The transition from screen to stage are one that has been attempted by many, including Catherine Zeta Jones, Britney Spears, and of course, The Hoff.
It’s a fair comment to say that these endeavours have not always been successful or worth buying the CDs from Poundland. However, there is a success story amongst the Hollywood elite A-list, and that comes from Mr Jared Leto.
After being treated to some Northern Irish rock from In Case of Fire, who sound likes a mix between new Biffy Clyro and the voice of Muse’s Matt Bellamy at some stages, the crowd then had to wait a monumental hour and ten minutes for the main act to appear.
When the lights finally went down the roar that erupted from the crowd could’ve shaken the foundations of Newcastle’s Carling Academy; then the magnificent light show happened. There were projected 30 Seconds to Mars logos on both walls and O Fortuna by Carl Orff blasted through the area, showing …Mars wanted to make an entrance.
Drummer Shannon Leto then began a blazing three-minute drum solo, before then the rest of the band joined him on stage, pelted with various amounts of underwear and such. The opening salvo was thoroughly anticlimactic though, as thoughts of a repeat of their performance at the Download Festival last year where they played a forty-minute four-song set loomed.
Then something wonderful happened; “He’s a stranger to some and a vision to none” echoed through the speakers, and hopes were raised and renewed.
From Yesterday played and the crowd started jumping and singing, then straight in to The Story. Jared Leto had the usual repertoire of every band lead singer where the adjective and adverbs of everything was “Fucking” and “Are you having a good time [insert town/place/venue here]?” but then he did something that not a lot of bands do these days; they thanked the fans, they called them ‘the family’ and sounded truly grateful. Those kinds of speeches were usually left for awards ceremonies and inside the album covers.
It was then back down to business. A Beautiful Lie and The Kill brought the sprits right back up with A Beautiful Lie being more like a warm up to the latest hit. The whole audience joined in the chorus and the middles sections on ‘whoa’, which then left Leto to show of his vocal talents, even with vocal effects.
The skill of drummer (and Jared’s older brother) Shannon Leto also should be pointed out. His passion and energy carried the songs and brought them out from the album and into the live realm. This is a band that really isn’t just about the lead singer and the fame he has brought through his status, it is a band that relies on each other and are famous in their own right.
After playing their big hits, what could they do now? After performing Attack, they left the stage, but kept the lights down, and then a figure reappeared on the stage. It was just Jared and his guitar, the crowd on the edge hoping for something special. They got it, as Modern Myth played with just with him, his voice, and his guitar.
If anyone ever doubted the talent of the actor-turned-singer their doubts would be laid to rest, and if anyone ever doubted the band’s sincerity then Jared set them straight by taking a minute to address the crowd, in a most humble fashion to say thank you.
They finished the set with The Fantasy and split the crowd in to three sections to create a whirlwind of cheers and screams at corresponding moments whilst giving everything for one last time that night, shaking off any bad reputation they received after Download Festival.
And on a final note - his eyes really are that blue in real life.
