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Taking Back Sunday / Recover / The Hurt Process

live in Oxford
2004
live show

Review by: Simon Davies
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Published on June 15th 2004

So, the Zodiac was always going to be packed to the rafters. Taking Back Sunday have at last arrived in Oxford, a year late, to play to 800 people when on the same week long tour they are playing to 2000 capacity halls.

First up, England's own Hurt Process hit the stage. Later this Summer, The HP will be the first British band to play the Warped Tour and tonight they managed to give a glimpse of why that may be justified. However, only a glimpse. Some places seemed a bit ropey at best and sickening at worse but they left having gave the crowd a sense that better things are yet to come. They are one band that you know can build on their debut record, Drive-By Monologue which seems to have been out forever and is availble via Victory.

Well we manage to shuffle to the barrier just in time for a bit of Texan taste, in the form of Recover. Comedy. Dan's indifference made me crack up. "you excited about Taking Back Sunday?....well.......thats good......yeah.....fucking great." However opening with "My Only Cure" it was all downhill from there, Dan's vocals didn't hold up and the crowd were getting restless. His humour was enough to make it bearable but only a miracle would have saved the day on this occasion.

So 45 minutes after Recover have left the stage, Taking Back Sunday hit the stage. Cometh the hour, cometh the band. The type of energy I personally havent seen since seeing, the now forgotten, Will Haven rip up Oxford in 2002. Lazara was strutting like a beast in heat, Eddie Reyes had the intensity to boot and the crowd more than made up for the slight problems in sound, regards to Adams voice. The new stuff sounds like it has potential, thats for sure, but you have to question whether they will ever replace Nolan's ability to write, even though they more than have made up for his depature in stage presence.

This is a band who will be transatlantically huge. They're kind of in the process of doing in the UK what Funeral for a Friend are doing in the states. Its all change in the musical states. It all hangs on how the public reacts to "Where you want to be" Out July 26th over here.

"Oxford loves you Adam" screams one guy, "thanks" replies Lazara, "but we're Taking Back Sunday."

Despite the gutting that has hit the band in the last 12 months, tonight they proved they certainly are.

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 17, 2004 at 10:52 PM (EDT)
My Score:

The dude who wrote this shit about reco is a peice of shit cause recover will own his ass. I bet your beating off to www. Scatlover. Com. Ii bet you listen to thursday and my chemical romance and stab you with the pencil that wrote your last poem on a dark cold night wrapped in your dead grandmas favorite quilt of grey life in the enchanted forrest by the mystikal pig that was speared in the book of dead life. Nice review punker..................

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 21, 2004 at 11:23 PM (EDT)
My Score:

You're a tool. You just mocked me for agreeing with you.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 21, 2004 at 3:05 PM (EDT)
My Score:

"I also agree that music should be free. That kind of thing can't happen without serious social and governmental change. We've put a price tag on emotion. We've put a price tag on friendship. Shit, everything in the entire fucking world costs money. Even love is strained by money (Valentine's Day, engagement ring)."

oh shut up you fucking hippie, go live in the wilderness where you don't need money

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, June 19, 2004 at 11:33 AM (EDT)
My Score:

So, I guess we agree.

In reality the whole "Taking Back Sunday is doing in Europe what Funeral For a Friend is doing in the States" thing set me off. I'm not a big scene bullshit guy at all, but this shit meant something once. Emo is money now. It's used to be a dirty word for all the bands that made a seven inch, did one tour and changed some kid's life in a basement, but now it has choruses, big names, and contracts: everything it used to not be. Every genre of music starts and ends like this, but this one was supposed to be different. But you gotta eat right?
I also agree that music should be free. That kind of thing can't happen without serious social and governmental change. We've put a price tag on emotion. We've put a price tag on friendship. Shit, everything in the entire fucking world costs money. Even love is strained by money (Valentine's Day, engagement ring).
It's silly of me to get upset about the thing I love (music) being tainted by the fatal flaw of our world when every other thing is. I get to eat, I have a roof over my head.
So we have a choice, do we sit in the back and let it go, being the jaded guy in the corner watching all the crap rise to the top, or do we say something, let the younger generations know?
I would rather tear down a wall then let it grow around me.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 18, 2004 at 6:59 PM (EDT)
My Score:

the new noise thing - so many bands have ripped off so many other bands the list is endless. however unfair it may be... it happens.

