The Alice in Chains played daily because the night had to be Jack White – Observer

This was perhaps not the most anticipated name of the evening, but the highlight of the poster was more than deserved: Jack White gave one of the great concerts of the evening. Of the day. From the festival. It was unforgettable for all those who are fan of the musician, so talented that he even makes confusion and for whom it is not (we heard that there were few people who knew that White was the author of Seven Nation Army, but we preferred not to believe it). It was also a privilege that will not be repeated soon, since White does not seem to be a favorite of Portuguese promoters. In 11 years, he has played in Portugal only three times (counting this Saturday), which is very little for anyone like him. With a long, solid and brilliant career.

Jack White made his debut in Portugal in 2007, in this same Passeig Marítimo de Algés. At the time, The White Stripes was still playing around the world, and no one imagined that four years later they would finish. But it was like that: in 2011, Meg and Jack ended one of the most interesting rock bands of the last two decades and left many fans idle (especially the Portuguese who have not survived the Alive 2007). After that, drummer Meg disappeared from the map, but Jack remained connected to the song (how could it be otherwise?) In his own name and with other projects. Jack is still back in 2012 for a concert at the Lisbon Coliseum.

Despite bringing a new album in his pocket – Boarding House Reach Released in March – White made a point of honor to cross his career, playing songs from different projects. There was "Steady As She Goes" by The Rancounters and many themes of The White Stripes, as a gift for the many fans of the audience. Bathed in a blue light, while he was changing guitar almost every song, White was doing what he knows best: play live. It's on stage that the musician shows what it's worth, and it's not a trivial matter. The energy is contagious, and even goes to the slowest songs that make a living and have never been on CDs. This is how "We're Going to Be Friends", for example, allowed the audience to unite with those of Jack White, but only in dreams.

After "Icky Thump", the largest anthem of the White Stripes who led one of the biggest ovations of the night, Jack White finished with "Seven Nation Army" theme of the legendary Elephant was recently rediscovered due to a plagiarism charge that the Israeli competitor of Eurovision was targeted. The motive could be better, but perhaps it could remind the world that there was once a duo called The White Stripes, born in 1997 and buried in 2011, which made its mark in the world. rock history. The culprit spent the night by Algés and called Jack White.

The last day of NOS Alive started solarengo. The sun, shy in recent days, decided to give the air of his grace to the concert of Alice in Chains, who climbed onto the main stage of the festival after The Last International (which was at Paredes de Coura only two years ago) at six o'clock in the afternoon, unworthy time for rock in this category. They did not deserve it and the public did not deserve it either. At that time, there were still many people coming into the room, but the Americans did not care. They have been there for too long now to call such details: they sounded like it was ten o'clock in the evening and the room was full just to see them.

The concert started with "Check My Brain", theme of Black Gives Way to Blue (2009), the first group album with William DuVall and without singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002. It's that these Alice in Chain are not quite the same, but it's not necessarily bad – it's just different. He followed "Again" – with DuVall without the guitar on his shoulder, a microphone in his hand and a whole scene at his disposal – this one, originally recorded with Staley in the distant year 1995.

"Hello Portugal, beeemm?" Asked the singer, with a beautiful Brazilian accent. "It's good to be back in. It's been a while." Overall, it's been eight years of waiting. The last concert of the Seattle group in Portugal was precisely on the Passeig Marítimo de Algés, in an edition of Alive (which at the time still had "Optimus" before the name) which also relied on the Pearl Jam , the group that may have touched the most festival of Oeiras. At that time, the Alice in Chains were also swallowed by other Faith No More heads, but they were luckier: when they came on stage, the sky was filled with stars.

After "Dam That River" – music from the second album of the group, Dirt from 1992, DuVall, came back to pick up the guitar for "Hollow", from the most recent The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here . "No Excuses", "We Die Young" and "Your Decision" appeared in the line-up before "So Far Under", the first single from the group's new album, Rainier Fog, scheduled for release. end of the month of August. More in the end, there was no shortage of "Would?", A hymn of a generation that has managed to survive over time to become not only one, but everyone. It's just that Alice in Chains is not an opening group – they have a past, a story. They have left a trace in the history of American rock (and not only) that the Lisbon sun can not erase.

