concerts....who you seeing?

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:22 pm

opening for Test Dept. (who were great) last night was this Icelandic goth band called Kælan Mikla that were a little too retro throwback-y for me, but they could definitely play. i'd listen to them over the likes of say, Interpol any time.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:01 pm

We were planning on doing one last 70k Cruise next year for their 10th anniversary event. We’re now less than 4 months out, and they have yet to announce a single band, prices, or booking availability.

Seriously starting to wonder if it’s even going to happen next year. I’ll be really bummed if it falls through.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:50 pm

hmm, that seems odd

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:58 pm

I was talking to my sister today, and she mentioned Ides of March was playing this weekend at Berwyn's Oktoberfest. The 60's-era band is from Berwyn - Jim Peterik (also of .38 Special and Survivor used to live 2 blocks from me). Wife said I could go, but for a band I've seen a dozen times it's a bit far these days. It'll be a game-day decision Saturday.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:47 am

Saw Ghost last night.

Their previous show was already in my personal top three...and this one beat it by a mile. Everything from the last album was an absolute blast live. Songs like “Rats” and “Dance Macabre” had the entire place going nuts. The highlight was when a previous Papa in full costume suddenly appeared at the top of the stage to bust out the sax solo in “Miasma”.

Say whatever you want about their music, but they put on a goddamn brilliant live performance. The Nameless Ghouls have really upped their game as well, and were a blast to watch. All in all, the most fun show I’ve had at a show in years.

Twin Temple was great as the opener as well. Their satanic doo-wop was surprisingly fun to watch, and the lead singer had an amazing voice. I thought that the live satanic temple initiation ritual with an audience member mid-set was a bit over the top, but they’re definitely a band I’d like to see again.

Now its on to Amon Amarth/Arch Enemy/At the Gates this Thursday.

BrianE · Post by **BrianE** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 11:53 am

I’ll look forward to your review of Amon Amarth, I’m seeing them on the 12th in NYC. Saw them a couple of years ago and they were really great live.

Saw Ghost 3 times on the last album tour, but didn’t get to catch them this time around. All were excellent shows.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:33 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:47 am
Twin Temple was great as the opener as well. Their satanic doo-wop was surprisingly fun to watch, and the lead singer had an amazing voice. I thought that the live satanic temple initiation ritual with an audience member mid-set was a bit over the top, but they’re definitely a band I’d like to see again.

From my previous post in this thread, everyone knows that I am not Ghost biggest fan. Especially after their latest album. Your wright up got me to look this group up on the youtube, and holy crap is that weird. Amy Winehouse or Duffy taken a step or two darker. Which I am sure is not unintentional. And then paired with Ghost. That must of been a show.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 10:19 pm

mori wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:33 pm
Skinypupy wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:47 am
Twin Temple was great as the opener as well. Their satanic doo-wop was surprisingly fun to watch, and the lead singer had an amazing voice. I thought that the live satanic temple initiation ritual with an audience member mid-set was a bit over the top, but they’re definitely a band I’d like to see again.
From my previous post in this thread, everyone knows that I am not Ghost biggest fan. Especially after their latest album. Your wright up got me to look this group up on the youtube, and holy crap is that weird. Amy Winehouse or Duffy taken a step or two darker. Which I am sure is not unintentional. And then paired with Ghost. That must of been a show.

It actually brought up an interesting question that we discussed after the show. This concert was at the Maverick Center, which is a decent size arena. There were ushers at every portal, and they all looked to be middle aged to older folks.

When Twin Temple opened their set with a Satanic Prayer, dipped a cross upside down in blood and flicked it into the crowd, did that whole satanic initiation ritual, then led the crowd in multiple chants of "Hail Satan", it made me wonder if the venue staff received at least some sort of warning that this was going to happen. I also wondered if they had the ability to opt out. Given that this is Utah, I could imagine a lot of truly horrified people if they had no idea any of that was coming.

