“When the lights went out in the Anaheim Arrow-head Pond on March 12, the only thing we could do was scream like mad. And as the four male figures made their way onto the stage, the only thing we could do was scream even louder.
Bright lights finally began flashing on the stage, and the beginning notes to the song “Machinehead” blasted at full force from the speakers. Finally, after winning two tickets and backstage passes from KROQ, we were going to see the band that had been causing such a stir: Bush.
Between carrying crowd-surfing fans up over our heads and rocking to the beat of the music, we marveled at the performance that this London-based alternative rock quartet belted out. While most music groups are known to lose their appeal between their studio-made songs and live performances, Bush actually sounds better live than they did on their debut album, “Sixteen Stone.”
The band played with an infectious enthusiasm that fueled the audience song after song, and an intensity that was especially obvious in the way that bassist Dave Parsons’ body moved with the flow of the music. As lead singer Gavin Rossdale encouraged the crowd’s loudness with his “I can’t hear you” gestures, it was hard to tell who was enjoying themselves more, the audience or the band.
Too much like Pearl Jam?
Watching Bush perform, it was hard to believe that their current Screaming Pope Tour has marked their first round of stadium-sized gigs. Despite negative reviews by critics who have dismissed them as being too much like Pearl Jam and Nirvana, Bush has proved that they can hold their own; especially in concert, where their power and control over the stage electrified the audience.
Since the release of “Sixteen Stone” about a year and a half ago, Bush has been making a slow, steady climb to the top of the alternative charts, gathering an impressive legion of fans along the way. Tickets for their concert have become hot items. The Anaheim performance was sold out in a matter of hours, while in other parts of the country, crowds waited in the cold to buy tickets—which seemed to surprise the band.
“You guys bought these tickets so fast!” said a somewhat bewildered Rossdale to the audience, as if he was surprised at the band’s popularity.
Sexy and expressive
But for the fans themselves, it is not hard to see why they have become such a huge hit. Although many people say that Bush’s success stems from Rossdale’s emergence as one of rock’s newest sex symbols, many fans will argue that his lyrics, as well as his ability to express himself through his singing, has been one of the keys to their popularity.
Not to say that the other members of the band haven’t been integral to their success. With the heavy depth of Parsons’ bass and Nigel Pulsford’s cutting guitar adding to Rossdale’s own guitar, mixed with the force of drummer Robin Goodridge’s beat, Bush has been able to stir specific emotions in their songs, from the spirituality of the ballad “Alien,” to the anger and darkness of the hit song “Little Things.”
Advertised as a show featuring songs from their triple-platinum album “and beyond,” the tour has also featured several new songs, which the Anaheim crowd welcomed and applauded with overwhelming support. Rossdale’s passionate voice carried over through every song, which included such lesser-known songs like “Bubbles” from the Mallrats movie soundtrack to stirring renditions of hit singles such as “Glycerine.”
One of the most intense songs was the hit single “Comedown,” which gave crowd-surfers on the floor a reason to pause and join the audience in singing along with Rossdale. Which was yet another example of Bush’s powerful effect on the crowd.
At the end of the concert, an exhausted, yet pumped-up feeling ran through the crowd. We were especially happy toward the end because we were going to finally going to meet the group we had driven so far to see.
When the time came to go backstage we found that our passes were invalid. This put a damper on our spirits. But we soon got over it. Someday we’ll meet this wonderfully talented musical group.”