adam_777

MGB was a Universal Artist so id guess not.

I thought the clip of the strings was something I was really going to be intrigued by, what I heard there sounding really interesting and I can't wait to hear the rest of that song!

Can't speak about specific songs, but I believe it is Peter Fusco doing bass. He has been in many of Matt's instagram pictures and videos and when I talked to him at the final Commodore show in Van he was very enthusiastic about how the record was coming and was quite excited for the fans to get to hear it. So I'm just assuming he is doing bass duties on most if not all tracks.

Thanks for the clarification on that. Makes sense to strike while the iron is hot. Evidently you aren't the only musician doing this Roger Waters just released a single off his first new album in 25 years dealing with many of the same themes very Animals/Wish You Were Here like. I know sometimes there is pushback from people preferring the demos, but this feels like such a natural progression from the demo. I've only heard it a few times so far but I find it superior to the demo version. Good luck finishing this record up. I'll be anxiously waiting whenever it may come out. Edited to add, it seems Warner is treating you pretty good, and I'm glad to see them supporting your direction and backing you up in a way it seems you haven't been backed in a decade or more.

Very excited for this album. Also love the return of the kind of silent movie style music videos like Apparitions where a story is told through the visuals. I'm surprised to see a release this soon, have they even finished recording the album? I was thinking it'd probably be a fall release date, but releasing this in April makes me think maybe we'll get it sooner.

thanks, it was definitely an experience. I'm glad I was able to record many of the shows I went to, and that other tapers here were able to give me a couple nights of not having to smuggle in my gear! Six weeks on what really stood out as interesting was watching how the songs evolved in subtle ways as the tour progressed. Off the top of my head there is a little fill Stu does during Running For Home before the start of the second verse. If you listen to the first few shows, he didn't do this, but by the later shows he was obviously more comfortable playing the material live and was started to develop little bits in his style. Also, it was kinda funny with that song because I don't think I ever heard Matt sing the Running For Home lyrics identical to the album, the lines "I close my eyes now and I scream I turn the light on and there's nothing left redeeming" and "I close my mouth now and I scream I open the door and there's nothing left redeeming" would get double repeated sometimes, or a hybrid of the two. At the earlier shows he would always sing the I open the door part during the first verse and then at one show he did sing the I turn the light on bit in the first verse, but then repeated it in the second haha. So it was always fun to see what version of that line we were getting each night. Also seeing the differences in the crowd town to town is really interesting too and just little things that occur because of that. For instance in Vancouver in New Wave during the "Gonna die in Coquitlam" line a huge roar went up at one of the shows and a pretty good roar at the other two, but obviously in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba they would care less about a Coquitlam name drop so not a sound was made. Certain songs seem to get a bigger reaction too. And the crowd requests. I've mentioned it before, but the fans yelling specifically for Rico in Alberta was like an epidemic. In BC lots of things are requested, but probably the most common request I hear for a rarity is Symbolistic White Walls, but in Alberta at the three shows I attended it was over the top predominately requests for Rico I was hearing, which is something I rarely if ever hear in BC. So I just find those differences to be really interesting.

That's awesome and I particularly like the choice of lyric. There is such a poignancy to those lyrics in that song. For some reason when I picture the chorus I think of the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest when Jack Nicholson and Chief are sitting waiting for electroshock therapy and Jack hands Chief a stick of Juicy Fruit. I can almost picture the chorus of this song being a line of dialogue between them at that point.

