A Sun That Never Sets

Neurosis / Tragedy / Author & Punisher / Kowloon Walled City
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
December 30, 2014

At this point in Umlaut's life, there are actually a few bands that I've shockingly been following for almost half of my life.. which for you keeping score at home means at least 25 years.  Hope I die before I get old..  Anyway, Neurosis is one of those bands.  It's been profound watching them evolve from playing pizza parlors and warehouses into the elder statesmen and volume icons they are here in the 21st Century.  Trippy, man.  I remember when they were hardcore vegans.  I also remember when they started eating meat again.  Full circle shit, man.

[Photos from the Umlaut Archives]

Top photo:  Steve Von Till and Scott Kelly with the xeroxed Umlaut Issue #2 'zine at Brave New World (R.I.P.), San Francisco circa 1992.   Bottom photo:  Neurosis visuals equipment on tour in 1992 at Spanky's Pizza (!), Orange County, California.

In what's turning into sort of an annual tradition, Neurosis closed out another year with hometown shows (tonight and a New Year's Eve shindig).  Considering that 2/5 of the band now lives out of state and this is about as heartwarming a gesture as you should expect from these dark lords.  Combined with the fact that several old friends who I rarely see in person were also in attendance and it made me glad I had ventured out on this very cold and windy San Francisco night.

I arrived early enough to catch the last part of the opening set by locals Kowloon Walled City.  I've seen the band a couple of times over the past several years and I will admit I wasn't really a fan early on... but they've won me over since then.. although I didn't think tonight was one of the better performances that I've seen by them.  Do I sound like a dick?  If so... sorry.. I honestly didn't mean to.. Anyway...

Next up was the one-man metal shop class come to life that is Author & Punisher.  I was only familiar with A&P by name only but my friend filled me in how it's the work of industrial artist Tristan Stone who made all of the harrowing equipment himself.  Honesty is my only excuse:  I can't imagine anyone listening to A&P at home or in their car.  It's like watching and listening to a drill press... but in a live setting A&P are kind of hypnotic.  My only smart ass suggestion is that it would be, like, totally cool if he manufactured trinkets during the show with the equipment (like maybe those souvenir pressed pennies..) to give out or sell after his set.  Just saying..  Anyway...

The final support act tonight was Tragedy.. and I knew absolutely nothing about them although the members looked like they've probably been to Gilman St... although the Interwebs informed me they're based in Portland.  I did not mind their Punky ways at all.. Anway...

Neurosis are probably the only band who can still turn my head inside out and affect me in the same way as they did in the 20th Century.  Their dark energy has matured and fermented into something that I find positive in a foamy dark way.  It creates a vacuum in my psyche that also pushes my mind out.  Hmm... Does that sound like Hippie Shit? 

I realized early in the set that, although this was around my 30th Neurosis show (dating back to 1991 or so), it was the first time I'd seen them headline a show without their once trademark visuals.  For the newbies:  The band jettisoned the visual side of their live performances in favor of a stripped down vision... and it completely works.  Back in the day the band's visuals were pretty cutting edge and relied on analog equipment like a slide projector and colored film placed on a bicycle rim turned by a film projector (see the photo I posted here).  Fast forward to the 21st Century and any half baked "artist" can "create" a "visual presentation" and use it with their "band" via their laptop.  Technology has ruined so many things by making them too easy, man.  I think Neurosis realized this and took themselves back to their roots... bloody roots:  Sound.. volume.. words.. music.

Opening with the appropriate 'At The End Of The Road' the set hit an early peak with the now vintage maelstrom 'Eye' coming early in the set... but the night's thematic heart came during 'Distill' for me.  It burned.. Tonight was possibly the most understated Neurosis set I've ever seen.  The energy level was a slow simmering darkness instead of the manic heated boiling madness of other shows I've witnessed.  It was mind bending for me in a different way than the past.  It was just an example of how this band can communicate differently within their own realm.  A slow burn destroys as effectively as a flash fire.  Closing the set with the constricting beauty of 'My Heart For Deliverance' (my favorite recent Neurosis song) was beyond perfect.

