Other Gigs

[Eurynome]

I might be interested as well but have no idea yet if I can come up with the money. At least not right now because I gotta buy a new computer - f*ck discontinuation of XP support.

Anyway, Kuolemanlaakso played a great gig a Rocks last night, first one for the new album which I warmly recommend anyway. Mikko's vocals should have been louder, though, but maybe they were mixed down on purpose - the guys live in very different parts of Finland and didn't really have the opportunity to rehearse the material together before the show.

 

[xptrinity]

I might be interested as well but have no idea yet if I can come up with the money.

You're most welcome as usual

Looks like I'll be going to Metaldays in Slovenia with some friends and this would be my summer holiday. Not a bad way to spend one's vacations, I suppose.

 

[Luoto]

MyGrain was a blast at Nuclear Nightclub, the setlist didn't even have that many boring moments. This sure is a band worth catching right now.

Profane Omen were also on the bill, but I didn't stay for them because "Maikkarit" started about an hour later than announced by the venue.

 

[Eurynome]

When I discovered Kate Bush back in 1985 (I still remember picking up "Hounds of Love" in that brand-new, long-since defunct record store in the somewhat sinister industrial area north of the town I lived in as a kid, fortunately my mom had no idea I went there all by myself...), I accepted that I would never forever see her live, because, quite simply, she would never play another live show. That simple truth got shattered today by an announcement that sounds even more tempting than PL in Bulgaria. I'm sure the prices will be skyrocketing and there'd be the costs of the trip on top of it, but....... Then again, there probably won't be a snowball's chance in hell of scoring a ticket in the first place. But still, just thinking of the possibility...

 

[tuonelan]

That's how I felt a few years ago when I got to see Dead Can Dance after years of inactivity.

Kate Bush is awesome.

Guess you're gonna have to make a deal with God.

 

[xptrinity]

Hugh Laurie will be singing the blues in Sofia on July 11. Now, that's gonna be quite something.

 

[xptrinity]

Laibach played in Sofia on Wednesday. It was shattering.

 

[Eurynome]

Just got home from Barren Earth's first gig with Jón. Absolutely bloody fantastic. And that's from a long-time Kotamäki fan. (Mikko himself suggested his successor, and tonight they sang "Flicker" together..... > )

 

[tuonelan]

So what's your impression of how BE changes with Jón at the front rather than Mikko? Is the energy different? Seems like Jón is fairly self-contained like Mikko when he's with Hamferð. Does this hold for him with BE as well?

 

[Karhu]

 

[tuonelan]

Going to see Mastodon/Gojira/Kvelertak in October -- theater venue. Should be a great show.

 

[Karhu]

Rival Sons people, Rival Sons. Might be too much of a spiritual bath of eating apples and talking to the tree, but beer helps and makes it all a good time. Satan next weekend.

 

[tuonelan]

Okay, now have tickets to:

Mastodon, Gojira, Kvelertak

Pallbearer, Sólstafir, The Mortals

Opeth, In Flames, Red Fang

...all before the year is out. \m/

 

[papajohnny]

Okay, now have tickets to:

Mastodon, Gojira, Kvelertak

Pallbearer, Sólstafir, The Mortals

Opeth, In Flames, Red Fang

...all before the year is out. m/

I officially hate you.

 

[Tiiti]

Barren Earth and Katatonia yesterday, rockrock.

A bit childish I had decided that it just can't be as good with Jón as it was with Kotamäki. But what a hell: it was really good, heavymetal and fantastic. While singing Jón was self-confident and knew just what he was doing. While saying a few word to the audience, he was like a little boy who is not so sure about what he's donig. But it was only cute, because all the other time he really knew what to do.
I really liked he's voice and tune. I'm not sure if I'm the right person to estimate (I saw BE with Kotamäki only once), but Jón fills those big boots completely.

And yes, also Katatonia was f*ckin rockrock, magnificent, but to me BE was the main band, Katatonia was a warm up band.

Edit: They also played couple of new songs. The other i didn't quite catch, but the other kicked ass!

 

[tuonelan]

Kvelertak, Gojira, Mastodon. Great show, even though we had to leave before the end of Mastodon's set. (We were wiped out after a morning run, several hours of standing in front of a classroom, an L.A. rush hour rush, and a bunch of headbanging.)

