Left work early and met my buddy Tony at Merriweather for Def Leppard. It got a bit cooler out, but it was still a might bit sweaty. He was getting there late, so I opted to go in and hear/see Lita Ford (he got there about as Posion started).
There were a LOT of people there, in the seats and especially on the lawn. People seemed to fill up a bit more a little bit before Poison went on. A very well attended show. I saw a couple scalpers ($40 lawn. $45 regular price). I opted to make it a metal week and get Scorpions tix too ($15 off each \m/), so not bad overall. Shirts were expensive ($40), nothing really stood out to me merch wise.
Crowd was an interesting mix of the leathery legions (old timers), bikers, normal looking people, the kids of all the above, and a surprising number of lesbians (cause of Lita Ford?). As I was strolling the lawn I noticed a pair of Mexican metalheads, who in head to toe black and long hair and death metal (or black metal) shirts were the most metal people there (besides me). I'm pretty sure I saw them at 1349 or some other Jaxx/Empire shows too. More about them in the Scorpions write-up!
Lita sounded pretty good technically, and her voice held up. But there was something lacking in her performance/stage presence. I couldn't tell exactly what it was, perhaps something about the combination of lackluster songs, ballady songs being her 'hits', and perhaps getting acclimated to the weather gave me an overall 'meh' feeling.
Poison went on to a much better ovation than Lita. I'm not a big Poison fan (They're alright), but they are def pretty good live. My buddy, a huge Poison fan, mentioned that their setlist is pretty much the same as he has seen then since....what 10 years back. They shoulda thrown in a deep cut or something. 2 covers also was a bad choice, IMO. Their backing vocals sounded horrible, like Tony and I were drunkenly shouting the choruses. Otherwise, Bret and co sounded very good. Kinda underwhelming, but pretty much what I expected (minus backing vox). Also the drum and guitar solos were totally unnecessary. Bret, if you need a break, just have CC sing 'Every Bone in your Body But Mine.'
Def Leppard went on after dark to a pretty damn loud crowd. As soon as they came on I remembered why these guys have sold millions upon millions of albums worldwide (OK, well after their first song, which was a new one. I mean it sounded good but I didn't know it so how pumped could I get?). These guys are consummate professionals- the sound, the show, the attitudes.Totally worth every penny to see just them alone! Admittedly, Joe had some effects on his mic to try to help him reach the high notes which seemed a bit... expected... but I didn't think it detracted from the performance that much. Vivian seemed to still phone in a bit of his solos just like last time. The guy who shredded with Dio... well I guess those days are long gone...
REGARDLESS, Def Leppard sounded great, looked strong, and I loved hearing 'Gods of War.' Of course I'd want some more deep cuts, but hearing those great Hysteria songs live again just floored me. So they really jammed, man. If you like Def Leppard, you gotta see 'em in concert.
Photos (pretty sorry selection):
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/27294843534/def-leppard-7-10-2012-i-here-are-some-pretty-meh
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/27294946984/def-leppard-7-10-2012-ii-merch-table-nothing
Lita Ford
The Bitch is Back
Hungry
Gotta Let Go
Living Like a Runaway
Kiss Me Deadly
Close My Eyes Forever
Posion
Look What the Cat Dragged In
Ride the Wind
We're An American Band
Your Mama Don't Dance
Guitar Solo
Fallen Angel
Unskinny Bop
Drum Solo
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Talk Dirty To Me
Nothin' But a Good Time
Def Leppard
Undefeated
Rocket
Let It Go
Foolin'
Animal
Love Bites
It's All About Believin'
Let's Get Rocked
Gods of War
Full Band Acoustic Medley/Snippets
(Where Does Love Go When It Dies
Now
When Love and Hate Collide
Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
Two Steps Behind)
Women
Bringin' on the Heartbreak
Switch 625
Hysteria
Armageddon It
Photograph
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Rock of Ages
The Heavy Metal Cowboy - A source for heavy music concert reviews in the DC/MD/VA Area (old) and NC (new) Includes Metal, Rock, Hard Rock, some Industrial and Electronic
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Freaks United - 7/4/2012
Went with John n Kate to Freaks United in godforsakenDC on July 4th. I was not familiar with any of the bands except the Gothsicles, but it sounded like an interesting time. And promise of visible fireworks, so that was cool too. So after the fantastic adventure of driving thru DC, road closures, pedestrians, horrible buses, and the heat, we get to some sort of industrial (no pun intended) area, and we see the venue is some sort of warehouse looking building, near a Pepco property... and a Dept of Homeland Security office? At one point I needed to go out and re-park my car, because there was a very non obvious sign to park back in instead of parallel. Blew my mind.
