Zero 7

[Darth Ed]

I very much disagree with the criticism in the previous three posts. I thought the sound mix was very good last night. There were a couple instances of feedback, but that had more to do with the sheer number of live mics and monitors on the stage than anything else and is virtually unavoidable. It's not at all fair to blame Sia for that. For the record, I thought Sia was more funny than annoying. I'd probably kill her if I had to tour with her though. She's clearly a loon, but she can sing. My only complaint about her vocals is that I wish she would enunciate more. Anyway, I enjoyed all aspects of the Zero 7 performance, the songs with Sia on vocals, the songs with Jose Gonzalez on vocals, and the instrumentals. Two of the four or five instrumentals were especially fabulous.

[Christine Moritz]

I agree with what most of Darth Ed said.  I really enjoyed the show.  Some of the songs came out stronger than others, but overall it was good and in parts it was outstanding.  With several of the tunes -- the more upbeat ones, I suppose, rather than the more noodly ones -- you could tell they were really having a good time, and that energy and enthusiasm was contagious.
 
 I thought Sia's banter with the crowd did detract a little bit, but not enough to make much of an impact.  I think the problem is that the music is mostly pretty serious and Sia seems to be lighthearted and fun-loving (and had probably had too much to drink that night).  Her voice fits their music very well, but I can understand why the band might want to ask her to keep the banter to a minimum.

[sweetcell]

sia does indeed have a great voice, no argument there.  and she certainly didn't ruin the show for me - i enjoyed it immensely.  guess when one thing grates me in an otherwise strong performance it sticks out disproportionately.

[Bags]

Originally posted by bearman:
  I have to admit I really didn't care for Zero 7 very much. It might have been my own fault...I only know about 4 or 5 songs and they're from Simple Things, and I know that the Garden is a far cry from their first LP.

I'm glad I didn't kill myself to get there in the middle of a way too busy work week...I have about the same background as you, bearman, with Zero 7 and probably would have been "eh" mid-week and all.  Though I often really enjoy the same shows as Darth, I can be really underwhelmed by bands that don't rock in some way...I'm not a great "mood music" concertgoer (though I've been to some great shows like that, but it's more hit or miss with me).

[Darth Ed]

I thought Zero 7 definitely rocked at times and maybe even most of the time. Several of their electronics-laden instrumentals reminded me of the Crystal Method or the Chemical Brothers, just a notch slower maybe. Just my two cents. Anyway, I'm by no means a Zero 7 expert or anything. Although I have a passing familiarity with their previous albums, "The Garden" is the first album of theirs that I actually purchased and listened to extensively. Obviously, I'm coming to Zero 7 from the opposite side of their oeuvre than Bearman.

[bearman🐻]

Wow...well, I've been to the Chemical Brothers and Crystal Method shows, have to say Zero 7 had absolutely nothing in common with them. Was thinking it would be more along the lines of Air, except maybe with a bit more soul. Maybe I needed to really hear the new record before seeing it in a concert setting, but to me the songs just didn't stand out. Sometimes one needs to absorb them more in order to appreciate them. But as a casual observer I was bummed, and I was there with about 9 other people and I think they were most disappointed by the lack of older material. But I'm glad that others enjoyed it and had a fun time.

[Darth Ed]

Originally posted by bearman:
  Wow...well, I've been to the Chemical Brothers and Crystal Method shows, have to say Zero 7 had absolutely nothing in common with them.

I knew that comment was going to get me in trouble. Anyway, I've also been to Crystal Method shows (but not Chemical Brothers, though I do own a couple of their CDs and have stayed at a Holiday Inn), and I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that matter. Most of Zero 7's music doesn't sound like that, but at least a couple of their more electronics-laden instrumentals did to my ears.