bands trying to maintain their "street cred." or what have you - what i said came out wrong. i actually was trying to make the same point as you. most bands would take it in the butt just to get paid. at least rap artists admit they're doing it for the money. this goes back to it being a business.

the rock star attitude - as sickening as it is. it exists. in a perfect world, music in all forms would be free and people would shit money and give it to the band to support them and their music. (although shitting money would render the american dollar worthless, but you get the point)

i'm not 15, hate good charlotte, dislike funeral for a friend and taking back sunday, and have been listening to indie music or whatever term you prefer probably as long as, if not longer than yourself. call me jaded or something i don't give a fuck. i don't know what facts you're talking about. you're spouting off all these problems that exist within "the scene" and condemning all of these bands (that neither of us really have to bother to name because i'm sure we're thinking alont the same lines)

but let's face it. this shit happens all the time. anything remotely popular today in music will be bought into by major record labels when they first see they can turn a profit off of it. then they will market it to all the kids in some creative way, either directly "if you like THURSDAY you'll love this..." (i hate those stickers) or indirectly, i.e. major labels owning percentages of "indie" labels. and the kids will eat it up. and the kids who try so hard to disassociate themselves from these mindless fucks and turn to whatever artsy type music is popular in the sub sub culture. this new electronic thing for example... it's not that new.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 18, 2004 at 2:24 PM (EDT)
My Score:

To the expert on business:

Do you really think they just happen to "get the chance to make money from their music" and they went for it and I'm a unknowing asshole dissing them because of jealousy or something?
Let's get specific, what I said is based on bands I believe are undeniably derivative crap. Did Refused get paid a cent when Hoobastank ripped off the main riff in New Noise and turned it into the bridge of the song Crawling in the Dark? ("It's business, stop whining!") (You're probably also thinking "that hoobastank song ripped off new noise?", check it out, it's there.)

Furthering this, I believe that many so called "punk" or "indie" bands are masquerading as having some sort of integrity that is associated with the scene. Many beloved bands will do anything with their music for your dollar! It's true!!!!!

The fact that the "I want to be a rock star" desire exists in a scene built on community and integrity is sickening.
Fuck business.

As a music fan and human-rights enthusiast, I cannot understand how you can deny facts in front of your face, unless you actually really like Funeral for a Friend and Taking Back Sunday. Then you're probably 15 or just got into "punk" like last year and you probably own a Good Charlotte cd.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 18, 2004 at 10:11 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I don't know, Anal cunt is a pretty bad band, and don't forget about ICP.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 17, 2004 at 7:45 PM (EDT)
My Score:

worst band ever? youre an ignorant prick, you really are if you think Taking back sunday is the worst band ever then youre saying bands like Superjoint Ritual are better, and if you mean to tell me that shitty ass generic metal band is better then TBS, then you sir, deserve a foot in your fucking ass.

-RomeoWillDie

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 17, 2004 at 7:44 PM (EDT)
My Score:

to the guy ranting about punk/hardcore ideology etc. and bands making money...

NEWS FLASH - it's called the music BUSINESS. (webster's defines "business" as a commercial enterprise but i hate people who use dictionary definitions but it (it being my dictionary) was sitting near me and i couldn't pass up the oppurtunity seeing as how you seem to be a bit confused as to what a business is)

go figure, a bunch of guys who like playing music (regardless of anyone else's opinion of their music) have the oppurtunity to get paid to play music. i guarantee most of the bands making any real money aren't even in charge of their promotion.

most people can barely even think for themselves whether they realize it or not.

Posted by Murder_in_paint on 2004-06-17 16:31:16
My Score:

they are not even worth it.taking back sunday sucks worse then my spelling

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 17, 2004 at 1:21 PM (EDT)
My Score:

worst band ever

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 at 1:02 PM (EDT)
My Score:

kudos to scott for not discriminating against homosexuals writing reviews on this site....

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 at 12:30 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Adam isn't the only one singing in the new songs....

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 6:04 PM (EDT)
My Score:

I'm not sure about the new stuff live, but when I saw Taking Back Sunday with Saves The Day it was boring and bland. When each new song began I was asking myself, "Haven't they already done this song?" I think that since it was just Adam singing things started to blend together.

