Gig Review: Funeral For A Friend @ Sub 89, Reading. 12/11/2010

First of all, apologies for the delay in this post, I couldn’t be bothered yesterday and i had a lab report to write today. So get off my back Mike and Lynn, here it is, I hope it is rubbish and you hate reading it. Well, I don’t hope it is rubbish, it would be nice for one of my reviews to be at least half decent!

After a hugely delayed journey back from Brighton, and a horribly rushed dinner consisting of two sausage rolls, we ventured to Sub 89 in Reading in order to watch Funeral for a Friend. This would be my fifth time watching what is fast becoming one of my favourite rock bands.

The venue was basically identical to the O2 Academy at Oxford so I felt fairly at home with this club turned gig venue that I was visiting for the first time. One thing that immediately hit me was the amount of girls that were dressed up for this gig, prompting me to wonder whether we had come on the right night! No worries though, as we were then reunited with gig, and soul, mates Adrian and Dan, and the banter resumed.

The support act for tonight was the eagerly anticipated Rise to Remain, a band headed up by none other than the son of Mr Bruce Dickenson! However, this parental connection is most definitely where the band’s Maiden links end, their brand of metalcore a far cry from the galloping riff’s of Dickenson senior’s band. It is evident that I was a number of very few people who had seen Rise to Remain before, having been blow away by them at Sonisphere this year, and i must say that this performance impressed me more. Playing to a crowd where they were virtual unknowns, they managed to get it going in a great way. I think it is safe to say that the boys left the stage with a fair number of new fans after yet another sterling performance.

Now to the night’s main act. I was a bit unsure about what kind of set list that the boys would be flaunting tonight, well aware of the new line-up and looming new album. With minimal mucking about, the boys jump on to the stage and launch in to new, and heavier than normal, single Serpents in Solitude. Not familiar with this song, I assumed that this might be a more laid back gig, where the lads would take the opportunity to air some new material, I was secretly glad for this as i was still feeling pretty damn man-fluey. However, no sooner had the last meaty tones of this opening song fade, then the band threw themselves into classic Roses for the Dead, and my night of relaxed musical enlightenment was dashed as I ran head first into the rapidly expanding mosh pit.

The guys were on top form tonight, and confirmed the belief in my mind that they are one of the classiest acts around. The new bassist fit in effortlessly, his raw style giving the band a bit of a grittier feel. There was also a great deal more ‘banter’ coming from the band than I had previously witnessed, this is possibly due to Matthew Davies-Kreye being a little bit tipsy. Hilarious chat involving pregnant ladies tearing up the pit, and going off on ‘bastard tangents’ aside, i was impressed with his vocals tonight, coming through much clearer than the previous times i have seen the group.

New songs went down very well it must be said, a personal favourite being Front Row Seats to the End of the World. With minimal time between songs, the lads rattle through a great deal of material, before seemingly ending with a one-two of fan favourites History and Into Oblivion, before returning for a powerful encore.

I was very impressed with Funeral tonight, a much more enjoyable and powerful performance than I have seen before from them. Maybe it is because this size of venue suits them more than the bloated audience gained at festivals. They had complete control of their audience, we really were eating out the palms of their hands.

Rating: 8/10

1. Serpents In Solitude

2. Roses For The Dead

3. Rookie Of The Year

4. Sixteen

5. Juneau

6. Red is the New Black

7. Damned If You Do, Dead If You  Don’t

8. The End Of Nothing

9. Wrench

10. Vultures

11. Man Alive

12. History

13. Into Oblivion

Encore

14. All The Rage

15. Front Row Seats To The End Of The World

16. Escape Artists Never Die

Gig Review: Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour @ Brighton Centre. 07/11/2010

For any right thinking rock fan, a tour co headlined by Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour is one that must be witnessed at all costs. Apart, these bands are big enough to at least sub headline some of the biggest festivals, both headlining second stages at Sonisphere and Download respectively in the last few years. So it is a bit of a no brainer that one gig comprising of both of these American heavyweights is going to be a sell out. That is exactly what this show was, in fact, that is exactly what the whole tour was, Corey Taylor proclaiming that this has been the biggest UK tour by anyone this year. This is extremely impressive considering the future of one of the participants, Avenged Sevenfold, was looking to be very precarious after the tragic death of their drummer just after Christmas last year. This tour was a fitting tribute to a great musician.

The venue for this, the last show of the tour, was the deceptively large Brighton Centre. Now, I must admit I am not a fan of this venue, basically a conference hall with a stage at one end. The main criticism i have of it is that there is no character. When one attends shows at Brixton Academy, or Hammersmith Apollo, there is a certain something that goes with the venue adding to the viewing experience. There was no such ‘special something’ at this dreary late seventies seaside monstrosity. However, it does have a capacity of over 5,000 making it larger than the previously mentioned venues.

The support for tonight, as for the rest of the tour, was the ‘super group’ Hell Yeah! A bastardisation of Mudvayne and Pantera, one can tell what Hell Yeah! are about by trawling through their song titles, with such gems as Alcohaulin Ass. I witnessed this group at Download festival this year and to say I was unimpressed would be very kind. Needless to say I had no desire to catch any of this support act.

As the crowd started to fill out and creep forward, I must say that I was again reminded of the reason why i attend London gigs whenever possible. The majority of people around me were half my height and at least ten years younger than me. However, I guess I was expecting this for the evening’s first act, Sevenfold, as their fan base is on the whole a lot younger than the generally heavier Stone Sour’s.

The stage was completely obscured by a large black curtain, implying that we were in for quite a treat of a set from the Sevenfold boys. As the lights extinguished, and the haunting chimes of Nightmare rang out, the curtain dropped revealing an extremely impressive graveyard scene, complete with burning torches. The band take to the stage amid thunderous applause, and the night is well and truly under way.