We caught some of the DC fireworks a block or 2 from the club (which, by the way apparently is some sort of male strip club or the like usually- note the 'no touching' photo). One of the people at the door mentioned this too. As the night went on, the regulars slowly trickled in and I think they went upstairs.
There were a good number of people there, some I recognized from Midnight (Phoebe, Matt, that cross dressing dude). A number of...interestingly dressed... girls too. It was a pretty fun time overall. Nothing on draft, but the drink prices were alright. I think I captured way too many lasers on my photos....
ESA had songs with little or no vox, and I couldn't make out what he was saying when he did have vox. It was OK, but I really didn't get into it. It was one guy.
The Gothsicles came on next and were very energetic and fun. I thought the vocals sucked/were annoying, but the combination of the energy, silliness, and the related video behind them made it work. I thought it was a great live performance, but not a band I'd get a CD of. They were NES/chiptunes/the like themed. On their Superhero song they apparently gave me a shoutout- I was wearing my Captain America flag shirt. I completely missed it. The two guys both came and chatted with me briefly at different times- they were pretty cool guys. Also, one of them wore a power glove during the performance!
Interface came on next, with a drummer, a keyboardist, and a vocalist. I thought they were my favourite of the night, music wise. They had a slow spot in the middle (keys solo- Katya, see the photo where it looks like the dancefloor is deserted). Their last several songs were faster/more my speed :3 I think they were from NYC.
Waste- 2 guys in... masks and at their keys/compys I thought were a waste of time. Their couple songs I heard were very trancelike, sounded alike, no vocals, and didn't seem to go anywhere. I think we rolled outside for a break after that 2nd song.
iVardensphere- came on waaay late (12:30 something) and we were debating on leaving or hearing a bit. I dunno what the deal with the bongos was, but they were nearly inaudible. A few guys were there on percussion and they had the guy from ESA on vocals for one song (couldn't make out any lyrics). I couldn't get into them- they just were a lot of drums and bass with electronic elements, that just didn't grab me/ The songs didn't seem to go anywhere. The samples I heard before sounded better, but whatever.
Merch- Gothsicles, Interface def had merch-shirts n CDs, stickers, etc. I got an Interface CD ($10). There was another side to the merch table that I can't recall what it had beyond t shirts (not sure who for).
Photos (with a ton of lasers):
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26778407785/freaks-united-7-4-2012-i-went-down-to-dc-freaks
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26778597229/freaks-united-7-4-2012-ii-esa-was-on-first-he
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26778797129/freaks-united-7-4-2012-iii-the-gothsicles-were-on
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26778995088/freaks-united-7-4-2012-iv-interface-they-were
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26779290558/freaks-united-7-4-2012-v-waste-and-then
Setlists:
ESA
(?)
Gothsicles (~8:35)
- This Year's Password Is 'Party'
- Save Dat Mermaid
- My Guy Died (Level 12 Human Sorcerer)
- Drunk Cuts
- Who Wants to Join Our Super Hero Team? (Right Now, It's Just Me & Jim)
- b-r-[x]-a-n
- Wearing a Star Trek Uniform,Watching Tony Lechmanski Sleep
- BAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLSSSS (Prometheus Burning vs. The Gothsicles)
- Eff the sun
- (I could never be) your woman (Cover of White town)
- Konami Code IV
Interface
|
? (heard like 2 songs that were very trancey / sounded the same... went outside)
iVardensphere
drum intro
song w/ guy from ESA
?
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Iron Maiden @ Jiffy Lube Live 6/30/2012
Went to see Iron Maiden (w/ Alice Cooper) @ Jiffy Lube Live with John n my brother. This is on the heels of a huge storm and massive power outages. Jiffy Lube Live reported that the power was ON and the show was good to go!
Got there around 6, stood in line. Thought doors were at 5:30!? Apparently not. maybe like 6:15 or so the doors opened and we rolled in. Sweating profusely throughout the day. We made our way to the pit an positioned ourselves about 30 feet from the stage (Jaxx/Empire distance) for Alice. We got pushed back for Maiden, of course.
On the way in, I encountered the guys (and gal) from A Sound of Thunder!
Alice sounded great, but he had a smaller stage show than last time I saw him (with Rob Zombie). He still had props and got executed. And he had an Eddie like huge Frankenstein's monster with Alice's face. That was pretty sweet. He had 3 guitarists for some reason, one of them being Orianthi (that blond girl guitarist who almost played with Michael Jackson). Alice sounded as good as ever, and his command on stage was as strong as ever. No real complaints, except I could always use a longer set from Alice.
