said they're big fans of Sigur Ros but to rip them off like that and think nobody would notice was ridiculous. :eek:

Great gig apart from that.

Baggly

who said they thought no one would notice. by using it, they paid tribute, not ripped off, imo

Dick Darlington

Can be seen either way I suppose and I do like Bell X1, seen them 4 times in last 6mths,(free tkts 3 times ) but after seeing Sigur Ros the phrase "paying tribute" to didn't come to mind straight away.

sprinkles

I thought the gig in the RDS was quite good although the start (the light show) was completely let down by the fact that the big buildup, ended in an anti climax when the curtain fell and they cracked into a rather "slow" set. They should have kicked off with Flame or "Bigger than you" after the big rock entrance.

. It's no wonder that they are known for picking sh*t singles to release judging by the list of songs they decided to play and the time they played them. Any time they got the crowd going..guitar change and they changed the entire mood. It was hard to get really involved in it.

They ended the gig superbly though. All in all I really enjoyed it and I'll definatley be heading to see them again

As for Jose.....I think he needs the bouncing balls on stage with him.

alfa147

who cares about the sigur ros lightshow ripoff its about the musis. thom the lightshow is a small part of a gig in my opionion..

Well u did'nt enjoy the gig fair enough and im not a massive fan of theres but what u said about them does'nt ad up really but from where i was standing i had a great view and the sound was excellent.

Dick Darlington

That makes no sense, if its about the music would it be sufficent to stand with your eyes closed at a gig ?

It's a visual experience as well and the fact they were trying to do anything with lights proves that.
I don't agree with Thoms view of the gig being bad but if you go to a show and see one unique way of introduction(Sigur Ros) and then go to another show 2months later and see the same thing then there's something up.

Thoms opinion may be because of where he was standing in relation to lights, sound etc.
My opinion is from seeing the same opening done way better by Sigur Ros and knowing that some of Bel X1 were at the Olympia gig.

Button

first band waiting room - atrocious sorry lads. - no lead vocal whatsoever.

Jose, beautiful spanish guitar fingerstyles, lovely lilting tempre, joined on stage by two percussionists. Liked the unusual cover of put your hand on your heart

Bell X1 - really enjoyable, Noonan is a fantastic front man,
my favourite song of the evening, see your heart and I'll raise you mine - into depeche mode "All I ever wanted" beautiful.

Loved the use of percussion, samples. Exceeded expectation, will listen to the albums again with a new appreciation.

was right at the front, the atmosphere was great.

sroberts82

In fairness to the band they did the best they could with the situation, I thought they were good given the state of the venue. Worst venue ever. The light, the sound, the emptiness despite being sold out, the not allowed bring your drinks in -ness, the coldness. Shocking. About 7 times worse than the point. And the point up til last night was the worst venue ever. Never going to RDS again. Even if John Bonham rose from the dead and Led Zeppelin reformed and played in the RDS I wouldnt go (well, maybe I would, but you get my point)

Baggly

alfa147 wrote:

who cares about the sigur ros lightshow ripoff its about the musis. thom the lightshow is a small part of a gig in my opionion..

Well u did'nt enjoy the gig fair enough and im not a massive fan of theres but what u said about them does'nt ad up really but from where i was standing i had a great view and the sound was excellent.

to be honest the best part of that light show was watching that guy unfurl the sheet.

that daring young man on the flying trapese

Bard

Just as an aside, tonight on my radio show, my "top ten" chart is the "top ten Irish acts of all time" (list taken from cluas.com) and Bell X1 feature at No. 7. I was going to play their track "Eve, The Apple of My Eye", but not knowing much about Bell X1 myself, I thought I'd ask you lot, is there a better track of theirs I could play instead?

Suaimhneach

That really is a good BellX1 song, quite them, if you know what I mean. I'd recommened 'Alphabet Soup' or 'I'll see your heart, and I'll raise you mine' from the 'Music in Mouth' Album. Or if you want a classic song go with 'Monkey 61'.

Personally I thought the atmosphere was shíte, but the gig and the venue weren't taht bad. I dont think Paul was in the least bit big headed, you could see he was visibly shocked to be there playing. Glad to see them getting the crowds, even if a lot of them were emo kids!!

Why was no one bopping? They were playing great songs, with lots of energy. And people weren't jumping or anything! The most active thing the crowd did was clap!!

Dick Darlington

They' re good suggestions, "FLAME" off the new album is great but its about to be relaeased as a single so people may be sick of it soon enough. As regards the new album "Bigger Than Me" and "Rocky Took A Lover" were singles that didn't get a lot of airplay, "Rocky..." in paticular is very good.

But if you can get "Monkey 61".........

Bard

FYI, I played "Eve, The Apple of My Eye" on the show. I don't have the new album yet.