Auf Der Maur

Every once in a while, we are given icons of rock. They shape music for years to come, they leave a legacy beyond their time and they’ve often been in more bands than they have fingers.

Every once in a while we are also given a female front-man, a redheaded front-man or a bass playing front-man. If you combine all of these then – that’s right – you have rock icon Melissa Auf der Maur.

As a bassist in Smashing Pumpkins and Courtney Love’s short-lived project Hole – Melissa Auf der Maur certainly has a wealth of experience under her belt and she exudes it.

As the band start their set it becomes clear that nobody is watching 50 Cent; the photo-pit is packed with photographers all gazing at Melissa alone whilst the crowd are packed in to the tent like sardines. She may come out with worldly wisdom between songs that sounds like an after school special, but you can tell that she really does seem to “want to make the world a happier place”. The dark, dank, depressing melancholy that was The Smashing Pumpkins has gone. Melissa has lightened up and so has her music – it, unlike a lot of other such projects, has evolved and grown with her.

You can try to resist wanting to tap your feet as you listen – but you’ll fail. Melissa and co.’s music is great to listen to and you’d find it hard to not come away without appreciating some part of the set.

There’s also a complete band behind Melissa – they’re fantastic – but that is secondary in Auf der Maur. Melissa is an icon and Auf der Maur are producing music that will, likely, pass the tests of time.

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