After Alice's set, the crowd predictably oozed forward and we got a bit smushed and pushed back. I balanced getting pushed back with getting breathing room and not fainting. Maiden came on at 9PM, sharp- after Doctor Doctor \m/, as is their want.
Bruce and co sounded a bit muddy at first, but maybe that was because we were close. Further back, things actually sounded a bit clearer. At one point we were on the left (near the end) and the sound was still great, too. Yes, the base was still mixed a bit too high, but that was to be expected. I think that Jannick still coulda been cut from the band, with all his prancing and lackadaisical playing. Highlights for me were Phantom, the Prisoner, and 7th Son. Bruce kinda of can't sing Aces High that well (the high notes), but other than that he sounded strong.
I believe I took a piss/water break during The Clairvoyant. It's a good song, but I'd rather hear other ones. The crowd was packed in the pit and the seat seats. the lawn looked well attended, but not until after the sun went down (as it was hot as a mother that day).
We left at The Evil That Men Do, because I drove and didn't want to get stuck in the parking lot for like half an hour. So we listened to that and Running Free (w/ crowd participation) on the way out. It was probably the shortest that it took me to get out of Jiffy Lube Live ever.
Saw Dorothy, Sascha (from work), A Sound of Thunder, an maybe one more person there LOL.
Photos
(Iron Maiden)
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26430065361/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-xiv-aces-high
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429986543/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-xiii-more
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429873335/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-xii-iron
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429795469/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-xi-iron
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429691085/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-x-eddie-as
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429615332/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-ix-rocking
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429504712/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-viii-iron
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429439019/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-vii-iron
(Alice)
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429265758/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-vi-schools
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429102479/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-v-with-the
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429036296/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-iv-alice
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26428964597/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-iii
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26428881606/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-ii-alice
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26426455004/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-i-alice
(merch)
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26430666329/stevesnack-6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper
(A Sound of Thunder)
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26430776683/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-xvi-a-sound
Setlists
Alice Cooper
The Black Widow
Brutal Planet
I'm Eighteen
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Hey Stoopid
Guitar Solo
Billion Dollar Babies
Feed My Frankenstein
Poison
Wicked Young Man
I Love the Dead
School's Out
Iron Maiden
Moonchild
Can I Play With Madness
The Prisoner
2 Minutes to Midnight
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
The Trooper
The Number of the Beast
Phantom of the Opera
Run to the Hills
Wasted Years
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Clairvoyant
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden
--------------
Churchill's Speech
Aces High
The Evil That Men Do
Running Free
Got there around 6, stood in line. Thought doors were at 5:30!? Apparently not. maybe like 6:15 or so the doors opened and we rolled in. Sweating profusely throughout the day. We made our way to the pit an positioned ourselves about 30 feet from the stage (Jaxx/Empire distance) for Alice. We got pushed back for Maiden, of course.
On the way in, I encountered the guys (and gal) from A Sound of Thunder!
Alice sounded great, but he had a smaller stage show than last time I saw him (with Rob Zombie). He still had props and got executed. And he had an Eddie like huge Frankenstein's monster with Alice's face. That was pretty sweet. He had 3 guitarists for some reason, one of them being Orianthi (that blond girl guitarist who almost played with Michael Jackson). Alice sounded as good as ever, and his command on stage was as strong as ever. No real complaints, except I could always use a longer set from Alice.
After Alice's set, the crowd predictably oozed forward and we got a bit smushed and pushed back. I balanced getting pushed back with getting breathing room and not fainting. Maiden came on at 9PM, sharp- after Doctor Doctor \m/, as is their want.
Bruce and co sounded a bit muddy at first, but maybe that was because we were close. Further back, things actually sounded a bit clearer. At one point we were on the left (near the end) and the sound was still great, too. Yes, the base was still mixed a bit too high, but that was to be expected. I think that Jannick still coulda been cut from the band, with all his prancing and lackadaisical playing. Highlights for me were Phantom, the Prisoner, and 7th Son. Bruce kinda of can't sing Aces High that well (the high notes), but other than that he sounded strong.
I believe I took a piss/water break during The Clairvoyant. It's a good song, but I'd rather hear other ones. The crowd was packed in the pit and the seat seats. the lawn looked well attended, but not until after the sun went down (as it was hot as a mother that day).