Nowadays, when you read "Franz Ferdinand" on a festival poster, there is only one thing coming to mind: garland. The Scottish band's concert on this last day of NOS Alive was neither the first, nor the second nor the least third on Portuguese land and the record they aroused has all qualified as & # 39; "malt animators". There was no previous concert that left something to be desired and there was so little body that would remain indifferent to Alex Kapranos and the company's gingão rock.

With this in mind, nothing was expected unless this performance was one of the liveliest of the day. . The beginning was a lion, with "Do You Want To" that sounds good to the generous human spot that was already forming. The saying grew as much as the expectation, but what came from the scene did not exactly match. More lax than usual, Franz Ferdinand starts the music behind the music at a good pace but without the genius that characterizes them.

The charismatic singer smiled, danced, jumped, and shot in the audience, but his comrades could not conceal the fact that he was the only one interested in bringing a good afternoon to the thousands. face of those who prefer to be at home watching shows. Eventually, this was felt in the songs – which were not very touched, far from it, but they lacked this hint of enthusiasm – and the audience, obedient, dropped out. Fortunately, the Scots avoided playing the most recent album, which was received with less favorable reviews, and rely heavily on great hits. This justifies the peaks of excitement and excitement of the sequences, like the one that put "Take Me Out" with "This Fire" at the end of the show. Fortunately, at the other end of the room, the animation was another.

Imagine that a scene happens between the instruments – drums, keys and guitar – lives the doll of a life-sized lion. What would you think? Hard to say, is not it? This scenario happened Saturday afternoon, on the Clubbing stage, and if we did not know who would play the Throes + The Shine (T + TT), you'd think something sneaky was going arrive. But not. Coming from where I came from, it made sense, after all, that the group formed by Marco Castro, Igor Domingues and Mob (the first two are the only ones who remain from the original formation, the microphone has already jumped at least three times, André Do Poster for Diron and now for this Mob), is responsible for the country's pickiest music, with its junction of African rhythms with heavy rock.

The animation of the first moment was something that was already planned and the group matched expectations. Even though they did not have a considerable human spot, the T + TT made the feast for all the people who were riding that day on the Algés Seaway. Songs like "Batida" or "Capuca" were responsible for a lot of calorie burns, such was the dance that they caused. Mob even found it worthy to get off the stage, jump the bars and put everyone in a big circle that met all his orders. "I want to see everything jump!" He shot. And festival owners had no choice but to access – and in what way.

After those injured in the fake copper stove, those who were injured in Pearl Jam. Whether we like it or not, the truth is that someone should have already created an association claiming the rights of groups that, because of the delay of Eddie Vedder's group, have seen their time reduced. or their delayed performance. If that existed, all the people (not many) who spent nearly an hour waiting for the MGMT and At The Drive In would have immediate membership cards. "So, do not do it again?", Commented a young woman in a suit with pants and boots (the look that during the festival rivaled Pearl Jam's endless t-shirts) next to the main stage. It was almost two in the morning, and Eddie Vedder's group was still on the main stage of NOS Alive, playing old songs, theirs and others. Since none of the other gigs could begin as long as the poster heads did not leave the NOS scene, the At The Drive In, which should have been working from 1:15, did not appear. than more than 40 minutes later. The delay was considerable, but it was not enough: we do not know whether it was late or the MGMT promise on the main stage, but when the Texans showed up, everything was half-gas. There was mosh of course, but the space around At The Drive In was just a little compost

Known for explosive performance, At The Drive In which debuted at Portugal last year, in the Paredes de Coura festival – remained true to themselves. Singer Cédric Bixler jumped, jumped, threw up some ground amplifiers and even sang with his legs up, still with an energy that seems to have no end. The only problem in all this – at a concert that had everything to be as mythical as the 2017 Fluvial Beach in Taboão – is that At The Drive In played a little over 30 minutes. On the main stage, at the other end of the room, MGMTs seemed flexible and full of little things. Discreet and without great expressions on their faces (would they be upset by the delay?), They began to download their perfect electronic pop-up, to the delight of many teenagers who, in desperation, had already begun to sing Unless they broke up dancing and jumped their hands in the air as if there was no tomorrow – which, in practice, would not be, since this concert closed the main stage on the last day.