I went to Soundwave the other day and I've been trying to figure out how the beast way to write this up would be given it would be just too hard to write a full review for every band I saw. I decided the best way around this problem was to narrow it down to three bands. The three bands that made the most impact on me that day.
So lets get down to brass tacks here. The first band that impacted me was Turisas. The reason they had the impact is because they were close to main reason i went to soundwave and they did not disapoint. It was great to see Turisas walk out in all there glory with there war paint and the band played with such passion. At one point Warlord Nygard was squirming on his back on the floor, playing air guitar, while singing. Robert Engstrand could barely contain himself to his keyboard when he didn't need to play, running around on stage, you could see the joy he had to play and I go by the rule if the band truly enjoys themselves on stage then that will transfer onto the crowd and this was no exception.
I'm gonna keep both of these short because neither is the true message i have for this post but regardless these bands need to be mentioned. On that note, the next band I have to bring up is Kvelertak. These guys blew my mind and were the stand out of the entire day. It was like watching a metal band with punk energy, running around on stage jumping off speaker stacks and at one point the frontman jumped into the crowd to crowdsurf while singing. These guys were amazing and i just gotta see them again. It was just great to see a band with such great passion and sadly there just wasnt enough of this at soundwave.
This brings me neatly to the last band which must be mentioned System Of A Down. Now the reason i have to mention them is because they were the greatest disapointment of the entire day. This is a band ive been waiting 9 years to see, a band that is on my list of 35 bands to see before i die. So naturally i was excited to see them play. I expected to see System play with all the passion and pride, anger and sorrow that i grew up listening to in there music growing up. Unfortunately what i saw was a band come on stage play there set with no heart and barely ever acknowledge the audience. Don't get me wrong the guitar work was tight and the vocals sounded perfect but that was were the problem laid, it was just too perfect, it just seemed too rehearsed. Hell for most of the set I watched Shavo didnt even get up of his stool. Now I've seen bands pay lack lustre sets before but I would never expect it from system I expected to see a band that played from there fucking hearts and those immortal words of bill hicks ring in my head everytime I think of the set I witnessed "PLAY FROM YOUR FUCKING HEART!" The thing that has been driving me insane about the System set, tho, is all the fans I've heard just taking it on my face value, thinking it was System Of A Down so it must have been good. Does no one else see the irony in this? System were a band whos political message taught me to never just accept what im told but to always make my own opinions but the fans aren't doing this the only reasons I've been given is to why System were so amazing are along the lines of "because they were amazing" THAT'S NOT A REASON!!! On top of that those few I've heard accept that Systems set was generally lack lustre just make excuses for them. "They're getting old, they can't play like they used to." You go tell that to Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson or Lemmy, they'll tell you that's a load of crap. Other people have said to me "well we should just be happy they came to Australia". Well I am happy they came but that shouldn't mean I should be happy about the show regardless. I've seen incredible shows played in perth. Also if your not gonna play with you heart don't put yourself on the bill, just dont play. I've gome to the conclusion I would have rather paid $180 to see a local band like Claim The Throne or Voyager pour there hearts out on stage than witness what I witnessed System do.
All in all It was a good day. I will always hate the organisation, or lack there of, that goes into sounndwave but they still get some good bands to come. It was a day of highs and lows, I saw bands I've never heard of before blow my mind and I saw bands I worship greatly disapoint me. But you know, shit happens and this experience wont tarnish my faith in live music it wont even stop me from seein System Of A Down play again. I just hope next time it's a lot better. But one thing i realised while writing this blog in my head as i worked today is that if i want to hear a band play from there heart well i better damn well always speak from my heart. So to anyone who ever reads, wether you be friends, family or random people i may never meet, I would like promise that I will always write from my heart beacuase if I don't well theres just no point in writing.
Untill next time metal on my friends.
The Oompa Loompa
My Fuel For Life
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Voyager Video Shoot
So a couple of days ago I went to the Voyager video shoot and well, 'twas fairly epic. I walked into the pub got myself a drink and seconds later heard, yelled from the stage in style that reminded me off sex bob-omb, "Dead Set Radio". So I figured I should movemy ass to the stage and im glad i did. The band was what one might call pop metal, metal for the kids really and while at first this seemed like a deterrent after not too long I didnt seem to mind. At first the music was average with nothing that made me go "wow" but from the moment i started to wathc this band i was captured by the lead singer, a small blonde girl with an incredible stage persona. Her presence reminded me of a yound Cherri Curry. She was kind of timid but still had this real sex apeal about her. Her vocals reminded me of a mix between Hayley Williams of Paramore and Patricia Day of Horrorpops. Needless to say i was thoroughly impressed her and just started to watch and enjoy the show while the band still did nothing for me. It wasn't until almost the very end that the band also impressed me with each member giving a solo it was at this point i really thought "shit! These guys can play". Unfortunately this was, as i said, almost at the end of the set and i found that once i finally got into them the set ended. Alas this is the problem with having the opening slot at a gig.
