11 July 2007 (gig)
24 July 2007
It was sheer luck that I got to see the angsty brilliance that is Buffalo Tom. Having stumbled upon a blog on myspsace/taillightsfade, I made sure that I didn't miss this gig.
It was in the early 90's that I first heard them, and then a few years later on 'My So-called Life', but had never had the opportunity to see them live.
Noting that a new album had just been released, namely Three Easy Pieces, I wondered if they would play their old classics...
They did! Tailights Fade, Larry, I'm Allowed, and Sodajerk, were all there.
Being 4 of my favourite songs, I was over the moon to hear them sound just as good as they always were. The 3 of them may have looked a bit older than we thought that they should, but they sounded just as melancholic and angsty as they did all those years ago. I just didn't expect to hear these 4 songs before half the gig was over. Yes, there were other huge tunes, such as Mineral, Rachel, Kitchen Door etc, but the unwritten rules of set-list construction say that you have to leave 1 of your biggest tunes for last. Every band knows that, or so I thought before tonight. Birdbrain is a great tune, but not their finest moment.
It was good to see them, but with a different set-list, it would have been great! When Taillights Fade and I'm Allowed were cranked out, half the crowd sang every line with them. That would have been a grand finale! I couldn't help but think that they had (and there is no decent way to say this!) blown their load early.
The new material sounded good, if a little more laid back than some of their back catalogue, and it did fit in well with their older, better known tunes. But most people wanted to hear the big Buffalo Tom tunes that got them into the band, and would have patiently waited until the end to hear them all.
Tonight was proof that Buffalo Tom have life left in them yet, and after a 9 year absence, can still rock! And with a little tweaking of their set-list, are still well worth checking out!
