My first and last time seeing them basically. I've never really been a fan bar a few tunes. Just needed to tick them off the bucket list so to speak.
They played the whole of Crimson Idol live. I've never heard the album in full as I recall. The band sounds good it must be said. Blackie's shrill voice is pretty much the same as the old days. He's not really singing lower or more controlled like some old dinosaurs. He's just moving slower I guess and he's not so animated and shocking like what I've seen in old videos.
There is a touch of going through the motions about the songs. That's the feeling I get though I could be wrong but I'm not familiar with the tunes. A video or film has been created to go with the songs which is quite cool as you get more involved in the story of the album about a hot shot guitarist's rise from poor beginnings to the trappings of success and his ultimate downfall and demise. I never actually had really any clue about the story of the album. The video backdrops put into context the story nicely for a total noob. WASP's music tends to be slightly grating on my ears but it does have something about it that separates it from the other bands of that shock rock era. It's sort of more substantive especially when they get to the moodier parts. Special mention for the drumming. Literally the best thing of the night to be honest. The drum parts on the album seem to be very complex and difficult and the drummer played them with ease.
I didn't know who he was last night but tonight I checked him out and it turns out o be Aquiles Priester the Brazillian dude from Angra. The guy was playing fast and very skilfully from my non-drummer amateur perspective with constant lightning fast fills. Dread to think how fast his feet were moving. He was basically the star of the night for me.
The main set of Crimson Idol came to a momentous and rousing end as our hero takes his own life. Blackie never talked between the songs as the album has a lot of narration explaining the story. He only talked after a short 5 minute break as the band regrouped for a little greatest hit set to end things off. He mentioned that in some previous show there was moshing in a slow number in one of the songs and that he didn't like that at all. he prefers you to absorb and watch during the emotional parts lol. He also thanked the crowd for coming and it was pretty packed indeed. Probably a couple of thousand easy seeing as it's a Friday night.
Wild Child is basically the only really great song I like from WASP and everyone but everyone belts that one out. I made a hasty exit half way through the final song to beat the crowds. Not a gig that will live long in my memory, but at least I can say I've seen the band once at least! :-)
The Titanic Overture
The Invisible Boy
Arena of Pleasure
Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)
The Gypsy Meets the Boy
Doctor Rockter
I Am One
The Idol
Hold on to My Heart
The Great Misconceptions of Me
Encore:
The Real Me
(The Who cover)
L.O.V.E. Machine
Wild Child
Golgotha
I Wanna Be Somebody
Showing posts with label Kentish Town Forum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kentish Town Forum. Show all posts
Sunday, 29 October 2017
Friday, 11 March 2016
Sabaton Live Report
Over the last few years we get to see Sabaton once a year round these parts. Familiarity might breed contempt in some bands case, but in the Swedish war machine. You know you're guaranteed a great time at a Sabaton gig no matter if you've seen'em countless times like I have.
So two days after the great Avantasia gig I'm back at the Forum once again. We last saw them in January 2015 with Delain and Battle Beast and here they are again with Alestorm and Bloodbound. A different bill but suitable support anyway. The venue was soon filling up and even though Avantasia was sold out, it feels as though there are actually more people in here tonight than that night. A real proper close to heaving and uncomfortable capacity. Mind you I was safely tucked up in row one of the balcony upstairs with a perfect view. Downstairs would've been totally uncomfortable especially during Alestorm when it got really mental.
First up were fellow power metallers Bloodbound and a 40 minute set of anthemic melodic metal. Front man Patrik, used to wear a beanie but now he reveals his bald head with what looks like two horns one on either side. Now far my far away vantage point I couldn't actually tell what was on his head but it definitely looked like two horns like the Nosferatu chap they sing about. The sound was a little off at the start, and it wasn't that clear what song they were actually playing but soon settled down or my ears adjusted better. Either way Bloodbound was the perfect opener for this bill. The best tracks were Moria, Stormborn and of course Nosferatu whch they always close their sets with. In fact some dude came on in a wolf/nosferatu body suit and mask to give them their own mascot or something like that during the quiet parts at the start of the song. Front man Patrick is a cool showman and knows how to get the crowd going. A good start and Bloodbound got the punters fists shaking and voices raised although not yet at fever pitch.