Kvelertak brought a lot of energy to their brief set, but with that much energy coming at you non-stop, it all sort of blurs together after a few minutes. Good show, but definitely the opening act on this tour. Would like to see them develop a bit more range than their blackened AC/DC thang.

Gojira...damn, these guys bring it -- even in the middle slot. They sounded great and had a setlist that switched up the pace, building energy in the crowd that exploded into some of the most energetic pits I have seen. I have no idea how Joe Duplantier howls and roars like that every night and still manages to sing and talk. Really a great live act on all fronts.

Mastodon was also great, and clearly having a lot of fun. Their sound was none too crisp (and Brent Hind's mic was barely audible in the mix), but it hardly mattered. Everyone was too busy singing along and having fun. It felt loose and playful. After reading a couple interviews this summer, I was expecting fewer songs from Once More Round the Sun than they actually managed to fit into the set, but the new stuff sounded both fresh and well-worn.

Local color moment: Some random guy, either way drunk or speeding on something or both, tried to start a circle pit in the middle of a walkway on the second terrace up by the sound booth during the Mastodon set. People kept trying to grab him or push him away and he'd just slip out and fly off in another direction. He was getting the shit kicked out of him, but he didn't seem to notice or care. Glad that the bouncer got him and threw him out before someone decided to take his ass out. Idiot. Was happy that we were separated from that idiot by a metal railing, 'cause I wasn't in the mood to have to defend myself from a drugged out berserker.

Couldn't ruin what was, otherwise, a very fun evening. Glad we got to go.

 

[tuonelan]

Awesome show last night from Sólstafir. Video is not mine:



Lots of energy from the band. They felt locked in with each other and the audience. Mesmerizing.

This one is mine. (Let me know if the FB permissions are making this unviewable.)

 

[tuonelan]

Opeth , In Flames , Red Fang :Smokedev: at the Hollywood Palladium.

Arrived late...fucking LA rush hour traffic turned a one hour drive into a two hours and change drive. Parked at the venue at double the local parking rates rather than waste any more time.

Red Fang was already on stage when we got there. Good band. They remind me of a younger, more stripped back Mastodon. Good live sound, though. Funny. Engaging. Would see them again.

In Flames hit the stage with a ton of energy and let the crowd know that they were filming for Yahoo!, so we'd better keep up our end. Judge for yourself:

http://screen.yahoo.com/live/event/in-flames

Great show. Really enjoyed them. Had not been to an In Flames show before. (Shocking , I know.)

Crowd thinned out a bit for Opeth. Still a full crowd, but missing the hardcore Jesterheads who had driven down special just for the streaming. Didn't matter. Opeth sounded good. More keys and vocal harmonies than in the past. It really opened up the sound a lot. Typical, low key stage banter from Akerfeldt.

Last time I saw them, they were doing an all clean vocal set that was pretty, but missed the brutality of their older material.This time they had a good balance of old and new that satisfied everyone:

Eternal Rains Will Come, Cusp of Eternity, The Drapery Falls, The Moor, Windowpane, The Lotus Eater, Deliverance

Don't know if they did an encore after Deliverance or not. Had to drive back home and get ready to teach class today.

Awesome show for a slightly early birthday present for me.

 

[Eurynome]

Speaking of Opeth, here's my review of the Helsinki gig last month. Second best Opeth gig I've been to - didn't see them on the Heritage tour, but apparently I didn't miss a whole lot.

While Opeth was great, my personal highlights of the last few weeks were Borknagar (including sauna afterparty with half of the band, which turned out to be a very amiable bunch of vikings) and Ghost Brigade, who have gotten even better since their line-up change. Hopefully I won't have to wait three years again for their next show...

 

[tuonelan]

The Heritage Tour was a decent show. I rather liked hearing The Devil's Orchard, A Fair Judgment, and especially Hex Omega live. Would have been a better show, too, had they not been touring with Katatonia, who were on their own binge of mellow and moody. The evening was full of lush and pretty music, but left me wanting a bit more bite. It was like drinking Grand Marnier when you are in the mood for a smoky single malt scotch.

Of course my favorite Opeth moment is still when I saw them on tour with Enslaved and got to hear Hessian Peel live. The brutal section in the middle has one of my favorite Opeth riffs ever.

I have listened to a bit of Borknagar and like them well enough, but they have an odd harmonic and melodic sense that I like better in smaller doses. I like them in mixes better than an album at a time.

Ghost Brigade has yet to make it over here, and I don't think Borknagar has been to the USA since '99 or so.