No doubt many of you have heard about the alleged controversies surrounding Tool in the Sand. A setlist that wasn’t “unique” enough, and was seemingly cut short. Reports of people booing and giving fuck yous to the band. People paying thousands to see the band in the Dominican Republic feeling like they haven’t got their money’s worth.
Is it reasonable to have expected that Tool had played two completely different setlists? At no point was the show advertised as a “no repeats” type set as the peers Metallica would do. Opinions on what constituted ‘unique’ varied. Reports suggest the term ‘unique’ was applied by the promoter, not the band.
My opinion on the setlist? There were only 4 songs shared between the two nights – for a Tool show, that’s actually a pretty good return, and if you’d seen Tool for two consecutive nights at any other venue, you’d likely be happy with the outcome. Whether a captive audience, as at this festival, deserved more is debatable. My only disappointment would be that they didn’t really add anything new or interesting to the set – it was songs that have been in rotation for quite a while. Throw in a Lateralus or No Quarter, and I suspect some negative opinions could have been swayed.
How much did concert goers actually get offended though? There’s a lot of noise online (including advertising masquerading as a class action lawsuit), much of it seems to come from those who weren’t there, quick to criticize those who paid the high entry price. Based on numerous Reddit posts, those who attended and were genuinely upset appear to be few. I suspect the vast majority in attendance enjoyed what was a chilled vibe, with some stellar support acts.
No doubt there was some booing though, but my interpretation of the footage is that it’s largely a couple of bozos, rather than a crowd united in their disgust for their favourite band.
Like many, I have some degree of distaste for the level of merchandising the band and their retail partners are doing – expensive posters, Tool pillows and underwear, expensive skulls. The band seem more and more like KISS every day. For many the idea of an expensive festival in a tropical resort seemed like a step too far. I don’t strongly disagree with that sentiment, as there’s no band I’d consider paying several thousands to see, but I don’t begrudge those who had the time and means to do so. It should be noted that spending money on the band is an opt in thing – it’s pretty easy to not spend money on them! Personally I haven’t coveted anything from the band outside of concert ticket and records for a while now, and not likely to change that tune anytime soon.
Tool move onto Mexico next week, and then onwards deeper into South America. This should be a great time for the band, and the long suffering fans in those regions. I have no doubt many thousands who’ve waited for decades to see their favourite artist are in for a treat, as they get to see the show of a lifetime. We as Tool fans should be united in sharing this love, and celebrating the positives of what will be a memorable week for the band and fans alike!
Cover photo pinched from the Tool in the Sand website. Credit: Tyler Church and Alive Coverage. There’s over 500 photos on the site, and many great live ones. Well worth checking out!