The Mars Volta can't put a foot wrong for me (besides getting rid of their incredible drummer, Thomas Pridgen), and this concert was no exception.

The Hordern was fairly empty, which always makes me feel uncomfortable - I feel so sad for the band when they can't fill out their venue. They even had to black out the seating areas to the side with curtain. But, in the end, having the hall empty made it all the more intimate. One of my friends pointed out that when he first went to the Mars Volta 2 concerts ago, it was sold out... when he went to their last concert, the crowd had shrunk and now this time, the crowd was... minimal.
Maybe as their albums have become weirder and stranger, they have thinned out their audience.

But any Volta fan would have frothed over this gig... it was a greatest hits show. It was as if they received my own playlist. What made this show all the more special, was that it was my little brother's first gig and my certain someone's first Mars Volta gig. It was so fun watching my 15-yr old brother manoeuvering his way through his first concert. His look of shock at the middle-aged men having a good dance/hug/sing/smoke in front of us. 'Why are they here?! They're pretty old.' (Apparently 50 year old men aren't allowed to be out of the house or listen to music.)

For anyone who hasn't listened to them yet... do yourself a huge favour. Just be sure to give it a bit of time to appreciate their oddness.