[swervedriver]

Did you see the Devin Townsend Project set at the Academy II in Manchester?

Please post your reviews, setlists, photos and video links here!

Thanks!

I DID I DID!!!!!! It was absolutely stunning! Sound was awesome, Devin was awesome and Ryan, Dave and Beavis all looked like they were having the time of their lives! No tech problems, no failures just pure Devy! Setlist was great but nothing off Ki or Synchestra. Not complaining at all though I can't remember the order right now as I'm practically falling asleep but the songs I remember were...

Addicted
Supercrush
Deadhead
Truth
Om
By Your Command
Ziltoidia Attaxx!!
Life
Earth Day
Color Your World
The Greys
Deep Peace
Bend It Like Bender

There may be a couple others, I'm sure they'll pop to mind or someone else will fill them in

Tiny review:

Amazing show, crowd was so into it and I was pleased to see a variety of ages turn up too! Sound was set up nicely and as my Dad put it it was 'Not stupidly loud, but heavy'. Sometimes the crowd sang louder than Devin, but that's not a complaint. Properly jealous of the ten or so people who got up on stage to dance to Bender at the end though!

Two niggles:

One, the short bald bloke who stood right in front of me and talked REALLY LOUDLY all the way through Deep Peace.

Two, I swear down that Dave was stood at the door having a drink before the band came on and I kept looking over thinking 'Nah, can't be him. But he does look a lot like him... almost.... scarily like him...', then he vanished and my Dad swears down he was the guy now playing on stage. So if I missed a chance to chat, I'm pissed. I would've asked but for the fear of weirding the guy out if I was wrong!

But overall, fantastic, loved the energy of both audience and band. Devin was gloriously funny and Ziltoid's monologues were hilarious and crammed with toilet and dick humour, which is always welcome.

Rough setlist if anyone's bothered:

Addicted
Supercrush
Kingdom
Life
ZTO
Deadhead
By Your Command
Ziltoidia Ataxx!!!
Truth
Om
Earth Day
Bad Devil
Deep Peace
Bender
Colour Your World
The Greys

(No real order and some missing)

Guitar Clinic was amazing. He fucking played Terminal!!!! And I held his guitar, and he signed Addicted. Fuck yeah.

Review of the gig:

So yeah, best day of my life. Almost got to sing Bend it Like Bender on stage with Devin, but the goddamn guard stopped me before I could get over. I think about 8 people went on stage to sing it with him.

Here's the setlist:

1. Addicted!
2. Supercrush!
3. Kingdom
4. Deadhead
5. Truth
6. OM
7. By Your Command
8. Ziltoidia Attaxx!!!
9. Life
10. Earth Day
11. Bad Devil

12. Color Your World
13. The Greys
*Jam*
14. Deep Peace

15. Bend it Like Bender!

My favourite songs of the night were Supercrush, Earth Day, Life, Bad Devil (best live song ever), Truth, and Deep Peace.

I loved the way the gig started. Before the intro, the first three songs of Iron Maiden's Brave New World played, and then started Ziltoid Radio. On it was Barbie Girl by Aqua, Gimme More by Britney Spears, an interview with Lars Ulrich, and Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega. Then, on the projectors, came a video of Ziltoid dancing to Chiquitita by Abba (I think) and telling lots of dirty jokes and then introducing Devin himself.

During the gig, Devin was simply sensational. He's easily the best performer I've ever seen in my life. His tendency to divert from conventional concert techniques is a breath of fresh air. After the last song of the main set (Bad Devil), he told everyone that this is the part where the band goes backstage and everyone shouts for them to come back on, "while assuming that they won't". When he came back on for the encore he said "We weren't gonna come back". And then after that encore, they played another encore in which I nearly got to climb on stage.

Honestly, even if you don't listen to Devin that much, you can't pass up an opportunity to see him. His jokes will keep you amused - even if the music doesn't, which it should. The sound is pitch perfect - but maybe that just because of the venue more than anything else - and his voice is always ready to unleash a fury of anger and jackassery, while remaining available for the mellow moments.

I would post pics of the gig, but my phone ran out of battery, so I wasn't able to take any pictures. Here's a picture of my signed copy of Addicted.

I can't wait to see him again. Hopefully the next time isn't far away. I might even go to Bloodstock just to see him.

Does anyone have any pictures of the Manchester show?? I was in the same boat as sameh with a dead phone. Someone must have had a camera!!!

No stills, but pretty much the whole epic show here:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p ... B8076138BC

Just missed some of the jam before deep peace.

thanks for posting the vids...
Ryan was an animal imo, I got urprised by his offerings...wow
was disappointed as I was waiting oh so many years seeing Dev...wanted our meeting to be more personal(the naive child in me)...but at least I managed without a cry;)
next time I will take out holidays durinjg uk tour season and will follow the smelly thing

Does anyone have any pictures of the Manchester show?? I was in the same boat as sameh with a dead phone. Someone must have had a camera!!!

Here's mine and Aaron's, some better than others: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid= ... =704941783

Yess.. I knew he played Ziltoidia attax instead of Numbered. Was doubtful at first.

Anyway great gig, loved the fact he did 4 of Ziltoid and 2 of Terria. There must be sacrificies in choosing songs..
(A Consolation: There were snippets of Ki at the clinic...) Flawless guitar solo on Deep peace. Ecstatic! Great atmosphere, funny jokes and Ziltoid intro. 10/10 !!

Okay, I know this is supposed to be for forum review, but since I'm on the forum, and I did write the review,,,

There's a Dev-related Manchester piece in the 10th anniversary issue of A Short Fanzine About Rocking. It started off as a show review of the Manchester date, and then turned into sort of a musing on being comfortable in your geek shoes, so Nick ended up moving it to the column section.

Obviously the man's got to move a few copies so he can keep producing the zine, so I can't link the piece online yet. Instead I thought I'd link you details of how to get hold of it, if you fancy doing so. Cover price is £1.50, and the zine also features the likes of Rival Schools, FFAF (along with shots by me), and the brilliantly-named Andy That's Not Skanking.

Oh, and the column does star none other than the forum's own Tyroshai.

It's available from http://ashortfanzineaboutrocking.bigcartel.com/

Unfortunately, Nick didn't end up using the photos I sent him from the Manchester show. So, I'm going to work out some way to get them online so folk can see them. Okay, I tell a lie, I have worked out a way. I'll be starting work on my personal website next week, so once that's done, I'll be putting those photos up on there, and I'll link 'em on here, if that's gravy.