2007.08.13 - Budapest, Hungary @ Sziget Festival
Source A: Solid State Recorder --- AT U853c > 3wire BB > Church Audio ST-9100 preamp v2.0 > R09 24bit 48kHz
Transfer: Mastering (EQ, compressor, limiter) > Adobe Audition 2.0 fades, track edits > flac 1.1.3 (level 8)
Location: 30m from stage, center
Taper: mrruin
Notes - Taper:
This show has equalizing, limiting and compression applied to it. In my ears and for my enjoyment it is a definite improvement of my recordings. If you do not crave those techniques on live audience recordings this show may not be for you. Show Notes: This was my fourth time seeing Tool, the third time within about a year and the first time I have been really really disappointed. Now, a few days and a cancellation later, it does not taste as bitter as it did that evening. Something was wrong and you could feel it from the start of the set until the very end. The band was like a limping dog, Maynard never even looked at the crowd once and the others were constantly looking at each other. MJK wasnt singing half of his lyrics and the other half was sung with a thin, strung voice. No, its not my fault or the sound guys that his voice is think and sometimes quiet on the recording. I do not think he had more power than what he showed that evening. To make matters worse the projector screens failed as well during "Rosetta Stoned" and didnt come back until Lateralus. It was somehow bizarre seeing MJK stare at the boot screen of the projector software while he himself needed a reboot so badly. The band messed up a few times as well, like a school band at the end of "Rosetta Stoned" when they were totally off. "Schism" was also really sloppy. On the other hand "Flood" and the Jam before had punch and drive and really pulled out this performance for me. The beatiful lighting and wonderful videos during Lateralus showed us what it could have been. Two days later Tool canceled their appearence at the Frequency festival in Salzburg and it makesp erfect sense to me why they did it. The band needed a break desperately and here is the proof. However I wish they would tone down their touring schedule to allow more quality and not all quantity. I think it is nice to listen to a not so nice gig from one of your favorite bands. It makes you appreciate the ones where they ARE on top of their game that much more. The recording itself is great, more's the pity ;) Enjoy.
Notes - Galen:
Man I don't know what to say... hell I said it on other reviews & I'll say it again I suppose... there must be something in the air for many of these non-North American gigs. Some of the AUD recordings just sound so damn spot-on even in less than ideal taping situations. God. It's kind of irritating, as a taper, to hear such a fine Tool recording such as this when you (me) work on getting recordings that sound like this for a Tool show in the States. And, this was not the best Tool performance on any real level. Listening through it, the show has a forced feel to it although if you were a casual fan you probably would not hear what I hear. Well, maybe. It is doubtful that this performance will win any candy from strangers based on it's merit. Shame though, this recording is stellar.
Maynardism: "Thank you very much. Very nice to meet you all, hope to see again soon, thank you, good night."
Time: 114:05
Setlist:
<bass drone>
Jambi
Stinkfist
46 & 2
Schism
Rosetta Stoned
Flood
Lateralus
Vicarious
Source B: Mini DV --- Panasonic NV-GS17 > Panasonic 80min tape + Unknown Camera (filmed from pit)
Dissemination: Master > DVD
Location: Behind Board
Taper: Wafels
Gen: 1 from Master
+
AUDIO
Source B: Solid State Recorder --- AT U853c > 3wire BB > Church Audio ST-9100 preamp v2.0 > R09 24bit 48kHz
Transfer: Mastering (EQ, compressor, limiter) > Adobe Audition 2.0 fades, track edits > flac 1.1.3 (level 8)
Location: 30m from stage, center
Taper: mrruin
Notes - Taper, typed out to me via a letter:
Hello Galen! So, I promised to send you this already some time ago, My apologies but life turned to busy-mode again. Included in this package is a DVD of Tool live at the Sziget Festival in Budapest last year. The result of three people's work. I filmed it myself (complete, from the back, on a monopot), this video makes up the largest part of the DVD & my friend Dustin filmed handheld from the pit, unfortunately, it is missing some parts due to security-interference. I turned both sources into a multi-angle DVD and dubbed it with the fantastic audio-recording by mrruin, leaving a slight bit of my cam-audio in there to give the whole some 'space'. It takes a track or two for my movie to settle down, but I think you will find it in combination with the shots from Dustin and the audio to that this ended up to being one of the better Tool bootleg dvd's out there. Very unfortunate though that as for the perofmrnace this was one of the least good shows Tool ever did. Having learned from the past (we all know what happened with my Pinkpop DVD), I send this DVD to you as a gift & for information purposes. Be free to put it on your website (curious to read your review :O) but we kindly request not to use it for trades. We would want to keep control on who gets it this time around and keep it as far away from the vultures on eBay as possible. Full lineage is included in the end credits of the DVD. (BTW, the wrong time of year, but the Easter Bunny also left something behind ;-)) ~Jeroen / Wafel's
Notes - Galen:
This is one of, if not the, best DVD's (note: this is on 2 single layer DVDs) of this nature every produced. That said, the production value so to speak is superb; it really looks rather professional. The primary footage is Wafel's very clear/clean video source filmed from the back right of the venue (but the close-ups are absolutely incredible) combined/mixed with another video filmed from the pit area - this one offers a lot of clear, close footage. They both are rather interesting however if one were to choose it is clear that the best one is Wafel's footage as it gets both the ambience & some more than decent close-ups. The good audio from Source A is a nice addition. All in all, this is a definitive recording for both the production, ballz & overall replay, so to speak. Top job to all the tapers involved. And the mixers in 'post'. Technically, as for performance, Tool has had better days - listen to the ramshackle cluster-fuck that is Rosetta Stoned for clues.
Maynardism: "Thank you very much. Very nice to meet you all, hope to see again soon, thank you, good night."
Time: 110:12