Big Data Gimme Tour Vancouver review
written by Diego Alfonso Jimenez
Eight p.m. The Moth & the Flames are getting ready, and there’s a little more people than when I arrived but not enough yet. Minutes later, people start gathering close to the stage and I’m one of them. Then, the opening band starts playing. The sound is good. The music is good, and the people know it as they grow quiet to hear their songs, and I do the same. Once the opening band’s set is done, we cheer and clap to let to them know that they’re good. This is the first time that I’ve heard the Moth & the Flames, and myself and most of the crowd think the band’s music is excellent. Listening to them live is almost like we are hearing their recorded album, the sound is so good, but its still apparent with little variations, that they are really playing. The band puts on a good show with much passion and energy put on their music, especially from the singer and guitarist. Finally their time ends and the people from Vancouver cheer them and clap harder as the band says goodbye.
Minutes goes by and Big Data are bringing out their instruments and getting ready to start. The real show is starting and Venue is almost full. Finally the show starts, but it starts different from what I or the audience are used to. Instead of starting the music right away or telling us how we are doing, Big Data turns on a background screen and the iconic ‘bearded head with glasses’ of Alan Wilkis appears behind the band. Suddenly (on screen) his eyes become spirals that hypnotize us, and the ‘head’ tells us to “give us all our information, share everything you can so we can make it public and use it as we wish”. Big Data starts playing.
What you must know about going and seeing Big Data live is that Alan Wilkis will give everything he has, from the beginning of the show to the end. He sweats, he screams, he sings with all his might, but he regulates the electronic sounds from his mixer with the utmost cool. He poses for the fans when he sees them struggle to take a good photo of him as he was constantly moving, and the fans love it.
Singing with Alan Wilkis is Lizy, the sexy female singer of Big Data. Her top notch voice combines with his in the most perfect way, despite the beginning being a little uneven with the singer’s voices and mic mix (which was quickly sorted out). I liked Lizy’s voice the most, and it seemed to resonate the most with others there too. Her sexy moves drew the eye, but it was her passionate vocals that really got the audience to fall in love with her. Lily’s voice was stronger and more audible than Alan’s but it was a great mix.
From the time the show started, the crowd continued to cheer. The soft tones of the opening song quickly progressed into a more energetic and electrical tone. That awkward moment when the audience isn’t quite up to the stage and the band wants to fill that gulf – Alan Wilkis cheerfully asked the crowd to not be shy and come closer! Thank god we did! From that point on, the awkwardness is lost, and the audience relaxes. Some people listen, some dance like mad men and mad women possessed by the music and some just show their participation with shouts and cheers. Some just bob their heads and feet to the rhythm of Big Data but all are in their own zone of enjoyment.
Alan Wilkis interacted as much as possible with the fans, even touching heads and hands. Lizzy pointed at some fans then mock seduced them with her movements as she got closer to them. Big Data’s performance was great – no fireworks, no huge light show, just simple musical equipment and a passion that rubbed off!
Most of the songs the band covered were from Big Data’s new album, 2.o. which I haven’t heard yet – but am now going to get! They have a LOT of great songs. From Clean, to Snowed, to Big Data, to Automatic.. they’re all winners by me.
As the show went on, we mainly heard the songs from his new album 2.0 which I hadn’t heard, and let me tell you: They have a lot of great songs. From Clean to Snowed, to Big Dater to Automatic, and so on.
Then, a pause – the end of the set. They put the ‘controlling Alan Wlakis head’ again, and told us to scream and cheer for their return if we wanted Big Data to come back on stage. Our first attempt “sucked” according to the mechanical voice. Then our second scream and cheers succeeded and they came back to electrify the audience once again. We were treated to a sad but passionate song, Automatic, which allowed Lizy to show off her beautiful and talented voice and gave us a deeper connection. Following Lizy’s bidding, we took out our cellphones, activated the flash, and followed the song by waving our phones like old fashioned rock concerts and lighters.
The end was close, and we knew it. Big Data knew it, but they, and especially Alan Wilkis, kept giving everything to please the audience. Then I heard one of my now-favourite songs from Big Data, “Get Some Freedom”. The song was amazing and it made a killer combination with their visual presentation showing on the screen behind them; these amazing drawings of the American government doing what the song sang: Controlling us, using us for their needs and selling our information as we wanted more freedom. The second last song was over. The end was imminent. The crowd started to roar harder, to dance harder, and now we all were fully and truly awake. This was the pick of the show and they gave everything to the audience by playing their last song: Dangerous. Big Data danced and played with their last might. Both singers were all over the place singing, dancing and moving. Alan Wilkis face was all sweat, he looked as if he would faint at any moment, but he didn’t. He kept going. The crowd was nuts. Girls and boys jumping and dancing, some reaching for him or high-fiving him. We all were excited as the song kept going and we didn’t even feel when the song was over, but it was.
Alan Wilkis, Lizy and the whole group members said their goodbyes and thanks to Vancover. The whole audience couldn’t believe that the show was over as everybody still rejoiced with their last song. I was happy, I felt energetic and wanted more, even the audience who yelled at Big Data to play another song, but they didn’t. They had given everything in the stage and they ended in a high note.
As I went away from Venue, I started smiling like an idiot as I remembered the music, the electrifying sensation of their songs, and the satisfying feeling of a great show that Big Data performed. They left a good impression on me and the rest of whom went to see them. I still had the same feelings as when I was in the show, nervous but with a pinch of excitement. I wanted to hear his songs again. I wanted to feel my body be manipulated by involuntary movements that made my body dance with the rhythm. I was happy.
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written by Diego Alfonso Jimenez