A lot of bands and artists try their hardest to enforce strict ‘no camera phone’ rules during their live shows but few actually succeed in making it a reality. However when it comes to Tool-side-project-turned-cult-rock-fave A Perfect Circle both act and audience appear to be on the same page. Barely an iPhone is raised during the band’s one hour forty minute, career spanning set this evening, as fans seem keen on ensuring that whatever happens inside Manchester Apollo, stays inside Manchester Apollo.
No doubt this comes as a welcome sight for the band’s notoriously camera-shy frontman Maynard James Keenan – not that punters would be able to get a good shot of him even if the ban wasn’t in place. As is custom for Keenan during live performances, the reclusive singer remains hidden at the rear of the stage throughout, elevated but draped in shadow. The only proof that he’s there at all is the glowing silhouette of his bright orange suit and long, mane-like hair – the latest in his series of wig-inspired new looks. Audiences don’t seem to care that they can hardly see the singer they’ve waited so long for. Judging by the roar of the crowd during the opening notes of “The Hollow”, taken from the band’s 2000 debut Mer de Noms (punctuating a double-punch of set-starting newer tracks), it’s clear they’re on board regardless.
Framed by ever-changing blocks of fluctuating colour, some of the band’s newer tracks like “So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish” from 2018’s Eat The Elephant feel remarkably mainstream when stacked against their stoner alt-rock origins. Speaking of which, these nostalgia-ridden cuts still manage to pack an impressive punch when performed live. Thirteenth Step’s “Weak and Powerless”, “The Package” and most notably “The Noose” send chills, while a pounding rendition of “Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm of the War Drums” gets a reverby resonance when aired in the flesh, sending fans over the edge.
This feverish enthusiasm doesn’t go unnoticed from Keenan who’s quick to point out how thankful the band are that our city is still so excited to see them, despite enduring a fourteen year wait. Maybe this factor’s to blame for Keenan’s chattier-than-usual appearance tonight, taking time to introduce the band (minus a recently Smashing Pumpkins-ified James Iha) and provide a quick shout out to their next Northern appearance at Victoria Warehouse in December. Clearly they’re overcompensating for their absence, much to the delight of fans. Turns out A Perfect Circle are a little bit like the city’s busses: you wait for what feels like a decade or more for their arrival, only for them to appear twice in one year. Typical – but we’ll take it.
Words by Simon Bland (@SiTweetsToo).
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