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OPETH Frontman On 'The Single Most Embarrassing Show We've Done With This Lineup So Far'
- Aug. 16, 2009
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Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH has issued the following update:
"Trainwreck!
"Yes, what that headline means is basically 'code' for fucking up during a show, which is what happened to us yesterday at the Summer Breeze festival [in Dinkelsbühl, Germany].
"I guess we'll be able to laugh about this in a few years. Or maybe not. Horrible and embarrassing it was, I tell you.
"Everything was perfect, set for a fantastic show. We're headlining the whole event and right before we went on stage we're pumped. Really! Crowd was screaming, going crazy, and as the intro started running....yes, magic in the air!
"Walking on stage, I was blown away by the amount of people there. It looked as if the every people at the fest was there to see us. Amazing! Very powerful sight indeed.
"Then as we go into 'Heir Apparent', I notice the following:
1: My stage sound is horrible,
2: Why can't I hear Fredrik [Åkesson, guitar] and
3: What the fuck!?
"I start nodding to our monitor guy to get Fredrik's guitar up. Then I kinda glance over to Fred to see what's up. Now, I see our guitar tech running around like a monkey around Fred's amp. It's fucked up. His guitar is not even there. It's dead silent! Fuck! Normally I start fast-forwarding the song in my head to see if he has any breaks on his own...stuff I might have to play instead, while also trying to play good and remember the lyrics. Fuck...Yes, there's a part he plays on his own! Gahhhh! For some reason, his guitar kicks in for that part (which is clean guitar) and then cuts out again as the distortion comes back on. Fuck!
"The whole song is done with only my guitar and by now we've lost the plot. I virtually wanna walk off stage. But we hang in there. Unfortunately....
"Some time before 'Ghost', we play an impromtu version of 'Soldier Of Fortune', only that there's no guitars (since we have the open tuning guitars on us), there's no bass (Mendez forgot the song) and overall it's... not... good! There's also some strange funk jam between Mendez and Axe [drums] going on which is absolutely horrible since they can't hear each other at all. Sounds like they're playing a 'groove' on their own. But... it doesn't groove.
"I believe there was a desperate drum stick dropping drum solo somewhere as well.
"Next song, 'Ghost Of Perdition', is done with some fucking shit sound the managed to get through Fred's amp and the song sounds horrrible and loose from start to finish. Shit. Fuck, Cunt. Fuck!
"After this abomination of a version, Fred leans over and says, 'Talk some shit, I'll be up and running properly soon.' So I talk some shit, then goes into a half-assed version of 'Harvest', asking the crowd to sing. Now, all of a sudden we're faced with the following: No-one's singing. Couldn't they hear me? They don't know the words? They wanna see me sweat? So it's basically a (horrible) instrumental version of the song which kinda falls apart after a verse and a chorus, to little or no applause. I might add. Gulp! I'm not sure whether the 30,000 people out there hates us by now or what. I just wanna get done and go home! Haha!
"To be honest, round about now we start gluing things back together and the remaining part of the set goes back to 'normal,' more or less, only that I guess our faces look disillusioned and 'sad,' haha!
"Anyways, the crowd slowly gets back into it and by the end it's....nice, I guess.
"We had people coming up to us and say it was great, fantastic. I've no idea but it's the single most embarrassing show we've done with this lineup so far. We always 'deliver,' but this time technical problems had us looking like wankers. So basically we just wanna say sorry to the fans who saw us there expecting (and rightfully so) a professional show. It wasn't, but as I said, maybe we'll laugh about it in....200 years.
"The town/village where we had our hotel was absolutely stunning, by the way. Dinkelsbühl was the name of that town and I suggest you visit. Beautiful!
"Anyways, we just got back home. The cabdriver who drove us was drunk and probably had the swine flu.
"Anyways, we'll crawl back under the rocks to lick our wounds, so hopefully we'll be back on form for the next show which is on Thursday...in Belgium I believe. Mussels and Duvel, here we come!
"Take care my friends and wipe that smirk off yer faces, will ya? I know you think the above was funny..."
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COMMENT |
posted by : Kerros
8/16/2009 8:38:52 PM
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Oh man that's rough. When I saw them back in May they put on a perfect show.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/16/2009 8:40:05 PM
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tl;dr.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/16/2009 8:52:09 PM
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These guys suck to begin with live.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/16/2009 8:54:57 PM
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Wow, that's unfortunate. Opeth isn't my favorite, but much respect to those guys for their attitude.
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COMMENT | Ouch
posted by :
8/16/2009 8:55:38 PM
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that rough man, but hey, bad luck befalls even the most perfect human beings
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/16/2009 8:59:37 PM
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Can't imagine how embarrassing something like that would be. I get nervous/retarded when talking in front of small crowds (greater than 2 people)
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COMMENT | bla bla bla
posted by :
8/16/2009 9:01:26 PM
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excuses excuses Mikael. you should have smashed their heads. who ever was responsible for that shit! people paid to watch you.
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COMMENT | ...
posted by : Pod
8/16/2009 9:07:08 PM
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b6fPyLMHm4
ahahahahah the funk jam.