Iron Throne
When Demons Collide
When The Kingdom Fall
Moria
In the Name of Metal
Stormborn
Nosferatu
Alestorm were up next and the roadies got the stage ready. It seems as though Alestorm have had a bit of a change in character. They've morphed into some kind of goofy kids tv parody kinda show with a big inflatable duck sitting centre stage and the logo changing to something you'd see on kids TV. Bowes came on dressed in his Scottish kilt, sneakers and bright red kiddo baseball cap. The rest of the band are more regularly dressed but the musical theme of the band is still based around pirates and drinking rum, and walking the plank and all those cliches. They went down a complete storm I must admit but I personally found them pretty childish. It's funny 'cause he's also the same in GloryHammer, but I really like that but Alestorm's joke is starting to wear thin. Not saying it's not fun, 'cause it is, but there's just something bottom of the barrel about the humour and the music doesn't quite make up for it. But I'm far in the minority, there was a full scale dance floor riot going on downstairs and I wasn't invited!
They played all their major hits with the sea shanty keyboard melodies, and the drinking songs and "arggggghhhhh" bellows etc. I think part of the bands problem is Bowes is just not a very good singer. Not that he's probably claiming that it's just that his voice doesn't carry much melody and he starts to growl his way through the songs almost. Anyway they played for more than an hour and went down like the proverbial storm. My complaints mean diddly squat in the big scheme of things, the kids are here to fucking party and riot to Alestorm and that's exactly what they did.
Keelhauled
Over the Seas
Magnetic North
Shipwrecked
Surf Squid Warfare
Nancy the Tavern Wench
Walk the Plank
The Sunk'n Norwegian
Wenches & Mead
Drink
1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)
Hangover
(Taio Cruz cover)
Captain Morgan's Revenge
Rum
Finally at just gone 9.30, the roadies readied the familiar tank drum riser and stage set similar to last years as The Final Countdown played over the PA with massive sing along by the crowd below. The band soon rushes on bursts into Ghost Division as usual with the crowd already in apeshit mode. You'd think they'd take their time getting up to a frenzy after the already crazy Alestorm riots, but no, they are immediately in full attack mode with pits and mass jumping starting here there and everywhere. I like Ghost Division as a song but I'm starting to think they need to change it from it's starting position. I think they've got it in their minds that it has that energy that immediately lifts the crowd but they have other energetic songs and don't need to start with Ghost Division every single time.
Either way the band sounds as good as ever musically speaking and the cheers after the opener deafened everyone and had the band in shock as well as they looked back at the absolute delirium down on the floor. Joakim had his dark shades on so you couldn't see his eyes but his reaction and words revealed his thoughts as the band looked amazed at the sheer volume of support coming back at them. I'm always amazed how much people love this band and the thing is the love seems to be only strengthening and not stagnating at all judging by last nights crowd.
The band continued onwards and upwards with a slightly changed set list as Joakim said from the stage. Of course this was part of the Heroes tour and we got to hear songs from that album which was cool. In fact all of the songs aired from Heroes were my faves of the night especially Soldier of 3 Armies and To Hell and Back. In between we always get a few of their classics such as The Art of War, Carolus Rex and Attero Dominatus. It seems these three are staples of every Sabaton set list now. I must admit I am a huge fan of Cliffs of Gallipoli and I did miss hearing it though I guess others are not. It was good to hear the super melodic Gott Mit Uns sung in Swedish minus Joakim actually.
The set went by in a flash and soon they left to mass cheers before returning for the encore of three more songs. The band's anthem Primo Victoria, new song Night Witches and the metal tribute Metal Crue. The whole of Forum floor was basically moving for Primo whilst the party song Metal Crue is always a crowd pleasing end. I would actually like to see them drop Metal Crue from the set list actually and try a different song to end with. Not sure which but try something else.
So there we have a night of true metal by legends of the power metal scene. Like I said before people love Sabaton as much as ever. They may have lost a few fans with constant repetition, but when you go to a Sabaton show, there's one thing you're guaranteed. A big shit eating grin on your face and your fist in the air!