The next band, by the name of Laws of Attraction, I cant really say much about. They reminded me of a mix of Slipknot and Sugar Army, which basically boiled down to Slipknot but a bit gayer. I didn't find this band particularly bad I dare say they were even listeneable, all but for one thing. The thing that drove me insane about thit band is every now and then, for no apparent reason and with no lyrics the bassist would just scream into the microphone. This can be good to make the music heavier but only when it fits into the song, this screaming did not. ultimately I found this band quite disapointing.
Next up were Empires Laid Waste. Now not only do Empires play music that makes you want to start a fist fight with a grizzly bear (and feel you can win), frontman Pete has an excellent repore with the audience. He talks to the crowd as if they were his mates and in the end you feel like you are. But the important thing is the music is great. It's fast, loud and it's ballsy. Empires is the kind of band that goes up on stage to a) play for there fans and b) have a good time and this transfers into there live show. When they enjoy themselves you cant help but enjoy yourself too. The main thing I can say is it was a fucking awesome set.
Finally Voyager took to the stage and I must say its the best show ive seen all year. I found myself at the front og the stage directly in front guitarist Scott and his playing blew me away. It was fast it was precise and it sounded incredible. But the reason we were all there was to make a music video. So when the band announced they were playing Seize The Day everyone pulled out there smart phones and started recording. I recorded for a while untill my friend was nice enough to take over for me so i could lose my shit in the pit and trust me when I say I did just that. The amusing thing was tho every time I took a small break from headbanging, to watch the band and look at the crowd, I'd notice somebodies camera on me. I'll be honest it made me feel like a champ. The one thing i always look forward to at a Voyager gig tho, is there medleys and this time was the best one ive seen starting with What Is Love moving onto Silverchair's Freak then the Pulp Fiction theme, Blind by Korn, and then an amazing metal rendition of Whitney Houstons I Wanna Dance With Somebody, then breathe then just a snippet of Voyager own I Am The Revolution. Like i said it was the best ive seen them do, but its all well and goos for me to tell you all about to trully understand it's greatness you'll have to get of your ass and go to a voyager gig. After the other night thats something i couldn't more highly recomend. The show just blew me away and i just lost my shit. There was such energy in the crowd that even my inner punk came out and i couldnt help but pump my fists.
All in all it was an awesome night with a little something for every metal fan and the only words I'm left with now are; this is why you need to support local music because bands will come along that blow your mind and if you don't go out and support them they may not be given the chance they need so if ever given the chance i strongly reccomend anyone reading this should go see Dead Set Radio, Empires Laid Waste or Voyager. You wont regret it.
So until next time, metal on my friends.
The Oompa Loompa
Dead Set Radio |
Temp tattoo by DSR support crew |
what i then woke up with on my face |
The next band, by the name of Laws of Attraction, I cant really say much about. They reminded me of a mix of Slipknot and Sugar Army, which basically boiled down to Slipknot but a bit gayer. I didn't find this band particularly bad I dare say they were even listeneable, all but for one thing. The thing that drove me insane about thit band is every now and then, for no apparent reason and with no lyrics the bassist would just scream into the microphone. This can be good to make the music heavier but only when it fits into the song, this screaming did not. ultimately I found this band quite disapointing.
Laws of Attraction |
Empired Laid Waste |
Empires vocalist Pete |
Voyager |
Scott of Voyager shredding away |
All in all it was an awesome night with a little something for every metal fan and the only words I'm left with now are; this is why you need to support local music because bands will come along that blow your mind and if you don't go out and support them they may not be given the chance they need so if ever given the chance i strongly reccomend anyone reading this should go see Dead Set Radio, Empires Laid Waste or Voyager. You wont regret it.
So until next time, metal on my friends.
The Oompa Loompa
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
TOO MANY GOD DAMN DJ's
So it's been a while since i last posted, but frankly thats because nothing has been happening. Since you can't tell by the title i should tell you, I went to Big Day Out on sunday, i should have posted earlier but ive been damn lazy and to be honest the festival was such a let down i really havent been inspired to write about it. So since it was such a lack lustre festival i may just write something small, having said that my ranting may take up a lot of space so we'll just see how we go.
The Big Day Out this year was held on the Victoria Park foreshore and this was just the first of many problems. The main problem with the location was the lack of room, the problem for the organisers was how easy it was for people to break in. But i digress. The first band i saw was Cavalera Conspiracy and, well, they were awesome. The first thing i did when i got to the (tiny) main stage pit was participate in a wall of death. Now in my experience when you start the day with something so epic its a good day. Max Cavalera commanded the stage, he was loud and aggresive and everything you expect a brazillian metal god to be. I really did enjoy this set, but unfortunately i arrived late and it was all over too soon at which point i found myself asking "what now?".
So i decided to go sit in what little shade i could find and wait for The Living End to start there set. This is when i got the biggest surprise of the day. On a stage near me a band called Mariachi el Bronx started playing on a stage near me. Now i cant say I'd go out and buy there music but to just sit there and listen to they were kinda cool. As the name suggests they're a mariachi version of the band The Bronx. There lyrics seemed simple and quite pop punky but when it was done in this mariachi style it was fun, it was kinda relaxing, it was just good music to chill out to while waiting. I can say i thoroughly enjoyed this band and, franklyl, I'd definately go see them again... But not as The Bronx becuase god damn i hate hardcore.
