2014.08.11 - Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

[mrselfdestruct94]

Had a great time at this show. Did not care for The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Soundgarden put on a very good show. But I was there for NIN and they didn't disappoint. It was essentially a stripped down version of the fall arena tour, but I thought it was awesome. I loved how Trent just walked out and started singing the opening lines for Somewhat Damaged, the rest of the band slowly making their way out as the song grew more and more intense. It was great to hear Closer again. I was under the assumption the song had been retired but it was a nice surprise to see it back on the setlist. Surprise of the night, and one of the highlights, was The Great Destroyer. I've only ever heard Survivalism and In This Twilight so hearing a different Year Zero track was a nice addition.

Very few gripes: The drums were way too loud for the first few songs. I couldn't hear anything else when they played 1,000,000 and it muddled the first four or five songs they performed. Especially March of the Pigs. It was very frustrating because I couldn't hear any of the other band members. Crowd wise, I was around some great people who wanted to dance and have fun and enjoy the music. While the cheering during Hurt will always be incredibly annoying, it wasn't as bad as it had been at previous shows. And to The Dillinger Escape Plan fan behind me who bitched about how they were only on for twenty-five minutes, constantly complaining until you finally decided to leave halfway through Soundgarden's set, you can go fuck yourself. They were an opening band on a bill with two major rock bands. What the fuck did you expect? Keep your opinions to yourself and stop trying to talk over the music.

I know we were told this would be NIN's last tour for a very long time, but I really hope they re-consider. I would kill for another arena tour, or a club tour, something where it's all about Nine Inch Nails and they can go out in a blaze of glory that lasts for more than eighty minutes. However, if this is the last time I see them for years, it was an excellent conclusion to the 'Hesitation Marks' era.

[MrSlfDstruct]

Very few gripes: The drums were way too loud for the first few songs. I couldn't hear anything else when they played 1,000,000 and it muddled the first four or five songs they performed. Especially March of the Pigs. It was very frustrating because I couldn't hear any of the other band members.

Yes! Although I'm kind of over hearing it live, I was glad when Piggy kicked in so they finally realized, oh shit, you can't hear the fucking guy singing. That and everything overall was WAY quiet compared to Dillinger and Soundgarden up to that point. After that it was good.

My biggest complaint is they didn't play Copy of A, which I thought they'd go right into after Great Destroyer, and The Day The World Went Away. But it was still a great show.

I also scored a bootleg NIN/SG shirt for ten bucks after the show. Why they didn't make an official shirt with both bands is still baffling, and a huge missed opportunity in my opinion. For a bootleg it looks pretty good. Plus I got my obligatory date-back shirt at the booth. I tried to get the dude to get me an autographed poster, but he wouldn't pull one. Oh well.

[mrselfdestruct94]

Yes! Although I'm kind of over hearing it live, I was glad when Piggy kicked in so they finally realized, oh shit, you can't hear the fucking guy singing. That and everything overall was WAY quiet compared to Dillinger and Soundgarden up to that point. After that it was good.

My biggest complaint is they didn't play Copy of A, which I thought they'd go right into after Great Destroyer, and The Day The World Went Away. But it was still a great show.

I also scored a bootleg NIN/SG shirt for ten bucks after the show. Why they didn't make an official shirt with both bands is still baffling, and a huge missed opportunity in my opinion. For a bootleg it looks pretty good. Plus I got my obligatory date-back shirt at the booth. I tried to get the dude to get me an autographed poster, but he wouldn't pull one. Oh well.

There were some people who were walking around with the NIN/Soundgarden shirt that had the same image (compartments with animal bones, feathers, etc.) that they've been using ever since the tour was announced. They were bootlegs but they looked great and I did see several people selling them for fifteen bucks outside the venue after the show ended. If they'd been selling that shirt at the merch stand I definitely would have picked one up. Unfortunately, the biggest disappointment of this last year of touring has most certainly been the merchandise. None of the shirts available looked good and definitely weren't worth the price they were asking. I don't wear beanies and have no use for buttons or key chains so that was out of the question, and what the fuck happened to the poster prices? Last fall both NIN posters were twenty-five bucks and now all of a sudden both the NIN and Soundgarden posters were forty a piece? And the slug poster was forty-five? I'm not strapped for cash or anything like that, but nothing compelled me to part with my money, and normally I'm the guy who'll get really excited about being at a concert and exhaust my budget immediately on a few shirts and posters. Don't know why they were selling a Downward Spiral shirt or the Ghost vinyl and CD either. Seemed like a cop out, like they weren't too focused on having all of the merch being about the latest album.

May I ask anyone else who went to this show what they thought of Dillinger Escape Plan? I've checked out a few more of their songs on Youtube and I like what I've heard, but live they just didn't do it for me.