Posted by ThreeChordsAndTheTruth on 2004-06-15 17:50:43
My Score:

"This is a band who will be transatlantically huge. They're kind of in the process of doing in the UK what Funeral for a Friend are doing in the states"

they're big already, sadly.

FFAF in the states = re-marketing music that the states already has and they stole their sound from.

Posted by Chason on 2004-06-15 16:29:26
My Score:

About the Hurt Process being the first British band to play Warped Tour...you mean this YEAR? The Fight played last year. I'm sure there have been others as well.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 2:41 PM (EDT)
My Score:

i saw them in glasgow. didnt enjoy thp or recover but tbs blew me away. id heard all the shit about adams voice but its just not true...that dude can really sing.
and john was NOT tbs. he only wrote some of the lyrics, ed writes all the music so fuck u.
PS adam and ed both bought me drinks....nicest band in music

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 12:24 PM (EDT)
My Score:

oh yea hurt process and recover suck and adam couldnt sing live when i saw them (which was 16 months ago), he just swung the mic around liek geoff from thursday and yelled here and there and was generally out of breath. fucking sing and jump less. dude.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 12:22 PM (EDT)
My Score:

straylight run is putting an album together, out on Victory later this summer

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 11:36 AM (EDT)
My Score:

"...what Funeral For a Friend is doing in the states." The only thing Funeral For a Friend is doing in the states is spending a lot of money on promotion.

It's sickening how the followers of this "alternative" genre of music shun music on MTV becuase it's blatantly promoted to them and/or watered down, but then are influenced by the same business practices within their "scene" and buy in.
Many bands in the "scene" desire to be as "big" as possible. I guess it's ok to build off the punk and hardcore movement and ideals to make money ripping off true artists. Yeah, it's cool.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 11:20 AM (EDT)
My Score:

"Bonus Mosh Part II" is pretty good, but the new TBS single off the album (ADecade Under the Influence) is pretty bland.

I must say, though, that as a live band, Adam needs to stop doing so much prancing around on stage.

Straylight Run putting an album together or what?

Posted by Jesse on 2004-06-15 10:39:16
My Score:

All these bands suck. This review is trash.

Posted by thriceequalsgod on 2004-06-15 10:20:53
My Score:

"Despite the gutting that has hit the band in the last 12 months. Tonight they proved, they certainly are.

I'm sorry, was that a complete thought?"

yeah... "Tonight they proved, they certainly are [Taking Back Sunday]."

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 9:43 AM (EDT)
My Score:

the singer used to be terrible live, he never sang- I saw them when they went out with Saves the Day though and he actually sang the whole time- they're shows are much better now I hear

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 9:09 AM (EDT)
My Score:

hurt process sucks ass. hard.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 8:49 AM (EDT)
My Score:

To the reviewer, John Nolan only helped write some of the lyrics. Eddie wrote all of the music. Fact.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 7:49 AM (EDT)
My Score:

What? What the fuck was this? Was this a review? Cometh thy confusion. Donkey!

Posted by johnnydanger on 2004-06-15 03:45:40
My Score:

Despite the gutting that has hit the band in the last 12 months. Tonight they proved, they certainly are.

I'm sorry, was that a complete thought?

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 3:17 AM (EDT)
My Score:

oh yeah, forgot to say that i like the band's albums, just that Adam sucks live

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 3:16 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Adam's live singing is as bad as Blink-182's... why are they that sloppy? crap if you can't pull it off live, it shouldn't be on the album

Posted by colin on 2004-06-15 02:21:08
My Score:

score for the review.

setlist? energy? anything?

although consice, maybe indulge in a bit more depth. i've been wondering how tbs is live, last time i saw them was in a practical closet and they still had their old members, but they were quite good live.

from what i've heard, 3 or 4 new tbs songs, the new album will be a solid piece of mediocrity.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 2:12 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I heard the single off the new album...eh...I'm sick of this band...so many fucking Hot Topic ass rockets dig these guys...fuck, I can't ever log onto messenger anymore without seeing their cliche-ass lyrics spelled out in people's names like you'd think it was actually something important. FUCK. ASS!

Posted by bemused on 2004-06-15 01:57:24
My Score:

Aha! Hope their new album is as good as the last.

-chris-