Like i said i waited patiently to watch The Living End, mainly because there was nothing else to see. It was a good show but, in all honesty, it was the same Living End I've seen before. The set was good with both old and new songs, but at no point did i really get excited to see them.Chris Chenning is a good frontman, with plenty of energy and loads of passion but ultimately the best thing i couls say about watching this set is that Scott Owen has a fucking awesome double bass. If i had to predict though I'd say i probably wouldn't go and see them again they're just starting to bore me.
This is where Big Day Out started to get really boring. Once The Living End finished I had five hours to kill before soundgarden played. I roamed to festival grounds looking for a band worth seeing but nearly every band i saw was either a dj or vocalists singing through FUCKING COMPUTERS!!! I'm sorry, but if I go out to see live music I want to see people playing actual instruments, otherwise i dont really see the point in it. It shits me that Big Day Out has decided to commercialise themselves. A festival with a starting line up that included the likes of Nirvana, Henry Rollins and The Violent Femmes. How do they celebrate the 20th anniversary of such a great festival? With music that sounds like a god damn dial up tone! So I decided to find the one place a could sit and just relax for a few hours until something good started. Luckily Motorola had an area with shade and cabana chairs to sit in as long as you listened to there rediculous sales pitch. Unluckily this area had another DJ.
After a few hours I grew weary of the DJ that just couldnt bring himself to play a single song in its entirety so I decided to go and check out a local perth band called Chaos Devine. I was impressed straight away when the front man expressed my exact sentiment "it's nice to see a band actually playing instruments". It was also good to hear a bit more metal. The music was a bit poppy as metal goes but it was good but once again it wasnt memorable all I can say is I'd see them again but I wouldnt go out of my way. So I walked off to see Tony Hawk stack it about five time. Surprisingly this wasnt that fun either so I made my way to the main stage.
I got to the main stage just in time to see kasabian play but thet most interesting thing about them was the braless girl dancing next to me so lets just ignore them. After them were Soundgarden, the band i had been endured 5 hours of terrible DJs and computers for. They were totally worth the wait though, Chris Cornell is great front man and the quality of his voice hasnt decreased at all. Kim Thayil is also an incredible guitarist and some of his solos were just amazing. But the main attraction for me was Ben Sheppard he was just so animated and fun on stage. He ever stopped moving. The cherry on top of all of this was the roadies, one dressed a cow and one dressed as lion, they were awesome. The setlist was fantastic starting with Spoonman and going through all the classics you would expect them to play like Jesus Christ Pose, Outshined, Black Hole Sun and many more. My highlight was Rusty Cage, Chris sang with such passion, the song began to inspire me to fight for what I want again. I think soundgarden is one of the shows I will always remember and I am so glad i got the chance to see these grunge legends.
So Cavalera was good and Soundgarden were amazing but all in all BDO 2012 is one of the worst festivals I have ever been to. All it taught me is even at my young age, I just dont understand todays music.
Anyway untill next time, metal on my friends
The Oompa Loompa
The Big Day Out this year was held on the Victoria Park foreshore and this was just the first of many problems. The main problem with the location was the lack of room, the problem for the organisers was how easy it was for people to break in. But i digress. The first band i saw was Cavalera Conspiracy and, well, they were awesome. The first thing i did when i got to the (tiny) main stage pit was participate in a wall of death. Now in my experience when you start the day with something so epic its a good day. Max Cavalera commanded the stage, he was loud and aggresive and everything you expect a brazillian metal god to be. I really did enjoy this set, but unfortunately i arrived late and it was all over too soon at which point i found myself asking "what now?".
So i decided to go sit in what little shade i could find and wait for The Living End to start there set. This is when i got the biggest surprise of the day. On a stage near me a band called Mariachi el Bronx started playing on a stage near me. Now i cant say I'd go out and buy there music but to just sit there and listen to they were kinda cool. As the name suggests they're a mariachi version of the band The Bronx. There lyrics seemed simple and quite pop punky but when it was done in this mariachi style it was fun, it was kinda relaxing, it was just good music to chill out to while waiting. I can say i thoroughly enjoyed this band and, franklyl, I'd definately go see them again... But not as The Bronx becuase god damn i hate hardcore.
Like i said i waited patiently to watch The Living End, mainly because there was nothing else to see. It was a good show but, in all honesty, it was the same Living End I've seen before. The set was good with both old and new songs, but at no point did i really get excited to see them.Chris Chenning is a good frontman, with plenty of energy and loads of passion but ultimately the best thing i couls say about watching this set is that Scott Owen has a fucking awesome double bass. If i had to predict though I'd say i probably wouldn't go and see them again they're just starting to bore me.