The Final Countdown
(Europe song)
The March to War
Ghost Division
Far from the Fame
Uprising
Midway
Gott Mit Uns
Resist and Bite
Carolus Rex
Swedish Pagans
Attero Dominatus
Soldier of 3 Armies
The Art of War
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
(Monty Python cover) (Thobbe solo, verse and chorus only)
To Hell and Back
Encore:
Night Witches
Primo Victoria
Metal Crüe
So two days after the great Avantasia gig I'm back at the Forum once again. We last saw them in January 2015 with Delain and Battle Beast and here they are again with Alestorm and Bloodbound. A different bill but suitable support anyway. The venue was soon filling up and even though Avantasia was sold out, it feels as though there are actually more people in here tonight than that night. A real proper close to heaving and uncomfortable capacity. Mind you I was safely tucked up in row one of the balcony upstairs with a perfect view. Downstairs would've been totally uncomfortable especially during Alestorm when it got really mental.
First up were fellow power metallers Bloodbound and a 40 minute set of anthemic melodic metal. Front man Patrik, used to wear a beanie but now he reveals his bald head with what looks like two horns one on either side. Now far my far away vantage point I couldn't actually tell what was on his head but it definitely looked like two horns like the Nosferatu chap they sing about. The sound was a little off at the start, and it wasn't that clear what song they were actually playing but soon settled down or my ears adjusted better. Either way Bloodbound was the perfect opener for this bill. The best tracks were Moria, Stormborn and of course Nosferatu whch they always close their sets with. In fact some dude came on in a wolf/nosferatu body suit and mask to give them their own mascot or something like that during the quiet parts at the start of the song. Front man Patrick is a cool showman and knows how to get the crowd going. A good start and Bloodbound got the punters fists shaking and voices raised although not yet at fever pitch.
Iron Throne
When Demons Collide
When The Kingdom Fall
Moria
In the Name of Metal
Stormborn
Nosferatu
Alestorm were up next and the roadies got the stage ready. It seems as though Alestorm have had a bit of a change in character. They've morphed into some kind of goofy kids tv parody kinda show with a big inflatable duck sitting centre stage and the logo changing to something you'd see on kids TV. Bowes came on dressed in his Scottish kilt, sneakers and bright red kiddo baseball cap. The rest of the band are more regularly dressed but the musical theme of the band is still based around pirates and drinking rum, and walking the plank and all those cliches. They went down a complete storm I must admit but I personally found them pretty childish. It's funny 'cause he's also the same in GloryHammer, but I really like that but Alestorm's joke is starting to wear thin. Not saying it's not fun, 'cause it is, but there's just something bottom of the barrel about the humour and the music doesn't quite make up for it. But I'm far in the minority, there was a full scale dance floor riot going on downstairs and I wasn't invited!
They played all their major hits with the sea shanty keyboard melodies, and the drinking songs and "arggggghhhhh" bellows etc. I think part of the bands problem is Bowes is just not a very good singer. Not that he's probably claiming that it's just that his voice doesn't carry much melody and he starts to growl his way through the songs almost. Anyway they played for more than an hour and went down like the proverbial storm. My complaints mean diddly squat in the big scheme of things, the kids are here to fucking party and riot to Alestorm and that's exactly what they did.
Keelhauled
Over the Seas
Magnetic North
Shipwrecked
Surf Squid Warfare
Nancy the Tavern Wench
Walk the Plank
The Sunk'n Norwegian
Wenches & Mead
Drink
1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)
Hangover
(Taio Cruz cover)
Captain Morgan's Revenge
Rum
Finally at just gone 9.30, the roadies readied the familiar tank drum riser and stage set similar to last years as The Final Countdown played over the PA with massive sing along by the crowd below. The band soon rushes on bursts into Ghost Division as usual with the crowd already in apeshit mode. You'd think they'd take their time getting up to a frenzy after the already crazy Alestorm riots, but no, they are immediately in full attack mode with pits and mass jumping starting here there and everywhere. I like Ghost Division as a song but I'm starting to think they need to change it from it's starting position. I think they've got it in their minds that it has that energy that immediately lifts the crowd but they have other energetic songs and don't need to start with Ghost Division every single time.
