Hey all,
So I went up to Athens GA (for what turned out to be a two-hour drive in heavy traffic and pouring rain on a NASTY Friday night) last Friday to see my friend Matt Smith's band Theocracy play a kickin' 30-minute set to close out Athfest.
Unfortunately the band didn't get to actually go on till 2 AM or so, but they made it well worth the wait (and the drive up, at least for me). One new song (a song whose name, unfortunately, I didn't catch), plus several tunes from the debut CD including "Ichthus", "Mountain", "The Victory Dance" and the crown jewel of the night, "The Serpent's Kiss" to close the night out.
Matt's powerful voice sounds just as fantastic live as it does on the record, and his guitar skills were on full display as well, from crunchy rhythms to furious solos. New bassist Josh Sloan is a great addition to the band, fitting in as if he'd been with them for ages. Drummer Shawn Benson is an absolute monster behind the kit, maintaining inhuman tempos and playing complex fills with effortless ease. Theocracy is normally a three-piece band, but a friend of Matt's, Jon Hinds, was a special addition to the lineup for this show, and he too slotted perfectly into the mix, playing rhythm and lead with equal facility.
I took bucketloads of pictures from the show. Most of them (the good ones, anyway) are up on my Flickr page. They can be seen at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/philcarter/sets/72157594177554437/
It was a GREAT show, definitely enough to whet my appetite for the band's appearance at the upcoming PP pre-show party. Can't wait to see them blow everyone off stage there -- and I hope to see large numbers of you people there too. Matt's done a hell of a job putting together a band that's capable of bringing his music to life. You owe yourself a trip to see 'em play.
cheers,
Phil
So I went up to Athens GA (for what turned out to be a two-hour drive in heavy traffic and pouring rain on a NASTY Friday night) last Friday to see my friend Matt Smith's band Theocracy play a kickin' 30-minute set to close out Athfest.
Unfortunately the band didn't get to actually go on till 2 AM or so, but they made it well worth the wait (and the drive up, at least for me). One new song (a song whose name, unfortunately, I didn't catch), plus several tunes from the debut CD including "Ichthus", "Mountain", "The Victory Dance" and the crown jewel of the night, "The Serpent's Kiss" to close the night out.
Matt's powerful voice sounds just as fantastic live as it does on the record, and his guitar skills were on full display as well, from crunchy rhythms to furious solos. New bassist Josh Sloan is a great addition to the band, fitting in as if he'd been with them for ages. Drummer Shawn Benson is an absolute monster behind the kit, maintaining inhuman tempos and playing complex fills with effortless ease. Theocracy is normally a three-piece band, but a friend of Matt's, Jon Hinds, was a special addition to the lineup for this show, and he too slotted perfectly into the mix, playing rhythm and lead with equal facility.
I took bucketloads of pictures from the show. Most of them (the good ones, anyway) are up on my Flickr page. They can be seen at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/philcarter/sets/72157594177554437/
It was a GREAT show, definitely enough to whet my appetite for the band's appearance at the upcoming PP pre-show party. Can't wait to see them blow everyone off stage there -- and I hope to see large numbers of you people there too. Matt's done a hell of a job putting together a band that's capable of bringing his music to life. You owe yourself a trip to see 'em play.
cheers,
Phil
