Girls in stripper heels, Boys rolling in Maserati's

This concert was a part of an unusual couple of days in my musical life. I am now probably one of the few people who can claim that I saw Metallica and Lamb Of God (and fucking loved them) just days before going to an Adam Lambert concert. Yes, I was front row at the runner-ups Down The Rabbit Hole Tour in Auckland, New Zealand, only 3 days after headbanging my way through a nearly perfect Metallica/LoG show at Vector Arena. It is not a position most people find themselves in, but I always seem to find myself in contradicting situations like that. Getting front row was no problem really, the hardest part was dealing with all the screaming and squealing of his obsessive, female fans. There was no good opening act and the venue was a pretty average place, but the atmosphere completely made up for all that. Adam Lambert's show was a true spectacle, filled with glittery make-up, brilliant costumes and crazy hair. He is the essence of pop music, with super-catchy music that makes everyone want to move. He put on a real show, and everyone cheered like crazy when he would kiss bass player, Tommy Joe Ratliff. His setlist was masterfully crafted, it started with a real bang and was filled with bouncy and electric tracks, then he slowed everything down and played the more sombre songs from his album, like Soaked and Broken Open. His voice is so strong that those slower songs were really the highlight of his set, and then he built everything back up into party mode for the rest of the show. At the end of the show, my best friend and I (who were front row wearing Metallica and Lamb of God t shirts) were treated to an amazing surprise when guitarist Monte Pittman announced that in honour of Metallicas recent show, he convinced Adam to cover Enter Sandman! We were probably the only 2 people in the venue who truly appreciated how fucking cool that was. Adam read the lyrics off sheets of paper on the ground while Monte shredded away to the legendary song, giving his guitar pick directly to my friend after the song in honour of her t shirt. Now, Metallica and LoG still fucking rock more than anything, but seeing Adam was an amazing night and made even better thanks to Metallica.

Adam Lambert. 17/10/2010. Trusts Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand

Adam + Tommy

Adam Lambert