We left at The Evil That Men Do, because I drove and didn't want to get stuck in the parking lot for like half an hour. So we listened to that and Running Free (w/ crowd participation) on the way out. It was probably the shortest that it took me to get out of Jiffy Lube Live ever.
Saw Dorothy, Sascha (from work), A Sound of Thunder, an maybe one more person there LOL.
Photos
(Iron Maiden)
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26430065361/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-xiv-aces-high
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429986543/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-xiii-more
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429873335/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-xii-iron
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429795469/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-xi-iron
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429691085/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-x-eddie-as
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429615332/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-ix-rocking
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429504712/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-viii-iron
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429439019/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-vii-iron
(Alice)
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429265758/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-vi-schools
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429102479/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-v-with-the
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26429036296/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-iv-alice
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26428964597/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-iii
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26428881606/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-ii-alice
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26426455004/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-i-alice
(merch)
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26430666329/stevesnack-6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper
(A Sound of Thunder)
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26430776683/6-30-2012-iron-maiden-alice-cooper-xvi-a-sound
Setlists
Alice Cooper
The Black Widow
Brutal Planet
I'm Eighteen
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Hey Stoopid
Guitar Solo
Billion Dollar Babies
Feed My Frankenstein
Poison
Wicked Young Man
I Love the Dead
School's Out
Iron Maiden
Moonchild
Can I Play With Madness
The Prisoner
2 Minutes to Midnight
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
The Trooper
The Number of the Beast
Phantom of the Opera
Run to the Hills
Wasted Years
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Clairvoyant
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden
--------------
Churchill's Speech
Aces High
The Evil That Men Do
Running Free
Bang Tango @ Empire 6/27/2012
Bang Tango @ Empire 6/27/2012
I went to see Bang Tango last night @ Jaxx/Empire. Max 20 people there. Including me, and maybe some people with the band. I think this was probably the worst attended show (besides Anvil- also at Jaxx) I've been to. King Belvedere, a local band from MD opened for them. They sounded alright. Kind of like a cross between Dangerous Toys, AC/DC, and Sebastian Bach. Nothing amazing, but nothing horrible. It was pretty rough, looking at the crowd (or lack thereof) for Bang Tango, but what could you really expect for a Wednesday night show, not too much promotion, and a um..D level hair band (not to say that I don't love Bang Tango, cause I totally do. Hell I came and paid my $15 to see them!).
Before and as King Belvedere was playing I was sitting at the bar, talking to the cute, busty bartender. And then some guys come up and ask for shots. And I noticed that "hey you're that guy from that band I came to see!" And I got a quick horrible picture of me and Joe Leste. Not a groundbreaking achievement, but still cool. For us die hard Bang Tango fans. About 5 minutes later, Bang Tango took the stage!
Joe and the band sounded very good, and they had a way better setlist than they did at M3. Joe sounded better also, his usual raspy self. He def had been drinking, and his on stage banter ranged from asking for shots from the busty bartender to her rack to why no Beautiful Creatures songs. one other vocal fan said something about them not playing Dressed up Vamp or Dancin' on Coals (both were highlights for me), and then Joe and Co. played them. I don't know if they were going to play those songs anyway (try finding other people who go to Bang Tango shows and post setlists!), but that seemed pretty cool. Their bass player was def the same one who's been with them for a while, I couldn't really recall about the guitarist or drummer tho. No complaints really sonically. It sounded good to me and I banged my head accordingly. Me and a couple other BT fans were the most energetic.
At one point, Joe announced that they were going to play a song by another band. I shout "is it Beautiful Creatures?" He said NO and proceeded to joke that they would have to play songs from [the guitarists' old band I presume] if they did that. A bit later, he pointed at my UFO shirt and rambled about talking/drinking/sitting with Phil Mogg. Cool. I do recall them doing a UFO cover (Lights Out) at some previous show, as a side note.
Look, I enjoyed the show, but it seems to me that Jaxx/Empire would loose money on a show like this. Why didn't Bang Tango get on some package deal with another hair band- they would draw at least double the people I would think. On the way out, the advertized $20 Great White tickets ($25 presell, $30 DOS). So I grabbed one (UPDATE: due to the power outages and such, the show was canceled :( ). The guys in the band were very gracious and I think they really appreciated people coming out to support them. I wish more people came out :/ I wonder how the Ottobar show (the next day) went.
Bang Tango had some shirts, a new CD ($12, maybe I shoulda got that one?), and a few more items.
