A Fine Day For A Snow Patrol
| 23 October 2009
The band members are from Scotland and Ireland, two countries that I have toured extensively in my producer days, and they really delivered the goods. Like any performer that has done a tour of any kind, we all know how exhausting and energy-draining it is, especially when you're close to the end. As tired as they looked, they delivered 100% Snow Patrol. I usually dislike going to concerts. In all fairness, at my age now, they're a little too loud, a little too crowded, and to be honest, there are not many modern bands that I follow. What made this evening so wonderful is that the drive across Los Angeles, which all of us dread, was wonderfully open and easy (a rarity in Los Angeles). I am sure lot of you will understand my next statement when you're told that the parking is $12, you just think it is too much money, but on this occasion, I could not have been more happy to spend that $12, as the car park was secure, manned by guards (because it is in a very rough part of town); it was worth it. So with the drive completed, and the car safely parked, we joined the cue of fans, sitting on the pavement on pieces of paper eating sandwiches for dinner.
Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol
As I'm sure you've seen in my previous blog, I'd had an horrendous accident to my right shoulder, tearing my rotator cuff to the bone, so the prospect of two hours in the cue, and three hours in the concert, filled me with silent dread. Strangely enough it turned out to be an utterly fascinating, thoroughly enjoyable evening, partly due to what happened next. We had typed out a letter to the theatre management describing my injury and the recent surgery, and to our amazement, we found out that they had a disabled section. I could not believe my luck. The head of security approached me and informed me that due to my injury they would show me to my seat, in the disabled section, personally. So there I was, 15 feet from the stage, with the best seat in the house, bar none, with the exception of course of the rabid fans standing in the orchestra pit. The opening band, The Plain White T's, were very pleasant, and a great warm-up for the fabulous Snow Patrol.
I haven't been to a rock concert for over 20 years (Pink Floyd's The Wall was the last). So I was slightly anticipatory. Would I enjoy the band? Would it be too loud? Would the crowd be unruly, or just nice? Well, my questions were answered at approximately 9:00 when Snow Patrol walked on stage to a hugely warm and very appreciative theatre full of fans. I found myself excited at the prospect of seeing their performance. My wife, Jennifer, joined a couple of her friends right down and at the front of the orchestra pit because Jeni, being the real fan, just wanted to see her heros close-up (which is something she also had not done for over 20 years). Seeing Jeni so thoroughly excited at seeing her favourite group close-up made me feel warm and happy because I couldn't have stood down there myself, but I was not going to prohibit her from doing so. So with Jeni's thrill of being there, her dream of being up at the front fulfilled (which seemed unlikely before the show), just made the evening superb.
Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol
I would like to, as a producer of shows myself, express my gratitude at the professionalism of the staff at The Wiltern. It made the whole evening flow beautifully. There were no disturbances, no confrontations, and everyone was so friendly. It is due to them that the evening went so smoothly. What a beautiful piece of architecture, too, The Wiltern is. Acoustically it is absolutely perfect for concerts. Also of note was the smooth efficiency of the roadies bringing on and taking off the guitars, and all the other things they do. So with a great seat, in a great venue, watching a great band, on a warm Los Angeles evening, it was a simply superb experience. Like all concerts, like all movies, like all books and television shows, the end has to come. So we walked to our car in this lovely car park, took our slow drive down Wilshire Blvd., and headed, content, towards Burbank, in our beautiful old 1973 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (for an Englishman like myself, driving that Cadillac through Hollywood on a warm Southern California evening is really quite fantastic). We arrived home, still exhilarated, had our late-night cup of tea to unwind, and discussed how much we enjoyed all aspects of the evening. I can't wait to do it again.
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