Does anyone else find it odd that the fanbase is so minuscule in Montreal? I can't figure out the exact capacity for the Corona Theater (which looks like a beautiful venue by the way) but it seems to be in the 1000 ticket range for GA and tickets are still available. I remember Emma telling a story about the VIP there last tour and having about a dozen people for it, and this year there is no VIP for Montreal. I understand Matt may not have gotten a ton of airplay in Montreal over the years, but the city is absolutely massive (according to wiki nearly 4.1 million in the metro) yet MG doesn't draw 1000 fans there? Matt must have gotten far less exposure in the States and yet he could play a pretty decent crowd in at least some cities down there. Nanaimo has a population of sub 100,000 and yet it fills the Port Theater and it's 800 seats on every visit and in a city like Campbell River with a population of 35,000 he can pack roughly 500 people into their theater. It just totally baffles me that a city as massive as Montreal has such a paltry fanbase, I mean it's not like they didn't get Much Music in the 90's just like everyone else. Even the Bored members here that are going to the show are coming to Montreal from out of town, so even drawing from outside it's city limits it still isn't sold out. Am I just missing something?

Glad to read this. At the start of the tour I was talking with another forum member and he mentioned Matt seemed almost angry, at the very least not very happy in the videos. I said that I felt something was being lost in the translation from the show itself to the individual video clips on youtube, because it felt the exact opposite at the shows. I think Beautiful Midnight requires a certain headspace to perform. I don't think you can think of cute kittens and family holidays and deliver a searing performance of A Boy and His Machine Gun. I think that whole album is best played whilst in a certain mood. At the Vancouver shows, it was easily the least crowd interaction I had seen Matt have with a Vancouver audience, but it was some of the best shows I've seen him play because the intensity just didn't let up. At no time did I feel Matt wasn't enjoying what he was doing, or appreciate the audience reaction to it. He seemed to be taking playing this songs with an exceptional degree of seriousness, as though he was saddled with the burden of expectations. You could visibly see the sweat pouring off of him at these shows as he did everything he could to deliver on these songs held by so many in such high regard. I'm just blown away by his approach and very glad that others are feeling the same way about the way the material is being performed. I'm even more glad to hear that one of the shows was filmed for a possible release. I think with all the energy and effort that he and the band have been putting into these shows, it would be awesome to see in professional video quality over and over again. I know Matt said he wouldn't film because it didn't represent a full cross section of his career. I can only hope he had a change of heart on that, and maybe someday he may consider filming another show that does provide that cross section as well.

Show was filmed? Were their cameras down in the front pit?

I commented on the little lick Stu plays in the A Boy And His Machine Gun chorus at the VIP and he seemed pretty excited I had noticed. Also little fills and such have been added as tours went on. Peter told me Matt really wanted versions that could sound amazing played by a four piece. So based on that I think Matt had the general blueprint but the band most likely contributed suggestions. I cant help but feel Stu had some input in the way the new version of Running For Home plays out

Wow really cool. Definitely not there at the earlier shows I was situated directly in front of Matt's amps a couple times and there was nothing standing up behind it

I dont recall seeing it at any of my 11 shows and I was front row for five of them. Its not impossible that I missed it. But I think it might be something new

Very enjoyable show last night in Winnipeg. Crowd was pretty into it and band was solid as usual. Encore was Born Losers Decades Apparitions and Weapon. The theater was absolutely awesome definitely from a time long past. I was wsy up in the second balcony and in the corner so the sound was quite echoey up their but it was a neat vantage point to see the show. Matt was pretty engaging last night chatting with the crowd a fair bit. Not as much as Red Deer but more than any other show ive seen. Its cool to notice little things that are different each night. At this show it was how Matt sang the into a wall of fire part of strange Days. On a side note this was my first trip to Winnipeg. Everyone always speaks poorly of it. But I quite enjoyed my time here. Dont see why it gets ragged on as much ss it does

Successfully got Saskatoon and Winnipeg. Should be up in about a week. Other than that one night in Vancouver, had no further issues. Pretty awesome coverage from the three of us out West. I believe Kelowna was the only western show to not have at least some recording made of it. Hope everyone out East enjoys the shows. Wish I could have carried on!