Photos:
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26424800035/stevesnack-6-27-2012-bang-tango-i-saw-bang
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26425033257/stevesnack-6-27-2012-bang-tango-ii-bang-tango
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/26425007796/stevesnack-6-27-2012-bang-tango-iii-bang-tango
Set List
- Ready to Go
- Attack of Life
- Love Injection
- Dick in the System
- Our Way
- 20th Century Boy (T. Rex cover)
- Bring On The World
- Dressed Up Vamp
- Dancin' on Coals
- Soul to Soul
- Breaking Up a Heart of Stone
- Live Life
- Highway to Hell (AC/DC cover)
- Don't stop
- Someone Like You
http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/bang-tango/2012/empire-west-springfield-va-2bdf78a6.html
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
The Cult @ The Fillmore, 06/12/2012
I went with my buddy Tony to see The Cult @ The Fillmore in Silver Spring. We got there around 8:30 or so. We noticed The Cult would be on at 10:15 (clearly posted). I thought closer to 10, because of the 2 openers. Well we had 0 interest seeing either opener, so we went to the pub for a bit. It looked like a LOT of people were there, which surprised me. I forgot to get Steel Panther tickets.
I hadn't seen The Cult before, and Tony hadn't been to the Fillmore before. I obviously like their hard rock and metal stuff, but their ...mystic Indian whatever you wanna call it stuff is pretty good too. In a different way. So I went in with the setlist, and some lowered expectations (based on songs picked).
At around 10 we rolled in, checked out the merch (see pix), which was pretty expensive. I didn't get anything. There was merch for the openers too, but I was mainly concerned about what The Cult offered. It was really crowded when we stepped in, and we had to be at the back of the venue. I mean I knew they had a ...cult... following, but this seemed like an almost sold out show (see photos). I think people were still buying at the door, but talk about a healthy crowd...in terms of attendance.
I thought the crowd was pretty weak. Barely moving except during Fire Woman and maybe She Sells Sanctuary (and even then just a few groups of people near the front and a couple cute girls in the balcony). The crowd cheered a lot and loud after each song, so go figure. I'm used to more... interactive ...crowd experiences :3 Interesting was that you expectedly saw people from all scenes and walks of life- metalheads, jocks, indie kids, old rockers, normal looking people, a couple lesbians, some bros, that big guy from 930 club with the gauges, couples, etc. So that was pretty cool.
Personally I was moving, nodding head and the like...and def was banging my head during the best song/heaviest song of the night: Rise. I wish they had played more off of Beyond Good and Evil, but the setlists before this date revealed only one other tour stop had Rise included. So we were lucky. Some old timer was hoping they were going to play Horse Nation instead of Rise. I told him he was crazy.
Sonically, they sounded solid, no complaints. I woulda def had a different set list, of course. Their new stuff sounded the best I think (a pretty solid album, IMO). At one point Ian started singing some part (maybe 40 seconds) of what he said was a White Stripes/Jack White song. And I think he had some pejorative things to say about it. I couldn't quite tell what he was trying to do. It was not a good song. I think Ian kind of phoned in Fire Woman. It was lacking something. Such a great song...that he's probably sung a million times and is sick of it. Other than that and the setlist, no real complaints. I would def go see 'em again. Ian was wearing some ridiculous fur lined jacket and what looked like warm up pants. I think they had Tempesta (of Robert Zombie fame)
Pictures:
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/25183744011/the-cult-the-fillmore-silver-spring-6-12-2012-i
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/25183864842/the-cult-the-fillmore-silver-spring-6-12-2012
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/25183995368/the-cult-the-fillmore-silver-spring-6-12-2012
Setlist
Lil' Devil
Honey From a Knife
Rain
Lucifer
Nirvana
Embers
Fire Woman
The Wolf
Wild Flower
The Phoenix
For the Animals
Spiritwalker
She Sells Sanctuary
------
Rise
Love Removal Machine
I hadn't seen The Cult before, and Tony hadn't been to the Fillmore before. I obviously like their hard rock and metal stuff, but their ...mystic Indian whatever you wanna call it stuff is pretty good too. In a different way. So I went in with the setlist, and some lowered expectations (based on songs picked).
At around 10 we rolled in, checked out the merch (see pix), which was pretty expensive. I didn't get anything. There was merch for the openers too, but I was mainly concerned about what The Cult offered. It was really crowded when we stepped in, and we had to be at the back of the venue. I mean I knew they had a ...cult... following, but this seemed like an almost sold out show (see photos). I think people were still buying at the door, but talk about a healthy crowd...in terms of attendance.