Side note: I have no idea (nor do I really care, tbh) if any of the rituals or prayers were "official" Church of Satan stuff, or if it was all just a stage show. Certainly looked and sounded legit enough, and was likely enough to really unnerve religious folks who might have come in unaware.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 11:02 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 10:19 pm
Side note: I have no idea (nor do I really care, tbh) if any of the rituals or prayers were "official" Church of Satan stuff, or if it was all just a stage show. Certainly looked and sounded legit enough, and was likely enough to really unnerve religious folks who might have come in unaware.

side comment, but definitely not. Satanic Temple members are usually athiests with a flair for the theatrical.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Mon Sep 30, 2019 9:53 am

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:01 pm We were planning on doing one last 70k Cruise next year for their 10th anniversary event. We’re now less than 4 months out, and they have yet to announce a single band, prices, or booking availability.

Seriously starting to wonder if it’s even going to happen next year. I’ll be really bummed if it falls through.

They really are leaving it late if the cruise is supposed to start in just about 3 months. I wonder what's going on.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Mon Sep 30, 2019 9:59 am

pr0ner wrote: ↑Mon Sep 30, 2019 9:53 am
Skinypupy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:01 pm We were planning on doing one last 70k Cruise next year for their 10th anniversary event. We’re now less than 4 months out, and they have yet to announce a single band, prices, or booking availability.

Seriously starting to wonder if it’s even going to happen next year. I’ll be really bummed if it falls through.
They really are leaving it late if the cruise is supposed to start in just about 3 months. I wonder what's going on.

To say that people are pissed would be massive understatement. There's already a ton of people who have attended every previous 70K who have pulled out and are going to other festivals instead. Whatever sense of anticipation they're trying to build by delaying the announcements is backfiring spectacularly. Their customer service keeps sending out e-mail responses confirming it's "100% happening and details will be coming soon", but...nothing. If nothing is announced by the Amon Amarth show this Thursday, we're probably going to bail on next year as well.

Someone even created a parody of Alestorm's "Fucked With an Anchor" and titled it "Fuck Soon" ("soon" is the standard response from the company about literally any question). It's all about the clusterfuck this time around...quite funny.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Wed Oct 02, 2019 12:33 pm

next Tuesday there are three competing concerts and i can only attend one: Stiff Little Fingers, The Waterboys and Ride. do i go Northern Ireland in the 70s, Scotland in the 80s or England in the 90s....

(of the three i've only seen The Waterboys before, but it was such a good concert i would for sure go again)

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:00 pm

Redd Kross and Melvins last night were outstanding.

I was bummed that ShitKid didn't open. Instead it was a Japanese guy who manipulated sounds via an analog synth and maybe an oscilloscope? He really needed some beats to flesh the songs out.

Some friends of mine commented after his set that they had heard another mutual friend (and my ex-brother-in-law) make better noises in 1995 with a hacked PlayStation Pretty accurate statement...

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:08 pm

Z-Corn wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:00 pm I was bummed that ShitKid didn't open. Instead it was a Japanese guy who manipulated sounds via an analog synth and maybe an oscilloscope? He really needed some beats to flesh the songs out.

Theremin?

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:18 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:08 pm
Z-Corn wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:00 pm I was bummed that ShitKid didn't open. Instead it was a Japanese guy who manipulated sounds via an analog synth and maybe an oscilloscope? He really needed some beats to flesh the songs out.
Theremin?

Dude, I know what a theremin is. I've seen Jon Spencer 4 or 5 times since the mid '90's. And it's one of my life goals to build and learn to play one.

No, this was a Moog analog synthesizer. And an image of the oscilloscope projected on a sheet next to him. And he was spinning dials and plugging and unplugging cables.

Ah Christ, you made me look him up!

