I went into the Thirty Seconds to Mars show with only a casual knowledge of their music—mostly their debut album produced by Bob Ezrin and a few radio singles. Still, I was curious to see what they had to offer... My first surprise was how well-attended the event was. I didn't realize the band had such a huge following here in France.
Jared Leto, the band's frontman and a Hollywood superstar (Requiem For A Dream, Blade Runner 2049), led the performance with messianic fervor while his older brother Shannon provided the beats. An assortment of faceless backing musicians filled the sound on synths and guitars.
The band’s sound is an intriguing mix of arena pop, emo, and EDM, and they know how to whip a crowd into a frenzy. The choruses were designed for mass sing-alongs, and the audience was fully on board, chanting every word. Leto's stage presence is undeniable, his charisma filling the arena and creating moments that felt both intimate and grand.
However, the show was marred by a heavy reliance on backing tapes. At times, it seemed the real voices and instruments were sidelined in favor of pre-recorded tracks. This undercut the live experience, making parts of the performance feel synthetic and affected. Despite the energy and connection, the pre-recorded elements were hard to overlook.
There were some genuine moments of authentic emotion, most notably when Jared played a song unaccompanied by his bandmates, but even then the backing tapes were intrusive and brought the experience down for yours truly. This didn't seem to bother the fans, who danced and sang throughout the whole set. The night culminated with "Closer to the Edge" which saw a few fans get up on stage to dance with the Leto brothers.
It's hard to fault a performance which makes so many people happy: the communion between the band and the fans was something to behold. But unfortunately the reliance on backing tapes rendered the whole event artificial and contrived. This epidemic is hurting music and it's sad to see talented artists like the Leto brothers succumbing to the trend.
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