It never ceases to amaze me how utterly stupid people can be. Last night was a perfect example. Rumors are flying that we played only 8 songs during our performance in Saskatoon, which is, of course, absolutely untrue. We played the usual 12 song set list, including numbers that were between ten and twelve minutes in length, and then an encore. So it’s safe to say that we played more than 8 songs. Mind you, if you’re one of idiots that, at the end of the show, felt it within your rights to berate one of my crew members and then, in a fit of rage, idiotically attempt to rip a theatre seat out of the floor, then chances are that your inability to count higher than 8 might be the reason why you thought we only performed 8 songs.
And then there’s the emails from fans waiting outside after the show and the fact that I didn’t sign anything. We’ve been through this – illness is everywhere right now, I have a month left on the road and I’m simply not taking any chances. I need not defend that decision unless you are so selfish that you have absolutely no regard for those with tickets to shows in the future that could be impacted because I contracted something that’s going around making it impossible for me to perform. For the millionth time, I have a disease that compromises my immune system, so give your heads a shake.
Lastly, repeatedly screaming requests from the audience is both futile and annoying. No matter how much you want to hear While We Were Hunting Rabbits, you’re not going to. Since Avalanche’s release in 2003 I have never performed that song live. That goes for a lot of other songs as well. We walk on stage with a set list in place. The show itself, from the lighting to guitar changes, is determined by that list. When I perform acoustically it’s pretty easy to change things on the fly, but full band performances are not solo acoustic performances. Another issue is that because a lot of fans can jump online and see what was played in other cities, they hope that certain songs are left out and others added because it would make the show more enjoyable for them. That said, I don’t take into account the desires of 4 people out of, say, 2,500, when determining a set list. There have been nights when I have attempted to put together set lists that focus more on album tracks only to face scrutiny that popular songs were omitted. On the other hand, play too many popular songs and I am berated for not performing more album tracks. On top of that, there are further demands that the show be in excess of two and a half hours in length and include a myriad of different obscure tracks. I’ll be honest with you, I have no problem doing that – if you have no problem paying a minimum $70 bucks for a ticket. Sure, there are loads of bands that play for a long time that charge much less. Then again, what’s their overhead? What’s the cost of their production? What are their travel expenses? I don’t stay in five star hotels. In fact, I have slept on the tour bus every night on this tour, even when I was at home in Vancouver. On top of that, the majority of showers that I have taken since the tour started have been at venues. I’m not out here leading some raucous, lavish lifestyle. I’m just trying to stay healthy enough to get through the tour.
As an artist, such negativity from fans is, in truth, extremely disconcerting. In the end there are twp types of concerts – the sort during which a large part of the audience sits there as if waiting to be impressed or satisfied, and the sort that is consumed by an atmosphere of excitement. Now, guess which elicits a better response from those on stage with regards to their enthusiasm?
