Jonola14

MATCHBOX TWENTY GIG

“Due to the conflict in Iraq, we regret to inform you that the Matchbox Twenty concert scheduled for March 29th 2003 has been postponed”, the ticket vendor said via email back in March. I was utterly disheartened. Simon S, Michelle C, Simon H, Lucy R, Shaun H, Matt S, Alex M, Mark R and I had booked tickets in January and to be told we had to wait another six months for our favourite band’s gig was very disappointing.

But it was well worth the wait. On Saturday night, nine months after booking the tickets, we went on our way to Wembley Arena for the Matchbox Twenty gig.

Surprisingly, the venue wasn’t filled to capacity. We concluded that the combination of England rugby, cricket and football fixtures, as well as the relative unawareness of this amazing band, had rendered several spare seats. Their loss.

Maroon Five came on to warm everybody up, and we were astonished to see Matt S singing along at one point. The lead man started talking through the microphone in-between songs and told a story where he was told to shut the f*ck up by a member of the audience for talking too much. They played a couple more songs and he started blathering on again. A hush descended. “SHUT THE F*CK UP!” Simon H shouted from our seats at the very back at the Arena, then went red and watched Simon S and I fall off our chairs laughing.

Maroon Five were pretty good, but the songs did begin to sound the same and we just wanted Matchbox to come on. “BRING OUT THE BOX” I offered, just as Lucy R walked back up the stairs after a trip to the ladies, resulting in an inevitable “oh, there she is”.

The mosh pit screamed, the curtain fell and so began the live music we had waited nine months for. Every song was superbly crafted, with Rob Thomas’ vocals reaching the depths of the Arena every time and Kyle Cook’s impressive display on lead guitar prompting a few ‘wows’ from us guitar-playing aficionados, particularly when he was stood on top of the piano…..

Rob introduced the band one by one, each individual cheered to the hilts by the adoring crowd. He turned his attention to the keyboard player “and on keys, we have London’s own MATT BECK”, which I remarked to Simon S “sounded like some sort of raisin” and promptly set him off in a fit of giggles.

How this band can be so successful in the States and Australia and barely heard of over here is completely beyond me. They hold a certain stature and professionalism associated with all successful modern day bands, yet they have a distinctly down-to-Earth attitude and approach to both their music and their fans. Rob’s thanking words of “time is the currency of life, it’s the one thing you can’t get back, thank you for spending your time with us” were wholly accepted as a genuine appreciation of the fans and made my affiliation with this band grow ever stronger.

Combine this with the anthemic, captivating tunes of 3am, Unwell, Bright Lights, Hang, Long Day and Push, and you have an incredible band that will surely crack the UK industry before too long. My personal favourite was a song introduced by Rob as “one you write with your friends, but you don’t know why” and performed by just him and Kyle - If You’re Gone. If ever there was a moment to send my emotions on another roller-coaster ride and make the hairs on my arms stand on end, then this song was it. Pure genius.

All in all, it was a superb gig by a superb band, with tunes catchy enough to make the entire crowd hum them all the way home.

Except Simon S who kept humming Nine Days.

MATCHBOX TWENTY PLAYLIST
Wembley Arena
Saturday 6th September 2003

Feel
Real World
All I Need
Soul
Disease
Could I Be You
Cold
3am
Hand Me Down
If You’re Gone
Bright Lights
Bent
Don’t You Forget About Me (Simple Minds)
Unwell
Back to Good
Downfall
You’re So Real
Hang
I Don’t Want Nobody
Longday
Push