Here's his whole set from a couple weeks ago from The Troubadour:

JetFred · Post by **JetFred** » Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:24 pm

Dream Theater tickets sold so poorly that now I could have gotten closer seats at a third the price.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Wed Oct 02, 2019 7:01 pm

Z-Corn wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:00 pm Redd Kross and Melvins last night were outstanding.

I was bummed that ShitKid didn't open. Instead it was a Japanese guy who manipulated sounds via an analog synth and maybe an oscilloscope? He really needed some beats to flesh the songs out.

Some friends of mine commented after his set that they had heard another mutual friend (and my ex-brother-in-law) make better noises in 1995 with a hacked PlayStation Pretty accurate statement...

Toshi used to be Big Business' guitarist and has contributed to a whole lot of Melvins albums. i enjoyed the visuals... i want a 3D oscilloscope...

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Wed Oct 02, 2019 7:27 pm

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 7:01 pm
Z-Corn wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:00 pm Redd Kross and Melvins last night were outstanding.

I was bummed that ShitKid didn't open. Instead it was a Japanese guy who manipulated sounds via an analog synth and maybe an oscilloscope? He really needed some beats to flesh the songs out.

Some friends of mine commented after his set that they had heard another mutual friend (and my ex-brother-in-law) make better noises in 1995 with a hacked PlayStation Pretty accurate statement...
Toshi used to be Big Business' guitarist and has contributed to a whole lot of Melvins albums. i enjoyed the visuals... i want a 3D oscilloscope...

Oh now see, I'm ignorant to that fact. I've seen Big Business a couple times with Melvins too.

Did you catch this show?

If I build a theremin and you get a 3D oscilloscope we should do some collabs.

stimpy · Post by **stimpy** » Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:44 pm

Maybe I'm just old and not hip anymore, but that is one of the stupidest thing I've seen pass for "music" since that crappy EDM.

Archinerd · Post by **Archinerd** » Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:59 pm

Saw Tinariwen last night at Thalia Hall, Chicago.
There are videos up on youtube of the actual show I was at, but not great quality.

Here they are in KCRWs studio.

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:11 am

That looks like it'd be a great show.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Thu Oct 03, 2019 11:44 am

Me and the wife leave a week from today for the Exit 111 festival.

Never been to a weekend festival, much less in our late 40's. No idea what to expect. We are tent camping and just hoping we can make it to GnR Sunday evening.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Thu Oct 03, 2019 2:06 pm

Z-Corn wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:00 pm
Did you catch this show?

yup (as mentioned earlier). both nights in Seattle were sold out, but a friend of a friend managed to buy an extra ticket, which i just purchased from them.

If I build a theremin and you get a 3D oscilloscope we should do some collabs.

should that come to fruition, would be worth considering.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu Oct 03, 2019 3:22 pm

I waited too long and missed out on my chance for tickets to Conversations with Nick Cave earlier this week.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Fri Oct 04, 2019 2:31 am

The Amon Amarth show tonight got off to a bad start. The show was supposed to start at 7, so we planned to get there around 7:30. We knew we’d likely miss the first opener (Grand Magus), but would catch At the Gates (the band I was most excited to see), Arch Enemy, and AA.

Unbeknownst to us, there was a Jonas Brothers concert at a venue about a block away. So it took us nearly an hour to find a parking spot and walk to the show, when it usually takes about 10 minutes. We finally got there right as AtG was finishing their set.

Arch Enemy was meh, but then I’ve never been much of a fan.

Amon Amarth was kinda fun, but I had somewhat of an epiphany halfway through their show. I think I like the idea of Amon Amarth - angry Swedish dudes growling catchy songs about Vikings, Norse Gods, and beer - more than I like the actual band. Everything just kinda sounds the same after a while. The set was cool (the Viking helm drum riser and giant dragon head were nice touches), but it was all very same-y and I was certainly ready for it to end by the time the encore rolled around.

Maybe it was disappointment in missing the opener, maybe it was the fact we were packed in like damn sardines, maybe it was the fact that at least three people puked during the show, maybe I was tired from a 6:30am call, or maybe it was the fact that I saw one of the best shows ever less than a week prior (Ghost), but I came away mostly underwhelmed.

