After a less than stellar experience at Coachella in 2004 {with the exception of seeing Kraftwerk}, I decided that no band was worth the unorganization, traffic, parking, heat, scheduling conflicts, douche-bags, and $8 beers that comes along with the now three day festival. Then I find out that Throbbing Gristle, Fucked-Up, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and My Bloody Valentine are all playing on day three this year. I think I may just have to forgive Coachella for the shitty-ness that was 2004, and try again.
Check back at this space in December, and I'm pretty sure that I will have ranked Amebix as my "Show Of The Year", or at the very least in my top three. Yeah, it's only January, and I will probably hit AT LEAST another 40-50 shows this year, but Holy Fuck, Amebix just blew me away last night.
They may not have been the loudest band I have ever seen, but Amebix may very well have been the heaviest. The thunderous bass and evil snarl of Rob Miller would have made Cronos of Venom whimper into a corner, while the plodding guitar of Stig just chugged away like a locomotive heading straight for your fucking face. If I had to pick a high point of their set it would have to be "Axeman", which was like Celtic Frost, Crass, Mötorhead, and Discharge all forged into a giant wrecking ball. Unfortunately it was also the song which I decided to bail from my spot against the barricade, because the punks were starting to go a bit nuts, and as the beers, limbs ,and entire bodies started flying, I was beginning to fear for my camera. I've stuck it out through some pretty violent shows through the years, but decided to use some common sense for this one, and got the hell outta Dodge.
As I watched the rest of the set {which also included Jello Biafra on stage for some backing vox on "Largactyl"} from the back of the room with a Newcastle in hand, I couldn't help but feel a bit of a sense of comradery in the air. As stupid as that may sound, there was a vibe in the place last night that is unfortunately absent from most of the shows I attend these days. It felt like everyone who was there was a genuine fan, and had their eyes glued to the stage knowing that they were witnessing something special. There was no posing or "holier than thou" attitudes, which is rare here in San Francisco, especially at a punk rock show. Without getting all emotional and shit, it was a pretty damn special evening, and I was stoked to be part of it. Be sure to also check out reviews by friends Umlaut and Crow.
I am so looking forward this show!
I wasn't overly excited about hitting this show, especially since I was still a bit under the weather, not to mention that there was to be no barricade for photographers, which meant I had to get over to Slim's an hour before the doors opened, and spend the evening smashed up against the stage. It was totally worth it though, and a pretty good way to start the new year of shows! As always, this review and more pictures can be seen over @ Ground Control.
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First to hit the stage was Early Man, a band who seemed to have flown under my radar until about a month ago. But after hearing their latest release Beware The Circling Fin and totally digging their old school thrash sound, I was looking forward to seeing them live just as much—if not more than—Toxic Holocaust or 3IOB. And they did not disappoint....
With a twin guitar attack reminiscent of Holt/Hunting-era Exodus (and even Holt/Altus Exodus), Early Man put on a killer set of no-bullshit thrash metal that quite honestly blew me away. Vocalist/guitarist Mike Conte delivered the vocals in straight-up no frills fashion, and in today's world of either cookie monster growls or want-to-be King Diamond like shrills, it was quite a refreshing change. Fellow axe wielder Pete Macy was nothing short of total shredding, and as they steamrolled through "Feeding Frenzy," "Sinking The Blade" and "Coiled Like A Snake" among others, I became even a bigger fan of the band. It looks like Early Man are set to release a full length album in the not too distant future, and after witnessing them live, I really can't wait to hear it.
Next up on the bill was Toxic Holocaust, a band whose set I mostly missed a few months ago when they were in S.F. supporting Gwar. I had been listening to their latest release, An Overdose Of Death... quite a bit lately, and was pretty excited to finally hear some of those songs live. Vocalist/guitar player Joel Grind did not disappoint, and he and his band mates just absolutely ripped through their set. What I really like about Toxic Holocaust is that, although Mr. Grind obviously takes a lot from his influences (Bathory, Venom, Possessed, English Dogs and Broken Bones, to name a few), he somehow makes the sound unique and not exactly like anything you have heard before. It's the perfect combination of 80's Thrash and English Hardcore, and was especially noted during "Nuke The Cross," "666," "Wild Dogs," and "War Is Hell." Joel is also a pretty awesome guitar player, and his total DIY approach to everything regarding his band is a throwback to the days early thrash. Toxic Holocaust seem to be a touring juggernaut, so chances are they will be hitting your town at some point. Don't miss them.
When the lights dimmed and only 4 guys walked out onto the stage, I began to wonder if this condensed version of 3 Inches Of Blood was going to be able live up to the 3 Inches Of Blood shows that I remembered. Well, even without the guitars of Justin Hagberg—who was filling in on bass tonight for Nick Cates—the band pretty much still kicked ass, and put on a killer set of NWOBHM inspired metal. And although they were also without additional vocalist Jamie Hooper (who has been on hiatus from the band due to a vocal injury), main vocalist Cam Pipes more than delivered the goods. For more than 90 solid minutes the band had a packed Slim's in a state of constant head banging and fist pumping, and of course kept the meatheads in the makeshift pit moshing like the drunken jocks they were. And although "Night Maruaders," "Demons Blade" and "Forest King" all sounded heavy as fuck, it was the older tracks such as "Deadly Sinners," "Premonition of Pain" and "Revenge Is A Vulture" that I was stoked to hear. I gotta admit that I was pretty surprised at just how good they sounded, even with the band being down two members. I, for one, am very glad to see that 3 Inches Of Blood have made the most of their recent string of bad luck, and am hoping they can continue to rebound and release some new material soon.
Walking out of Slim's, I could not have asked for
a better show to start the new year. Here's hoping that there will be
many more to follow.
Wow..... 60 is just way to young to die. He may not have been the most "technical" of guitar players, but Ron Asheton had a guitar tone that influenced thousands of Punk Rock bands. A true influence if ever there was one. Read Iggy Pop's statement here. R.I.P.....
