So I just got back from The Black Crusade tour at The Carling Academy, Brixton, UK.
Lineup:
• Shadows Fall
• Arch Enemy
• Dragonforce
• Trivium
• Machine Head
All went well. I managed to get my friend downstairs even though he had an upstairs seating ticket which I told him would work but he wouldn't believe me.
Saw Frédéric Leclercq (bass) and Dave Mackintosh (drums) from Dragonforce standing outside have a cigarette while we were queuing up which was cool. I don't think anyone even recognised them 'cause noone was really paying attention to their presence. There were some girls standing LITERALLY a meter away and they were facing the other way like "duh, r der any uva playerz in DF apart from herman ri and samantha totman duh".
Oh well, I would have gone over and said hello if it was ZP Theart, Angela Gossow or Michael Amott.
Shadows Fall:
We weren't too fussed about this band so we just stood at the back and watched until they were done and moved down during their last song so I could see...
Arch Enemy:
Who were awesome. Opened with "Blood On Our Hands", also played "Enemy Within", "Nemesis", "My Apocalypse" and "We Will Rise". Nothing more to really say about these guys except that they were unsuprisingly badass.
Dragonforce:
I'm going to say something which none of you will expect....Dragonforce were fuckin' awesome. Me and my other buddy were expecting shitty sound, shitty mixing etc etc. Vocals were more than perfect, drums were robotic, guitar tone was great and they both played really well. Considering how much I bitch about DF live, this is saying alot. I really, really enjoyed them. I still ZP is one of the best frontmen in metal right now. Awesome dude and incredible vocalist. Overall, they sounded better to me than that video of TtFaF that I uploaded on YouTube, it was
that good.
Easily my favourite performance of the night. I'm definitely going back to see them when they tour here again.
Their setlist was:
Fury Of The Storm
Operation Ground And Pound
Starfire
Valley Of The Damned
Through The Fire And Flames
Trivium:
Again, these guys played really well too. I practically stood still through the first 3 songs though 'cause I think the stuff from "The Crusade" is shit, boring and way too "pop-ish" for me to like. "Gunshot..." was crazy though, I screamed for that one.
I think they must have played another one or two off "The Crusade" 'cause I was just like..."errr..." for a few and then it was "Rain" which I love and obviously finished with "Pull Harder..."
Their setlist was something like (might not be in order):
To The Rats
Entrance of the Conflagration
Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation
The Decieved
Rain
Becoming the Dragon
Anthem (We Are the Fire)
Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr
I got my mate into these. I gave him a CD of all these bands and he liked Trivium the most. After tonight, he likes them even more. I even got him to get himself a shirt because I could tell he really wanted it, he just didn't want to pay £20.
Machine (Fucking) Head:
I didn't really wanna see MH because I don't really like their music. I don't mind Imperium which they played and also Davidian is ok. But the rest of it, I just was looking around, waiting for time to go by. Rob Flynn seemed to be enjoying himself though. He got some guy up on stage because he was their the night before and never managed to catch a drink thrown from the stage so he took Colin (this guy) up and just gave him one. The crowd also nearly took the roof off when Dimebag Darrel was mentioned.
Overall, definitely worth the £30 or whatever it was. Didn't get stabbed in Brixton, didn't break my nose, loose anything or get locked out of the house so I'm cool. All I have to say now is bring on Children Of Bodom.
Trivium and Shadows Fall are alright, but I bet Arch Enemy and Dragonforce stole the show.
And if you want to hear Alexi's Krank tone just listen to Guitar heroes album. Oh and i think its interesting to see there was a KK marshall on the studio pics...definetly something new on there!
