Photo: WENN.com
30 Seconds to Mars fans are often referred to as a cult and with Jared Leto as their leader and it’s easy to see why someone would join them.
Opening their iTunes gig with ‘Birth’, Leto gives the impression of an oversized bat as he twirls and swoops around the stage, clad in a large black fringed coat and dark sunglasses. It’s without a doubt the Jared Leto show, despite Shannon Leto’s drumkit being side of stage rather than at the back.
iTunes Festival shows are always a difficult atmosphere, as there’s no guarantee that the crowd will be particular fans of the act. Jared Leto, however, is not taking no for an answer – insisting that the crowd jumps around, he personally calls out one member of the audience who isn’t dancing enough, right down to describing the man’s outfit to make sure that everyone knows who he’s talking about. Despite teasing the crowd with the promise of a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’, 30 Seconds to Mars mostly play the hits – including an acoustic version of ‘Hurricane’.
“I will not stop until you have the best time of your fucking lives,” Jared promises, stripping off his coat and jacket – and adding a fedora. He calls one fan on stage after another; a boy introduces a new song, three fans are given free tickets, and there’s a borderline stage invasion during the encore of ‘Up In the Air’.
Between songs, the stage goes dark for odd intervals of gymnastics. Men wearing gas masks perform tricks with hula hoops and acrobatics on see-saws. It’s entertaining enough, but it’s also a bit of a waste of time, particularly when the time could be better used for the band to play a few more hits. Having said that, there’s definitely never time to get bored – and if you do, Jared will be in your face, asking why. From coloured balls flashing different colours to balloons and confetti cannons, there’s not one member of the audience who could honestly say that 30 Seconds to Mars don’t know how to put on a good show.
Best time of their fucking life? It definitely came close.
Below: 10 not-very-good photos of 30 Seconds To Mars at the iTunes Festival
