What's this? A post that isn't just fiction? When did that last happen?
Don't get your hopes up though. I just need to gush about the awesomeness that was the Metric gig I just got home from.
It was the most intense experience of my life. I'm normally pretty vanilla when it comes to live music. I sing and I whistle, and occassionaly clap, but I can't handle dancing, or even jumping around like a lunatic.
I now understand exactly why someone would go to a rave.
I dancedI don't know if it was the fact it was a small, underground venue, the fact I was only about a foot from the stage, or because I was half leaning against the main speaker stack, but somehow the four members of Metric managed to make more exciting music than the 9 members of the Arcade Fire. And that's saying something.
I have never seen anyone so happy to be playing me music as Emily Haines was tonight. Even when she fell off the stage, she kept singing at the top of her voice and smiling. During Dead Disco, she encouraged people on stage and hugged them and let them dance before sending them back. She is also completely crazy when she sings. Lots of jumping, head shaking, wild arm gestures and so on. To cap it all off, she's a pretty good dance instructor as well.
Even though she was singing as loud as she could, at times I could hardly hear her because the instruments were so loud. She also kept talking to us during instrumental segments, and I could not for the life of me make out a word of it, which was sad.
If there hadn't been a security person standing between me and the stage, I'd have got a high-five from her, and I think that would have been the only thing that could have made it any better.
Aside from maybe a rendition of Poster of a Girl, but you can't have everything. They did play most of the best songs from the earlier two albums as well, and it's not often encores consist primarily of old songs. Or indeed freebird reimaginings of power-pop ("or whatver the fuck people say to describe us") songs.
The most surprising thing was (which isn't really that surprising now I think of it) is the fact that the vast majority of the crowd seemed to be female. Or boyfriends who'd been dragged along by their other halves. The only other time I've been to a gig like that was Keane. Even Dashboard Confessional had more guys in the audience than Metric. Not a problem by any means, just surprising.
After it finished, I nipped back to my flat to get my copy of the cd and a sharpie, then headed back (it was only a two minute walk) to hang around outside in hopes of meeting them coming out. I waited for 15 minutes, then realised they'd just played a very exhausting concert for an hour and a half, and most likely wouldn't want disturbing by someone who, frankly, is not particularly interesting or conversational, so I came back home. If it hadn't just been me, I might have stayed, but never mind. Saved myself an inevitable embarrassment.
All in all, if you hadn't guessd, an absolutely amazing gig, and a brilliant start to my summer (my last exam of second year was this morning)
I'll probably follow this up with an actual update on my life sometime in the next week or so.
Maybe...