I had been looking forward to this gig for a long time, having seen neither of the bands before. Avenged Sevenfold’s latest album just built up my anticipation of seeing the guys in action. Honestly, I have to say that I was underwhelmed by their performance tonight. Whether it was the quiet vocals, or the surprisingly lacklustre stage presence of M Shadows, the band did not blow me away in the slightest, an eventuality that unpleasantly surprised me. Their performance was not aided by the crowd, who being saturated with younger fans, were more irritating than anything, any attempts at stable ‘mosh pits’ were unconvincing and easily swallowed up masses by ‘bopping’ teens. Maybe I am being a bit harsh on the boys, they did play well, and the set was extremely impressive, especially during the up temp finish to Buried Alive, but I was not inspired nearly as much as I was expecting. The set list was decent, however, I would have preferred a rendition of Bat Country to Almost Easy to close the set but hey ho. There was a good mix of hits off the new album and older classics such as Beast and the Harlot and Unholy Confessions but the latter song failed to illicit the destructive audience response that it really deserves.

There was a rather touching dedication to their late band mate, Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan, followed by an emotional performance of So Far Away which definitely pulled at the heartstrings. Stepping into ‘The Rev’s shoes was never going to be easy, but new, stand in, drummer, Mike Portnoy, was welcomed to the Sevenfold family with open arms by the fans and it is hoped that long may their affiliation continue.

Overall, a disappointing performance from the boys. I was expecting a more impassioned performance, given the high regard that their live performances are given and I did feel a little let down. However, it still won’t stop me going to see them time and time again.

Rating: 6/10

1. Nightmare

2. Critical Acclaim

3. Welcome to the Family

4. Beast and the Harlot

5. Buried Alive

6. So Far Away

7. Afterlife

8. God Hates Us

9. Unholy Confessions

10. Almost Easy

So to the evenings next act, the much anticipated Stone Sour. As the Avenged fans filtered out in search of water and the like, we managed to secure pretty damn good spots right at the centre of the stage, now covered with a large white sheet. After half an hour break, the lights extinguished again, and the crowd exploded, evidently much more ‘up for’ the closing act. Cue some epic Star Wars music (the piece from the Phantom Menace accompanying the awesome lightsaber battle at the end) along with a pretty impressive light show focussed around a large Stone Sour emblem imposed upon the curtain. As the music reached its dénouement , the shadow of an statuesque man standing, arm aloft, centre stage was imprinted upon the canvas. Corey was waiting. The curtain dropped, and Stone Sour launched into their opening track, Mission Statement. The energy emanating from the five-some was incredible, Corey Taylor the centre of it all, running around like a man possessed, all the while maintaining perfect vocal control. This was more like it, Stone Sour had come to show us what a rock concert is supposed to be like.

A brief pause, only enough for Corey to greet the crowd and announce that this performance was being recorded for the band’s new DVD. Due to the time constraint of this gig, both bands being given an hour set, there is minimal time for ‘chat’ and the boys hurtle into their second song, a perfect rendition of Reborn. Thankfully, the crowd are much better for Stone Sour, most of the scene kids had left for safer climes, leaving mostly the more hardcore rock fans to battle it out for Taylor’s amusement.

I am not sure what it was about Stone Sour tonight, but they absolutely blew me away. They were phenomenal. No amount of superlatives would be enough to describe how good they were. The set list was spot on, you could feel the energy emanating from the stage, Corey’s vocals were (as ever) immaculate, the “wall of dance” was hilarious, the light show was simple but spectacular....I could go on. In fact, on factor that sets Stone Sour apart from many bands that I have seen live this year was the emotion shown by the boys tonight. The most prominent example of this was during a powerful rendition of Bother, when an isolated Corey broke down a number of times, tears streaming down his face, if that isn’t raw emotion then I don’t know what is.

Given this level of intensity from the band, it could be expected that this was a very ‘serious’ rock gig. However, Stone Sour know the score. Like the best acts from this genre, they still remember to have fun up on stage. One of the highlights of the evening was Corey initiating a Wall of Dance during Hell and Consequences. Now a Wall of Dance is very different to a Wall of Death, in that in the former, instead of beating people up, when the two sides meet, people dance with each other. For me it is things like this that make Corey Taylor the complete showman. Capable of humbling passion and emotion, possessor of one of the greatest voices around, but also with the sense of humour to be able to illicit spontaneous waltzing during a heavy metal riff.

The destructive 30/30-150 brought an end to an impeccable performance, one that flew by all too quickly. Battered and bruised, we emerged from the depths of the pit to stumble out into the cold Brighton air. Content, elated, and thunderstruck. This performance is going to take some beating.

Given the short nature of the set, it is impossible for me to give this performance top marks, but safe to say, today, Stone Sour absolutely blew Avenged Sevenfold out of the water, they were phenomenal. Although I do await Corey’s return to Slipknot, I just hope that Stone Sour keep on recording and performing. What. A. Band.

Rating: 9/10

1. Mission Statement

2. Reborn

3. Made of Scars

4. Say You’ll Haunt Me

5. Get Inside

6. Unfinished

7. Your God

8. Bother (Corey Taylor solo)

9. Through Glass

10. Digital (Did You Tell)

11. Hell & Consequences

12. 30/30-150

Should America's Game Stay In America?

This is a question posited by many critics of the NFL every time that the glitz of the most lucrative sport in the world ventures to our sceptered isle.  It is no secret that the majority of sports fans in the UK have no time for ‘American Football’ , common criticisms being its ‘stop-start’ nature and the length of time that it takes to finish a game. Thus, the average Brit will typically be dismissive of this bastardisation of rugby that requires you to strap on 50kg of padding before you play. Given this common view it may be obvious at this point that the NFL should remain stateside, where it belongs. However,  the NFL has a very committed, and rapidly growing, following this side of the Atlantic and has become one of the most widely watched sports in recent years. So popular has the sport become that in 2005, the NFL decided that London would be the venue for the first regular season game to played outside North America. The subsequent contest between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants was one played in front of a sold out crowd of NFL fanatics at Wembley Stadium in October of that year. So impressive was the success of this game that the NFL has returned to London for one game a season ever since.

