 Gwen Stefani |
 Blink-182 |
 The Living End |
Story and Photos of No Doubt by Phil Bonyata (Number of Published Photos Restricted by No Doubts' Management)
The Blink-182/No Doubt pairing might seem like trying to fit two pieces from different puzzles together, but the energy that both bands generated made the connection obvious. Braving the heat and humidity of the near sold-out Tweeter Center in Tinley Park - both bands put together spirited performances. While not groundbreaking - the show was a brash rollercoaster ride through the sassy turns of Gwen's hips and the thundering beats of Travis' drumkit.
Photos of Blink-182 and The Living End by Karen Bondowski
Aussies - The Living End opened the night with a short performance that pointed towards a bright future.Lead singer and guitarist Chris Cheney ripped the punkabilly chords off of "What Would You Do?" Stand-up bassist Scott Owen and drummer Andy Strachan created a swirling backdrop to Cheney's inspired hook intensive guitar work. The trios' influences are as diverse as their music. The free-flowin' rockabilly of the Stray Cats, the rich guitar solos of the likes of Jimmy Page and Angus Young while finding a piece of the Pogues wayward soul along the way. Their eight song set was too brief.
Like a shooting star, lighting the sky for a few seconds, the Living End ripped through "End of the World," "Roll On," "Hold Up," "Who's Gonna Save Us," "E Boogie," "Prisoner of Society" and "Second Solution" with a raw mix of verve and melody. The Living End left the stage and the fans wanting more.
No Doubt (can you say GWEN STEFANI) hit the stage with enough energy to power their own amps. Gwen, wearing a leopard skin top - along with a tight fitting sports bra, took full command of the stage. Performing daring cartwheels to aerobically roaming the stage like a circus diva while showing off her sleek body.
The band opened with a raucous version of "Just a Girl." Gwen, with her movie star good looks, aggressively belted out each note as her body teasingly swayed from side-to-side. "Excuse Me" and Ex-Girlfriend" reminded us of the bands early ska influences. Bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young (who, at one point, ran around the stage bearing his ass) set the tone with their heavy backbeat. "Hey Baby," "Spiderwebs," "Don't Speak" and "Hella Good" were all consumed by the adoring audience with gluttonous pleasure.
Guitarist Tom Dumont helped accompany Gwen on acoustic guitar for a sweet, yet melancholy version of "Simple Kind of Life," the song she wrote for then boyfriend Gavin Rossdale to help him propose to her. "It's My Life" had it's techno-synth sounds, brush over drums and electric guitars with the classic 80s horns - wash it's cycle out completely.
No Doubt have succeeded in that they can achieve both a musical muscularity and a casual sense of fun all at the same time.
Blink-182 stepped onto a stage that looked like a stripped down version of Pee Wee's Playhouse. With childlike abandon the trio blasted through "All the Small Things" and "Adam's Song." They offered snippets of playfulness and lyricism that's helping to change the definition of their sound. While founded in the school of nu-punk - the boys seem to be trying to stretch out. Bassist Mark Hoppus and guitarist/vocalist Tom Delonge did their usual banter about shit and other things that go bump in the toilet. On "Stockholm Syndrome" Travis Barker's speed laden beats contrasted nicely with Tom's slowed-down guitar work. The band is still in-your-face, fuck the critics, let's party 'til we drop, SoCal punk rock cool while at the same time trying to find new maturity in their music.
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The Living End
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