The critics’ – and even the fans’ – reaction to Thirty Seconds To Mars’ Seasons tour thus far has been pretty scathing. From half-empty venues to heavy use of backing track, there’s been a fair amount of dissatisfaction. But the big, fancy stage setup looks so cool that it’s hard to imagine this show could be a total dud.
Support act Jagwar Twin, aka Brandon Roy Wronski, seems on the surface like a good fit for this bill. He has the look of a Leto sibling – a pretty man with cheekbones, swooshy hair, and a gym bro body he’s not afraid to show off. Musically, it’s theatrical pop rock for men. His voice is stronger and, well, far more interesting than Leto’s – with Timberlake-esque falsettos adding a huge dynamic range to his sound.
Despite all his enthusiastic bouncing around, Wronski only kind of gets the crowd on side – perhaps feeling a little too poppy for most. The lukewarm indifference in the OVO Hydro, though, doesn’t shift as far as you might expect as the night goes on.
Now, Thirty Seconds To Mars made some great anthemic rock songs back in the late noughties – and their shows back then were some of the most exciting in the genre. It’s harder to know what their place is now. Jared’s acting career continues to outshine his music one, and to some extent so does his persona. It’s hard not to recall tabloid stories, internet rumours, and the cult-like images of Mars Island whenever his name comes up.
So who shows up to a Thirty Seconds To Mars show in 2024? Well, it doesn’t feel like a cult. In fact, it’s just a bunch of elder millennials kitted out in their favourite old black band t-shirts with the odd splash of brightly coloured hair. Unlike the modern-day crowds of Fall Out Boy or My Chemical Romance, there’s very little evidence of any fresh blood among the lethargic throng.
Charitably for the nostalgia-seeking crowd, the set draws heavily from 2005’s ‘A Beautiful Lie’ (‘The Kill’, ‘From Yesterday’, ‘Attack’, ‘A Beautiful Lie’) and 2009’s ‘This Is War’ (‘Kings And Queens’, ‘Night of the Hunter’, ‘This Is War’, ‘Closer To The Edge’). The odd rousing moment occurs as memories are unlocked.
Newer tunes, on the other hand, fall fairly flat. Seasons sounds like it should be a Niall Horan single, and all the cinematic prowess of their yesteryear gems seems to have disappeared. It’s like they’ve stopped making music for the movies and started making it for the commercials instead. Russell Brand’s noxious character Aldous Snow from the 2008 rom com Forgetting Sarah Marshall comes to mind during decidedly average ballad Never Not Love You.
Pyrotechnics, a few rounds of densely-distributed ticker tape, balloons, and Jared’s little jaunt through the crowd attempt to bolster the wavering atmosphere. Cheap tricks, and bordering on ordinary for a Mars show … but we’ll take them.
Just like back in the day, a smattering of eager fans are plucked from the audience to boogie on stage – but it feels like everyone involved is going through the motions. Judging by Reddit, a lot of fans have now made it on stage umpteen times. So maybe it’s overdone.
Despite the foundations of a high production show, Mars’ big triangular screen is under-used and often just shows old music video clips. Visuals for new songs look like a fragrance ad, and, despite the catwalk, Jared spends a lot of the show nestled towards the back of the roomy stage.
And then there’s the notable shortage of musicians. The heavy use of backing track is as uncomfortable in a rock show as you’d expect. The really thin live band line-up (it’s just three of them, and Jared rarely wields more than a microphone) are sometimes outnumbered on stage by a mammoth squad of camera operators and content creators.
The show goes through highs and lows – shining mainly in its biggest throwbacks.
The setlist suffers some minor cuts and a slight rearrange based on previous shows, and an attempted acoustic section just kind of dissolves into nothing. Jared complains of difficulty with his voice and in certain verses can barely be heard.
Sometimes between songs, the stage falls into darkness for an awkwardly long time. Other acts of this stature would fill such voids with carefully planned multimedia interludes. Instead, the OVO Hydro is just left hanging. The longest pause comes in what could be the break between the main set and the encore … but no one knows. So nobody cheers.
It almost looks like someone’s going to hit the house lights when drummer Shannon Leto wanders out along the catwalk and gives away some sticks. Could it be the saddest arena show ending of all time, with a couple of huge hits left on the table? But then, at the last second, the others shuffle out from backstage and give us a little bit more.
It must be tricky – and probably not easy on the ego – to go on a tour that seems to have been met with such a resounding shrug. It feels like Thirty Seconds To Mars don’t want to disappoint as they go through the motions, promising an amazing night, and ticking all the boxes that the loyal fanbase expects.
For a successful actor to make his music side hustle feel credible is tough – and though Jared undoubtedly did this 15 years ago with the ‘This Is War’ album, it feels like his pass for that may have expired.
So Mars are at a crossroads. Become a nostalgia band, going through the motions to dwindling crowds? Or disappear for a while and completely reinvent themselves. Bring in more musicians…GIg review: maybe get some collabs on the go to revitalise the writing process. Make a new rock show. Stop giving people everything they expect, and give them something big, bold, new and exciting again. Will they?
Photos by Catching Light Photography