I was one of nearly 84,000 lucky NFL fans who managed to gain tickets to the latest regular season game to be played at Wembley, this time between the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos, last month. I was keen to see how my experience of the ‘big event’ would match up to the hype surrounding it and whether the NFL’s foray into the United Kingdom was welcome. As a big follower of the sport, I had been looking forward to this game for a long time, having missed out on the previous three visits to our country’s capital.

Formerly, I had attended two regular season NFL games, both in the northern Florida town of Jacksonville, in order to see my beloved Jaguars take to the field. Having witnessed the passion and excitement that accompanies a ‘football’ game in America, an experience that served to belittle the fervour that is so praised in our English Premiership, I was keen to see whether British NFL fans could match the atmospheric monstrosity that the members of both teams are accustomed to.

Initially, the answer to this question would be a resounding ‘no’. Although every attendee to this latest ‘international series’ was bursting with anticipation, this was just the excitement at a chance to see their adored sport in the flesh, a chance the majority have never had before due to this event’s habit of selling out within hours of going on sale. As a result, the atmosphere in the stadium was very flat to begin with, not helped by a horrific performance by My Chemical Romance in the pre-game ‘show’.

However, it must be said that this initial flatness compared to atmospheres stateside was completely understandable. Even though there were 84,000 fans in attendance, it is estimated that less than a fifth of these supported either of the two teams at this event. Therefore, the majority in the stadium were neutral and passive in their support of either team. The placid atmosphere was not helped by a less than mediocre first half of ‘football’ played by both teams, the San Francisco offence looking particularly impotent.

As the game progressed, however, and the quality of football improved, the fans came into their own. From a dreary 3-0 score line at half time, the match exploded in the latter quarters, ending up with a 24-16 win for the 49ers. Due to the massively neutral nature of the stadium, every piece of brilliance, whether it be an interception, a fumble recovery, a touchdown pass or a crunching sack, was met with unadulterated mayhem. The whole crowd was obviously loving every minute of the game, well the second half at least. Although it took a while to get going (ok a whole half is a bit too much, but can be worked on), the atmosphere at this year’s ‘international series’ far outshone any that I have experienced stateside. I think the best word to be used to describe the feeling inside Wembley on this cold October night is ‘happiness’. Everyone was just having an incredible time, grateful at getting the opportunity to watch one of the best sports in the world first hand. Corny as it may sound, the American’s have extended out a hand of sporting friendship with this gift to us, and we have most definitely latched on with two hands.

Given the success of the last four outings into the British market, and the planned future expansion of the NFL within the next few years, there is the possibility of a permanent NFL franchise to be based in London, an idea that has the support of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. However, this eventuality is a long way off, the next step is securing multiple regular season games a year in the UK.

The crowds witnessed at every NFL game at Wembley since 2005 is the best sign of the success of the ‘international series’. My personal experience of this fourth ‘international series’ has just cemented in my mind that the NFL is in it for the long run, it is here to stay, get used to it folks.

Gig Review: Alter Bridge @ Hammersmith Apollo. 22/10/2010

I think it is pretty much safe to say that this gig was, in my own mind, the most highly anticipated one of the year so far. Now, i realise that this is a very big statement as my gigging year included shows by Ozzy Osborne, Lostprophets, Trivium, Murderdolls and Kiss, among others, but it is one that shows the ridiculously high regard with which I hold Alter Bridge.  

It was great to see the boys back in the UK together as the respective members have been apart for a few years, gallivanting off on their own side projects. Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips returned to reform Creed for a reunion tour, and Myles Kennedy toured as vocalist for Slash’s recently launched solo career, all playing to sold out crowds on both sides of the Atlantic. After this brief, but all too long, hiatus,  the foursome headed back to the studio this summer to put the finishing touches on their third album, the imaginably entitled ABIII. The album was met with widespread critical acclaim and is set to be the boys highest selling venture to date. This third offering is very different to all that has preceded it, with darker lyrics and a wholly experimental feel it could take some getting used to for older AB fans, however this does not undermine its brilliance. It is the anticipation for this album that has lead to this tour being a sell out weeks before the album even hit the stores.

Tonight’s venue was the, for want of a better word, legendary Hammersmith Apollo, nothing more than Myles and Co deserved. In fact, before the gig Myles tweeted that it was an honour to be playing on the same stage where Bowie retired Ziggy Stardust, so it meant a great deal to the boys to be playing here. It was, ashamedly, the first time that I have ventured to this part of London for gigging purposes, and i have to say that i was initially underwhelmed by the size of the venue as it looks a great deal bigger on television. However, despite this initial disappointment, the Apollo is indeed a very impressive venue, enhanced by the gentle slope allowing for unobstructed viewing of the imperious stage from all parts of the standing section.

The support for tonight’s show were a British band entitled Slaves to Gravity. I only caught a few of the closing songs of their set but was very impressed with what I heard. The lead singers vocals are very powerful and often one could be forgiven for mistaking his voice for that of Myles Kennedy himself. A very fitting support act that did a cracking job of getting the crowd going.

I guess after all this preamble I should really talk a little bit about tonight’s main act? Well ok then. There was only ever one song that the boys were going to open with, and as the hall went black, the eerily haunting tones of Slip To The Void echoed around Hammersmith. Cue the spotlight on Myles, standing, deified in the centre of the stage, his voice once again note perfect. This song, the first track on ABIII, really is a perfect opener, its haunting, slow tune soon gives way to a typically powerful Tremonti riff, and the night is underway. With minimal banter, or any gap between tracks, the boys crack out a great number of songs from the tremendously popular second album, Blackbird, that are met with unbelievable scenes amongst the AB faithful. Many new offerings from ABIII are effortlessly slipped into the set and although were not met with as  great enthusiasm as the older stuff, this is understandable as the album has only been out for a week.

