The Live at the O2 Arena Edition, featuring Linkin Park

A little different spin today…just to keep things fresh.  Instead of an academic event report, I’m bringing you the complete opposite…a hard rock concert report.

Michelle and I ventured over to London yesterday evening to take in Linkin Park at the beautiful O2 Arena.  The arena is quite impressive, very modern, and rather eccentric.  As always, you can check out all the photographic evidence in the photo album.

 A few observations from the night…

-  Let me just start by saying that few things are more awkward than me on the floor of a hard rock concert.  It started it our something like this, to give you some idea...

 ...and sadly it didn't get any better...

-  This was actually the first time for me on the floor.  Pretty much my dream situation because I love being in the middle of big crowds.  First impression…I made sure to apply extra deodorant before heading out tonight (because of the expected close quarters…apparently some others around me weren’t as considerate.

-  Would have to say that the crowd was a bit tamer than in the states.  A little disappointed that there was no mosh pit action.  However, considering the age of some of the other people on the floor, a mosh pit might have resulted in multiple broken hips.

-  Also, not nearly as many freaks as I would have expected.  Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty…but probably no more than you might find at, say, your local flea market.  However…

-  There was one 47-year-old dude standing beside us that said (according to Michelle). “I can’t believe we’re going to see Linkin Park live in less than 5 minutes!!”  And then 5 minutes later, lest one might believe that it couldn’t get any lamer that that. “This is not a dream!!!!”  There you have it.

-  A random British evaluation of Linkin Park overheard after the concert.  “An eclectic bunch aren’t they.  You’ve got the Chinese bloke and the skinny white chap that can give it a good shout.”  Spot on analysis.

-  Also overheard after the concert.  Happy couple conversing.  Girl turns and says to the guy, “just give me my money and I’ll go home!”  If you’re a guy, not what you want to hear at the end of a night…on so many levels.

-  So, what was my overall evaluation of the concert.  Actually, it was very good.  I like the Linkin Park songs that I actually have heard before (not too many) so it was fun when they played songs I knew.  Musically, they are very entertaining.  For overall entertainment value, I would slot them in behind Green Day though, simply because you can’t compete with Billie Joe’s comedy.

-  Of course, the important part is that Michelle really enjoyed it (she apparently likes Linkin Park a lot...who knew?). I kind see this as her gift to herself for being so supportive and agreeing to move to this god forsaken country.

-  Afterwards, we did our best sardine impression on the underground.

-  A couple of older gentleman did a pairs barrel roll down the escalator at the train station (at first I thought they were having a go at each other…but I guess one of them just lost his balance and took the other down with him).  Couple of other guys were able to pull them up before the escalator reached the top…but only just barely for one of them.  After nearly being sheared in half, the man dusted himself off and said very calmly, “thank you very much”…and carried on with his business.  Calm under pressure, I guess.

-  Speaking of which, riding an escalator in a huge crowd is like my second worst nightmare.  My worst nightmare?  Mediocrity…obviously.

-  In case you were wondering, yes, I did have to miss class for the concert.  Wasn’t supposed to miss anything originally, but one of my classes was re-scheduled right into the worst possible time slot.  Oh well, I figure that in the end, it doesn’t even matter. (You really didn’t think I could get through this entire post without at least one now did you??)