I didn't do a merch audit.. but I did drop $5 for a Neurosis patch and it was cool that their merch guy said how much he liked Murder In The Front Row.  Right on, man!  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  In between bands there was a Von Till dog pile with some other dudes who I've known for 20+ years and who I first saw Neurosis with back in the hazy Red Hook-drinking days:

It was a brief but special moment.  This was also my final gig of 2014.. which was also the 10th (!!) year I've been ranting in this "blog".  Crazy, man.  The more things change.. the more they stay the same... sometimes. Let's see what 2015 brings...

Black Magic Nights

Slayer / Suicidal Tendencies / Exodus
The Fox Theater, Oakland, California
November 11, 2014

Yeah, these shows were almost 2 weeks ago... but better late than never in the name of this "blog".  Anyway... This year is closing out with a tidal wave of great heavy shows here in The Bay Area (Melvins, Satan, King Diamond) but I have to admit I had been looking forward to this event most of all.  It's not often that a big Metal show rolls into town at a proper venue featuring a bill of this historic caliber... and when was the last time there were 2 sold out nights of Metal in a large indoor venue here... and it wasn't a lame 15 band bill in the local amphitheater and its parking lot.  Impressive.  I will also be honest and admit I got emo thinking about how it's been 30 years since the last time these same 3 bands shared a Bay Area stage at the legendary Day In The Dirt show back in August 1984:

[From the Umlaut Archives]

Of course, getting to the show on a Tuesday meant driving into the teeth of Bay Area rush hour traffic... and it sucked... but it didn't kill me so that's all that matters.  I should come clean and say that I used the commuter lane to get onto The Bay Bridge eventhough I didn't qualify to use it and risked a hefty fine... but I didn't get caught and it probably saved me 45 minutes getting over to the 510.  To quote the headliner:  "Blasting our way through the boundaries of Hell!"   Upon arriving I was pleasantly surprised that, despite it being the first night of the tour, there was zero Will Call drama.  If only all shows were this easy:

Since I arrived later than expected I quickly made my way downstairs to give my regards to the hometown heroes and old friends Exodus before they went onstage... and then watched from stage right as they hit the stage before moving out front.  For the newbies:  Although it might seem cool to watch a band from the side of the stage the sound sucks.  

Anyway, 6 songs was criminally too short of a hometown set for Exodus.  After opening with 2 songs off the new album the local boyz sprinted home with a solid punch of 'Blacklist' into 'Bonded By Blood' into 'Toxic Waltz' and closing with the old warhorse 'Strike Of The Beast'.   Exodus with Zetro back is great too. No more instructing a crowd to do a Wall Of Death but just letting the crowd action happen naturally.  As I said back in July, no disrespect to Dukes, but Zetro brings the East Bay vibe back to Exo that had been missing. The way he talks to a crowd, etc.. 

I guess I'm not a Suicidal For Life because I spent their set downstairs catching up with and chatting with old friends from near and far.   However, for the newbies: Backstage isn't as exciting as you might think.  Tom Araya used the dressing room blender and made a fruit smoothie while chatting.  Metal.

Back upstairs later:  Slayer pulled out an excellent setlist that was a cross section of their catalog but, since I'm having writer's block and still recovering from a flu thing, I think this photo courtesy of Umlaut's iPhone sums up the night accurately:

This dude standing in front of me took his shirt off because Slayer started playing 'Dead Skin Mask'.  SLAAAYEER!

As good as the show was performance wise I was a bit put off by how many hipster types were in the house... I mean the types who wear fashion correct denim vests with "the right" vintage looking band patches but who drunk dance to SLAAAYEER.  Anyway, who am I to judge... It was still a great show.  Then 24 hours later it was... 

Slayer / Suicidal Tendencies / Exodus
The Fox Theater, Oakland, California
November 12, 2014

Tonight I stepped up my game and arrived earlier and was able to watch some of Suicidal's soundcheck.  In the end, they were fucking with me subliminally.

War. Inside. My. Head.

After this I popped back outside to the civilization of downtown Oakland and met some friends for a pre-show dinner at the supernaturally convenient Rudy's Can't Fail.   The vibe at tonight's show was definitely cranked up a couple of notches from the previous evening as the crowd was more Metal, a little more liquored up, and a little more East Bay in general.  It was obvious that the bands picked up on this as well.  The set Exodus played, while again criminally brief, was one of my favorite sets by them in years.