This was my second time watching what I can honestly claim to be my joint favourite band (with the  Lostprophets), and I was once again astounded by the power, and perfection of the voice of Myles Kennedy. If you have not had the pleasure of seeing him sing live, whether with Slash, AB, The Mayfield Four or whoever, get on YouTube and witness it for yourself. A particular highlight of tonight’s gig that promotes this fact, and a song that none of us expected to be played, was a perfect rendition of old favourite Broken Wings (also the performance of Watch Over You is amazing and a must see). Truly a sight to behold, in fact Myles could not contain his amusement during this song at seeing the ferocious moshpit during the tracks quieter moments, showing that he was truly having the time of his life up there.

The set list was, in my opinion, very cleverly put together. Mixing up old and new songs, there was never a lull in the performance, as is expected of many bands trying out new material. The juxt apposition of head banging classic Metalingus with songs like Ghost of Days Gone By was an inspired decision as it kept the crowd awake and on their toes.

After the incredible Blackbird and Open Your Eyes, the boys announce that they are done for the night, say thanks for having us, see you soon...blah blah the usual spiel from a band who are obviously returning in five minutes for an encore. Return they do. Myles sits alone on stage with his acoustic guitar and leads the audience in an extremely emotional sing-along of Watch Over You, the power of this song is unrivalled and there was many a tear shed during this tremendous performance. The boys typically finish with Rise Today, a  phenomenal closer that leaves everyone gasping for more. A cracking show that cements Alter Bridge’s reputation as one of the greatest live bands out there, and one which saw them perform an unbelievable twenty song set list.

 When will they be back? Well the rumours are that Myles will be rejoining Slash for a world tour until early summer, leaving the way open for some much needed UK festival performances from the AB foursome. The question is, will it be Download, Sonisphere or Reading? Rating: 9/10

1. Slip To The Void

2. Buried Alive

3. Before Tomorrow Comes

4. Still Remains

5. Brand New Start

6. White Knuckles

7. All Hope Is Gone

8. Metalingus

9. Ghost Of Days Gone By

10. Broken Wings

11. Ties That Bind

12. One Day Remains

13. I Know It Hurts

14. Come To Life

15. Blackbird

16. Open Your Eyes

Encore

17. Watch Over You (Acoustic) (An absolute MUST SEE, YouTube it folks)

18. Wonderful Life (Acoustic)

19. Isolation

20. Rise Today

Gig Review: Ozzfest @ O2 Arena. 18/09/2010

London’s O2 Arena was the location for the first UK leg of the world famous Ozzfest in five long years. At each previous visit to this venue, I have been extremely impressed with the organisation of the crowd control and the efficiency with which punters are moved through the gates. Sadly, this occasion was an entirely different ‘kettle ‘o’ fish’. Despite a sell out crowd of over 23,000, the powers that be deemed it sensible to open only two of the venues numerous gates. However, not happy with the one ridiculous oversight, they then proceeded to not tell anybody that there was a second entrance open, seemingly content to watch the queue stretch all the way from Gate B to North Greenwich Tube Station. Luckily we arrived an hour and a quarter before the days first act so made it into the arena with minutes to spare, thousands of others were not so lucky.

The opening act of this London leg of Ozzy’s latest tour was the ever impressive Skindred, who performed admirably considering that most of their potential fans were still filtering through the turnstiles. Dressed in immaculately shiny, silver suits, the Welsh quartet set the tone for the entire day with their very first track; a ferocious rendition of “Stand for Something”. The audience gradually grew in number due to the decision of the organisers to actually tell people about the second entrance (makes sense, wait until the opening band has started before attempting to sort out the mess....) and by the time the band perform fan favourite “Pressure” there is a healthy number in attendance. Skindred are one of those bands who never fail to disappoint live, their unique mix of metal with reggae is refreshingly original and as ever, the boys look like they are enjoying themselves. A great festival band, Skindred were truly an inspired booking, a pity they did not get a chance to play to the audience that they deserve. Rating: 7/10

Setlist:

 1. Stand For Something

2. Rat Race

3. You Can’t Stop It

4. Pressure

5. Bassline Sample

6. Bruises

7. Destroy The Dancefloor

8. Trouble

9. Cause Ah Riot

10. Nobody

With the arena now filling up nicely it is the turn of the day’s first American act to entertain the masses. Steel Panther are on deck now and there is a great sense of anticipation by those in attendance as their live act is certainly a sight to behold. Strolling on stage in order to do their own sound checks, the band joke with those in the front row and drummer Stix Zadinia even leads the crowd in a chorus of “Community Property”. Looking relaxed and ready to rock, the band assume their starting positions. The voice over starts, queue the sounds of a panther roaring, and the band launch into “Eyes Of A Panther”, a cracking opening song. Many critics have claimed that the Steel Panther ‘joke’ is getting old and is seriously not funny anymore. All I can say is that these critics cannot have seen the band live. This was my third time witnessing the Key Club’s finest and yet again they blew me away. The on stage banter is still hilarious, however possibly in need of updating for their next tour, and has the crowd in stitches. Michael Starr, a self titled skinny version of Vince Neil (not a fat Dave Lee-Roth), is again on top form, hitting high note after high note and has a stage presence the like of which I have only seen from Metallica’s James Hetfield. New song critter is met with great enthusiasm and is proof that this band are here to stay. The classic “Death To All But Metal” brings an end to a great set that does the Prince of Darkness proud, another genius addition to this bill. Rating: 8.5/10

Setlist:

