http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1675610/30-seconds-mars-record-breaking-show.jhtml
Dec 8 2011 1:28 PM EST
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30 Seconds To Mars Make History At Triumphant Show
Band entered the Guinness Book of World Records on Wednesday night at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom.
By James Montgomery (
@positivnegativ
NEW YORK — For a band that, over the past three years, has been no stranger to adversity — everything from
battles with their label to
scraps with censors and the occasional
stage collapse —
30 Seconds to Mars
had probably never had to deal with the kind of trouble that occurred
during the encore of their record-setting show Wednesday night in New
York.
During the crashing crescendo of "Kings and Queens," a female fan was
crushed against a barricade and required immediate medical assistance.
"Queens" was the final song of the band's set, which was preceded by a
lengthy presentation from the folks at Guinness World Records, who
honored 30STM for Most Shows Played
During An Album Cycle (309 was Guinness' count). Jared Leto invited fans
to join them onstage for the finale. Spirits were high inside the
Hammerstein Ballroom, and as "Queens" unfolded, they only got higher ...
until Leto stopped the song and asked for medics to tend to the injured
fan. After 20 solemn minutes, EMTs carried her away on a stretcher.
"As
soon as she got oxygen, she sat up and is doing OK," 30STM's management
told MTV News after the show. After getting the all-clear, 30 Seconds
to Mars undauntedly finished the song and the night ended with the crowd
triumphantly chanting its "woah-oh-oh" hook while streamers fell from
the ceiling.
And not to downplay the severity of the situation,
but it helped illustrate everything that made 30 Seconds to Mars'
record-setting run with
This Is War so unique. Their ability to
overcome obstacles, their willingness to push on, and the otherworldly
bond they share with their fans — displayed best when drummer Shannon
Leto left the stage to assist the EMTs.
The band had already
played more than 300 shows, and yet, they still pushed hard on
Wednesday, imbuing songs like "Search and Destroy" and "Night of the
Hunter" with walloping guitars, anthemic sing-along choruses and washes
of spooky synths. Jared sprinted up and down the catwalk stage (not easy
to do in a huge black cloak), shined a massive spotlight into the crowd
to illuminate fans' faces, and even performed a few acoustic numbers
mid-set. Shannon pounded his kit as sweat flew, and guitarist Tomo
Milicevic crunched chords and charmed ethereal soundscapes out of his
ax. It could have been show number one, not the final gig of a two-year
trek.
Of course, 30STM's fans matched, if not doubled, the band's
enthusiasm. There were signs in the audience touting the Detroit chapter
of the Echelon, and at one point, Leto brought a fan onstage who had
traveled all the way from Maryland. Every chorus was sung back to the
band loudly, each massive chant repeated at top volume, and the opening
chords of each new song greeted with squeals of delight. Fans reached
skyward as confetti fell, and ooh-ed and aah-ed as lasers shot from the
stage. This was definitely a celebration, in just about every
conceivable way.
Not surprisingly, the band seemed genuinely
touched and a tad nostalgic. Jared told fans that the Guinness award was
theirs, too, shouting, "I want everyone in here to carry this with them
for the rest of their lives," as he thrust the certificate above his
head.
As if their record-setting tour didn't already tip you off
to it, the rather frightening delay proved that 30STM are a band
seemingly at their best when forced to push on. And on. And on.
Did you attend any stops on 30STM's record-setting tour? Share your reviews in the comments below!
