Thirty Seconds To Mars Return to Cardiff

A Night to Remember

For me, Thursday 14^th November 2013 will always be a special day for me. Not only did my mum come to Cardiff but we were also going to see Thirty Seconds To Mars. My first ever concert with my mum was to see 30STM at the Giveitaname festival in 2008, and YouMeAtSix happened to be the support act then and again now. It was like déjà vu.

Travelling on the train we could see people were queuing up outside the Motorpoint Arena at 2pm. My gig knowledge also told me they had been there since 5am. Doors opened at 6:30pm, half an hour late and the queue went on for miles, snaking around the connecting streets. By the time we got in, had bags searched and our bottle of water confiscated, there were people everywhere. We moved into the arena to find a good spot knowing the chaos that was to come, there were also screens up so we knew we wouldn’t miss a thing if it became bedlam.

As soon as YouMeAtSix came onto the stage spaces filled and it became impossible to move. As a support act, they had a great reception from the crowd and were cheered after every song. After the support act, we found we could edge further towards the front. Eventually, we got to a close yet safe enough distance without the worry of being crushed.

Bang on 9pm, Jared made an entrance balancing on a structure above the stage wearing a hockey mask and wielding a baseball bat. Once he had a little sing song he joined the rest of his band members to launch into their setlist. About half an hour into the show, Thirty Seconds To Mars really did live up to their reputation, shooting confetti and massive balloons into the crowd. Instead of moshing, Jared encouraged dancing or jumping.

At several intervals he would stop and talk to us and brought lucky people onto the stage with him. He even indulged in the “selfies” people insisted on taking. We even sang happy birthday to a little girl and chose what songs for Jared to sing. It was a crowds dream and so much more interactive compared to the last time I saw them.

I will hands up admit that I went in with a bad opinion of Jared Leto, he seemed egotistical in his interviews. But, I will admit that he was an amazing person at this concert. He always wanted to talk to us, get us jumping and put people on our shoulders. Needless to say neither my mum nor I were involved in that part!

The thing that stuck out most was he got people to step back to prevent people getting crushed. That is very rare sight to see, as not many artists take the time to care for their audience.

It is safe to say that I came out of that concert very surprised, it may have been suffocatingly packed, boiling hot and a bottle of water may have cost £2.50 but it was the most fun I have ever had at a concert. I look forward to seeing them again in the near future.