Tenacious D

Do not buy tickets from unofficial sources is the message displayed in big, foreboding orange lights as the crowd surge into Glasgow’s largest music venue; the SECC. Standing underneath is a line of rather suspicious looking individuals, intercepting the occasional potential victim with their own cries of “Tickets...anyone need tickets?”. Oh, the irony.

The band everyone is here to see are responsible for the ‘Greatest song in the world’, or at least a tribute to it, as they couldn’t actually remember how it went. However, the scruffy, bearded tramp on the overpass leading to the SECC also thinks he’s responsible for the ‘Greatest song in the world’, so admittedly there is a bit of competition for that title.

Tonight’s performance is more of a rock opera than a gig, kinda like a stage performance of Tommy – but less of the deaf, dumb and blind Roger Daltrey, and more of the ridiculously over zealous Jack Back. It’s pretty much a carbon copy of the film ‘The Pick of Destiny’, with the obvious exception of more music and less acting.

The ‘D’ as they’ve now been affectionately baptised by their ardent followers, begin their set in bed together, and are greeted by a colossal wave of predictable cheers as soon as they raise their heads.


To begin with we see a duel of acoustic guitars, as movie star Jack Black combines with the other half of The D ‘Kyle Glass’, in an assorted collection of stripped down numbers, including a humorous cover of Queen’s ‘Flash Gordon’. It’s amusing, but from the looks of the leather-clad Iron Maiden T-Shirts and long greasy haircuts I think it’s probably not what the audience have really come for. After all – aren’t Tenacious D supposed to ‘rawk?’, not play chirpy little tunes on acoustic guitars that border quite unashamedly on country and western music.

The head-bangers need not worry, as a quick backdrop change, and the acquisition of a queer Charlie Chaplin on bass, a psychotic Colonel Sanders on drums and the Anti-Christ on guitar means that Black and Glass finally have a band.

Ushering in the dawn of ‘electric’, and suddenly the stage is alight with heavy bass lines, meaningless self-indulgent guitar solos and classic riffs that quite easily placate all those irritable metal fans.


The music tonight is as tongue-in-cheek as you would expect from Tenacious D. ‘F*ck her gently’ and ‘Tribute’ are both left to the end, but ‘Wonderboy’ gets an early outing, as does the comically autobiographical ‘History’. ‘The Pick of Destiny’ is a beefy rock track, filled with embarrassing early 80’s rock clichés, and is about as formulaic as Tenacious D get. There’s a thin line between the bands that capture the public’s hearts just by their novelty value, and the bands who take themselves far too seriously and just become a soulless pastiche of whatever genre. While Tenacious D are nothing but a light hearted parody of many rock/metal bands, their reluctance to take themselves too seriously has put them one step ahead of bands like The Darkness.

Another thing that’s clear is the mass marketing power behind this gig, and there’s a formidable crowd gathered around the merchandising stall. Tenacious D’s never-ending commercial empire consists of t-shirts, hoodies, skateboards, beanie hats, tarot tote bags, and cumrags (Health warning: If like me, you don’t know what a cumrag is then please don’t google for it; I’m still recovering).

Black decided to have a pot at bands that mime during ‘Master Exploder’, standing on the edge of the stage miles from his mic, supposedly screaming out ‘I do not need...a micro-phone!”



By the time the gig had come to a close, and Tenacious D had been electrocuted, sent to hell, defeated the devil, and found the pick of destiny, they were both looking a little tired and Black’s energy was beginning to wane towards the end. ‘Tribute’ wasn’t quite the climatic finale you would expect, but the crowds unified chant of “We are but men…..Rock!” was more than enough to make up for it. The gig may as well have ended on ‘Tribute’ as the venue started to empty during Tenacious D’s cover of ‘Pinball Wizard’.

It was a brilliant gig that far out shadowed the film. While the infantile humour that Black and Glass both survive on is looking a little tiresome, their music seems to carry a certain charm and the majority of the crowd seemed to leave quite content, happy with the knowledge that their money had been well spent.

FUTURE GIGS

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