Thanks for the comments. Im hoping to go to the VIP in Winnipeg but I had held off buying tickets because I wasn't sure when I'd arrive. Now ive been trying to buy one and the website wont allow me to. I thought it might be sold out but the hamilton page specifically states sold out the Winnipeg does not. So I guess I cant attend? Ill just show up at three I guess and see if they'll let me pay cash. Doubtful but worth a shot

Yes it did I forgot about that. I was perplexed by Matt's comments about Decades though. Having heard it several times now I didnt pick up anything unusual about it. I'll have to do some comparisons with my recordings to see if I can pick it out

Well I'm down to the last of the eleven shows ive set out to see. After Winnipeg it'll be pack up time and back to reality. I say reality because the past sixteen days have been a sort of fantasy. Ive always wanted to travel following a bands tour. In the past it seemed implausible, but this tour just worked out. Ticket prices are affordable enough and luckily I have friends in many of the touring cities I could stay with. Some of the highlights have been getting to meet so many different people (including several on these forums) and getting to experience different fan bases and venues. Its great to see how many dedicated fans Matt still has out there. The shows as well have been incredible. Seeing so many shows its interesting to see the difference in performances from a night where things seem a little off to one where everything is on fire. The standard for each show is high, but some shows just have a magic to them. The two things that have really knocked my socks off are how strong Matts vocals are and how Stu is able to do so much to fill up the sound even compensating for other non present instruments. Hearing Beautiful Midnight played in sequence like this is a mesmerizing experience. Its something I never dreamed would happen, but I had always kept some money saved in case it did. After ten shows you'd think I'd be used to hearing those songs by now, but they're still special. Every time those opening notes for Running For Home are played I get chills. I expect Winnipeg will be no different. Its been just a surreal journey and I hope my recordings have helped those of you who are unable to experience the shows in person feel like youre able to experience the magic to some degree. If I have one selfish wish it'd be to hear Avalanche in Winnipeg just as icing on the cake. Although I suspect that song is probably being worked up for the Toronto shows. Anyways to Matt and the band and everyone else ive met on this tour thanks for an unforgettable experience.

The Saskatoon show was absolutely awesome. Probably my second favourite of the ten shows ive seen thus far. The band had none of the technical issues that were present at the Alberta shows I saw and just seemed on fire. I'd heard in the past Sask crowds could be rowdy and with this being the third show in as many nights with many miles in between I wasnt expecting such a fiery performance. Awesome all round and I really enjoyed that venue. Crowd was totally into it. Although during Born to Kill and Running For Home there was quite a bit of chatter. Besides that an awesome night

Thought tonights show was pretty good the band persevered against some technical difficulties. Matt's mic died near the end of Lets get it On and Stu's guitar didn't work at the start of weapon and had to be swapped. Stu also seemed to be battling a bit against his tone in the beginning of Running For Home. But all in all a pretty good show. Matt's voice seemed particularly strong tonight. Crowd was interesting. Though most were pretty enthusiastic there seemed to be alot who came just to socialize. Also there were some really annoying drunk people just screaming shit at the band. Even during songs. Mostly requests. But some guy seemed to want to give Matt microphone advice. By the way a question for people who go to many Alberta shows. What is the deal with Alberta fans and Rico? In the six shows i was at in BC I heard some fans yell requests, strangely many were for LOTGA songs. But I didnt hear one Rico request. In the two Alberta shows ive heard nearly a dozen different people shout Rico. Its by far the most requested thing ive heard here. Was it a much bigger hit here than it was in BC?

So calgary has large screens showing multi angle feeds of the show. Never seen that at a MG show. Anyone know someone working for the venue to tell them to hit record and mail me a copy ;)

I got mine about a week before with the time and other instructions

Thanks Matt. I didn't expect a reply to this but appreciate your support and glad to know we aren't recording against your wishes. Also glad to hear you guys find them useful

Glad to hear you really enjoyed this show. Seeing the shows in smaller venues definitely adds to the experience. Im glad to hear so many here are sharing my opinion on the show.

Yeah really exhausting I bet. The band has had a tough travel schedule presumably to do the bigger Calgary and Edmonton shows on the weekend. But theyve been driving all over Alberta.