Either way the band sounds as good as ever musically speaking and the cheers after the opener deafened everyone and had the band in shock as well as they looked back at the absolute delirium down on the floor. Joakim had his dark shades on so you couldn't see his eyes but his reaction and words revealed his thoughts as the band looked amazed at the sheer volume of support coming back at them. I'm always amazed how much people love this band and the thing is the love seems to be only strengthening and not stagnating at all judging by last nights crowd.
The band continued onwards and upwards with a slightly changed set list as Joakim said from the stage. Of course this was part of the Heroes tour and we got to hear songs from that album which was cool. In fact all of the songs aired from Heroes were my faves of the night especially Soldier of 3 Armies and To Hell and Back. In between we always get a few of their classics such as The Art of War, Carolus Rex and Attero Dominatus. It seems these three are staples of every Sabaton set list now. I must admit I am a huge fan of Cliffs of Gallipoli and I did miss hearing it though I guess others are not. It was good to hear the super melodic Gott Mit Uns sung in Swedish minus Joakim actually.
The set went by in a flash and soon they left to mass cheers before returning for the encore of three more songs. The band's anthem Primo Victoria, new song Night Witches and the metal tribute Metal Crue. The whole of Forum floor was basically moving for Primo whilst the party song Metal Crue is always a crowd pleasing end. I would actually like to see them drop Metal Crue from the set list actually and try a different song to end with. Not sure which but try something else.
So there we have a night of true metal by legends of the power metal scene. Like I said before people love Sabaton as much as ever. They may have lost a few fans with constant repetition, but when you go to a Sabaton show, there's one thing you're guaranteed. A big shit eating grin on your face and your fist in the air!
The Final Countdown
(Europe song)
The March to War
Ghost Division
Far from the Fame
Uprising
Midway
Gott Mit Uns
Resist and Bite
Carolus Rex
Swedish Pagans
Attero Dominatus
Soldier of 3 Armies
The Art of War
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
(Monty Python cover) (Thobbe solo, verse and chorus only)
To Hell and Back
Encore:
Night Witches
Primo Victoria
Metal Crüe
Monday, 21 December 2015
Tremonti Live Report
My penultimate live experience of the year with Mr Tremonti's solo band was a great night indeed. I nearly didn't go to this gig as I only found out about it at the 11th hour. Three supports were listed and I'll go through them quickly.
Wearing Scars were up first and they were really rather good. I heard of them a while back. They feature the guitar talents of Andy James ex of Sacred Mother Tongue. These guys were great. They really have some cool melodic tunes and in Mr James a guitarist who shreds like a mother. The singer has a great voice but walks around the stage rather awkwardly and doesn't have a metal look but he has the pipes and the band has the tunes.
Next were The Raven Age. A band I've heard quite a bit about and heard a little bit in passing. They are of course the band of George Harris son of Steve. He plays guitar in the band and not the bass as you might possibly suspect. Anyway the band doesn't resort to growls thankfully and doesn't have a whole heap to do with the emocore scene either. They play a melodic sort of modern metal with a small foot in the past and a bigger foot in the present aping bands like Trivium etc. They have some cool riffs for sure but their songs are a bit boring. They have cool sections but it never materialises into memorable metal. The odd Maiden section rears its head her and there which is cool to see and hear as the father hands the reigns down to the son. The singer is OK but he's a bit annoying as well. The sound mix was a bit muddy for TRA as well. I think the band would sound better in a small club. They just don't have the songs to carry a big hall like the Forum.
Main support were Chicagoans Man The Mighty. I've never heard of them bu Tremonti hand picked them so he must like them. They sort of sound like a more bluesy or heavy grooving Volbeat but without the cool vocals and melodies. They were OK but I failed to get into them to be honest. I was just waiting for Tremonti to blow me away.