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COMMENT | conquer-all
posted by : Traumor
8/16/2009 9:09:59 PM
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So you've seen them eh? Tell me why they suck live.
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COMMENT | Mikael
posted by : funbastard
8/16/2009 9:13:34 PM
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i had the fortune of catching you guys in knoxville, tennessee and opeth absolutely tore it up. the band was flawless. :)
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COMMENT | they sucked donkey balls
posted by :
8/16/2009 9:15:32 PM
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last time in New York as well. Thank god enslaved were playing as well!
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COMMENT |
posted by : MarcusSeven
8/16/2009 9:31:54 PM
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Meh, everyone has their off days. Doesn't make them that less of a sweet band I say.
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COMMENT |
posted by : Mordack-
8/16/2009 9:40:42 PM
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Love Opeth.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/16/2009 9:42:35 PM
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Mikael has a great attitude regardless. I laughed at his description. Opeth rocks \m/
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/16/2009 9:48:43 PM
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Opeth=Otep
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/16/2009 9:48:43 PM
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Opeth=Otep
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COMMENT | oh look!
posted by : Traumor
8/16/2009 10:05:29 PM
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Slipknot knows his ABCs!
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COMMENT |
posted by : Dancesux
8/16/2009 10:23:38 PM
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fuck i reckon its awesome that he can come out and say they had a fucked show, kinda preempts any fans chucking a sad.
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COMMENT | conquer--all
posted by :
8/16/2009 10:27:18 PM
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conquer--all = troll
So what exactly do people dislike about Opeth? I understand if you don't care for their music but some people talk shit and hate the band when they should have respect for them. Anyone who knows dick about music and playing it for that matter knows these guys are excellent musicians... I guess maturity is obviously not something common in the metal community. I may not like a band but if they can actually play their instruments then I have to respect them and won't waste my time talking shit about them on some message board like I am 12. It wasn't long ago before Opeth had mainstream success (if you can call it mainstream) that everyone loved them when "Still Life" and "Blackwater Park" came out now that they are actually making an honest living and selling some records all the lame fan boys have turned their backs... same with Mastodon.
If you don't like progressive music then shut the fuck up and go listen to what you do like instead of sounding like a moron by trashing bands who obviously have talent.
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COMMENT | An embarrasing show
posted by :
8/16/2009 10:27:41 PM
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Is just as good as an awesome show...
May you remember it fondly!!!!
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/16/2009 10:37:57 PM
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Opeth have gone above and beyond in terms of delivering both shows I've seen from them. I've gone away nothing but impressed and felt like I've gotten more than my money's worth out of it both times.
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COMMENT |
posted by : TheEagle
8/16/2009 10:46:40 PM
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Seen them 4 times in the last 8 years and each time they always delivered. You can't say so for 75% of the bands touring out there.
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COMMENT | I fucking hate this kind of music
posted by : THRASHMONGER
8/16/2009 11:06:54 PM
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but reading that text, I gotta give them BIG credit for keeping their chin up and trying to persevere rather than having a hissy-fit and walking off like rockstar poofs. That is exactly what should happen, work your ass off regardless of the circumstances.
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COMMENT | black water park
posted by : Contract_Shredder
8/16/2009 11:10:49 PM
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I wish it was still the line up from the good ol days.
Opeth rule, but new albums kinda toliet fodder compared to prior efforts.
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COMMENT |
posted by : fermentis
8/16/2009 11:14:30 PM
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conquorall- huge douche
slipknot warrior - i hope you were just making a spelling joke, and not an actual comment saying that opeth and otep are the same shit. even remotely
because that's brutal
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/16/2009 11:36:43 PM
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Hey man, the show must go on!
Good attitude.
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COMMENT |
posted by : madeinquebec
8/16/2009 11:59:45 PM
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One of the best band around. Their live DVD are awesome!
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COMMENT | Things like that happen sometimes
posted by : RiotAct666
8/17/2009 12:02:59 AM
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But shows must go on.
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COMMENT | that was some funny shit....
posted by : labora
8/17/2009 1:41:10 AM
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Some of my former bands have had shows like that (to much lesser crowds, mind you), but kudos to the guys for persevering through the mess! And yes, you WILL be laughing about this in a few weeks time....
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COMMENT | Not much of a fan....
posted by : Sinistrum
8/17/2009 3:46:08 AM
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...but, live these guys are total professionals.
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COMMENT | longsincedark
posted by :
8/17/2009 4:23:21 AM
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your so right, if the band is any good then they are good even if you dont like the music. Opeth is a great band and great musicians and this wasnt their fault. they are probably one of the most talented bands out there right now. and i have to say i like there last 3 albums most along with Damnation and Black Water Park. i like actual singing better then just screaming something that noone undertands.
and vow one fucking show, everyone have problems sometime.
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COMMENT |
posted by : TheGreyArea
8/17/2009 4:43:59 AM
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I absolutely love the fact that he's able to have such a laugh about the situation in such immediate retrospect.