The Living End |
Tony Hawk, juset before he fell again |
Chaos Divine |
I got to the main stage just in time to see kasabian play but thet most interesting thing about them was the braless girl dancing next to me so lets just ignore them. After them were Soundgarden, the band i had been endured 5 hours of terrible DJs and computers for. They were totally worth the wait though, Chris Cornell is great front man and the quality of his voice hasnt decreased at all. Kim Thayil is also an incredible guitarist and some of his solos were just amazing. But the main attraction for me was Ben Sheppard he was just so animated and fun on stage. He ever stopped moving. The cherry on top of all of this was the roadies, one dressed a cow and one dressed as lion, they were awesome. The setlist was fantastic starting with Spoonman and going through all the classics you would expect them to play like Jesus Christ Pose, Outshined, Black Hole Sun and many more. My highlight was Rusty Cage, Chris sang with such passion, the song began to inspire me to fight for what I want again. I think soundgarden is one of the shows I will always remember and I am so glad i got the chance to see these grunge legends.
Soundgarden from a distance |
So Cavalera was good and Soundgarden were amazing but all in all BDO 2012 is one of the worst festivals I have ever been to. All it taught me is even at my young age, I just dont understand todays music.
Anyway untill next time, metal on my friends
The Oompa Loompa
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Jesus, Lincoln and a smurf walk into a bar...
'Twas the night before, the night before christmas and all through the streets, all the hipsters were walking finding finding places to meet. The metalheads communed down a dark little street in hopes that Lord Baronaxe would turn up the heat....
Ok so enough of that rhyimg stuff, it really is too hard. The point is i recently went to the Claim The Throne Maximum Metal Xmas and, well, this is what i have to say about that. Before i get the the bands though, id just like to take a moment to bitch and whine about the security grinch at the door that night. I made myself a fucking mazing Claim The Throne santa jacket (if i do say so myself) only to find out at the door that christmas cheer isnt part of the dress code. Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK!!! Apparently it was far too red, its safe to say that this man was a dick. But now that I've had my little whinge, lets get on with the show.
The gig was comprised completely of local acts, the first of which being thrashers Cold Fate. To be honest, i wasnt expecting too much from these guys at first. The last time i saw them i was so bored i was yawning in the moshpit, but this time it was very different. I dont know if it was the different atmosphere or what it was at all but i found myself really liking the show this time. It was purely and simply jus old school thrash, it was fast, it was loud and it made you want to bang your head furiously. Now forgive me if im wrong, but this is everything a thrash band should be, so this time i take my hat off to Cold Fate and hope to see them again.
Next on the bill was Sensory Amusia, another band id seen before with a lack lustre performance but for me this time it didnt change. Now dont get me wrong, i think for the most part these guys are talented. The singer can sing and the guitar riffs are downright brutal but there's just one element of this band that completely throws me off; the drummer. The man sounds like he play with 3 arms! But before u start thinking to yourself "that sounds like a good thing" let me just tell you im quite sure the 3rd arm has learning difficulties because it is completely off beat. Otherwise the drumming would be amazing too but theres this little bit of extra to his drumming that drives me insane, so i walked off and sat down.
Number 3 on the lineup was Nails of Imposition. I've never been much into death metal but i liked these guys. They're never going to be my first choice of band to listen to or go to see but if theyre playing I'll listen. The thing that has to be said about this band, is the fans are insane (in the best way possible) the mosh pit was incredible. I couldnt tell if this was down to the front man, the music or just the fans but the end result was something akin to bumper cars without the cars, when i metioned this to my mate his response was "id say its more like carmageddon". What im getting at is the fans were losing there respective shit in the pit and i gotta say its not my cup of tea but i respect that and it was fun to watch.
So finally we come to the pièce de résistance Claim The Throne. I wont lie, its hard for me to do an unobjective review of this band and this show because I FUCKING LOVE THIS BAND!!!! But lets see how we go. By now anyone reading this is probably wondering "what the fuck is up with that title" well we'll get to that here. The band came on stage in all there costumed glory. Frontman Lord Baronaxe (brendan) came on stage dressed as jesus. Bassist Lord Jim came on stage as what could only be described as a very metal looking Abe Lincoln. Drummer Ash looked like he may have been a mexican chuch norris but honestly i dont know. The highlights of this costume parade where guitarist Dysie dressed as a very revealing smurf, from waist up all blue. Best of all being keyboardist Jesslina dressed as bassist Jim complete with fake tattoos and a tinsel beard. Having said that, as amazing as this all was, itz not what we were all there for so lets get on with the music.
The set started, as so often a Claim set does, with an almost completly instrumental song just to set the mood but then straight onto They Shall Live On. I personally think this is a great song to start on because it shows off everyone in the band dysie can show of his guitars, brendan can show of his singing, Jim can show off his death growl and ash gets to drum hard and fast. But best of all, in my opinion, in the midst of it all the song breaks down into a beautifull keyboard solo by jess which i always enjoy. The great thing about watching these guys is even while playing fast and loud they still just have fun and as a result the crowd is always in for a good time too. The set was well rounded, some fast some slow, some old and even a brand spanking new song. The song The World Grows Dull was fucking excellent, as fast and furious as the weather that inspired it. One thing I love about local bands is if you get along with them cool shit happens. I had the songs Plundersaga/Of Meed & Weed dedicated to me/santa. When playing The Lake (my personal favourite) my name was substituted into the lyrics, even tho it made no sense what so ever it was still fucking epic! And best of all in the midst of all of jess' fake tattoos was a little square saying "I love amos" which was pure win! As i said its always gonna be hard for me to review these guys in an unbiased fashion 'cos they are just too fucking awesome all i can say is if you ever get the chance to see these guys dont dick around just do it and you wont regret it.