Tremonti came on at 9.30 and played up till round about 11 which was the curfew time. They started like a house on fire with a blisteringly heavy version of the title track from Cauterize. That was a bloody amazing start. Mark's voice is fucking loud live I tell you. He really booms out the vocals just how I like it. The guitar mix was actually a little poor or they just played too fast I don't know which. It was kinda hard to tell one fast song from another. It was only when they played the slower numbers that the songs became more recognisable from the beginning.
Having said all that the band was on serious fire I tell ya. Tremonti's band are all very tight players but of course the star of the show is Mark himself and boy does he go off on his guitar! The guy shreds when needed and then plays the hammering riffage and head bangs like mad at the same time and don't forget he has to sing and remember all the words. Don't know how he does it really! Every song they played was great. The two albums don't really have any duff tunes so people were going nuts for every track with moshpits starting up on the fast tunes. Flying Monkeys is the only song I don't really like from the new CD but it sounded monstrously heavy live. The other highlights were the amazing Another Heart, The Things I've Seen from the first album, Providence and the amazing and awesome Sympathy from the new album my absolute fave song sung brilliantly by Mark. I think I might possibly like Tremonti more than Alter Bridge if that's possible. Alter Bridge is more heart rending and emotional maybe but Tremonti mixes power as well as emotion and melody into a wonderful package. A great gig indeed at a packed out venue tells you all you need to know about Mr Tremonti's capabilities as a singer front man and most of all song writer.
Cauterize
You Waste Your Time
So You're Afraid
All I Was
Radical Change
The Things I've Seen
Arm Yourself
Dark Trip
Brains
Flying Monkeys
Providence
Decay
Another Heart
Sympathy
Wish You Well
Wearing Scars were up first and they were really rather good. I heard of them a while back. They feature the guitar talents of Andy James ex of Sacred Mother Tongue. These guys were great. They really have some cool melodic tunes and in Mr James a guitarist who shreds like a mother. The singer has a great voice but walks around the stage rather awkwardly and doesn't have a metal look but he has the pipes and the band has the tunes.
Next were The Raven Age. A band I've heard quite a bit about and heard a little bit in passing. They are of course the band of George Harris son of Steve. He plays guitar in the band and not the bass as you might possibly suspect. Anyway the band doesn't resort to growls thankfully and doesn't have a whole heap to do with the emocore scene either. They play a melodic sort of modern metal with a small foot in the past and a bigger foot in the present aping bands like Trivium etc. They have some cool riffs for sure but their songs are a bit boring. They have cool sections but it never materialises into memorable metal. The odd Maiden section rears its head her and there which is cool to see and hear as the father hands the reigns down to the son. The singer is OK but he's a bit annoying as well. The sound mix was a bit muddy for TRA as well. I think the band would sound better in a small club. They just don't have the songs to carry a big hall like the Forum.
Main support were Chicagoans Man The Mighty. I've never heard of them bu Tremonti hand picked them so he must like them. They sort of sound like a more bluesy or heavy grooving Volbeat but without the cool vocals and melodies. They were OK but I failed to get into them to be honest. I was just waiting for Tremonti to blow me away.
Tremonti came on at 9.30 and played up till round about 11 which was the curfew time. They started like a house on fire with a blisteringly heavy version of the title track from Cauterize. That was a bloody amazing start. Mark's voice is fucking loud live I tell you. He really booms out the vocals just how I like it. The guitar mix was actually a little poor or they just played too fast I don't know which. It was kinda hard to tell one fast song from another. It was only when they played the slower numbers that the songs became more recognisable from the beginning.
Having said all that the band was on serious fire I tell ya. Tremonti's band are all very tight players but of course the star of the show is Mark himself and boy does he go off on his guitar! The guy shreds when needed and then plays the hammering riffage and head bangs like mad at the same time and don't forget he has to sing and remember all the words. Don't know how he does it really! Every song they played was great. The two albums don't really have any duff tunes so people were going nuts for every track with moshpits starting up on the fast tunes. Flying Monkeys is the only song I don't really like from the new CD but it sounded monstrously heavy live. The other highlights were the amazing Another Heart, The Things I've Seen from the first album, Providence and the amazing and awesome Sympathy from the new album my absolute fave song sung brilliantly by Mark. I think I might possibly like Tremonti more than Alter Bridge if that's possible. Alter Bridge is more heart rending and emotional maybe but Tremonti mixes power as well as emotion and melody into a wonderful package. A great gig indeed at a packed out venue tells you all you need to know about Mr Tremonti's capabilities as a singer front man and most of all song writer.