I thought the crowd was pretty weak. Barely moving except during Fire Woman and maybe She Sells Sanctuary (and even then just a few groups of people near the front and a couple cute girls in the balcony). The crowd cheered a lot and loud after each song, so go figure. I'm used to more... interactive ...crowd experiences :3 Interesting was that you expectedly saw people from all scenes and walks of life- metalheads, jocks, indie kids, old rockers, normal looking people, a couple lesbians, some bros, that big guy from 930 club with the gauges, couples, etc. So that was pretty cool.
Personally I was moving, nodding head and the like...and def was banging my head during the best song/heaviest song of the night: Rise. I wish they had played more off of Beyond Good and Evil, but the setlists before this date revealed only one other tour stop had Rise included. So we were lucky. Some old timer was hoping they were going to play Horse Nation instead of Rise. I told him he was crazy.
Sonically, they sounded solid, no complaints. I woulda def had a different set list, of course. Their new stuff sounded the best I think (a pretty solid album, IMO). At one point Ian started singing some part (maybe 40 seconds) of what he said was a White Stripes/Jack White song. And I think he had some pejorative things to say about it. I couldn't quite tell what he was trying to do. It was not a good song. I think Ian kind of phoned in Fire Woman. It was lacking something. Such a great song...that he's probably sung a million times and is sick of it. Other than that and the setlist, no real complaints. I would def go see 'em again. Ian was wearing some ridiculous fur lined jacket and what looked like warm up pants. I think they had Tempesta (of Robert Zombie fame)
Pictures:
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/25183744011/the-cult-the-fillmore-silver-spring-6-12-2012-i
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/25183864842/the-cult-the-fillmore-silver-spring-6-12-2012
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/25183995368/the-cult-the-fillmore-silver-spring-6-12-2012
Setlist
Lil' Devil
Honey From a Knife
Rain
Lucifer
Nirvana
Embers
Fire Woman
The Wolf
Wild Flower
The Phoenix
For the Animals
Spiritwalker
She Sells Sanctuary
------
Rise
Love Removal Machine
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Aesthetic Perfection @ Ottobar 6/10/2012
Went with John n Kate to Ottobar to see Industrial band Aesthetic Perfection. They had X-RX from Germany with them, too. Got there around 9, paid my $12, and X-RX took the stage about 5 minutes later. There was a decent crowd there, not too packed, but decently attended. about 50 or so people? Ottobar seemed smaller than I remembered for Winger years ago. The parking lot seemed way easier and less sketchy this time, too. There was someone sitting out there, monitoring it too.
X-RX I was only familiar with maybe a couple songs (Stage 2), but I thought they sounded great. they played mostly from their new CD ($17- purchased). Songs "Push it" and "Blood On the Dance Floor" were not covers, much to our dismay/chagrin. Crowd was getting into it, a lot of crowd participation (hey! hey!) but not as energetic when Aesthetic Perfection came on. X-RX was 2 guys doing live vox over their computers playing the music. They were also good at saying what the song titles were :3
Aesthetic Perfection I also only recognized a couple songs, also played a bit from their album ($13, purchased). I thought X-RX sounded heavier and better, but they were still good. They had a couple plastic flamingos on stage for some reason. Aesthetic Perfection was a vocalist and some live drummer. Pretty cool, the live drums augmented the sound. Their set started out slow, IMO, but picked up speed. People were moving a lot during their set, so I guess they were a hit? I enjoyed their set. The vocalist also had a sweet tattoo of the Universal Studios monsters (Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein's Monster, etc.) on one arm. So badass.
The set times seemed about 15 minutes earlier than the advertized times. ex: Aesthetic Perfection was to go on at 10:30-11:30, but I think they were on around 10:15- 11:15 (def stopped around 11:10 , 11:15). So on a Sunday THAT was nice. I was expecting things to last until like 1 or so.
They had CDs for the opener we missed, shirts ($?) and CD for X-RX ($17 damn), Aesthetic Perfection ($6- single, $13 album, $17 delux album w/ bonus CD of remixes), - a Patch ($5), shirts (?). Small but decent merch selection. Kind of wished they had more CDs, but glad they didn't cause I woulda had to get those too.
Overall a very good show, oddball day for it, but glad I went. My neck was sore the next day from headbanging. Legs fine since they were mostly stationary LOLz
People Uploaded videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6GeL6aEa4E&feature=youtu.be (X-RX)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXmtVQpxcpo&feature=youtu.be (Aesthetic Perfection)
You can see Kate in the shadows on the right on the X-RX one.