So in closing it was a good night of christmas cheer and mad fans and in all fairness its tha fans that so often Maketh the show. Before I leave you all I'd also just like to wish Claim The Throne all the best of luck with there upcoming tour of the UK with Alestorm and to tell the rest of you to get off ur asses and go see this band before they become fucing huge!
Anyways, as always. Metal on my friends
The Oompa Loompa
Ok so enough of that rhyimg stuff, it really is too hard. The point is i recently went to the Claim The Throne Maximum Metal Xmas and, well, this is what i have to say about that. Before i get the the bands though, id just like to take a moment to bitch and whine about the security grinch at the door that night. I made myself a fucking mazing Claim The Throne santa jacket (if i do say so myself) only to find out at the door that christmas cheer isnt part of the dress code. Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK!!! Apparently it was far too red, its safe to say that this man was a dick. But now that I've had my little whinge, lets get on with the show.
the jacket in question |
The gig was comprised completely of local acts, the first of which being thrashers Cold Fate. To be honest, i wasnt expecting too much from these guys at first. The last time i saw them i was so bored i was yawning in the moshpit, but this time it was very different. I dont know if it was the different atmosphere or what it was at all but i found myself really liking the show this time. It was purely and simply jus old school thrash, it was fast, it was loud and it made you want to bang your head furiously. Now forgive me if im wrong, but this is everything a thrash band should be, so this time i take my hat off to Cold Fate and hope to see them again.
Next on the bill was Sensory Amusia, another band id seen before with a lack lustre performance but for me this time it didnt change. Now dont get me wrong, i think for the most part these guys are talented. The singer can sing and the guitar riffs are downright brutal but there's just one element of this band that completely throws me off; the drummer. The man sounds like he play with 3 arms! But before u start thinking to yourself "that sounds like a good thing" let me just tell you im quite sure the 3rd arm has learning difficulties because it is completely off beat. Otherwise the drumming would be amazing too but theres this little bit of extra to his drumming that drives me insane, so i walked off and sat down.
Number 3 on the lineup was Nails of Imposition. I've never been much into death metal but i liked these guys. They're never going to be my first choice of band to listen to or go to see but if theyre playing I'll listen. The thing that has to be said about this band, is the fans are insane (in the best way possible) the mosh pit was incredible. I couldnt tell if this was down to the front man, the music or just the fans but the end result was something akin to bumper cars without the cars, when i metioned this to my mate his response was "id say its more like carmageddon". What im getting at is the fans were losing there respective shit in the pit and i gotta say its not my cup of tea but i respect that and it was fun to watch.
So finally we come to the pièce de résistance Claim The Throne. I wont lie, its hard for me to do an unobjective review of this band and this show because I FUCKING LOVE THIS BAND!!!! But lets see how we go. By now anyone reading this is probably wondering "what the fuck is up with that title" well we'll get to that here. The band came on stage in all there costumed glory. Frontman Lord Baronaxe (brendan) came on stage dressed as jesus. Bassist Lord Jim came on stage as what could only be described as a very metal looking Abe Lincoln. Drummer Ash looked like he may have been a mexican chuch norris but honestly i dont know. The highlights of this costume parade where guitarist Dysie dressed as a very revealing smurf, from waist up all blue. Best of all being keyboardist Jesslina dressed as bassist Jim complete with fake tattoos and a tinsel beard. Having said that, as amazing as this all was, itz not what we were all there for so lets get on with the music.
The set started, as so often a Claim set does, with an almost completly instrumental song just to set the mood but then straight onto They Shall Live On. I personally think this is a great song to start on because it shows off everyone in the band dysie can show of his guitars, brendan can show of his singing, Jim can show off his death growl and ash gets to drum hard and fast. But best of all, in my opinion, in the midst of it all the song breaks down into a beautifull keyboard solo by jess which i always enjoy. The great thing about watching these guys is even while playing fast and loud they still just have fun and as a result the crowd is always in for a good time too. The set was well rounded, some fast some slow, some old and even a brand spanking new song. The song The World Grows Dull was fucking excellent, as fast and furious as the weather that inspired it. One thing I love about local bands is if you get along with them cool shit happens. I had the songs Plundersaga/Of Meed & Weed dedicated to me/santa. When playing The Lake (my personal favourite) my name was substituted into the lyrics, even tho it made no sense what so ever it was still fucking epic! And best of all in the midst of all of jess' fake tattoos was a little square saying "I love amos" which was pure win! As i said its always gonna be hard for me to review these guys in an unbiased fashion 'cos they are just too fucking awesome all i can say is if you ever get the chance to see these guys dont dick around just do it and you wont regret it.