Cauterize
You Waste Your Time
So You're Afraid
All I Was
Radical Change
The Things I've Seen
Arm Yourself
Dark Trip
Brains
Flying Monkeys
Providence
Decay
Another Heart
Sympathy
Wish You Well
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Paradise Lost / Ghost Live Review
Well I so very nearly didn't make it to this gig with my fitness taking a turn for the worse. Even at the last minute I was close to giving it a miss but a sudden upturn in physical health and I somehow made it to the gig. Was it worth the effort? Well probably in the end no is the answer. Don't get me wrong though it was OK as a night out and at least I didn't let my ticket go to waste but the gig was merely alright in my opinion.
First up were the mysterious Ghost who keep getting rave reviews everywhere but have yet to convince me. Maybe the live setting would help them. Unfortunately it didn't me. Don't get me wrong they are cool to watch and the evil pope front man is very evil looking though slightly comical. The be-masked backing musicians are all fairly pedestrian and this band in general is very serene and fun to look at.
Unfortunately the sound at the Kentish Town Forum did not help them one jot. I could barely hear any guitars at all during the beginning and the vocals were delivered effortlessly but in an almost whisper making it hard to pick up the words. I don't know the album well apart from what I heard on youtube and it has moments of quirky melody that interest and is catchy to a point but I'm just not feeling it with Ghost. I think they could be quite good if they had more dynamic sweeps of sound. At the moment it all sounds so one paced and comically satanoramic and it doesn't do a lot for me.
By the way not one word is spoken by the Evil Pope in between songs which is quite cool and his hand gestures and sways in time with the music are quite cool and fun to watch. So my final thoughts on Ghost are that they are an amusing band to watch but the music is merely average to me but I'm glad to have seen them at least and seen what the fuss is all about.
Finally it was time for Bradford's miserable bastards of gloomy heavy metal Paradise Lost to play though perhaps their best album along with a few fan faves afterwards. This show was being filmed for a DVD and there were various cameramen dotted around the Forum along with a roving overhead crowdcam which swooped in and out. The sound was a little odd shall we say. The guitars for the whole gig sounded very high pitched and it lacked crunch and bottom end. It did improve as the gig went on but I'm sure this has something to do with the live recording of the DVD. They probably didn't want it to sound too bassy. I actually don't mind that cause normally metal gigs have way to much bass and drums but this was too much in the opposite direction. Also Nick's vocals were completely drowned out at times by the crowd singing the lyrics being far too low in the mix on many occasions. I'm all for crowd participation but I'd rather hear the lead singer's voice above every else thanks!
Anyway I must stop with the bitching and say a little about the gig. They started off with Enchantment of course the lead track from Draconian and like I said the sold out packed crowd was singing the words louder than Nick! It's been an age since I heard said album and it was good to hear those beautiful moody keyboard strains as the main riff kicks in. Nick was his usual sarcastic self with his between song banter from the stage. He sounded in fine voice when I could hear him. One of my favourite PL songs of all time Forever Failure was brilliantly played and sung followed by Once Solemn one of the heaviest and most upbeat songs from the album which got quite a pit going. Actually the Friday night neanderthals were in town and it got a bit rougher than you'd expect for a PL gig to be honest but I guess this is what pissed up metalheads do!
Finally they reached the final song of the album Jaded, which is quite a moody and cool song with which to end the main part of the set to rapturous applause. After a three or four minute break the band returned for the first encore with a few hits. True Belief is one of my fave PL songs ever if not THE best summation of the band's talents. The crowd loved this one with it's depressing dark atmosphere and epic chorus. One Second and Say Just Words both went down a storm too being two of the band's biggest hits and poppiest moments.
A second encore then followed which of course ended with As I Die which is now like the band's Enter Sandman of sorts. It seems the band just has to play it. It is a cool and catchy tune but to be honest it doesn't do a great deal for me but of course if the fans don't hear it they won't let them get out alive probably!
