Rush

M.E.N. Arena, Manchester

Sunday 14 October 2007

Sorry to be rather short – this isn’t a reflection on the concert, the group, or the quality of the music, but when you’ve already seen and reported on near perfection, there’s not actually a great deal than can profitably be added to it. See my review of their last concert here (Rush (12.09.04)) and see my essay  The Rise And Fall Of Progressive Rock for more enlightenment!

Yes, the kings of Prog return! Almost three years exactly since they last played in Manchester and it only seemed like three days – another example of the years rapidly advancing I’m afraid – but then again, it’s better than having to wait eighteen years, or whatever it was last time. Indeed, if there was a problem with this concert it was precisely because I had seen them before. Three years ago, seeing Rush live in concert was something like the achievement of a life’s ambition and they could not possibly do any wrong – now, I have been there, done that, and good as it was, it just couldn’t possibly be that good again – and it wasn’t.

In the end, yes, it was a brilliant concert and, like last time, fantastic value for money, with them playing from 19:45 to 23:00 (with a half time break of course, as befits "100 year old men!")

Proceedings started off slowly though, as they played some material that was not quite their best. I do admire them for trying to add a bit of variety, it was a commendable effort to try and play as much different stuff from last time as possible. Unfortunately, it meant that a great deal of the all time classics had to fall by the wayside, which tragically meant that the early stuff – which is really the best stuff and everyone’s favourite – got hardly any look in at all. No tracks from  “2112”, I ask you?? – nothing short of a travesty!

The concert was centred around their current album, “Snakes and Arrows” which is a concept album on the familiar Rush topics of religion, fate and chance, libertarianism and authoritarian ways of thinking. I don’t really think that there are any mediocre albums in the Rush catalogue, but if there is such a thing as a “return to form”, then this album is it. Wishing to sell as many units as possible, they understandably played virtually all of it, but unlike the notorious Iron Maiden concert, they did it in a much less patronising way without pushing it down our throats by being  played from start to finish!

The sound was nice and loud of course, but for some reason it didn’t seem quite as crystal clear and hard hitting as last time. Maybe that’s just down to deafness brought on by my advancing age, I’m not sure..…..I was 45 at the time of this concert you know……45!

13.11.07.