Pictures:
http://stevesnack.tumblr.com/post/25183199661/aesthetic-perfection-ottobar-6-10-2012-i-x-rx
http://stevesnack.tumblr.com/post/25183302488/aesthetic-perfection-ottobar-6-10-2012-ii
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/25183458138/aesthetic-perfection-ottobar-6-10-2012-iii-note
X-RX
Escalate
Activate the machinez
Hard bass hard soundz
Hit the drums
Kein Herz
Blood on dance floor
The Update
Push it
Stage 2
Aesthetic Perfection
All Beauty Destroyed
A Nice Place to Visit
The Devil's in the Details
Inhuman
One and Only
The Little Death
Hit the Streets ( Sounded like La Grange or Spirit in Sky)
The Siren
The Ones
The Great Depression
Spit it out
Living the Wasted Life
X-RX I was only familiar with maybe a couple songs (Stage 2), but I thought they sounded great. they played mostly from their new CD ($17- purchased). Songs "Push it" and "Blood On the Dance Floor" were not covers, much to our dismay/chagrin. Crowd was getting into it, a lot of crowd participation (hey! hey!) but not as energetic when Aesthetic Perfection came on. X-RX was 2 guys doing live vox over their computers playing the music. They were also good at saying what the song titles were :3
Aesthetic Perfection I also only recognized a couple songs, also played a bit from their album ($13, purchased). I thought X-RX sounded heavier and better, but they were still good. They had a couple plastic flamingos on stage for some reason. Aesthetic Perfection was a vocalist and some live drummer. Pretty cool, the live drums augmented the sound. Their set started out slow, IMO, but picked up speed. People were moving a lot during their set, so I guess they were a hit? I enjoyed their set. The vocalist also had a sweet tattoo of the Universal Studios monsters (Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein's Monster, etc.) on one arm. So badass.
The set times seemed about 15 minutes earlier than the advertized times. ex: Aesthetic Perfection was to go on at 10:30-11:30, but I think they were on around 10:15- 11:15 (def stopped around 11:10 , 11:15). So on a Sunday THAT was nice. I was expecting things to last until like 1 or so.
They had CDs for the opener we missed, shirts ($?) and CD for X-RX ($17 damn), Aesthetic Perfection ($6- single, $13 album, $17 delux album w/ bonus CD of remixes), - a Patch ($5), shirts (?). Small but decent merch selection. Kind of wished they had more CDs, but glad they didn't cause I woulda had to get those too.
Overall a very good show, oddball day for it, but glad I went. My neck was sore the next day from headbanging. Legs fine since they were mostly stationary LOLz
People Uploaded videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6GeL6aEa4E&feature=youtu.be (X-RX)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXmtVQpxcpo&feature=youtu.be (Aesthetic Perfection)
You can see Kate in the shadows on the right on the X-RX one.
Pictures:
http://stevesnack.tumblr.com/post/25183199661/aesthetic-perfection-ottobar-6-10-2012-i-x-rx
http://stevesnack.tumblr.com/post/25183302488/aesthetic-perfection-ottobar-6-10-2012-ii
http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/25183458138/aesthetic-perfection-ottobar-6-10-2012-iii-note
X-RX
Escalate
Activate the machinez
Hard bass hard soundz
Hit the drums
Kein Herz
Blood on dance floor
The Update
Push it
Stage 2
Aesthetic Perfection
All Beauty Destroyed
A Nice Place to Visit
The Devil's in the Details
Inhuman
One and Only
The Little Death
Hit the Streets ( Sounded like La Grange or Spirit in Sky)
The Siren
The Ones
The Great Depression
Spit it out
Living the Wasted Life
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Marduk @ Sonar, 6/02/2012
Milla and I went to see 1349 and Marduk last night at Sonar in
Baltimore, MD. I was not terribly familiar with either band, but thought
it would be a good show from what I heard about the shows and from
youtube. I don't go to many black metal shows either, so I wanted to
expand a bit :3 I believe this was the first night of the tour (at least
in the continental US, I think they played Puerto Rico the night
before).
Got there around 9:20 or so, got the advertized free drink ticket for corpsepaint (there were about 7 people in corpsepaint, including me). Just as we entered the room, Weapon played their last note X___X; OH WELL. We made our way to redeem the free drinks and checked out the merch.
Merch: A bunch of stuff, 1349 had a bunch of CDs, $15@, 3 or 4 shirts (I got one) ($20), a beanie ($15), a DVD, LP. Marduk had a few shirts ($20), their new album, and I think an LP. Withered and Weapon had various shirts, CDs, and LPs.
