Tenacious D at The O2, Dublin on 20th of October  2012

Two larger than life characters, Jack Black and Kyle Gass, came to Dublin to quite literally rock out with a cock out, but there’ll be more on that later.  Right now Tenacious D are rising like a phoenix from the flames.  “A lot of people were asking what happened to The D,” says Jack as he kicks off his version of the perfect rock show.  Well it has been six years Jack, but there is always room for a band who can childishly manipulate genitalia into a set design.

Early on, you are given an insight into the kind of show you are in for.  A man dressed as an octopus has a foam bullet war with Jack during Deth Starr and they honour their roadie with the aptly named Roadie but only after Black takes the opportunity to play the diva. Black’s high pitch vocal to close the song is a particular highlight. Ballad of Hollywood Jack and The Rage Cage feels a bit laboured until Gass’s tin whistle solo gives it some life.

A mix of new material from the latest album ‘Rize Of The Fenix’ shows some promise but it’s the older material that is still the most har-hitting live.  It’s these songs that get the crowd jumping and singing along.  Kielbasa, Wonderboy and Beelzeboss are particular highlights of the main set where a medley of songs by The Who, including Pinball Wizard, There’s A Doctor and Listening To You, is an odd, yet welcome, addition.  Closing the main set with début album double of Double Team and arguably their biggest hit, Tribute which prompts a massive sing along.

Jack introduces each of the band members during, giving each a moment in the limelight to showcase their abilities as he swans around the stage performing various curious poses.  The phoenix that was in the background of the show dips and it becomes clear that the body of the bird is phallic and erupts with confetti from the top of its head.  We think we know what they were trying to represent… Never a band to miss a dirty joke, the wings of the phoenix are then shown to be a crude attempt to represent a vagina, which Jack and Kyle escape through with cheeky grins.

Barely gone for a minute, they pop their heads back through the giant organ and return to play two more tracks, Baby, and the biggest sing along of the entire night: Fuck Her Gently. This show is two fifths comedy show, two fifths rock show and one fifth absolute bizarre occurrences.  If you came looking for serious rock, you may have left disappointed. If you came expecting a cheap laugh, a few choicely lyric-ed rock songs and to see Jack and Kyle’s hilarious interactions, then you most likely left grinning ear to ear and singing loudly as you strolled back towards Dublin’s city centre.

Setlist
Rize Of The Fenix
Low Hangin’ Fruit
Señorita
Deth Starr
Roadie
Throw Down
The Ballad Of Hollywood Jack And The Rage Kage
To Be The Best
39
Jazz
Kielbasa
Kickapoo
Dude (I Totally Miss You)
Kyle Quit The Band
Friendship
The Metal
Wonderboy
Beelzeboss
We Beat The Devil
Pinball Wizard / There’s a Doctor / Listening to You
Tribute
Double Team
—
Baby
Fuck Her Gently