1. Eyes Of a Panther

2. Asian Hooker

3. Party All Day

4. Critter (New Song)

5. Community Property

6. Satchel Guitar Solo

7. Turn Out The Lights

8. The Shocker

9. Death To All But Metal

Next up to entertain thousands of Ozzy fans were the band who I had witnessed play the gig of their lives the night before. They were of course the ever dramatic and impressive Murderdolls. Fans of the horror punk group flocked to the front of the stage as for many this will have been their first experience to witness this elusive band. As the night before, the haunting tones of “The World According To Revenge” signal the start of this latest outing from one of Hollywood’s finest super groups. Massive cheers welcome Wednesday 13’s arrival to the stage, closely followed by an explosion from the crowd as Joey Jordison makes his appearance. The band launch into “Chapel Of Blood” which illicits an extremely enthusiastic response from the Murderdolls faithful. Even though the group are once again perfect, full of enthusiasm and deliver a set full of crowd favourites and new songs, this set cannot compare to the show that I witnessed by the very same band the night before. Whether it was the larger venue, or the lack of hardcore fans in attendance, the group did not illicit as much enthusiasm as that cold Friday night in North London (see my review below for this amazing gig). At times Wednesday 13 looked uneasy attempting to control the bloated crowd but this was the only downside of yet another rocking Murderdolls performance as they managed to rock through 13 songs in 45 minutes while still maintaining a good level of crowd interaction. Due to their fast paced music, endless enthusiasm and good natured banter, they really are a good festival band and we can only hope to be seeing them at one of the big ‘uns in 2011. Rating: 8/10

Setlist:

1. The World According To Revenge

2. Chapel Of Blood

3. Slit My Wrist

4. Twist My Sister

5. My Dark Place Alone

6. Drug Me To Hell

7. Summertime Suicide

8. Die My Bride

9. Nowhere

10. Rock ‘n’ Roll Is All I Got

11. Motherf**ker, I Don’t Care

12. Dead In Hollywood

13. I Love To Say F**K

The next band on the Ozzfest line-up for today were Korn. Now, due to our ridiculously late night the night before, and having just been in the midst of it all for the previous three bands, we decided to miss the Californian heavyweights in the pursuit of more relaxing activities in order to fully enjoy the evening’s headliner. By all accounts however, Korn were extremely impressive and played out of their skins.

I guess the best place to end this review is with the man everybody has been waiting for all day, the self titled Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. While the sound checks are finishing, the great man’s voice echoes around the arena, geeing up the crowd and starting loud football crowdesque chants. “Are we ready to get crazy?” he asks, the response from the crowd is a resounding yes as they erupt with cheers and screams. All eyes are turned towards the video screens as Ozzy’s intro begins, full of spoofs of films like Avatar and Twighlight that are hilarious. The screens then fade to a shot of a ghostly white orb, the moon, and everyone here is left without a doubt about the song that Ozzy will choose to kick off tonight’s set. Eyes back to the stage, where the band has taken up their positions, Ozzy enters amid outrageous screams and the opening riff of “Bark At The Moon” blasts out of the speakers, definitely cranked up to eleven tonight as confirmed by the ringing in my ears. I have to admit, I was surprised at how good Ozzy’s voice was live, having heard horror stories about his live vocals recently. To be fair, during the chorus of each song it was hard to hear Ozzy over the deafening roar of the crowd but this is not due to any loss in vocal prowess by the great man, just a testament to how good his songs are.

As with any performance by the Prince of Darkness, the crowd are treated to a selection of songs written when he was with his previous band. Now, I am not normally a fan of solo artists filling their sets with covers of their old band, like Kele at Reading festival who played a Bloc Party covers set, but I am happy to let it slide in this instance as Ozzy’s old band are the ridiculously good Black Sabbath, plus Ozzy has established himself as one of the greatest solo artists of all time so I think we can allow a few Sabbath hits! The crowd are expecting a return to this era of course, and the only question is what Sabbath songs we will be treated to. The first of the night does not disappoint, a tremendous rendition of “Fairies Wear Boots” that send the crowd into a frenzy.

Ozzy was on top form in this latest leg of his Ozzfest tour. He was clearly enjoying every moment of the set, and can you blame him? 23,000 people screaming the lyrics to every song, while he sprayed those lucky enough to be in the front row, and security who ran for cover at every opportunity, with a large foam cannon. Not only is the man himself on top of his game, Ozzy’s new band are also an extremely talented bunch and show as much during an instrumental cover of Sabbath’s “Rat Salad” including very impressive solos on both the guitar and drums.

By the end of the fantastic set closer, “Paranoid”, nobody in the building; security, crowd, band and even Ozzy himself, has any energy left, everyone has given it there all tonight. This was an unbelievable performance that showed to everyone presence that not only has Ozzy still got it, but his live performances are just getting better and better. Rating: 10/10

Setlist:

1. Bark At The Moon

2. Let Me Hear You Scream

3. Mr. Crowley

4. I Don’t Know

5. Fairies Wear Boots (Black Sabbath Cover)

6. Suicide Solution

7. War Pigs (Black Sabbath Cover)

8. Road To Nowhere

9. Shot In The Dark

10. Rat Salad (Instrumental) (Black Sabbath Cover)

11. Iron Man (Black Sabbath Cover)

12. Killer of Giants

13. Into the Void (Black Sabbath Cover)

14. I Don’t Want To Change The World

15. Crazy Train

Encore

16. Mama, I’m Coming Home

17. Paranoid (Black Sabbath Cover)

Gig Review: Murderdolls @ Relentless Garage. 17/09/2010

It has been very hard for me to start this post, simply as I do not know where to begin when describing this master class of rock and roll delivered by the Murderdolls on this cold Friday night. I guess a logical place would be with the venue, one which I had previously not attended. The main hall/bar of the Relentless Garage in North London is intimate (music slang for tiny), and thoughtfully laid out but yet for some reason it is still as impressive as many of its mid size cousins, it actually reminded me of the Shepherds Bush Empire in more ways than one. Tonight the hall is packed to bursting with faithful Murderdolls fans who have waited 7 years for their return to the UK. The costumes are varied, as are the hairstyles, piercings, tattoos and platforms, but everyone in attendance tonight has one thing in common: an outrageous sense of anticipation.

The band are to take to the stage at midnight this evening, a move which many may see as odd. However, as pointed out by front man Wednesday 13 during the performance, why would the Murderdolls NOT perform at midnight? The only problem that I had with this late start time was that we eventually returned home at 5am, not normally a problem except in this instance we had an epic day at Ozzfest planned for the Saturday!

I suppose I should now talk a bit about the live acts! Sadly I did not see the support band, a group named Japanese Voyeurs, but was conned into signing up to their mailing list as the woman with the clipboard said she had sweets. What I thought were sweets actually turned out to be badges, so I ventured to the bar instead.