Jess' fake tattoo |
Claim setlist and Baronaxe pick |
Anyways, as always. Metal on my friends
The Oompa Loompa
Thursday, 1 December 2011
A Night Of Horror
So last night was a gig with an awesome line-up, all of which horror inspired. First of which was perth's own Reapers Riddle. This is a band i have been meaning to see for 4 long years so I watched with high hopes that it would be worth the wait and it really was. Now being the first band is never easy, most of the crowd hasnt turned up and those who have didnt come to see you so many arent interested. On top of that Reapers Riddle were in the interesting situation of being a metal band playing for a very punk crowd. Nonetheless Reapers Riddle, aside from trying hard to get the crowd to join them up front, they really didnt let it effect them and played on. I loved there songs like Zombified and the amusing Steel Panther-esque No Strings Attached. They had there set backs such as having to take a break mid set to change guitars, but hey thats what you get when you dont have a roadie. One thing I've got to mention that really impressed me is seeing there drummer break his brand new drumstick in half after only 30 minutes.
Next on the bill was another perth band, Chainsaw Hookers. I've seen these guys 3 times now and, frankly, they never disapoint. I've always thought if motorhead were a little more punk they would sound allot like Chainsaw Hookers. As you may have allready assumed Chainsaw hookers play horror themed music, it's not quite rock n' roll, its not quite punk its somewhere in between. In there words its "blood rock". Once again the crowd wasnt big but it was growing and Chainsaw Hookers helped that growth. They started the set with my personal favourite My Revenge and from then on the only time they slowed down was to interact with the audience in the friendly personal way there fans know and love. Chainsaw hookers weren't without there share of set backs tho but even when things fucked up they didnt stop. At one point the drummer had one of his drums fall away from the kit, he didnt stop he just made do untill he could fix it. By the time these guys finished playing the crowd had really built up and they were loving it.
Finaly we got to the main event; the Misfits who started the show by anouncing "this is gonna be an old fashioned punk show". They werent lying, the moment they came on stage the crowd just lost its shit and the pit was intense. Misfits started the set with one from the new album, the title track, Devils Rain. The setlist was a excellent mix of old and new including classics like Halloween, some newer stuff such as Descending Angel and some brand new songs of the new album. My personal favourite was Skulls when the crowed was inviting to sing along and they did too it was just awesome. Now i'll be honest, i was not expecting much from this band tho given they only have one original member left, vocalist and bass player Jerry Only and he's not even the original vocalist. But this didnt have as much of a negative effect as i thought it would, the band played with pure energy. The only let down was some of Danzigs songs were avoided for this reason so i didnt get to hear my favourite misfits song Last Caress which was a shame but hey, shit happens. New drummer Eric Arce did great justice to the songs and so did the, also quite new, guitarist Dez Cadena. The set ran for a good hour and a half concluding with the enevitable Die Die My Darling and for one last song the crow went absolutely nuts. But alas all good things must come to an end and since the band had a flight at 5am the next day they had to leave us but this did not stop any of them from meeting the fans and hanging out for a while allthough the crowd was generally hanging around Jerry.
In conclusion it was a great night with just fast powerfull awesome music. It was not one of the most memorable gigs ive ever been to but regardless it was pretty fucking awesome.
So to any one reading this metal on my friends.
The Oompa Loompa
Reapers Riddle drumstick |
Next on the bill was another perth band, Chainsaw Hookers. I've seen these guys 3 times now and, frankly, they never disapoint. I've always thought if motorhead were a little more punk they would sound allot like Chainsaw Hookers. As you may have allready assumed Chainsaw hookers play horror themed music, it's not quite rock n' roll, its not quite punk its somewhere in between. In there words its "blood rock". Once again the crowd wasnt big but it was growing and Chainsaw Hookers helped that growth. They started the set with my personal favourite My Revenge and from then on the only time they slowed down was to interact with the audience in the friendly personal way there fans know and love. Chainsaw hookers weren't without there share of set backs tho but even when things fucked up they didnt stop. At one point the drummer had one of his drums fall away from the kit, he didnt stop he just made do untill he could fix it. By the time these guys finished playing the crowd had really built up and they were loving it.
Chainsaw Hookers setlist |
Chainsaw Hookers drumstick, picks and johnny |
Jerry after the gig |
Misfits pre-show |
Dez's Pick |
Finaly we got to the main event; the Misfits who started the show by anouncing "this is gonna be an old fashioned punk show". They werent lying, the moment they came on stage the crowd just lost its shit and the pit was intense. Misfits started the set with one from the new album, the title track, Devils Rain. The setlist was a excellent mix of old and new including classics like Halloween, some newer stuff such as Descending Angel and some brand new songs of the new album. My personal favourite was Skulls when the crowed was inviting to sing along and they did too it was just awesome. Now i'll be honest, i was not expecting much from this band tho given they only have one original member left, vocalist and bass player Jerry Only and he's not even the original vocalist. But this didnt have as much of a negative effect as i thought it would, the band played with pure energy. The only let down was some of Danzigs songs were avoided for this reason so i didnt get to hear my favourite misfits song Last Caress which was a shame but hey, shit happens. New drummer Eric Arce did great justice to the songs and so did the, also quite new, guitarist Dez Cadena. The set ran for a good hour and a half concluding with the enevitable Die Die My Darling and for one last song the crow went absolutely nuts. But alas all good things must come to an end and since the band had a flight at 5am the next day they had to leave us but this did not stop any of them from meeting the fans and hanging out for a while allthough the crowd was generally hanging around Jerry.