Oh, and fuck the Jonas Brothers.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:02 am

Skinypupy wrote:The Amon Amarth show tonight got off to a bad start. The show was supposed to start at 7, so we planned to get there around 7:30. We knew we’d likely miss the first opener (Grand Magus), but would catch At the Gates (the band I was most excited to see), Arch Enemy, and AA.

Unbeknownst to us, there was a Jonas Brothers concert at a venue about a block away. So it took us nearly an hour to find a parking spot and walk to the show, when it usually takes about 10 minutes. We finally got there right as AtG was finishing their set. Arch Enemy was meh, but then I’ve never been much of a fan.

Amon Amarth was kinda fun, but I had somewhat of an epiphany halfway through their show. I think I like the idea of Amon Amarth - angry Swedish dudes growling catchy songs about Vikings, Norse Gods, and beer - more than I like the actual band. Everything just kinda sounds the same after a while. The set was cool (the Viking helm drum riser and giant dragon head were nice touches), but it was all very same-y and I was certainly ready for it to end by the time the encore rolled around.

Maybe it was disappointment in missing the opener, maybe it was the fact we were packed in like damn sardines, maybe it was the fact that at least three people puked during the show, maybe I was tired from a 6:30am call, or maybe it was the fact that I saw one of the best shows ever less than a week prior (Ghost), but I came away mostly underwhelmed.

Oh, and fuck the Jonas Brothers.

Yeah, I'll agree with you on AA. I saw them once live and enjoyed it quite a bit. But a good chunk of their music sounds exactly like the rest. I won't go out of my way to see them again, but if they are opening for someone, I'd definitely catch them.

And I think we'd both agree on the only thing that is impressive about Arch Enemy

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Wed Oct 09, 2019 3:12 am

four concerts to choose from tonight, but i was so exhausted after the five hour job interview i had today i took a nap instead.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:51 pm

Leaving tomorrow to head to Exit 111 festival. Quite excited for several groups to see. Others are meh.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Mon Oct 21, 2019 12:49 pm

10/29: Sabaton, Hammerfall
11/08: Alestorm, Aephanemer, Crimson Shadows
11/18: Ensiferum, Kalmah, Abigail William, Aenimus

I think I might be overcompensating for missing those Gloryhammer and Kalmah concerts earlier this year.

Really excited I'm getting a second chance to see Kalmah (for the first time)! And this will be the second time for Alestorm. No more inflatable duckies, though... I saw a post that the company went out of business or stopped making them, IIRC. Maybe this awesome limited edition t-shirt will make up for it:

"Canada! We're going to be arriving in your silly frozen country in just over two weeks - got yer tickets yet? We'll be selling this tour shirt exclusively on tour, so you gotta come if you want one! It features all your favorite Canadian things, such as red and white flags, mooses, skeletons, and uhhh the glistening citadel of Toronto being destroyed by meteors." For seemingly no apparent reason... which is appropriately Alestorm.

JetFred · Post by **JetFred** » Mon Oct 21, 2019 7:52 pm

Dream Theater was good, but Asheville, NC, is not the city for them. They sold less than half the house. Also, I think the noise of live was covering some inaccuracy in his voice that's coming with age, because it sounded fine in person but off in my recordings.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Tue Oct 22, 2019 2:27 pm

Took them way too long, but 70K finally got their shit together and booking started today. We’re doing one last cruise in 2020 before giving it a break for a few years.

Emperor and Haggard being announced as the first two bands made that decision a lot easier. Never seen Emperor before but have always wanted too. Hoping it means we’ll get an Ihsahn solo set as well.