By five to midnight, you could literally cut the atmosphere with the overly used proverbial knife, there was the feeling that we were about to witness something very special. The lights darken, the music stops, and the crowd explodes. The first haunting notes of “The World According To Revenge” echo around the small venue and is a great opening track as its epic grandeur yet eerie nature are perfect for the band to enter the stage to. First to appear are Guitarist Roman Surman, Bassist Jack Tankersley and Drummer Racci Shay and although they are each great musicians and great showmen in their own right, the real heavyweights, and who the crowd are now screaming for, are yet to emerge. A pause, one long enough to encourage chants for the band. Then, as the intro song reaches the final crescendo and amid the crazed cheers of the sell out crowd, front man Wednesday 13 and rhythm guitarist, and most famously Slipknot drummer, Joey Jordison stride on to the now cramped stage. Without a word of greeting to the crowd, they launch in to another new song, “Chapel of Blood” that creates, for want of a better word, actual carnage in the crowd, the like of which I have rarely seen. After the last chords die away from my tinnitus riddled ears, Wednesday 13 takes the opportunity to introduce the band, expecting and receiving massive cheers every time he mentions “Murderdolls”. The band claim that they are genuinely happy to be back in the UK, and I believe them, it is because of the UK that they are as big as they are today. Always the showman, Wednesday engages with some banter with the crowd before launching into “Slit My Wrist”, dedicated to the ‘old school fans’ as it is the first track from their debut album.

The band are on top form, solos are nailed, powerfully offensive lyrics are delivered with ridiculous enthusiasm, timings are perfect and they look like they are having the time of their lives. I do not think there was a moment where I could not see Joey smiling as widely as he could. Older songs are effortlessly mixed with tracks from the new album, new singles “My Dark Place Alone” and “Nowhere” cause mayhem in the crowd, the latter sparking the best sing-a-long of the night. Throughout the two hour set, the crowd constantly kept up their ridiculous level of enthusiasm, a feat not unnoticed by the band. This was possibly the deciding factor in Joey’s decision to claim that this was his favourite London gig of all time, a huge statement that was greeted with pandemonium in the crowd.

This really was the complete gig. Now, I am not the biggest Murderdolls fan, that title must go to my friend Lynney, but this performance absolutely blew me away. This night had everything: rocking solos, massive sing-a-longs, naked crowd surfing (a guy was literally completely naked, it was hilarious), umbrellas with expletives taped onto them and even a very powerful tribute to Joey’s late Slipknot band mate Paul Gray.

 I can safely say, that tonight is one that will live in my memory for a long time. Murderdolls are genuinely a class act and while I am eagerly awaiting the return of Joey to Slipknot, can’t he just wait a bit longer and give us one more album?

Rating: 10/10 – set-list, crowd, and band were perfect. Top marks clinched by the fact that the band were genuinely having the time of their lives.

Setlist:

1.       The World According To Revenge

2.       Chapel of Blood

3.       Slit My Wrist

4.       Twist My Sister

5.       My Dark Place Alone

6.       Drug Me To Hell

7.       Love At First Fright

8.       Summertime Suicide

9.       She Was a Teenage Zombie

10.   Die My Bride

11.   People Hate Me

12.   Pieces Of You

13.   Death Valley Superstars

14.   Nowhere (Song of the Night)

15.   Welcome To The Strange (Dedicated to Paul Gray)

16.   Rock ‘n’ Roll Is All I Got

17.   I Take Drugs

18.   Motherf**ker, I Don’t Care

19.   197666

Encore

20.   Dawn Of The Dead

21.   Let’s F**k (followed by a cover of Resurrection by Misfits)

22.   Dead In Hollywood

23.   I Love To Say F**k

Film Review: Resident Evil - Afterlife

Well, I can think of many a better way to spend a Friday night than sitting in a sparsely populated cinema watching the latest instalment in the Resident Evil franchise. But then again I don’t have the opportunity, money or libido to do any of those things so the cinema was really the only option for me tonight. Sad huh? I would like to say it will be different when I get back to Uni but i doubt it, third year syndrome seems to have already set in!


Anyway, the point of this post is to give you all my views on Resident Evil: Afterlife (in the overused and rapidly becoming boring medium of 3D). While i am aware that none of you (actually, who am i addressing, nobody reads this anyway!) care what i think about the world of cinema, i have already made it clear that i have nothing to do on Friday nights.

This latest outing from Paul Anderson and Co does not break the mould, and why should it? The franchise has been a fantastic success and has been dubbed the most successful ‘terrible’ collection of films ever. Lets face it, fantastic cinema, Resident Evil is not. It is a bit of fun. Unrealistically attractive women and suspiciously clean shaven men blowing stuff up, delivering cheesy one liners and generally kicking undead ass. Why would Anderson change a thing? If it aint broke don’t fix it (or in this case, if it is broke but still generating ridiculous amounts of money even consider fixing it ... you fool).

In short, this film is not great. In my opinion the franchise lost its way after the second film, mainly by the decision not to include Jill Valentine in the subsequent films....anybody who has seen the second one will know what I mean. There are a few decent moments in this fourth outing to be honest, the fight scenes are good fun and there is a great deal of comedy to be found in the fact that Wentworth Miller is yet again trying to break out of a prison...poor lad. However, this isn’t enough to save the film from the realms of the mediocre. The plot lacks originality, there is no chemistry between the leads and the ending is wholly unsatisfactory. However, my biggest issue is with the latest use of Hollywood’s most recent toy. I am of course talking about the 3D. To be honest, it looks forced and unnecessary. There is no need for it and it just turns the film into more of a farce. The most irritating thing is that the money used to fund this needless commodity could have been used to bring Jill Valentine back!

However, having said all this, I will still go to the cinema to see the next one. I’m not sure why, it is just that power that Resident Evil has over punters, and to be honest it is good fun without taxing the brain..at all. Plus, I am one hell of a sucker for a franchise.

