Okies!!! So, GIGANTOUR!!! All around an excellent show...great way to put one together. FYE had a booth and if you bought a cd you get a wristband to meet the bands. Great idea as well as the online chats that's happening in the Gigantour forums....today at 3pm PST it's Warrel Dane of Nevermore :hotjump: my first suggestion- if you want cd's buy them at fye and before Megadeth goes on (they clolse early) no cd's are sold at the merch (tshirt) booths!
Pics of us starting out
So we get there early, break out the lawn chairs and umbrellas. Have some snacks and smirnoffs and do some preshow moshing! Doors opened at 2pm 1st band on at 3;30.
partying in the parkinglot
About 3pm we get our stuff ready to go inside.....at security.....NO BACKPACKS!! this is upsetting as we have no purses and I read all the venue rules and nothing was mentioned about this...so they say we can carry a gallon sized baggie in. F&%$@ so we go back to the car and scramble to get all of our stuff in..we are talking water bottle, sunscreen, cameras and some snacks. Security is tight, they even opened my cigarette pack to check for drugs....(I'm not stupid...they go inside my bra!!) they also inspected my tampons..ya know cuz those are a serious and dangerous projectile that could hurt someone hahahahah, so we're in!
Once inside the set up isn't bad..just a bit of a hike from the vendor/2nd stage area up to our seats. We chill out while Bobaflex is on the stage, b.s. with some peeps we ran into, they sounded okay, but the echo from the 2nd stage is a killer if you're not close enough, so that made the sound suck. I think Pabla was singing along to one of their songs...only her version sounded more like something Cartman (southpark) would be singing...here's Bobaflex set list :6 Feet Under
Bright Red Violent Sex
Got you Trapped
Medicine
Better Than Me
Turn the Heat Up
then next up is Dry kill logic...again not paying much attention, just waiting for Nevermore to take the first stage. DKL setlist: Perfect Enemy
Paper Tiger
Lost
Buckles
Rot
then on comes Life of Agony..their set list
Dont Bother
This Time
Day He Died
Through
Love to Let U
Wicked Ways
Calm
Rivers.
Sad thing is right after LOA I mean exactly after the last note plays...NEVERMORE is on the main stage...so we are hoofing it up to the seats, up the hill through one checkpoint..show your ticket...up the stairs..oh stop and show your ticket again..then finally to the seats a few minutes into the first song.
Narcosynthesis
River Dragon
Final Product
The Sound Of Silence
Enemies of Reality
These guys sounded great, good energy, great dualing riffs, a couple times the vox and mix were a bit off, but it took them no time at all to remedy that!! Warrel sounded great, on the money! Loomis and Smyth...it doesn't get any better than that...those two just absolutely shred!! All you see is the thrashing, flying, masses of blonde hair from Dane, Loomis and Smyth! They really should have gotten more time hell even LOA got more time on the 2nd stage..but all in all it F&^$#@* SLAYED!!!!
After Nevermore played Symphony X was on the 2nd stage and Nevermore is to do a signing at 5:30. So we're hanging out once again, handing out Symphorce and Iron Maiden flyers, lunching etc. etc. Nevermore guys are great, funny having a great time with their fans. I wanted a pic with Smyth and so I hop up on the table and lean back in between Steve and Warrel and Pabla gets a great picture...we switch so Pabla says "Shall I just lay on the table?" and Warrel says "sure...you know I could just eat lunch off of you!" HAHAHAHAH we got some good pictures, had a blast talking with the guys! Cannot wait for a more headlining show which I'm sure will come soon enough! Reviews and sales of This Godless Endeavor should be very, very good!!
hahahah the guys being carted around
Symphony X had great crowd, energetic and exciting. The sound was better for them on 2nd stage..but they should've been on the 1st stage IMO and not Fear Factory.. They sounded great just not heavy enough for me. Their following was very large for this show, lot's of SymX tees all around. SymX set list
Inferno
Evolution
Wicked
Sea of Lies
Sins
Fear Factory played and who knows, who cares, why bother, but here's their set list:
Replica
Transgression
Demanufacture
Cyberwaste
Acres of Skin
Shock
Martyr
Archetype
Edgecrusher IMO this should've been NEVERMORE's spot!!!!!
After the Nevermore signing DT is to take the stage at 7pm....also the same time I'm supposed to get my meet with Dave. So I pocket my pen and liner notes and I'm off to wait in line to meet Dave while Pabla goes up to the seats to see Dream Theater.