Crowd: It was pretty packed, Sonar had them on some sort of side stage instead of the big warehouse stage I've seen. About 150 or so people. There was a guy in a polo shirt and plaid bro shorts in the pit X__X; A good number of Spanish/Mexican/Latin fans too. My cousins?
Withered looked like some generic dudes, but had a good atmospheric sound going for them. I couldn't make out anything in the vocals, and their crowd communication was limited to THANK YOU BALTIMORE \m/! I don't know why the bassist was in the middle of the stage, and the 2 guitarists/vocalists were on the sides. Odd. I thought they sounded good, and they set the tone well. The pits, I thought, would only get crazier for 1349 and Marduk!
1349 came on around 11, and the crowd got a bit more lively for them :3 They had a bit of a different sound, more of a galloping or the like to them. Whatever the case, I really enjoyed them. I again could not make out any words, and couldn't remember which songs I had previewed on youtube. I assume they played "Aural Hellfire." Their stage presence was pretty strong. I liked the bassist in his sith robe, and all the corpsepaints.
Marduk came on about 12:15 and we left around 1, so there were def more songs played. The crowd got really rowdy for them, and the pits got intense- almost all the way back to the merch tables. I was nearly caught in a mosh, and later discovered that my shirt had ripped. Ripped in that there was a chunk missing of it from the back
Perhaps to be converted to a back patch? At one point some chap who was
an uberfan was headbanging and generally enjoying the show and trying
to get us a bit more pumped. Fun times \m/ I regret not knowing a single
lyric X__X; Marduk, sonically, sounded a lot clearer than the other
bands on the bill. I noticed a few songs where the BASS was clearly
heard. I thought that was a bit different.
CorpsePaint
Withered
1349
Marduk
Horribly incomplete setlist (please let me know if you were there and know more detail)
Marduk
Got there around 9:20 or so, got the advertized free drink ticket for corpsepaint (there were about 7 people in corpsepaint, including me). Just as we entered the room, Weapon played their last note X___X; OH WELL. We made our way to redeem the free drinks and checked out the merch.
Merch: A bunch of stuff, 1349 had a bunch of CDs, $15@, 3 or 4 shirts (I got one) ($20), a beanie ($15), a DVD, LP. Marduk had a few shirts ($20), their new album, and I think an LP. Withered and Weapon had various shirts, CDs, and LPs.
Crowd: It was pretty packed, Sonar had them on some sort of side stage instead of the big warehouse stage I've seen. About 150 or so people. There was a guy in a polo shirt and plaid bro shorts in the pit X__X; A good number of Spanish/Mexican/Latin fans too. My cousins?
Withered looked like some generic dudes, but had a good atmospheric sound going for them. I couldn't make out anything in the vocals, and their crowd communication was limited to THANK YOU BALTIMORE \m/! I don't know why the bassist was in the middle of the stage, and the 2 guitarists/vocalists were on the sides. Odd. I thought they sounded good, and they set the tone well. The pits, I thought, would only get crazier for 1349 and Marduk!
1349 came on around 11, and the crowd got a bit more lively for them :3 They had a bit of a different sound, more of a galloping or the like to them. Whatever the case, I really enjoyed them. I again could not make out any words, and couldn't remember which songs I had previewed on youtube. I assume they played "Aural Hellfire." Their stage presence was pretty strong. I liked the bassist in his sith robe, and all the corpsepaints.
Marduk came on about 12:15 and we left around 1, so there were def more songs played. The crowd got really rowdy for them, and the pits got intense- almost all the way back to the merch tables. I was nearly caught in a mosh, and later discovered that my shirt had ripped. Ripped in that there was a chunk missing of it from the back
Perhaps to be converted to a back patch? At one point some chap who was
an uberfan was headbanging and generally enjoying the show and trying
to get us a bit more pumped. Fun times \m/ I regret not knowing a single
lyric X__X; Marduk, sonically, sounded a lot clearer than the other
bands on the bill. I noticed a few songs where the BASS was clearly
heard. I thought that was a bit different.CorpsePaint
Withered
1349
Marduk
Horribly incomplete setlist (please let me know if you were there and know more detail)
Marduk
- on darkened wings
- Nowhere, No-One, Nothing
- The Black Tormentor of Satan
- Serpent Ceremony
- Still Fucking Dead (Here's No Peace)
- Souls for Belial
- ? (left around this time)
- materialized in stone
- baptism by fire
- azrael
- womb of perishableness
- the sun has failed
- panzer division marduk
- with satan and victorious weapons
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