Strike. Of. The. Beast.
[Photo courtesy of Photo Ray]

Again, I proved that I wasn't a Suicidal For Life as I managed to not watch their set.  Homies can bitch slap me and call me a poser the next time you see me, 'kay?  Suicidal still wanted a Pepsi but all this guy wanted was a beer... and I got one.. as well as good hang time with some old friends from near and far again.

Yes, Slayer played a different setlist tonight which was awesome. I took advantage and watched the set from different spots in the venue.

South. Of. Heaven.

Obviously, Slayer 2014 is different than the "classic" version but, as I've said before in this rant space, this lineup is so rooted in history it's profound. Both Gary and Bostaph are from the orig Bay Area Metal scene of the early 80's so the fact OG Bay Area and L.A. have joined together is profoundly full circle. More importantly this lineup has completely jelled and has a vibe that's better than you should hope for post Hanneman and Lombardo. Haters will always hate and complain because that seems to be what Metal fans do best now. Whatever.. The past is the past. Slayer 2014 is fucking great.

 Seasons. In. The. Abyss.

If you bought one of every Slayer merch item you would have paid around $500 I think.  On both nights on the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. All in all, a very great pair of nights in beautiful downtown Oakland amongst old friends and old bands.  Hope I die before I get old.

"Cursed... Black magic night.. We've been struck down.."

The Return Of The King

King Diamond 

The Warfield, San Francisco

October 30, 2014

This was quite an epic week in San Francisco! The night before the San Francisco Giants got it done and improbably brought the World Series Championship back to The Bay.  CRAZY!  Ironically, this show also fell within a few days of the 30th Anniversary of Mercyful Fate's first visit to San Francisco:

[From the Umlaut Archives]

If I remember correctly, this was King's first U.S. Tour in 6 years.  Of course, the excitement around this trek was completely justified; the S.F. show was sold out around 2 months in advance.  It's not often a bona fide event like this comes to town.  It was an obvious reminder that, compared to Metal legacy acts like King Diamond, few recent Metal bands have the same level of mystique and history that can turn grown men into screaming little school girls... unless maybe it's Baby Metal. Discuss amongst yourselves.

After a little bit of Will Call drama I found myself in the lobby during the support band surrounded by many old friends, some of whom I've known since we were teenagers.  This included an old Metal penpal named Brian Slagel who still pursues his teenage hobby of putting out records by Metal bands.  It was cool to chat and catch up with Mr. Slagel again.  The entire lobby experience tonight was all a nice full circle moment.  Curiously, members of Rancid were also there.  I guess there wasn't a Punk show tonight?

When the houselights switched off the pent up anticipation, worship, and excitement that everyone in the room had been feeling exploded.  When King appeared onstage a lot of people.. for lack of a better term.. lost their shit.

[Photos courtesy of Photo Ray]

I'll come clean and say I've never been a big fan of King's solo material.  Mercyful Fate were and are one of the most important bands in my life... but I never gravitated towards King's other material as profoundly.  Honesty is my only excuse.  However, the stage show was one of most theatrical Metal performances (in a good way) that you could hope to witness.  Since King is such a larger than life figure, the fact that he was able to bring his full European stage production here in 2014 was nothing short of a blessing.  From the cemetery gates that divided the band from the audience for the first songs, to the simple iconic backdrops, to the excellent multi-level backline it was a show I can only imagine was life changing for the youngest fans in attendance.

 [Photos courtesy of Cable Car]

Combine that with some entertaining theatrical moments with characters such as Grandma (!) during 'Welcome Home' and later her burning during 'Cremation' and it was one of the best value for money shows you could hope for in this day and age.  More Metal shows should have magic tricks onstage IMO!  Of course, on top of all this magic was King and his top notch band of veteran musicians.  They were all solid and King sounded GREAT!  Given his recent health issues, it would be easy to expect King not to be able to perform to the same level of his past and cut him some slack... but there was obviously a reason why he's waited so long to return to the stage.  Recovery.  Rebirth.  His voice was top notch and his charisma was still undeniable... and when he and the band launched into a Mercyful Fate double shot of 'Evil' into 'Come To The Sabbath' the 3,000 or so in attendance.. for lack of a better term.. lost their shit.  As a bonus since it was that time of year, the set also included an especially nice version of 'Halloween' during the encores.