The End of an Era...

Today, Thursday the 9th of September, rock fans awoke to the news that Dream Theater (stupid American spelling, it should be Theatre, morons) drummer and founder, Mike Portnoy, was to leave the group after an epic twenty five year tenure. Now, I am admittedly not a huge fan of Dream Theater, nor the whole progressive rock genre, but I still recognise that this is a big blow and will have repercussions in the rock world as a whole.


Famed for the technical prowess of its members, Dream Theater have consistently produced high quality and technically brilliant music, selling over ten million records worldwide. Initially founded in 1985 by Portnoy, John Petrucci and John Myung as an Iron Maiden and Rush cover band, under the name Majesty, the group are regarded as one of the greatest progressive rock bands of all time, and quite rightly. However, the departure of Portnoy has thrown the future of the band into the realms of uncertainty.

Portnoy claimed that his departure from DT was amicable and he is still best of friends with his ex-band mates. However, it seems strange to me that the group would so readily depart from a man who is regarded to be the most talented member and who was recently voted the second greatest drummer of all time. All does not seem right. Portnoy also stated that he was not enjoying recording with DT as much as with side projects such as filling in for the late great Rev in Avenged Sevenfold. His suggestion for a hiatus was rejected outright by the band who could potentially be smarting from this revelation from the drummer. However, I do not want to speculate further on the reasons for Portnoy’s departure, what happens between the band should stay between the band. The less that is spoken about it allows for a possible return by Portnoy to DT in the coming years, which I can safely say be welcomed by every fan of rock, and good, music. Personally, I am just looking forward to seeing him perform with Avenged Sevenfold in November. I think it is safe to say that we will be treated to a further announcement from the great man after the end of Avenged Sevenfold’s tour this year. Watch this space.

What now for the future of Dream Theater? In an official statement released today, the band claim that they will continue without Portnoy and confirmed plans to return to the studio in January to record their eleventh studio album. I am at a loss, however, how the band think that they can possibly continue in the way that they have become accustomed to over the last quarter of a century. Portnoy is an incredible, one of a kind, drummer and is going to be nigh on impossible to replace. Not only was he a God behind the kit, but he also wrote a great deal of the lyrics that DT fans have been screaming along to, posing more questions about where the creative prowess of the group can now come from. It is my opinion that the band can continue without Portnoy, but they will not be the same significant force that fans have been following for all this time, the eleventh studio album is now going to be under a hell of a lot of scrutiny. I genuinely hope that they can pull it out of the bag and wow us all with their latest release, but sadly, the odds are definitely stacked against them.

Film Review: Dinner for Schmucks

You can tell by the amount of pieces I have posted in this short amount of time that I am extremely bored. Either that or I am again attempting to put off the iTunes task mentioned in the last entry. Yes...yes that seems more likely.


Anyhoo, tonight I ventured to the cinema to take advantage of the only good thing to ever come from being with Orange, Orange Wednesdays, in order to see Dinner for Schmucks. As a massive Anchorman fan boy, any film starring both Paul Rudd and Steve Carell is one that i can not miss. This latest outing from two of Mr Apatow’s favourite sons is no let down. Dinner for Schmucks is a hilarious film, one that guarantees a laugh a minute but yet still delivers a powerful moral that doesn’t fail to hit home. The message in question here is that one should not lose track of who they really are in order to get ahead in life. Corny as it may sound, the film combines horrifically cringe worthy moments, especially those involving Carell and Rudd’s stalker, and smart and genuine interaction from the two leads, who you really relate to, in order to portray this moral whilst avoiding the typical clichés and making you literally wet yourself along the way (no joke i was about 30 seconds away from an accident, not really to do with laughing but more with the damn slushy drink I consumed before the end of the adverts...).

The mix of the serious with gross out, cringe moments and typical Carell craziness (reminiscent of the Brick character in Anchorman) just seems to work with effortless ease. Think a cool, funky bastardisation of Anchorman and every fable you have ever read as a child. What you get is an incredibly funny film with a serious, yet subtle undertone.

A must see film, whether you are a fan of Carell and/or Rudd or unfamiliar with their films. The endearing, yet enormously cringe worthy, nature of Carell’s mouse obsessed taxidermist appeals to your inner child, and the possibly long forgotten soft-gooey centre you thought you were too cool to possess any more, whereas Rudd’s typically straight faced character perfectly represents the frustration and anger one would naturally feel in the situations addressed. The juxt apposition of the two is perfect and makes for one hell of a film.

Running out of room...

Recently, I shamelessly copied my friend Lynney in his idea to listen to all of his iTunes library from A-Z, something that neither of us had done before. This seemed like a good idea as it could possibly allow me to unearth some hidden gems and possible find my new favourite band. However, I know my iTunes library. This is going to be a massive chore, one that might make me throw my laptop from the top of a very tall building into a pile of burning excrement. I have a huge amount of repulsive drivel on my computer that should never be heard by anyone...ever. For example, I still have the joy of sitting through albums by Cannibal Corpse (no idea why I have them, must have thought it would be funny for some reason), Enrique (you love it), Erasure (who?) and even a greatest hits of Cliff Richard (again, WHY??). By the way, greatest hits of Cliff Richard? Oxymoron anyone?


Having said this, the idea is a good one as there is no point in having so much music if I am not going to listen to it! The problem is time. If I listened to all my music back to back, morning and night, without a break, it would take me thirty six and a half days. Now, no amount of relentless or pro plus can keep me going for that long, especially when it comes to listening to a third Radiohead album in a row....I am dropping off now just thinking about it, why do I have so much crap music? Anyway, I discussed it with my housemate, and we targeted Easter as a realistic time for when I could be finished with this mammoth task, made more difficult everyday due to the number of new albums I seem to be collecting! The latest being Audio Secrecy by Stone Sour which is AMAZING.

