My Bloody Valentine 9/27/08 @ The Aragon

So last night I almost lost my hearing at the Chicago stop of My Bloody Valentine's reunion tour. Everything you've heard is true: yes, they are too loud...yes, the holocaust section of You Made Me Realise is brutal...yes, their live show is probably one of the most legendary shows ever.
I took the venue-provided ear plugs out for about 1/2 of the show because it sounded better that way, but I value my hearing, so I put them in for some of the more strenuous moments! If you've ever wondered what it sounds like to stand on an airplane engine as it takes off, I suspect last night got pretty close.
There were three camps of people during the crazy white noise sonic holocaust at the end. The first group were the thrill seekers. They stood, sans ear plugs, hands aloft as if waiting to be abducted by an alien spacecraft. These people are the same sort of people who ride motorcycles without helmets and like bungee jumping.
The second group was my group. We stood fiddling with the ear plugs, putting them in, then taking them out for a few seconds to get a real sense of the noise. We knew this was an exciting moment, but we weren't taking any chances.
The last group were the people who walked out. I was surprised that there were so many people in this group. I thought that most people would be prepared, having heard the legendary stories (or at least having googled MBV when they bought the ticket?)
Maybe they were there with a friend, and didn't really know or care about My Bloody Valentine. I suspect there were some people who bypassed the handing out of the blue ear plugs at the door!
It was a fantastic show though, there were lots of 90's throwbacks (I haven't seen that many people wearing plaid shirts since My So Called Life got canceled). That being said, I do prefer the more melodic aspects to MBV. The reason I like them is for the subtleties and moodiness of songs such as "Sometimes" (which they didn't play) and the fantastic pop sensibilities of their songs. That stuff is all but lost in the live show, which I think you kind of have to take as a separate entity from their recorded sound (at least with Loveless, the EP's not so much). I really enjoy their brand of music, where you have to concentrate a little bit to find the beauty in it, but once you find it, it's fantastic pop music. It wasn't easy to find last night, but it was there.
I'm glad to have finally seen the spectacle of My Bloody Valentine live. It's something I'll never forget, that's for sure, but if I do that ringing in my ears will probably jog my memory.
Here's my videos and pictures:




THE HOLOCAUST: