2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

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spottrax
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by spottrax »

Pretty disapointing, if indeed the setlist was the same sans fireworks. Im bummed to have shelled out big $$$ for prime presale for windsor. After all these awesome tours I guess we hardcore fans have been spoiled.!
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by thebends »

Full setlist?

Can anyone comment on the location of the VIP area relative to the stage?
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nhaste
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by nhaste »

I guess I was expecting something similar to the 2006 Summer Fling tour, which was basically the same situation (playing mostly festivals and no new album out). That tour was awesome with extremely varied setlists (ie. Fort York).

If it stays like this I'm regretting buying tickets to 3 shows. I know they can play whatever they want, but with their vast catalogue and based on past practice, you'd expect more variation. Also really disappointed by the lack of WATS material.
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by bstrauss24 »

The VIP area was huge, so not really VIP. Pretty much the entire area from the stage all the way back to the sound board.

I'd like to hold out hope that since Downies tour went so long the band hasn't had time to reherse deeply into the archives, but since the tour is short, perhaps they wont.

I agree that we have been spoiled throughout the years, but I'm holding out hope that by July 30th things will be a bit different. I'm pumped for Weezer next week!
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silverjet27
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by silverjet27 »

thebends wrote:Full setlist?

Can anyone comment on the location of the VIP area relative to the stage?
The VIP Area was right in front of the stage. There was a fence separating the VIP Area and the GA Area. You got a wristband if you had the reserved standing but once it got dark it didn't really matter. Everyone was moving in.

Maybe I'm getting old (ugh) but I forget how annoying these outdoor shows can be with the ridiculously drunk people that want to push past you after the show starts. I hope they change it up though because I'm seeing them in Toronto and Buffalo and at least the "outdoor atmosphere" will be worth it.
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by BakersBrew »

Worst Hip show of all time. There should be a refund! If you have tickets for one of their upcoming shows do yourself a favour and try to sell them. Just being honest folks. Downie sounds horrible.
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by birdseyeview »

It was an honor to have the band come into my hometown last night and it was an even bigger honor to be able to be their runner all day before and after the show. Just to be around the band and the crew all day and watch a hip show go down was truly something I'll never forget.

The show itself was mediocre at best. I'm not blaming the band at all for the rough show, I'm blaming the idiot fans in Watertown. Someone got in with hundreds of generic flimsy glowsticks and wanted to put on their own lighting display. The threw them all over the crowd and the stage, as well as gave ammo for other idiots in the crowd to throw them. Gord and the band took the glow sticks in stride but the throwing went on for basically 2/3's of the set. Gord got pegged during of all songs, Fiddler's Green...so not cool. He picked up the glow stick, mid verse, stopped singing and shook his head. Later on he said that the glow sticks were alright, but that just got things going some more. He got pegged between fireworks and wheat kings which strummed his guitar and you could just see him thinking "let's get this over with." But the band played the whole set and they rocked. I later apologized to each of the band members after the show about the sticks and they basically all said it could have been worse.

NOIS/Nautical was sick, never seen that live. Out the new stuff, streets ahead doesn't flow well for me. It's alittle all over the place with now distinct hook, but it still may sound fantastic in studio form. However Drip, Drip and transformation are amazing! Both very powerful/catchy songs. Everything else was typical. I feel like Gord was saving his voice last night because he just wasn't going off range where he usually does. Granted he did have a bigger day than us ahead of him. Band sounded tight.

Overall yesterday was a day that happens once in a lifetime. Last year I sat down on my couch and started a facebook movement to get the band to Watertown, and there I was 10 months later hanging out with the boys in my own backyard. The DPAO were the real heroes to make the thing happen.
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by nhaste »

Wow, Fireworks the only change. I wonder if they'll go really crazy and switch Fireworks for Springtime in Vienna today???!!!
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by spottrax »

nhaste wrote:Wow, Fireworks the only change. I wonder if they'll go really crazy and switch Fireworks for Springtime in Vienna today???!!!

Hehe.... I was thinking the exact same thing! SIV in the first encore position would be an easy one. One of the simplest songs in the Hips vast catalog.

I am still holding out hope that the band wanted to simply play it safe with the same setlist as the warm up show and will change up some things during these shows.

We are all cool with hits but damn....how about switching a few things around? Maybe 50 MC for Courage? Pigeon for Meridian? Morning Moon for Love is a First?? Pistols for Bones? Boots for Blow? Escape for Poets?

It is the same 5 guys right? They all didn't forget how to play these tunes... I don't think I'd go see ANY band who simply ran through their singles. Is this what someone told them was a good idea?

I won't feel scammed or cheated if I catch their Windsor show and they play through the singles, because I have many great memories of marathon shows with awesome setlists. Always sprinkled with a rarity or two....

I simply won't be shelling out $$$ to see them again...
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by Dark Canuck17 »

I don't know if everyone is forgetting but they are not just playing to hardcore fans like us these are summer festivals more than one band a lot of casual fans...I saw it at Peterborough people were like what the hell is this when it was not a big hit song and immediately became quiet I don't get why people are surprised? There is going to be 25,000 today at Bobcaygeon do you think most of those fans are going to know songs like Pigeon Camera, Springtime in Vienna or Escape is at hand, The Bear?

I am sure the tour with the new album will have the rarities like WATS tour and its just the Hip. :thumb:
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by mrsardo »

nhaste wrote:Wow, Fireworks the only change. I wonder if they'll go really crazy and switch Fireworks for Springtime in Vienna today???!!!
there were at least a few more changes than that.
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by mrsardo »

Dark Canuck17 wrote:I don't know if everyone is forgetting but they are not just playing to hardcore fans like us these are summer festivals more than one band a lot of casual fans...

I am sure the tour with the new album will have the rarities like WATS tour and its just the Hip. :thumb:
Ya, we were incredibly spoiled in 2009. Let's let the guys please the masses with the summer shows while they warm up for the album tour and sort through the new material!
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by spottrax »

All good points about the setlist issue. I don't want to sound like I am whining or starting a negetive thread about Greatest Hits vs Greatest Hits (and some album tracks). I just have become accustomed to the idea or The Hip putting on an incredible show with some suprises. Maybe seeing them with several thousand others who know and appriciate the Hits will give me a different perspective. I have brought newbies to shows several times and they DO say things like "man I really liked the show but I wish I knew a few more of the songs...lol".

Perfect solution: play two encores, have the second encore be 3 album cuts: How cool would that be??? A hits main set and encore then maybe something like this:

MORNING MOON
EVERYTIME YOU GO
FIRE IN THE HOLE

OR

WE'LL GO TOO
DON'T WAKE DADDY
THREE PISTOLS

OR

LAST AMERICAN EXIT (DREAMING HERE)
DEPRESSION SUITE
50 MC

Truth is...... Wish I was in Bobcaygeon...(wouldn't care what they were playin)...lol
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by BakersBrew »

We are spoiled? Correct me if I am wrong....but...don't we pay for the tickets? They are getting payed big bucks to live the rock and roll dream. They completely sucked last night. I have seen them since 1989 when they were playing the Q107 concert series at the Ontario Place Forum. Last night was embarrassing. Not the Hip most of us have been "spoiled" with in the past. On a side note...I vote Watertown for Whitetrashville Award Winner of 2011, and I think there is a good chance you guys could repeat next year.
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Re: 2011-06-24 - Watertown Fairgrounds - Watertown, New York

Post by spottrax »

BakersBrew wrote:We are spoiled? Correct me if I am wrong....but...don't we pay for the tickets? They are getting payed big bucks to live the rock and roll dream. They completely sucked last night. I have seen them since 1989 when they were playing the Q107 concert series at the Ontario Place Forum. Last night was embarrassing. Not the Hip most of us have been "spoiled" with in the past. On a side note...I vote Watertown for Whitetrashville Award Winner of 2011, and I think there is a good chance you guys could repeat next year.
Actually YES, we have been spoiled. How many bands have presented new music every year or two? Remained the same 5 members? Toured North America and Europe with awesome tours for each album? Kept ticket prices below or near what other bands charge? Varied their setlists for us hardcore fans? In fact 2009's ticket prices for those absolutely incredible shows were well below any other show of a band that level. YES we were spoiled. The Hip are in a tough spot. With the music industry as it is now, Downie not able to push his voice (hense the wonderful acoustic sets in 2009) and more importantly, the us/ca boarder crossing becoming a very difficult task for us fans, the band knows they have to modify what they do.

As a fan, I simply won't trash the band on here or say they suck or ripped me off etc (free speech...have at it....they're fair game just like any other artist), I just won't go see them anymore. There's always the bootlegs and their cd's. I for one appriciate the Hip for adding to the soundtrack of my life. :thumb:
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