This latest challenge to this attempt, which is definitely already doomed to failure knowing my short attention span, made me ponder on the future of music. If i keep collecting music at the rate that I am now, in ten years I will have almost doubled my total of songs, now standing at over 13,100. What kind of monster of an iPod will they develop to hold all this filthy sound that I call music. I am actually quite looking forward to seeing what they come up with. To be fair, they probably have already come up with a device that can hold a squillion songs and is still the size of a gnat’s pube. It is the kind of thought that stings the nostrils...

Actually, to be honest, I don't care too much, if at all....I just wanted something to distract me so I didn’t have to listen to my tenth A.F.I album today. So thank you, worthless blog, you have rescued my love of A.F.I from dropping into the realms of familiarity and disinterest. Davey will be pleased.

Gig Review: Lostprophets @ Shepherds Bush Empire. 25/08/2010

Lostprophets finished their warm up tour for their performances at the Reading and Leeds festivals in front of a sold out crowd at the Shepherds Bush Empire in West London. Supporting the Welsh group at this performance were compatriots Attack Attack! who did their best to warm up, and dry off, the sodden crowd. However, due to the biblical rain that pummelled southern England this Wednesday in question, their best efforts were largely met with indifference from a crowd whose primary interest was preventing pneumonia. However, they are a talented act who have a large group of dedicated followers. It is my opinion that although not quite to my taste, Attack Attack! are definitely worth a look in at their own gig, on a day where the sky is not falling down to earth.




After a short delay, met with unrest and frustration by the now moist, rather than saturated, ensemble, the lights extinguished and the venue exploded with anticipation for the nights main act. Drummer Luke Johnson took to his kit in centre stage, and launched into the beat for fan favourite "Can't Catch Tomorrow (Good Shoes Won't Save You This Time). After around a minute of the Johnson solo, the newest member of the sextet was joined on stage by guitarists Lee Gaze and Mike Lewis, bassist Stuart Richardson and turntables and backing vocalist Jamie Oliver. Only one member of the group was yet to appear, and sure enough, moments later, amid the predictable and slightly grating screaming of teenage girls, front man Ian Watkins appeared imperiously from the wings. The unmistakeable riff of this iconic song then poured from Mike Lewis’ amp, and the set was underway. The choice to open with this hit from 3rd album Liberation Transmission turned out to be an inspired decision as its intrinsic 'sing-along-ability' ignited the fire beneath the previously dormant crowd, who appeared to be in fine voice despite the horrific weather outside.



One track down and this already seemed to have the potential to be another classic Lostprophets performance. However, as a firm believer that heavier tracks need to be played later in the set to give the crowd time to warm up, the decision to play Start Something classic Burn Burn second was met with disappointment by this blogger. Predictably, the mosh pits opened up are small, lacklustre and not what this song deserves. Disappointing though this decision is, this song being a personal favourite, the performance is perfect and is the only low point in the entire set list.



New singles It's Not the End of the World But I Can See It From Here and For He's a Jolly Good Felon follow and are greeted with great enthusiasm, largely by the younger post-LibTran fans, and provide more classic sing along opportunities. Four songs in and the atmosphere is electric, due to minimal chat from the band and perfect performances, however as a long term fan, it was clear to me that this performance would only improve.



Later treats for this evening's audience include rare renditions of Wake Up (Make a Move), and the cracking cover of Omen. The next five songs in the set list result in deafening singing from the audience, almost drowning out the band, as they slickly juxt apose crowd favourites such as Last Train Home with brand new hits such as Where We Belong.



Eleven songs into the gig and it is already a classic, however it is the last five songs that are to make this night truly memorable. The opening riff of To Hell We Ride is met with literal shrieks of pleasure from many, myself included, who value 2nd album Start Something to be one of the greatest of all time. The enthusiasm of this group is not shared by the majority of the post-LibTran fans, but even these placid youngsters could not deter the Prophets faithful from attempting to tear the place down. Cries of "Godzilla...Godzilla" were spectacularly answered as the group launched into the iconic "We Are Godzilla, You Are Japan", evoking more mayhem amongst the hardcore fans. The only disappointing part of this section of the set was the lack of people who were singing along to these classics, it seems that many newer fans have yet to retrace their steps into the gold of the band's first two albums.



The last three songs of the night, an extremely rare performance of The Fake Sound of Progress, Shinobi Vs Dragon Ninja and an even more unique rendition of Sway, are again performed effortlessly and perfectly to bring an end to on of the best gigs this blogger has ever attended.



Rating: 8.5/10 - Set-list perfect but worrying lack of Start Something era fans in attendance



Setlist:



1. Can't Catch Tomorrow (Good Shoes Won't Save You This Time)

2. Burn Burn

3. It's Not The End Of The World But I Can See It From Here

4. For He's A Jolly Good Felon

5. Wake Up (Make A Move)

6. Omen (Prodigy Cover)

7. Last Summer

8. A Town Called Hypocrisy

9. Last Train Home

10. Where We Belong

11. Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)

12. To Hell We Ride

13. We Are Godzilla, You Are Japan

14. The Fake Sound Of Progress (Song of the Evening!)

15. Shinobi Vs. Dragon Ninja



Encore



16. Sway

 

Whose driving this thing anyway?

Well, here it is, my first ever 'blog'. As suggested by the typically melancholic title of the page, I have been a keen critic of this medium for a number of years. I must admit that my previous disgust for blogs, and all who rave about them, was borne out of some arrogant belief that i was far too cool to ever be drawn into this practice known as 'blogging'. However, nearing my old age I have accepted defeat and come to realise that it was in fact I was not cool enough to have a blog, not the other way round, and created my own space where i can rant, rave and generally irritate anybody who may be foolish enough to follow me.

I'm not really sure where I want head with this blog to be honest. I intend to post a number of reviews of the vast quantity of gigs and festivals that i attend, along with rants about whatever "gets my goat". The juxt apposition of mindless ramblings of a rock fan boy with serious issues that i pretend to be interested in as a mediocre law student could go either way. My primary thoughts is that not many people will read my blog anyway so I can initially afford to get away with a mass quantity of mindless drivel in the hope of actually unearthing some journalistic skill.

Kudos x