ALL POMP AND POSTURE By KIERAN GRANT -- Toronto Sun
CREED. Air Canada Centre, Toronto. Monday, February 4, 2002
TORONTO -- There they were at the Air Canada Centre last night: Creed
fans. 14,000 of them.
Of course, they occur all over. The Florida band have sold millions of
albums. Their music runs round-the-clock on middle-of-the-road radio
stations across the continent.
But before this gathering I had yet to meet anyone with a kind word to say
about Creed -- at least not openly -- which wouldn't warrant mention if this
group of pomp-rockers weren't also so monstrously popular. (Despite their
popularity they did not permit photographers at the show.)
Don't get me wrong. The Creed crowd seemed nice.
Considering how the band have polarized the public, though, it rang odd
when, while introducing his song "One" in the middle of last night's
100-minute performance, Creed frontman Scott Stapp was moved to point
out that, despite all the world's tribulations, "Everybody is one."
Stapp is most certainly a spiritual guy and Creed's lyrics contain oblique
Christian content. Perhaps he was talking about something greater than
rock.
Because where I was sitting, I was alone, unless the fine folks around me
also happened to find Creed monotonous, self-important, posturing,
formulaic, and wooden.
And I don't think they did -- although, but for a scarce number, they
weren't exactly leaping out of their seats as the group opened with Bullets.
In fact, Creed had to work hard to get a rise out of them beyond surefire
hits My Own Prison, from their 1997 debut album of the same name, and
Arms Wide Open from 1999's Human Clay.
True, the band had a full-on sing-along going by the encore -- anthems
Higher and My Sacrifice -- but that's why they save those things for last.
Stapp and co. must derive heaps of pleasure from their commercial triumph
in the face of such scorn from the media and fellow bands. (Though they
do bruise: An evil-doing critic was reportedly barred from their Cleveland
gig.)
Indeed, common accusations of Pearl Jam thievery are largely out-of-line.
Creed owe a bigger debt to Stone Temple Pilots, and Stapp has taken that
post-grunge yowling he does to unmistakable extremes, creating a
trademark vocal style by adding lots of big round Rs where the vowels
should be. (ie., "Court is in session, the verdict is in" becomes "Crrrt is in
srrrssion, the vrrrrdict is irrrn.")
At least the band offered some eye candy in the form of extensive pyro and
film footage, and a Roman temple backdrop that went nicely with Stapp's
Heston-worthy performance.
And all in all maybe he was right and we are one. Then we can just agree to
disagree, right?
www.canoe.ca/JamConcertsA2D/creed_020204-sun.html
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