Oblivion Ball Tokyo Live Streaming

[big screen satellite]

is it me or was this advertised pretty last minute... ?

i knew about this event in advanced a while back (then forgot), but today is the first time i've had chance to check the forums since mid friday and feel i've missed out...

[mmm skyscraper]

I don't think it's really fiar to compare the pre-BF shows to this tour. if you take out KOS, Jumbo, TMO, and the new songs that would free up a lot of space for other songs. With 5 albums worth of stuff and 10+ minute songs, you can only play 12 songs in 2 hours. So you get NUXX, PG, Moaner, Jumbo, King of Snake, TMO, Dark Train, Crocodile, BB, Glam Bucket, Boy Boy Boy, and Rez/Cowgirl. So Anthology + the new singles. Not surprising for an album tour.

I think we got a little spoiled with all the 2005 shows, where they didn't feel obligated to play stuff from the new album.

Listen to Leicester 95 or Octagon 94 where you can't even tell what the songs are or they all unreleased stuff. I'm not sure those type of shows are even possible anymore or you definitely need more than 2 hours.

I also think that Tokyo would have been different if they had got to play all the gigs in between. Being the 3rd show since the last London one I thought it was good.

[khouri]

/de-lurk

Been following the dirtysite for about 10 years now and felt compelled to add my voice to this discussion.

I think a point of view missing from this discussion is that of Underworld, who are human beings with their own personal tastes. It's rather likely the band considers the songs they've been playing to be not just the tunes concert-goers want to hear, but indeed their best tracks; the songs they are most proud of, most into, and most enjoy playing live. I can't think of any band who on a purely taste-based level prefers their more obscure or early material to the latter-day accomplishments -- unimpeachable classics like "Rez" notwithstanding, of course. It seems only natural that as they continue to mature as artists and performers, Underworld would want to play as many of their personal successes to as many people as possible -- for the band's own gratification.

The same can be said for arrangements, I think. For example, the number of times Underworld have played "Nuxx" live is all but incalculable, but they've been developing it with every subsequent performance. It probably sounds the way it does lately not because they're lazy, but because that's the way Underworld thinks it sounds best -- for now, anyway. Why would they play it in a way they thought wasn't as good?

However, it's a fact that setlists can get samey. dubman is correct in that Underworld Live is as valid for criticism as Underworld Prime is -- that is why forums like this exist. This can't just be some unmitigated orgy of praise. "Samey setlists" is a valid criticism from a diehard Underworld fan, and Underworld can choose to take it to heart or not.

I don't think leveling such criticism should be an invitation for other fans to get righteous and defensive. Certainly, as Underworld fans we're part of an experience that is as far as I can determine unparalleled in pop music. The amount of content we see and hear and the level of interactivity is nothing if not incredible. But Underworld is still a band, not a religion, and any listener -- diehard, casual or otherwise -- should be able to observe the fact that this weekend's Tokyo setlist was similar to that of other recent shows and dream of more. Again, Underworld can take that sentiment to heart or not.

Personally, I've also had moments of frustration with the setlist question, but then I hear something like Roundhouse 2, which featured a rather typical setlist, yet was one of the absolute best Underworld performances I've ever heard on my stereo or in person, and I've seen them 6 or 7 times by now and twice on this current tour. The truth seems to be found not in setlists, but in that wholly intangible, performance "thing" that changes from show to show to show -- and that's rather the whole point of the band, isn't it?

P.S. Regarding the 3-hour shows -- that's Sven Vath, Luxembourg and Live In Tokyo 2005, right? Just making sure I didn't miss one.

P.P.S. While I'm stepping out of the shadows, I'm still waiting for the rest of that Moscow show to go up on underworldlive.com -- please, guys!

P.P.P.S. The "Autotrader/Phonestrap" and "Mama.NUXX Jam" business is fabulous and I hope you continue to put more of it online -- for free or whatever.

/re-lurk for another few years

[dubman]

damn testudo that was ridiculous.
they were fine with radio and tv broadcasts (which janie is selling short, yet again. i seem to recall that a fantastic fan comp of live performances were done out of these tin can recordings) until recently and absolutely did not mind when rtsr started quite openly trading them around. they still don't. it's just that these live shows are planned to be part of their discography and as such can't be traded or given away for free. the shows are hot off the board but there is some mixing going on, as we've had soundboard and recorded gigs from the last incarnation of UWlive and the sound isnt up to snuff. you want to talk about tin can, the one from fuji sounds bloodless unless you crank it to 11. these new recordings are, like it or not, live albums. they're not charging you for a bootleg, they're just doing what we've always dreamed of.
in terms of other content they're not exactly coming up short on that today either. we've had the lemonworld takes on classic tracks then, and today we're being let in on the progress and evolution of new songs.
that brainwashing comment was... classy
anyway

sets from 94-96 are really heavy on the jam and improv. stuff like that will never ever happen again, but i think it's fair to compare the ahdo era stuff, where the structure started getting more concrete but they still made each show feel different and definitely more loose on standalone gigs, versus todays run and ask 'what happened?'.