In conclusion it was a great night with just fast powerfull awesome music. It was not one of the most memorable gigs ive ever been to but regardless it was pretty fucking awesome.
So to any one reading this metal on my friends.
The Oompa Loompa
Monday, 28 November 2011
epic concert was (not so) epic
So this my update about the concert I went to last night and the one word I can use to describe it is, sadly, average.
The show started off with the band Calling All Cars. A band that was so very lack luster that I can barely even remember there set anymore, which is never a good sign for a band you just watched. Next up was the incredibly confusing Fucked Up. To be honest from the moment this band came on stage i didnt no what the expect and through out the entire set i really didnt no what was going on. The set started strangely enough with a very big man coming out on stage and almost instantly taking his shirt off, apparently he was the lead singer but we didnt hear a not from him all night. For the entire set of Fucked Up the music was so loud ans the vocals were so low all I could hear was a dull growl, making the entire set just seem instrumental. Now an instrumental set I can live with but this music was just too fast paced for that. To make matters worse the lead singer then decided to go for a walk in the crowd, this is generally awesome but not when a fat guy is rubbing his man boobs on your face. The other problem with him going off into the crowd is, since we couldnt hear him sing and the band didnt really stop playing much, we didnt no when one song stopped and the other started. All in all it was a very confusing set to watch.
Next where Tenacious D. To me, they were the saviours of the day. They got on stage, had some fun and just generally played some great tunes. They played the classics, starting the set with Keilbasa and later playing,the much anticipated, Wonder Boy and Tribute. The two acted out little skits to make the songs fit sometimes, such as Jack rediculing Kyle about his playing on Keilbasa untill "Kyle Quit The Band". This was an excellent segway into Dude I Totally Miss You and then ofcourse Kyle Quit The Band. The highlight for me was hearing The D play Kickapoo and hearing Kyle Gass' rendition of the verse in the song originally sung by Meatloaf. The cool thing about this was i found myself thinking "wow Kyle actually sings... and well". Tenacious D also blessed us with a couple of new songs from there new forthcoming album, a song named Roadie ( a tribute to the roadies) and Deth Starr ( a song about the best way to save the planet; building a death star). Like I said, to me, Tenacious D were the highlights of the concert. Whether the fans were die hard fans or had never heard The D before everyone had a good laugh and really enjoyed themselves.
Now we get to the main attraction; The Foo Fighters. I gotta say I wasnt impressed. I found the start of the set to be slow, so slow in fact that it took them an hour and a half to really get the crowd going. But there were some highlights. Mine was the classic Stacked Actors the band out of nowhere finally filled with energy and it was just a fun song to hear. I especially liked how the screens at this point went to a classic 90s grunge video clip style of the cigerette burns and the interferance of an old movie screen. They played some more classics like Monkey Wrench but there was too much new stuff that just didnt inspire me. Though one thing i will say about the bad is, it was impressive to see a band play for 3 hours. Having said that for me it was too much. I did enjoy Dave and Taylors little act back stage about how many more songs they would play for the encore, starting at one and ending at 7. The encore was fun with Dave going out on the runway to the centre of the stage and dedicating the song Wheels to "the shitty seats" but even the encore for me went for too long playing too much new stuff that allot of people seemed very disinterested in. The Foos did finally redeem themselves tho, with there final song being Everlong. This is still my favourite Foos song and I loved getting to hear it live.
All in all the concert was good not great, the crowd was fun and the weather was interesting (somewhere between really sunny and raining) and i did have a good time. So until next time
Metal on my friends
The Oompa Loompa
The show started off with the band Calling All Cars. A band that was so very lack luster that I can barely even remember there set anymore, which is never a good sign for a band you just watched. Next up was the incredibly confusing Fucked Up. To be honest from the moment this band came on stage i didnt no what the expect and through out the entire set i really didnt no what was going on. The set started strangely enough with a very big man coming out on stage and almost instantly taking his shirt off, apparently he was the lead singer but we didnt hear a not from him all night. For the entire set of Fucked Up the music was so loud ans the vocals were so low all I could hear was a dull growl, making the entire set just seem instrumental. Now an instrumental set I can live with but this music was just too fast paced for that. To make matters worse the lead singer then decided to go for a walk in the crowd, this is generally awesome but not when a fat guy is rubbing his man boobs on your face. The other problem with him going off into the crowd is, since we couldnt hear him sing and the band didnt really stop playing much, we didnt no when one song stopped and the other started. All in all it was a very confusing set to watch.