EDIT: Candlemass was added today as well, which makes two “bucket list” bands on this cruise.

stimpy · Post by **stimpy** » Fri Oct 25, 2019 5:41 pm

Up to 10 bands:
Candlemass
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Haggard
Leaves’ Eyes
Moonsorrow
Origin
Venom
Wintersun

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Fri Oct 25, 2019 5:46 pm

stimpy wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2019 5:41 pm Up to 10 bands:
Candlemass
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Haggard
Leaves’ Eyes
Moonsorrow
Origin
Venom
Wintersun

Got all my booking finalized and paid yesterday.

Hell, I'd probably pay to go just for those 10 bands alone...and we still have 50 more announcements to go.

Rumor is that Emperor is going to play the "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" album in its entirety for one of their sets, which would be mind-blowing.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:53 pm

So on Tuesday I saw Hammerfall and Sabaton. Overall, I had a blast. As this was only my second metal concert, I'm sure some of the things I'm going to recount are "Duh!" moments, but I found the experience so fascinating I can't help but share.

It seemed unusual to me this was a two-band show. I kind of figured three was the norm with the opening act generally being local, but I'm sure it varies. This particular venue has an ironclad cutoff time of 23:00, which I presume limited Hammerfall to playing their shorter 11-song set from the tour, as opposed to the longer 13-14 one I saw pop up on setlist.fm a couple of times in the preceding weeks. (I've taken to listening to set lists in advance to better familiarize myself with songs I don't already know.) I was bummed this resulted in Dominion being cut, one of the songs I took a stronger liking to. Mind you, the song I really wanted them to play was One Of A Kind, which I discovered I'd had saved in Spotify for a few years despite not recalling the song nor remembering how I'd discovered it. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear they've ever played that live.

* * * *

So I showed up an hour early, and was surprised to find a line that was already probably 200 feet long. Solo for this show, I took my place and passed the time by checking out the band shirts people had on (I was wearing my Slechtvalk crowd funding reward) and wondering whether the shawarma place a few doors down from the theatre would still be open after the show. Despite not being near the front of the line, my experience was similar to seeing Alestorm/Gloryhammer last year. When I finally made it inside, the floor was pretty empty save for the 70 people pressed up against the barricade. (Where had everyone gone? They weren't at the merch stand.) At the Alestorm concert my pal and I hung about two thirds of the way back. But being alone this time, I figured why not get up close? I would call this a moderate mistake.

See, I'd read online that Sabaton concerts don't usually develop large pits (though of course it varies by show). I walked up to the front and started sizing people up. There was a young couple ahead of me. To their left was a guy in a plaid shirt and musician's earplugs. There were a couple of older guys with grey hair. A short college kid right in front of me in a generic grey hoodie. Not a threatening crowd... no spiked wristbands; no goregrind or deathcore t-shirts (er, not that I'd recognize the logos). But what I failed to do was take serious notice of the crowd that filled in behind of me. I gather it works something like this... in a medium theatre venue, for the first 15 feet you have the hardcore fans who just want to capture awesome photos and get splashed with the performers' sweat. From 15-25 feet, you have serious fans who want to be up close and personal yet still able to see the whole stage. And from 25-45 you have the lunatic daredevils willing to make the most out of Canada's public healthcare system. Well, it turns out I chose to stand around foot 26. Having a pit break out in front of you isn't so bad (especially if you're a big guy like me)... you can see what's coming and brace yourself. But having one form directly behind you is an unideal experience.

And for the majority of Hammerfall's set, things were pretty calm. Moshing broke out a few times, but if you stood your ground you were mostly left alone. But the moment Sabaton began playing their first song (Ghost Division--I'm getting mild anxiety just listening to it now), I was being crushed forward, struggling to stay on my feet. I instinctively lowered my frame and stretched out my arms and legs like a goalie, spending a good amount of time embracing the audience members in front of me to steady myself and spread out the force I was in turn inflicting forward. I got a few quizzical looks... I couldn't tell if they were annoyed thinking I was trying to draw them into the pit, or were just confused that my method of survival was giving them waist hugs. I also felt the need to keep looking over my shoulder lest I let a crowd surfer fall and/or get a shoe in my face (I came very close).