With the kind of sound that Opeth produce and perform, you'd expect they'd have nothing less than the most self inflated, piece of shit, "your not worthy" condescending attitudes around (like a HELL of a lot of the other bands in their genre.
But they're attitude PLUS the quality of their music? for me this makes them one of the best bands on the circuit
if this had happened to practically any other band, it'd have been a fucking nightmare, and their ego's would've made it all the worse.
Chin up guys
Just dont do it @Wembley later this year!!!! cant fucking wait
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COMMENT | I've been there...
posted by :
8/17/2009 5:10:35 AM
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... and watched their gig at the Summer Breeze, but to be honest: I really didn't notice technical problems... hmmm, but they played at the last day around midnight, I was very tired and just sat somewhere in the back enjoying their performance.
Guess that's why I didn't recognized it. ;-)
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/17/2009 5:48:28 AM
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I was there, and even though they did stuff up the start, they finished with an absolute flourish having to play Lotus Eater and Deliverance faster so they did not go over the time. At least he has a sense of humour about it.
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COMMENT | That's the way it goes....
posted by :
8/17/2009 6:05:49 AM
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It's live so things can go wrong.
you had a soundcheck, everything is fine and working.
and out of nowhere at showtime a amp quit, monitor system dies, Foh sound is gone...... or whatever!
and most of the times threre is nobody to blame, nothing last forever, that tube in the amp deceides to give it up at the wrong moment, The support act ran a case over yout cables, playing outdoors things as temperture and humidity changes and causes trouble...
and sometimes you can fix it sometimes not......
That's live, That's the real deal.
So have a laugh and carry on!
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COMMENT |
posted by : Tellingthetruestoryfirst
8/17/2009 7:56:55 AM
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Stop taking things so "life and death" seriously Mikael... you're a rock musician, not a neuro-surgeon. So you had a bad gig. How many bad gigs do you think the Beatles or Rolling Stones have had? Tons! Life goes on...
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COMMENT | Opeth rules.
posted by :
8/17/2009 8:35:33 AM
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Eveyone has their off days. Happens to every band. If it hasn't happened to your band, oh, just wait.... it's comin'.
I've seen Opeth multiple times over the years and they blew me the fuck away every time. Absolutely awe-inspiring guitar work.
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COMMENT |
posted by : The Grand Wizard
8/17/2009 9:03:51 AM
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That sounds like it would have been a fun spectacle to watch, just to see that Opeth is in fact human after all hahaha.
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COMMENT | Opeth Live = AMAZING
posted by :
8/17/2009 9:15:25 AM
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Seen them about 4 or 5 times now and each time they sound perfect
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COMMENT | Ouch.
posted by : anti emo
8/17/2009 10:41:50 AM
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And even worse, they tried to do Soldier of Fortune to make it special, and even that didn't go well. I saw them in Dallas and enjoyed myself quite a bit.
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COMMENT | Oh man,
posted by : Poops McGee
8/17/2009 10:58:42 AM
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that sounds really rough! Well, the band is always near perfect live, so I guess it's about time they got effed a bit on stage ;)
Looking forward to seing them in Copenhagen with Dream Theater on September 27...
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COMMENT | Well...
posted by : Towelie
8/17/2009 11:30:17 AM
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I watched their show. I'm not a fan and not familiar with their music, so my impressions don't count much, but apart from the obvious sound problems, they seemed to do quite well.
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COMMENT |
posted by :
8/17/2009 11:34:51 AM
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i was at a gig of theirs in the mean fiddler in london when peter had a nightmare playing a solo section in advent. if anything, it was a human moment that brought band and crowd closer together.
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COMMENT | LOL
posted by :
8/17/2009 12:00:34 PM
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That's rock and roll, man... :)
Love Opeth, can't wait for something new!
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COMMENT | greath though
posted by :
8/17/2009 3:27:19 PM
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even if they had technical problems: for me, not knowing any songs of the band, it has blown me away.
I think Mikael did a great job. Maybe they do some shows in Germany for all the Fans who were really looking for.
I'll be there then ;)
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COMMENT | The great storyteller
posted by :
8/18/2009 9:05:28 AM
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Mike, the great storyteller. I've been at Opeth shows where he talks for 15-20 minutes about random shit. Very good sense of humour. This band is top notch in a world of mostly popcorn shit bands. While no two kernels appear to be alike, the sound they make are (perhaps that was a bad ANALogy). Anyway, even if not everyone likes Opeth, everyone should absolutely respect them for the enormous talent and versatility musically. I have listened to Watershed, eh, probably a good 250 times since I bought it, even having it in the CD player in the car for a week straight at various times. It is truly a work of art, so many different levels of consiousness. I read these posts and I wonder what the hell is wrong with people, what is wrong with their hearing and their feeling of music. How could anyone listen to Opeth and even compare it to Slipknot or Otep? As I grow older I wonder about the younger generation's brainpower. It's scary.
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COMMENT | ROFLCOPTER
posted by :
8/18/2009 11:45:30 AM
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Excellent story. The funk jam video on YouTube is fucking priceless as well.
Opeth is better than your band.
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