So I'm standing in line for a 1/2 hour I'm like 20 people from the front...line starts moving we get backstage to meet Dave and this guy is handing out the liner notes...he get's to me and says "you have stuff for him to sign?" I say "yes, but I haven't gotten my liner notes from the CD I bought" him: "where is your case?" me:"My friend has it, I have my wristband" him: "well that was pretty stupid! you have to have that so I know you bought a CD" me: "What!? you're kidding me?!?! The booth say BUY A CD GET A WRISTBAND TO MEET THE BAND" him: "well how do I know you bought a CD?" me: "because I have the wrisband" him: "look, honey..I don't have all day to argue with you...no cd case no liner notes, now you can go run and get it and I'll let you back in, but I'm a busy man and you're lucky you EVEN get to meet Dave Mustaine. Now either go or stay I dont' care!" me: mumbles and starts hauling ass back thru the backstage, into the vendor area, around the bend, up the fuckin hill..oh got to have my ticket out....around the corner up the fuckin stairs...shit need my ticket out again....down to aisle down the stairs to the seat, grab the case...Pabla's looking at me weird.. I'm yelling and shakin the cd case then I'm off and running again...up the stairs, down the aisle, down the stairs, around the bend, down the hill through the vendors, finally at the gate... then this butthead see's me agian... him: "you get your case?" me:' yes, thank you" him: "see you were all fussing and giving me attitude and I told you I'd take care of you" me: 'thanks again, just a lot of running around when I have a wristband that means I bought the cd" him: 'are you going to argue with me again, I'm a busy man, I told you I'd get you back in here, and you can meet Dave" me: giving up on this battle cuz he's an egosticstical asshole "thank you again for waiting for me" FUCK I was so pissed off!! Anyways meet Dave, he's not feeling too well, maybe that's why he didn't shave at all. But he took a great picture with me, signed some stuff, shook my hand and asked my name, how was I, etc, etc. Now for the 2nd rant..... The new members of Megadeth had presigned the liner notes so you got it back so Dave can sign.. No biggie on the greatest hits cd I bought...BUT when I put my Rust in Peace liner notes for Dave to sign...he sign's it and passes it on... then the guitarist signs it.. I'm FREAKIN OUT...trying to get in front of the 3 people talking so I can get my cover...fuck too late, he signed it... WHY ARE YOU SIGNING A CD YOU NEVER PLAYED ON!!! HELLO!! I couldn't get to it fast enough but I was able to get it before the other guys signed as well. I know these guys are tired, hot, busy, wrapped up in the moment, but damn...don't sign a cover when you never played on the album!!
while I was backstage getting the MegaMan to sign my stuff, DT is on the stage and sounding absolutely phenomenal!! After the signing I'm hauling ass again up to my seat.
Dream Theater set list:The Glass Prison
Under A Glass Moon
Panic Attack
Just Let Me Breathe
Lie
Never Enough
Endless Sacrafice
Honor Thy Father
Home
Pull Me Under
An amazing show, all the sound was great, though some said it was "too loud", "too much bass", "too much treble"...I have no idea.. to me it sounded incredible, flawless, phenomenal, amazing, right on the f*&^%$* money!! I only took one picture as we were in loge about the only thing you can see is the Octovarium banner in the background and these 5 tiny little guys! Absofuckinlutely out of this world show! My only question is where did Petrucci get his shirt?!?!? It had an awesome scorpion on it
There was about a 1/2 break before Megadeth came on. rushing off to take care of buz. before they start.. by this time the sun has set and it's still about 75 degrees, nice night..Megadeth hits the stage in a flash of smoke and light and my friends it is ON!
Blackmail The Universe
Set The World Afire
Skin O' My Teeth
The Scorpion
Wake Up Dead
In My Darkest Hour
Die Dead Enough
She Wolf
Angry Again
Hangar 18
Trust
Sweating Bullets
Tornado Of Souls
Kick The Chair
Symphony Of Destruction
Peace Sells
Holy Wars
The vocals are a bit low in a few songs, must've been cuz Dave still wasn't feeling 100% but he gave 200% while playing. I didn't care for the new guitarist, as at times I felt he'd be getting to "riffy" and I got lost in his technical skills, to me it sounded to "messy" and "confusing" but a few people have said they like his style, I personally did not. I thought he was turned up too high and often drowned out Mustiane's vox. The pryo's were great a couple of the big booms' made me jump, but the lights and flames were awesome!! "In my Darkest hour", "Sweating Bullets", "Peace sells" and "Holy Wars" were my highlights. Again I took a couple of pictures but too far away, though I like this one
All and all I think it's a great tour. The set up is nice, just no time between stages so a lot of running. T-shirts and hats are overpriced IMO and the one Gigantour shirt the backside just didn't do it for me...so I stuck with the autographs and pictures. The meet and greets are an added bonus and the online chats that GIGANTOUR site has is really cool. I only wish I would have spent more money on tickets as the pit was very small and even when DT was playing it looked like it was easily accessible and not packed like sardines. I wish all the bands a safe and successful tour and will look forward to future GIGANTOURS!!! THANKS DAVE!!
