What a fucking weekend!
Just got back from night 2 of Opeth. I was at the Vancouver show last night and what a great time that was. Things were looking pretty grim in the couple of days before the show with the whole Lopez situation, but I kept thinking that there couldn't be a better place for a metal band to be playing a show when in need of a drummer than Vancouver - home of Gene "the human kick pedal" Hoglan! When I got to Vancouver and heard the rumours that Gene was actually gonna play with them I couldn't fucking believe it!
They played the Damnation stuff flawlessly, in fact it seemed better than on the Damnation tour itself. The crowd really made the best of what was a somewhat dissapointing situation. Everyone was going nuts despite the reduced set list, but when Gene came on stage the feeling in the building and the cheering was amazing. He pulled the songs off masterfully considering he had just learnt them and he really had almost all of the details in the cymbals, etc. intact! Got to say a few words to all of the guys including Gene and Per during the signing and got a picture with Mike and all of their autographs. Fuck, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face after that show. Brilliant!
Since Mike had announced that Lopez would be back for Seattle, my brother, some buddies and I got the idea to head down and catch that show too. During the signing in Vancouver Mike told me they would be playing the full set and I told him that I might have to jeopardize one of my assignments and check it out. "Hmmm, might be worth it" he said. What a fucking understatement!
I thought Moonspell were amazing and had some of the best sound I've ever heard from a live band. I wasn't familiar with them before these 2 shows aside from a music video or two that I'd seen but I'm definitely gonna have to get some of their stuff.
DevilDriver almost ruined the night for me but didn't quite succeed. After deciding that I couldn't justify fighting off the swarms of stubby/stocky-5-foot-high-shaved-head-white-wife-beater-red-baseball-cap guys that came out of the woodwork for DevilDriver I ended up losing my spot up front. They had a good crowd response and they sure got the tough guy look mastered while they're kicking out those monotonous chugging E string riffs. Just about ruined my night.
Fortunately, Opeth showed them how metal is done properly. Highlight of the night was The Moor without a doubt. Pure Fucking Brilliance from start to finish! I was getting some crazy goosebumps during the passing through the moor part!
Blackwater Park and April Etherial were rad too, what a treat! I've gotta give a huge Kudos to all the people on the right hand side just behind the moshpit! Great fucking headbanging and windmilling all around! I was having trouble keeping up with one of the girls back there, she didn't let up headbanging at all! Truly an impressive display of metal spirit from everyone back there! I have no shortage of great things to say about both the shows but I've said a lot already so hopefully some other people that were there can fill in some of the other details! If anyone there remembers seeing me let me know. I've got fairly long black hair and I was wearing a katatonia Tonight's Decision shirt! Cheers!