I was fortunate enough to catch one of rock’s greatest contributors of our generation live, not once, but twice in a matter of days. It began on Thursday August 4th at Gilford, NH’s Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion and capped off in Montreal, QC’s premier heavy metal festival, aptly named Heavy Montreal.
My weekend started early when, on Thursday evening, I made the hour long drive to the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion where the Alter Bride/Breaking Benjamin/Disturbed tour made a stop prior to a couple of festival dates in Maine then Quebec. Saint Asonia would not be joining them on this date due to another commitment. For Alter Bridge fans, this would be a bonus, giving them an extended set time. If you haven’t been to the Bank of NH Pavilion, you are missing out on one of New Hampshire’s premier concert venues. With a capacity of just over 8,000, this modernized amphitheater is the perfect setup for a show. Nestled right next to Lake Winnipesaukee, I suggest taking at least the day there to enjoy the area. The only downfall with the Bank of NH Pavilion was the box office, where I was treated by a rude employee who didn’t seem to want to try and help out my situation. Other than that, I’ve always had a great experience there the many times I’ve been.
My goal for this evening was to take in Alter Bridge then hit the road, as I would be leaving early the next morning for the four and a half hour pilgrimage to Montreal where I would see not only Alter Bridge again but Breaking Benjamin and Disturbed. Excited for the show, my wife and I arrived about ten minutes before Alter Bridge were to take the stage; unfortunately there was a bit of a mix up with tickets (insert rude box office manager here) and nobody to help. As I heard the chords to “Come to Life”, my anxiety shot through the roof. After some assistance from the amazing Alter Bridge crew, my wife and I finally got in about the third song.
Once in, we found ourselves in the front pit GA area. First thing I noticed was the crowd size; typically opening bands do not draw a large crowd. Fans may use that time to tailgate, purchase merchandise, etc. But that didn’t seem to be the case with a large majority of the seats filled. Second, as I looked around, I could see a decent amount of the crowd singing along – another great sign. Maybe people are starting to get it, as they already have in Europe where they sell out arenas; this is a great band. Maybe they are finally starting to shed that stigma that they’ve carried for years that this is just another version of Creed because it’s not even close. No disrespect to Creed, as I have always been a fan, but Alter Bridge is miles apart from that band (pun intended) and nothing like Creed.
As Scott “Flip” Phillips (drums), Brian Marshall (bass), Mark Tremonti (lead guitar, vocals), and Myles Kennedy (lead vocals, guitar) took us through a much too brief set, I thought to myself, why aren’t they headlining gigs like this in the states? No disrespect toward the other bands on the bill, but Alter Bridge should be the feature on tours like this. With the passion that they play with and powerful melodies they deliver, I just don’t understand why after four amazing records and their fifth, The Last Hero, to be released on October 7th that they are not selling out arenas stateside as they are over the pond. The only thing I can think of is that people in the U.S. still associate this band with Creed, and it couldn’t be further from the truth. This is a much more complex, mature band than three-quarters of Alter Bridge’s prior band, with much different subject matter than the former band as well. And what Myles adds with not just his amazing vocal range but guitar skills, the two bands can’t even be mentioned in the same sentence. On this evening in Gilford, NH, I hoped I was seeing a sign of what’s to come for Alter Bridge after over a decade of grinding it out.
Now on to Heavy Montreal. I was expecting a bit of a different experience here, as I feel Montreal is more Europe than North America, and I was right. As late afternoon/early evening approached on day two of the hot & humid scene at Parc Jean-Drapeau, Alter Bridge would take the stage for my second show in four days. As the crowd started to gather around the main stage chants of, “ALTER BRIDGE, ALTER BRIDGE” began. From my vantage point in the photo pit, I could see the nearly 30,000 festival goers pile up; this was more like it and what they deserved. First would be Flip taking his place behind the kit, followed by Brian, Myles, then Mark; they would hit the stage to an astounding roar of metal fans. Quebec would receive forty minutes of what I consider to be one of the premier bands in metal today. With fans singing along and clapping in unison, it was an amazing vibe. And just like that, it was over, far too quick but extremely satisfying. They were the main reason I made the trip.
Going beyond the live shows, if you are fortunate enough to get a peek behind the curtain, you will see even further why this is truly an amazing band. This is just four guys that you can tell feel fortunate to be where they are at. Interacting with them is like interacting with any other person in your daily life – no egos and no Rockstar personas – just four down to earth individuals that do not take their fans for granted. And they are surrounded by the right people as well; the entire Alter Bridge family is as good as it gets, and that’s why they will continue to climb the ladder right to the top where they will still be the same four unpretentious individuals you could come across. If I had a prediction, it would be that their soon to be released 5th record, The Last Hero, will top the previous four (which are amazing), which will lead Alter Bridge to larger headlining shows in the U.S. as well as headlining some major European Festivals including Donnington’s Download Festival for nearly 100,000 fans. Now it’s our job as fans to see to it. Be sure to pre-order a copy of Alter Bridge’s soon to be released album, The Last Hero, and if they are in the remote vicinity of you, check them out live. You will not be disappointed. See you at the show!
