30 Seconds To Mars

Picture the scene. Former teen heartthrob turned bona fide rockstar Jared Leto is striding around the stage clad in what can only be described as a cape that makes him look like some sort of emo super-hero. The venue is sold-out, the crowd are up for it and all in all, we’re expecting Belfast’s first time with 30 Seconds To Mars to be a memorable one.

We’re treated to an energetic first 15 minutes that sees them run through stadium favourites such as ‘Escape,’ ‘Search And Destroy’ and more, as large inflatable balls are released into the crowd. Then the singer whips out his acoustic guitar to treat us all to an extended solo session, letting the rest of the boys retreat backstage to update their Facebook pages or otherwise recharge their batteries.
While the likes of ‘The Kill’ for example are genuine, goose-pimple inducing anthems on record, it is hard to make them work solo in such a large, open-air venue. Leto tries his damndest to include the crowd and hauls a few lucky punters up to join him, but the momentum is lost.

Still, at the front of the venue, adoration levels remain undiminished throughout the set and the show closer ‘Kings And Queens’ (which features the full band and various members of the crowd) is a proper festival “moment” that ends the gig on a high…