So in the end an OK gig but nothing that will live that long in the memory banks. PL are a hugely popular band amongst all kinds of metalheads from black metallers to gothsters and it showed by the vast array band shirts on view in the crowd and pretty much all of 'em went home pretty happy I would guess. I look forward to see how this DVD will turn out and at least I can say I was there even if it wasn't THAT great personally speaking of course!
First up were the mysterious Ghost who keep getting rave reviews everywhere but have yet to convince me. Maybe the live setting would help them. Unfortunately it didn't me. Don't get me wrong they are cool to watch and the evil pope front man is very evil looking though slightly comical. The be-masked backing musicians are all fairly pedestrian and this band in general is very serene and fun to look at.
Unfortunately the sound at the Kentish Town Forum did not help them one jot. I could barely hear any guitars at all during the beginning and the vocals were delivered effortlessly but in an almost whisper making it hard to pick up the words. I don't know the album well apart from what I heard on youtube and it has moments of quirky melody that interest and is catchy to a point but I'm just not feeling it with Ghost. I think they could be quite good if they had more dynamic sweeps of sound. At the moment it all sounds so one paced and comically satanoramic and it doesn't do a lot for me.
By the way not one word is spoken by the Evil Pope in between songs which is quite cool and his hand gestures and sways in time with the music are quite cool and fun to watch. So my final thoughts on Ghost are that they are an amusing band to watch but the music is merely average to me but I'm glad to have seen them at least and seen what the fuss is all about.
Finally it was time for Bradford's miserable bastards of gloomy heavy metal Paradise Lost to play though perhaps their best album along with a few fan faves afterwards. This show was being filmed for a DVD and there were various cameramen dotted around the Forum along with a roving overhead crowdcam which swooped in and out. The sound was a little odd shall we say. The guitars for the whole gig sounded very high pitched and it lacked crunch and bottom end. It did improve as the gig went on but I'm sure this has something to do with the live recording of the DVD. They probably didn't want it to sound too bassy. I actually don't mind that cause normally metal gigs have way to much bass and drums but this was too much in the opposite direction. Also Nick's vocals were completely drowned out at times by the crowd singing the lyrics being far too low in the mix on many occasions. I'm all for crowd participation but I'd rather hear the lead singer's voice above every else thanks!
Anyway I must stop with the bitching and say a little about the gig. They started off with Enchantment of course the lead track from Draconian and like I said the sold out packed crowd was singing the words louder than Nick! It's been an age since I heard said album and it was good to hear those beautiful moody keyboard strains as the main riff kicks in. Nick was his usual sarcastic self with his between song banter from the stage. He sounded in fine voice when I could hear him. One of my favourite PL songs of all time Forever Failure was brilliantly played and sung followed by Once Solemn one of the heaviest and most upbeat songs from the album which got quite a pit going. Actually the Friday night neanderthals were in town and it got a bit rougher than you'd expect for a PL gig to be honest but I guess this is what pissed up metalheads do!
Finally they reached the final song of the album Jaded, which is quite a moody and cool song with which to end the main part of the set to rapturous applause. After a three or four minute break the band returned for the first encore with a few hits. True Belief is one of my fave PL songs ever if not THE best summation of the band's talents. The crowd loved this one with it's depressing dark atmosphere and epic chorus. One Second and Say Just Words both went down a storm too being two of the band's biggest hits and poppiest moments.
A second encore then followed which of course ended with As I Die which is now like the band's Enter Sandman of sorts. It seems the band just has to play it. It is a cool and catchy tune but to be honest it doesn't do a great deal for me but of course if the fans don't hear it they won't let them get out alive probably!
So in the end an OK gig but nothing that will live that long in the memory banks. PL are a hugely popular band amongst all kinds of metalheads from black metallers to gothsters and it showed by the vast array band shirts on view in the crowd and pretty much all of 'em went home pretty happy I would guess. I look forward to see how this DVD will turn out and at least I can say I was there even if it wasn't THAT great personally speaking of course!
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Encore:
-
-
-
- Encore 2:
-
-
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)