on the other hand, thinking about this more, i think all that business may have finally come on because not only was i not digging the 9-angle view, which allowed us to be everywhere and nowhere in there, but it was *also* a very familiar setlist. i couldnt get into it nearly as much as i was into the london ones... i had tabs open and was surfing elsewhere as the gig was playing. when i realized that i got kind of depressed. what the hell happened that i just stopped paying attention to my favorite band? i pointed to a whole lot of possibilities as to why, and i think they're still valid, but that's actually what brought it on, not a sense of being ultimately "fed up" as i really love (truly) that they keep doing all this for us.

Originally Posted by johnnymetropolis

Personally, I've also had moments of frustration with the setlist question, but then I hear something like Roundhouse 2, which featured a rather typical setlist, yet was one of the absolute best Underworld performances I've ever heard on my stereo or in person, and I've seen them 6 or 7 times by now and twice on this current tour. The truth seems to be found not in setlists, but in that wholly intangible, performance "thing" that changes from show to show to show -- and that's rather the whole point of the band, isn't it?

yeah, what is it about roundhouse 2 anyway? it's almost as "guilty" as the rest of them but it's the only one to really blow me away. i usually think it's just how relentless and fast the second half is, and the minor moaner switch-up in position, but it's really special to a lot of people, and i think the intangible performance "thing" is a good way of putting it

[dubman]

it's not whining. get it through yr fucking heads.

[cacophony]

Originally Posted by johnnymetropolis

I think a point of view missing from this discussion is that of Underworld, who are human beings with their own personal tastes. It's rather likely the band considers the songs they've been playing to be not just the tunes concert-goers want to hear, but indeed their best tracks; the songs they are most proud of, most into, and most enjoy playing live. I can't think of any band who on a purely taste-based level prefers their more obscure or early material to the latter-day accomplishments -- unimpeachable classics like "Rez" notwithstanding, of course. It seems only natural that as they continue to mature as artists and performers, Underworld would want to play as many of their personal successes to as many people as possible -- for the band's own gratification.

very good point, and well put.

Originally Posted by johnnymetropolis

/re-lurk for another few years

please don't. i enjoyed your contribution to the discussion.

[BeautifulBurnout]

Listening to a rough copy of this again while I await the cd (which I hope my beloved has now understood he is buying me for Xmas) and I realise that I spent so much time trying to get the images to load properly, trying to stop the sound buffering and chatting in the rtsr room that I really wasn't concentrating hard enough on actually listening to the music.

So many many beautiful things on here so far. Boy x 3 as I already mentioned; the intro and, in fact, the whole of Cowgirl/Rez - what a fantastic, energetic version; the beautiful guitar improv and the beginning of BB, and the different-sounding intro to that; the Spikee-esque drum beat with a sample from a French Eurostar train announcer. That is as far as I have got so far and I am truly blown away by this set.

Whining, schmining. This is a stunning set. Thank you guys. Truly.

Originally Posted by johnnymetropolis

P.S. Regarding the 3-hour shows -- that's Sven Vath, Luxembourg and Live In Tokyo 2005, right? Just making sure I didn't miss one.

There were two more 3 hour sets, each at Tilburg in 2005. Unfortunately the boots haven't surfaced yet because they still haven't been processed. *looks in the direction of certain Dirts and points*

[cacophony]

"again"? i'd settle for hearing it just once.

[potatobroth]

I've always stood by the idea that UW performs not for the super-fan who goes to 5 shows in a month, but to the Underworld concert-goer who may go to 1, 2, or 5 shows. Underworld over the years and with each new album adds to an enormous portfolio of 'must play' songs for each live set. Not because they feel compelled to play only their 'hits' but because these songs just work great in a live setting. Can they cut Nuxx, Cowgirl and KOS just because YOU are sick of hearing it live? I'd say no way and so would the average fan. They want to hear these tracks live because they are incredible experiences.

What would really benefit the superfan would be a two-day concert where each show has a mix of tracks. One show gets NUXX, one gets KoS etc. As random as this reference is going to be (and the slack I'll take from Scott if he reads this) but They Might Be Giants did this style of show a few years back and it was amazing. They played four dates in a month and promised to not repeat a single song at the four shows. Now, this is obviously not a comparable live show by any stretch but the idea remains the same. Either the Underworld live show lengthens (3hr?), they drops some atomic tracks from their set, they break it up over a few nights, or they continue to deliver their ace material in the best way they can -- as they have been doing.

I'd love to hear some random tunes too, but you gotta consider all spectators in the equation.

[taoyoyo]

Originally Posted by cacophony

"again"? i'd settle for hearing it just once.

... damn! if i'd have known you didn't know about the broadcast i'd have mentioned it in the 'ring road' thread just before it all kicked off.