When the moshing didn't significantly subside after another song or two, I retreated behind the pit. I feel no shame. Being on the periphery of the pit was a thrilling experience, but it's a shitty way to experience a concert. At least, it's not something I personally enjoy.

* * * *

As for the performance itself... I didn't really know Hammerfall before hearing they were the opening act. They're as much heavy metal as they are power metal. As I got to know them in the weeks and months leading up to the concert, I found them rather generic. About a third of their songs were catchy, but they weren't really a band I'd choose to listen to. After having seen them live, my opinion of them is improved. Vocalist Joacim Cans is extremely charismatic (though his joke about no women coming to European shows felt dated), and the band definitely gives it their all. Their brand of cheesy metal definitely plays very well live where it's hard to be self-conscious. (Hearts on Fire made me cringe when I first heard it, but it's kind of fun in a crowd of engaged fans.) I found it really cool that they hung out at the back of the theatre next to their merch stand at the end of the show to chat and pose for photos. They're headlining their own tour next September. I'm on the fence.

Sabaton was just outstanding, with amazing energy. While I kind of presume he says it in every town, Joakim Brodén kept reacting like he couldn't believe how into it the audience was, and commented that the atmosphere was amazing. Who knows, maybe it was true? The pit crowd got down on the ground and started rowing before they played Swedish Pagans... saw this during Alestorm's Nancy the Tavern Wench as well. Joakim, breathless, said he had no idea what the fuck was going on. This amused me... though apparently this is a common audience interaction for this song. Perhaps it confused him that they started doing it before the song had even begun, or he was just playing around? Another highlight was at the end, when he chose a 13-year-old kid to give his sunglasses to. When he learned his name was Luke, the guitarist played the Star Wars theme and the audience chanted his name for two minutes. It was also cool to see their new guitarist Tommy Johansson, whom I knew from his band ReinXeed. This band plays with so much power, they're a ton of fun. (If I'd been younger and braver, Night Witches might have gotten me to jump into the pit intentionally.) It was kind of disappointing that the video projection was mostly obscured by the tank prop, but that's just a minor atmosphere thing.

* * * *

- T-shirts were $45 ($34 USD) and $50 ($38) for the two bands respectively, holy cow! That's probably what you'd pay online with shipping, but I wasn't expecting them to be that much.

- I wish I had a mind for lyrics... I rarely memorize them without actively trying, even after dozens of listens. Makes me jealous of the sing-a-long folks.

- After Gloryhammer/Alestrom gave me an earache last year, I picked up some EarPeace HD earplugs. Unfortunately, even using the lightest filters, I found they muffle the performance way too much. This led to me popping them in and our a couple times to give my ears a break, but being unwilling to use the full-time to protect my hearing. They just defeated the point of being there. I'm sure there's a lot of history as to why acts play so loud, but I wish they'd play at a reasonable level so that no one was at risk of serious hearing loss.

- Outside of slamdancing, some other concertgoers just seem so oblivious when it comes to personal space. I'm always trying to be conscious of my surroundings and attempting to hold my ground against interlopers, while ultimately inching backwards to be polite. Meanwhile people are literally jumping on my toes and grinding their backs into my gut. I don't mind getting close to strangers in this environment... it's part of the experience. I definitely make unintentional glancing contact with others occasionally. But bloody hell, some people seem to have no spatial awareness whatsoever.

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:19 pm

My daughter is freaking out because My Chemical Romance are reuniting for a single show in LA. There's no way we can make it - and yet I find myself wondering if there's a way I could make it happen.

It will be a moot point tomorrow when tickets sell out in 15 seconds.

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:48 pm

Sudy wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:53 pm So on Tuesday I saw Hammerfall and Sabaton.

Love this write up and review of the show!

