You'll Rebel To Anything

Proof positive that you don't need radio play, or even a record contract, to be pretty popular. Mindless Self Indulgence are on their first tour outside of North America, and doing quite well! Something like 500 sweaty, screaming Mancunians, including Lori and I, packed into the Manchester Academy 3 (as a point of interest trying too hard metallers Trivium was play the Academy 2, and indie darlings the Super Furry Animals were playing the Academy 1...oh, and 50 Cent was playing the Manchester Evening News Arena - let's just say it was an interesting melange of people on the train ride home).
This being my 5th time seeing MSI, I sort of knew what to expect, but seeing them in such a small venue was an exciting prospect. The opening band In So Far were inoffensive clones of The Used, I can see them shifting some units - easily forgettable, but radio friendly, got a bit of a pit going, somehow, the English are obviously easily excited. The between set music was like a grade 11 mix tape of mine...Everything Zen by Bush, Hey Man Nice Shot by Filter, Head Like a Hole by NIN - it was brilliant - took me back to the full print shirts, nail polish, and blue hair days (*cue the nostalgia*)
The roadies tweaked all their knobs, banged on the drums, checked the mic, and then the lights went down - the little sample started, and...jackpot - they opened with Tornado! The crowd went crazy, I lost poor Lori after 4 bars of the opening song - she went and stood in the wings - but I managed to use the crowd surge, wily old veteran that I am, to get up to the third row right in front of Lyn-Z! Its a damn shame that concert photos never turn out, no matter how close you are - cause I could have had some great ones - instead I've got these:













They played a great set, all the classics were present and accounted for: Faggot, Whack, I Hate Jimmy Page, Bring the Pain, Clarissa. Jimmy was his normal frenetic self, throwing himself all over the joint, launching into the crowd, stubbing out cigarettes on his tongue, and down his pants - I got tired just watching him! Anyway as is customary- here are the top 5 high & low points of the evening:

Top 5:
1. Lyn-Z. 'nuff said
2. Tornado - amazing opener, kicks so much ass live (and they played Kill the Rock!)
3. Jimmy's jacket - "Feel my Honky Wrath"
4. Steve Righ?, the guitarist going walkabout into the crowd with his wireless guitar and ending up leaning on me while playing the end to 'I Hate Jimmy Page',
5. That there were so many people there - I'm so glad there was a good turn out!

Bottom 5:
1. The OTT goth couple that stood right in front on me when the lights went out and made out, with my face literally 6 inches from them
2. The crazy spiral staircase up into the Academy 3, death nearly became me on multiple occasions
3. The 14 year old faux-lesbians that made out through the band change - just trying to damn hard to be alternative
4. The tools with the dreads that did mock rave dancing to every song during the change, it wasn't funny the first time, let alone the 8th
5. Losing Lori after the opening riff to Tornado - sorry my love :)

Highlight of the Night:
Hanging out after the show and meeting them all again - its cool that a band is willing to just pop pretty much straight off of the stage and then hang out with the kids (and me, who is old). I got my picture taken with Lyn-Z again, but didn't have anything to sign - not that anything could top the autographed John Deere jacket I have at home!