It was so hot in Madrid that Shirley Manson jumped on stage at Noches del Botánico last Sunday, fanning himself. In the stands it was also the most visible movement. Of course, the Garbage singer stood out from the audience because the word “CUNT” could be read on her fan.
For some time now, feminism has distinguished the group’s network publications and that is what we find on stage: a clear female leadership given her very strong physical presence and the strength of her voice from the first sentence.
Garbage’s current tour begins – after a shocking vindication of ‘Twin Peaks’, not so close to its universe – with the political ‘There’s No Future In Optimism’. The song begins with an a cappella phrase (“If you’re ready for love”) and its thunderous sound from the second zero advances the great concert that we are going to see. Perfect equalization, intelligible lyrics, a lot of message.
There are several occasions when Shirley Manson appeals that “the world is going to shit.” It is evident by how hot it is when we have barely entered July. Neither the group seems able to stand it on stage, nor the audience in a packed pit, tight to the extreme, and in which there is barely room to move a foot. But the Garbage leader will also be more explicit as she gets deeper into the set.
In two moments he defends the president of the Spanish government, without mentioning him. At one point, he jokes: “It’s very good. In the United States we have Trump, and here you have this one. In another, he attacks governments that are dedicated to stealing with impunity, and adds: “except that of Spain.”
Even further, before ‘Chinese Fire Horse’, he made a historic speech in defense of Madonna, 2 days after the release of ‘Confessions II’, which immediately went viral on social networks. The artist assures: «Whether you like it more or less, Madonna changed the world, especially for women who make music. She was always an ally of the LGTBIQ+ movement and black people, before it was talked about. And they tell him to leave. Why would he retire? Madonna is the greatest pop artist of all time. Madonna is not going to retire no matter how many unpleasant comments you leave her on Instagram. No matter how many idiots tell him, he has so much to say, he has so much to offer… and who are we to tell him anything?
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As for the review of his hits, very distinguishable in reception from the songs from his album published last year, Shirley Manson let the audience sing ‘I Think I’m Paranoid’, but he gave himself more to ‘Stupid Girl’ or, already in the encore, to ‘Special’ and the final ‘Only Happy When It Rains’.
He needed help from the audience to remember which album ‘Cherry Lips’ was on (he also dated ‘Version 2.0’ in 1997, a year before its release), but he did remember very well the effect of ‘Push It’, a song about encouraging people to do things, which perfectly achieves its goal. With songs from their vindictive but forgotten fourth album such as ‘Right Between the Eyes’ or ‘Boys Wanna Fight’, which was always focused on causing delirium live, a great repertoire was completed in which a very sui generis version of The Cure, ‘Lovesong’, surprised.
The group seemed delighted to perform in an open-air place – “air” is a saying -, full of trees, to the point of taking a photo of the respectable, and subsequently writing on Instagram that they would never forget this night. Specifically, the collective interpretation of ‘When I Grow Up’. Have we “grown” or “improved” in any way since 1998? That was the only uncertainty that hovered over the Madrid stage that night. 8.5.
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