You got steel toe shoes? I learned years ago to have a good pair of steel toe Doc's for shows. Classic, they look good and are functional. Buy the expensive ones. You may be able to get real deal British pairs easier than me. Back in the '80's we drove to Windsor to get them.

Imma repeat my story of the hardest show I ever saw. Slayer on the South Of Heaven tour at Harpos. Not my favorite Slayer album but it was the current tour. We didn't know until we drove up and saw the marquee that Danzig was opening for their eponymous album tour.

Danzig's crowd destroyed everybody until Slayer mopped up the remains. I'm not joking. There was so much atmospheric pressure from the pit that you would just get flung out of the orchestra pit that contained the...um...pit. It was bizarre.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:10 pm

Great writeup Sudy! Glad you (mostly) had fun. I've seen both bands a couple times, and while neither of them are my thing musically, they put on a fun show. I imagine it'd be even more fun in a band-specific setting (instead of a festival), as there would be more die-hard fans.

When the moshing didn't significantly subside after another song or two, I retreated behind the pit. I feel no shame. Being on the periphery of the pit was a thrilling experience, but it's a shitty way to experience a concert. At least, it's not something I personally enjoy.

I used to spend shows either up against the front rail or right in/around the pit, but I'm too old for that shit nowadays. I typically just hang out behind the pit now, less chance of spilling my beer. I'll sometimes jump in for a bit on bands that I really love (spent most of the Behemoth show right in the middle of it, for example), but I'm usually perfectly fine just chilling out away from the action.

Part of me is disappointed that I can't really get into the pit and mix it up anymore...but then I remember how nice it is to be able to get out of bed the next morning.

Z-Corn wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:48 pm Imma repeat my story of the hardest show I ever saw. Slayer on the South Of Heaven tour at Harpos.

Mine was either Anthrax or Skeletonwitch. Both of those pits were sheer madness. Enslaved was pretty brutal as well.

Funnest was probably Fleshgod Apocalypse on last year's cruise. They played the very last show, so everyone brought down the pillows from their rooms and the pit turned into a giant pillow fight. A wall of death with pillow padding is hilarious.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Fri Nov 01, 2019 3:01 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:10 pm
Z-Corn wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:48 pm Imma repeat my story of the hardest show I ever saw. Slayer on the South Of Heaven tour at Harpos.
Mine was either Anthrax or Skeletonwitch. Both of those pits were sheer madness. Enslaved was pretty brutal as well.

the Toxic Holocaust/Municipal Waste show from last year. i actively avoided the pit there

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Fri Nov 01, 2019 5:42 pm

Exodor wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:19 pm My daughter is freaking out because My Chemical Romance are reuniting for a single show in LA. There's no way we can make it - and yet I find myself wondering if there's a way I could make it happen.

It will be a moot point tomorrow when tickets sell out in 15 seconds.

I was wrong.

It took 3 minutes for tickets to sell out.

I was not one of the lucky few who got them.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Mon Nov 04, 2019 3:16 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Sat Aug 03, 2019 2:40 am Bell Witch played an absolutely mind blowing set.

For all of 35 minutes. Then they unplugged and just...left. We were all left standing around saying “that’s it?”

It was one of the strangest shows I’ve ever been to. Guess I’m glad it was only $10.

they've been added as an opening band for Mono tonight (Mamiffer [sp?], the side project of that guy from ISIS, is the other) so i expect they'll play for almost as long as their headlining set time...

EDIT: i actually timed it tonight. Bell Witch's set time as an opener was actually 40 minutes lolololol

i bought the new Mono album _Nowhere Now Here_ on CD, a t-shirt and the 10th anniversary edition of _Hymn to the Immortal Wind_ on stupid vinyl. but that album is on another level, so i didn't mind. show started late so the 20 minute song that was the encore ended right at midnight:30 and i have to work tomorrow. i didn't mind that either.

also, go see Mamiffer should they ever venture outside of Seattle. that was quality.