Alter Bridge Winter Tour 2016

[The Plotblocker]

Ok so the O2 show was pretty amazing as always. First the good; - Myles sounded fucking great! Very little talk/sing bollox this time.
- I could hear Brian!!!!
- Their overall sound was a lot better this time.
- The stage set up and videos were awesome. I especially liked the vids for Blackbird, Waters Rising and Isolation
- The crowd was fucking huge!!
- Scott was on point.

But there were let downs too. The set list being the main one. 17 songs for what was arguably their biggest headline show ever is a bit lame, especially given they have had as many as 22 in recent sets, and only 4 TLH songs just does not work for me on THE LAST HERO TOUR. It's like they have no faith in their newer music. Also, was it just me of did Mark seem a little distracted at times? Also, the lack of clean tone almost ruins Blackbird. The Other Side sounds fucking immense live though.

As for the support...
Volbeat, now they were great, had a real laugh and good time to them, Johnny Cash metal anyone Though I was a little bummed they did not plan Soul Sweeper.
Gojira need to hire a new sound guy, fast! They sound fucking terrible, could barely make out anything but the drums and that just ruined their whole set. I was worried the whole show would sound the same but thankfully that was not the case.

I skipped Like A Storm as I am not a fan at all.

[anguyen92]

^^ AGAIN!!!!!!!! THIS IS A FOUR-BILL ARENA SHOW LINE-UP!!!!!! They are not going to get the time they would get with a three band line-up compared to a relatively smaller venue somewhere in like LA or Brussels or Barcelona. I've been seeing that their arena shows for this UK tour lasted at much as 90 minutes where everywhere else, they can get away with about 100 minutes.

Heck, I was pretty glad they managed to fit four new songs anyway so far with five albums to choose from. Arena shows, especially for a band that's trying to establish themselves an arena act for a region, are just not that sort of venue where you toy around and play a lot of songs from the new album. I would like them to play at least 6 new songs, I do. Then the casuals, the majority coming to these shows, may have no clue how to react to those sadly. On another plus, this setlist in London is slightly better than the last time they played London in 2013.

[The Plotblocker]

SOMEONE GOT GIVEN A GUITAR?!?!?!?! FUCK ME!! Of all the AB shows not to be down the front and it is the one Marks gives away guitars and Myles comes and sings down there. Damn lol

[The Plotblocker]

^^ AGAIN!!!!!!!! THIS IS A FOUR-BILL ARENA SHOW LINE-UP!!!!!! They are not going to get the time they would get with a three band line-up compared to a relatively smaller venue somewhere in like LA or Brussels or Barcelona. I've been seeing that their arena shows for this UK tour lasted at much as 90 minutes where everywhere else, they can get away with about 100 minutes.

Heck, I was pretty glad they managed to fit four new songs anyway so far with five albums to choose from. Arena shows, especially for a band that's trying to establish themselves an arena act for a region, are just not that sort of venue where you toy around and play a lot of songs from the new album. I would like them to play at least 6 new songs, I do. Then the casuals, the majority coming to these shows, may have no clue how to react to those sadly. On another plus, this setlist in London is slightly better than the last time they played London in 2013.

I guarantee the majority of that crowd have and know the new album and would have gladly had one or 2 more in the set. The set was still great, and yeah, I agree with you about it being better than the last London shows set (I wasn't there, just looked it up). But for me, causal fan set lists are what festivals are for. When you are touring in promotion of and album, play that album more than anything else. Again, this is my opinion. I am not saying I had a bad time or anything like that, I had a fucking amazing time as always, my ears are still ringing and my voice has barely returned

[HNH]

First post, but had to post after the gig last night: Their sound was piss poor compared to the other acts. The mix seemed dull, and honestly much quieter than the others. When the first riff hit it sounded really held back. Tremonti's new lean rig doesn't seem to cut it (intro rif to Crows muffled as fuck) and myles guitar sounds much punchier, and the lack of any clean tone whatsoever is fucking baffling. Really don't know what's going on there.

I'm in Birmingham Sunday so hopefully they sort something out, but it does seem to be an ongoing issue.

[The Plotblocker]

First post, but had to post after the gig last night: Their sound was piss poor compared to the other acts. The mix seemed dull, and honestly much quieter than the others. When the first riff hit it sounded really held back. Tremonti's new lean rig doesn't seem to cut it (intro rif to Crows muffled as fuck) and myles guitar sounds much punchier, and the lack of any clean tone whatsoever is fucking baffling. Really don't know what's going on there.

I'm in Birmingham Sunday so hopefully they sort something out, but it does seem to be an ongoing issue.

No way their sound was worse than Gojira's man, no way at all. I will accept that they were a little quieter than Volbeat, who had the best sound of the night imo, but Gojira was so fucking loud it just sounded like noise.

[HNH]

That's Gojira for you.... I still think pound for pound their was more clarity to their sound when they briefly departed from the 100mph thrash.

I dunno. It was still a top night but want more from their sound. Mark in particular seems to have gone backwards without Ernie in tow....

[chtimixeur]

Arena shows, especially for a band that's trying to establish themselves an arena act for a region, are just not that sort of venue where you toy around and play a lot of songs from the new album.

They've been playing arenas for 5 or 6 years now. They're not trying to establish themselves as an arena band in the UK anymore. They're one and should feel free to loosen up a little after all those years of struggling.

[austin.]

Yeah where'd Ernie go??!

The fat bald guy tech seems like a dick. He kept giving Mark dirty looks when he'd get his chord tangled and had to run out and fix it.

I wish I had that job.

[austinjhnsn]

Dude same I gladly take care of those beautiful guitars!

[rireland]

Yeah the lack of clean tone on Blackbird was a shame. But I thought his guitar sounded great on the intro to Ties That Bind

[RoelSmoel]

First: sound was good, no complaints.
Second: Ernie is on tour with another band right now, that just happens. His tech is not the "fat bald guy" (really?? Where's respect gone??). He handles the sound in general, has nothing to do with Mark alone.
Mark fucking loves his new improvised clean tone, so people just have to deal with it.

And on the guitar.. they started doing that in Manchester. Mark plays one song on a SE model and it's being randomly given away.

[Greenster]

Truly are the best band the fuckin world. Pardon my French but it's true. Seen them in Amsterdam, Manchester and still got Glasgow to come. Never heard a band that suits every mood that you could possibly be in (angry, sad, emotional, happy) I'm watching 'live at Wembley just now for the 100th time. Cannot get enough man and that's my only discovered them 4 years ago. Tremendous

[Felypesh]

Yeah where'd Ernie go??!

The fat bald guy tech seems like a dick. He kept giving Mark dirty looks when he'd get his chord tangled and had to run out and fix it.

I wish I had that job.

I think he's a dick too lol

[Felypesh]

https://www.facebook.com/alterbridge/vi ... 112758558/

[Timotheus]

They're playing Islands of Fools right now!

https://www.facebook.com/alterbridge/vi ... 5770805474

[fix]

Nice! Still hard to choose between TOS, TLH or IOF though, because they seem to switch one with the other...

[Blackbird]

They're playing Islands of Fools right now!

https://www.facebook.com/alterbridge/vi ... 5770805474

Finally. Thought they had dropped that completely. This intro is one of the most amazing moments I've ever had on a live concert.

[The Plotblocker]

CoA followed by IoF!!!! Damn, that must have been pretty fucking epic!

[Ubik]

Entertained that the line Myles keeps forgetting in Island of Fools is the title.