Next where Tenacious D. To me, they were the saviours of the day. They got on stage, had some fun and just generally played some great tunes. They played the classics, starting the set with Keilbasa and later playing,the much anticipated, Wonder Boy and Tribute. The two acted out little skits to make the songs fit sometimes, such as Jack rediculing Kyle about his playing on Keilbasa untill "Kyle Quit The Band". This was an excellent segway into Dude I Totally Miss You and then ofcourse Kyle Quit The Band. The highlight for me was hearing The D play Kickapoo and hearing Kyle Gass' rendition of the verse in the song originally sung by Meatloaf. The cool thing about this was i found myself thinking "wow Kyle actually sings... and well". Tenacious D also blessed us with a couple of new songs from there new forthcoming album, a song named Roadie ( a tribute to the roadies) and Deth Starr ( a song about the best way to save the planet; building a death star). Like I said, to me, Tenacious D were the highlights of the concert. Whether the fans were die hard fans or had never heard The D before everyone had a good laugh and really enjoyed themselves.
kyles pick |
Tenacious D setlist |
Now we get to the main attraction; The Foo Fighters. I gotta say I wasnt impressed. I found the start of the set to be slow, so slow in fact that it took them an hour and a half to really get the crowd going. But there were some highlights. Mine was the classic Stacked Actors the band out of nowhere finally filled with energy and it was just a fun song to hear. I especially liked how the screens at this point went to a classic 90s grunge video clip style of the cigerette burns and the interferance of an old movie screen. They played some more classics like Monkey Wrench but there was too much new stuff that just didnt inspire me. Though one thing i will say about the bad is, it was impressive to see a band play for 3 hours. Having said that for me it was too much. I did enjoy Dave and Taylors little act back stage about how many more songs they would play for the encore, starting at one and ending at 7. The encore was fun with Dave going out on the runway to the centre of the stage and dedicating the song Wheels to "the shitty seats" but even the encore for me went for too long playing too much new stuff that allot of people seemed very disinterested in. The Foos did finally redeem themselves tho, with there final song being Everlong. This is still my favourite Foos song and I loved getting to hear it live.
all the bands on stage |
Dave enjoying a nice break while offering us mor and more songs |
Metal on my friends
The Oompa Loompa
Monday, 21 November 2011
let's get this shit started
So I've been pressured into making a blog as a starting point of a career path into music journalism, thus you shall consequently hear my tremendous stories of metal exploits and the gigs I attend. Luckily for all of you, I am incredibly passionate about my music especially my live music so lets hope this is FTW.
I have attended near on 14 gigs this year including huge bands like Judas Priest and Motley Crue to local bands like Claim the Throne. I may share past stories of greatness or anger but I will always review the gigs I go to so lets just see how this goes. So let's start with this year, a year that started with an amazing show that may not be everyone's cup of tea but regardless blew me away. The first gig I saw was the ever amazing STING and his symphonicity tour, and what a way to start a year and amazing voice and amazing showman. The songs were amazing and he always stopped to tell us little stories. It was a good relaxing way to start a huge year. Following that I was blessed to Rammstein in February with more fire than I have ever seen on a stage. What's better than seeing Til Leidman straddle a large pink cannon and shoot foam all over the crowd?
Next on the bill was the absolutley indescribebly FUCKING AMAZING Iron Maiden. Bruce Dickinson has a power over the crowd that few men possess and he trully knows how to use it. The man barely stops for a breath and every part of that band is pure unstoppable METAL!
I wont go into every gig I've seen because well that would take too long but one last story is one that all metal heads must learn to tell on there own. I made the pilgirimige to the holy Wacken land and there is nothing quite like it. I saw some of the greatest bands on earth converge on a farm in northern Germany and spent days drinking with vikings. It was the greatest thing I have ever experienced. The point is I've done some cool shit and, well, I've got some cool stories to tell and perhaps you will enjoy reading this as I shoot the shit about my one true passion. So for now im gonna leave it.
When next you hear from me, I will be discussing the amazing TENACIOUS D! So maybe I'll gain some followers, maybe I wont lets see how this goes so to those reading metal on my friends.
The Oompa Loompa.
I have attended near on 14 gigs this year including huge bands like Judas Priest and Motley Crue to local bands like Claim the Throne. I may share past stories of greatness or anger but I will always review the gigs I go to so lets just see how this goes. So let's start with this year, a year that started with an amazing show that may not be everyone's cup of tea but regardless blew me away. The first gig I saw was the ever amazing STING and his symphonicity tour, and what a way to start a year and amazing voice and amazing showman. The songs were amazing and he always stopped to tell us little stories. It was a good relaxing way to start a huge year. Following that I was blessed to Rammstein in February with more fire than I have ever seen on a stage. What's better than seeing Til Leidman straddle a large pink cannon and shoot foam all over the crowd?
Next on the bill was the absolutley indescribebly FUCKING AMAZING Iron Maiden. Bruce Dickinson has a power over the crowd that few men possess and he trully knows how to use it. The man barely stops for a breath and every part of that band is pure unstoppable METAL!
I wont go into every gig I've seen because well that would take too long but one last story is one that all metal heads must learn to tell on there own. I made the pilgirimige to the holy Wacken land and there is nothing quite like it. I saw some of the greatest bands on earth converge on a farm in northern Germany and spent days drinking with vikings. It was the greatest thing I have ever experienced. The point is I've done some cool shit and, well, I've got some cool stories to tell and perhaps you will enjoy reading this as I shoot the shit about my one true passion. So for now im gonna leave it.
When next you hear from me, I will be discussing the amazing TENACIOUS D! So maybe I'll gain some followers, maybe I wont lets see how this goes so to those reading metal on my friends.
The Oompa Loompa.
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