Sept 17th @ The REV

[beyond focused]

I was sick, sober and cranky on Friday afternoon... I was supposed to be down the coast on holidays sipping beers and yet I was stuck at work when I happened to come across the notice of the Alchemist gig at the Rev.

Needless to say, I am never too sick to catch Alchemist live (I have only seen them once when they were with Astriaal and Opeth, and not surprisingly I was longing for more). Rocked up in the Valley, coughed up 15 bucks and got a possie for one of the best performances I have ever seen.

I started the day in the worst mood, feeling like shit and ended it with a smile on my face not worried about anything else but what I could do to try and match what I had just seen/heard for sonic experience (I guess I will have to wait until next time they come back!).

The good thing is I have a friend in the Netherlands I got into Alchemist a couple of years ago (thanks to sharing some music over the net). She absolutely loves them and when she found out that two gigs after the Rev they will be playing just 20 minutes away from her place she went crazy with happiness. Now she can truly see what I mean by saying that Alchemist are the best... forget genres, forget studio versus live, these guys have it all and yet they are so humble and still the underdog they shouldn't be. Call it typical irony, maybe it is meant to be this way to remain so special (but I sholdn't be selfish because more people need to experience these guys like I have and Alchemist deserve more credence for what they bring to metal in general).

Look out Europe - you're in for a treat and you may think you're getting lead and then when you hear it is gold you'll be impressed!

[Mick]

Dear "beyond focused",
thanx a lot for your reply!
I can't wait to finally see Alchemist live, man! It's too bad the European tour is so low key ... but hey, this is just the start, right?! :)

[beyond focused]

Mick

About the low key gigs - totally agree mate - that is one thing my friend said about the gigs she wil be able to see them at. My thoughts are this: it is difficult because the general atmosphere and crowd participation forms part of the way Alchemist respond musically, and ultimately this would make an already good show a special one. Perhaps with some good press from the first gigs, this will happen as the tour progresses.

As for my reflection on things....

It is clear for years now that Alchemist have remained the unsung hero of Aussie metal. If it wasn't for the exposure the Js' Costa gave them years ago, I don't know when I would have found out about them (and in a strangely contradictive way that is equally frustrating although really bloody special!).

After all that, l know I am hopelessly biased and unable to be objective about this, but I just can't see how Alchemist have remained like this for so long. Even if it does change I am confident they will never play a gig where they are some hyped up headliner group for the common gig-goer who does not expect anything more than a loud reproduction of a CD they brought from commerical record store.

Alchemist are not like that, they will always come into gig understated, with no hype, and give you something beyond just a live version of a song. More to the point, never as a fan will you have to create some self-fulfiling experience where your expectations are simply met because you 'want' it to have been a good experience.

With Alchemist, they genuinely blow fans away by reaching and exceeding any expectations they may have had. Kind of like comparing seeing a good movie for the first time, versus the classic movie you can watch a number of times and not only do you not lose interest, you actually 'see' new things in it and enjoy it in different ways each time (this 'is' what Alchemist does for me).

I am very confident that Alchemist will inject themselves into a 'selective' European fan base that will only prove to strengthen their resolve. No doubt that if history is a good indicator of the future, their unduly measured sucesses will reinforce their humble yet unshamably peerless approach to the music they produce.

Sorry about the length - had to get it off my chest!

[Mick]

Originally posted by beyond focused
Mick
About the low key gigs - totally agree mate - that is one thing my friend said about the gigs she wil be able to see them at. My thoughts are this: it is difficult because the general atmosphere and crowd participation forms part of the way Alchemist respond musically, and ultimately this would make an already good show a special one. Perhaps with some good press from the first gigs, this will happen as the tour progresses.
I hope so, too. I already contacted a couple of music journals and local newspapers to help things. Maybe this first low-key tour will enable them to come back here next your on a grander scale.

Originally posted by beyond focused
As for my reflection on things....
It is clear for years now that Alchemist have remained the unsung hero of Aussie metal. If it wasn't for the exposure the Js' Costa gave them years ago, I don't know when I would have found out about them (and in a strangely contradictive way that is equally frustrating although really bloody special!).
After all that, l know I am hopelessly biased and unable to be objective about this,
I absolutely feel the same way! I'm such a fan boy when these guys and their art are concerned!

Originally posted by beyond focused
but I just can't see how Alchemist have remained like this for so long.
This is something I cannot comprehend, either. To me, they offer something for everybody. I mean, their songs are demanding on the hand but catchy on the other hands. My girl-friend - who isnt into Metal all - fell deeply in love with "Austral Alien" and wants to come to Prague with me by all means! OK, she's no average-pop-fan, either, but I think her example proves that the band has a lot of potential for many other listeners as well.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by beyond focused
[B]Even if it does change I am confident they will never play a gig where they are some hyped up headliner group for the common gig-goer who does not expect anything more than a loud reproduction of a CD they brought from commerical record store.
I think so, too. The good thing is they're mature people instead of teenagers trying to find out who they are. So if they really become famous they'll be able to handle it without losing the ground under their feet.
But I definitely can imagine them doing shows at sold-out arenas with thousands of fans. I think their songs have that feel of stadium-hymns to them, if you know what I mean.

Originally posted by beyond focused
Alchemist are not like that, they will always come into gig understated, with no hype, and give you something beyond just a live version of a song. More to the point, never as a fan will you have to create some self-fulfiling experience where your expectations are simply met because you 'want' it to have been a good experience.
With Alchemist, they genuinely blow fans away by reaching and exceeding any expectations they may have had. Kind of like comparing seeing a good movie for the first time, versus the classic movie you can watch a number of times and not only do you not lose interest, you actually 'see' new things in it and enjoy it in different ways each time (this 'is' what Alchemist does for me).
This reminds me of the movie "Alien" which I saw at the cinema once after years of watching it on TV and video. The movie was 20 years old then and I knew it in all details but when I finally saw it on the big screen for the first time I was absolutely overwhelmed. I never would have believed this to be possible but that's the way it happened.
Maybe seeing Alchemist live will compare similarly to listening to their CDs.

Originally posted by beyond focused
I am very confident that Alchemist will inject themselves into a 'selective' European fan base that will only prove to strengthen their resolve. No doubt that if history is a good indicator of the future, their unduly measured sucesses will reinforce their humble yet unshamably peerless approach to the music they produce.
Yeah, and I'll spear-head that movement here in Europe!!!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by beyond focused
[B]Sorry about the length - had to get it off my chest!
That's no problem, mate! On the contrary: I'm very grateful you went the extra mile to show me and others how you feel about this.
It's so great for me to know that there are others out there who view things the same way I do!