Hail Satan!  Go Giants!!

If you bought one of every King Diamond merch item you would have paid around $300 I think.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  I don't know what else to say... and I also don't think I said enough.  King has been one of my heroes since before I could buy alcohol legally and it's a special thing to know that one of my heroes is still basically at the top of his game. 

"Grandma, welcome home..  You have been gone for far too long.. Is this a dream?  Are you really back?"

Click HERE to see more of Photo Ray's shots from the night!

Trial By Fire

Satan
Elbo Room, San Francisco
October 25, 2014

My friends, sometimes time travel does exist!  This show was a direct link back to 1983 San Francisco and the original Bay Area Metal Scene.  Although they've played on the East Coast before, this was Satan's first ever U.S. Tour.  The NWOBHM legends were one of the cornerstone bands for that original Bay Area Metal Scene via the tape trading and import records scene; we embraced the band as much as we did Mercyful Fate.  There were probably more bootleg Satan patches and shirts in The Bay Area than anywhere else outside of the band's hometown of Newcastle, England.

 

Bootleg Satan Patch - Aquatic Park, Berkeley - August 1984

[Photo by Harald O. from Murder In The Front Row]

Tonight was a moment I had been waiting for since 1983 and never thought would happen.  I was penpals with singer Brian Ross back in The Day and even talked to him on the phone although I couldn't really understand his Geordie accent at the time (HA!).  However, it was also bittersweet as there were many ghosts in the room.. including my old friend Sam Kress (R.I.P.). Sam introduced me to Satan.. and it still amazes me that Sam and I and our 'zine Whiplash were thanked on the Court In The Act album. 

Prior to the show I watched Game 4 of the World Series (GIANTS!!) from the comfort of Casa de Umlaut and then headed into The Mission with Photo Ray for the gig.  I was expecting the hipster infused Mission to be an overflow of vomiting post game revelers, but it was not!  Parking was found a mere 2 blocks away and, as I would soon realize, The Metal Godz had much planned for us tonight.

It still surprises me that some bands, even those who have been around a long time, might not comprehend the impact they've had on people.  The first member of Satan who I saw was guitarist Russ Tippins as he was getting out of their van.  When I approached him and asked "Are you Russ?" he answered almost warily with "Yes....." like I was a stalker.   HAHA!   It was all good... and then this happened:

[All photos courtesy of Photo Ray]

Words cannot completely articulate how profound this moment was for me... Full. Fucking. Circle!! Satan.. Whiplash.. I was speechless.. It was a moment that had been in the making since 1983... and I wish that my old buddy and co-editor Sam Kress could have been there with us on that bench on Valencia Street in San Franfuckincisco in 2014.  Amazing.  Except Russ Tippins was MIA for the photo... Oh well.

This show transcended merely being an oldies concert by an old band.  It felt like a high school reunion since SO MANY people who I first met as a teenage Metalhead were there.  SO MANY.  It was pretty emotional to be honest.  It was a moment that brought us all back to when we were pimply-faced Metalheads: The original lineup of Satan onstage in San Francisco!  Hope I die before I get old...  Due to the magnitude of the night I found myself down at the sweaty front as the band launched into 'Trial By Fire' then into 'Blades Of Steel'... and the time space continuum was shattered for the next 75 minutes or so and I was 18 years old again.

Obviously, nostalgia can cause you to look at an event like this through rose-colored glasses and rationalize any shortcomings a band might display.  Let's be honest:  Satan are a band who emerged over 30 years ago and, while it was great that it was all original members, we all know how this scenario usually plays out.  The older version of the band we loved as kidz isn't the same band from our salad days.  People get older and the youthful spirit that fueled them 30 years ago has naturally evaporated over the years.  However...

SATAN WERE NOT THAT BAND!

I was completely floored by how fantastic they were!!  They were NWOBHM legend tight and, dog bless him, Brian Ross and his voice sounded timeless and powerful.  During the set I was surrounded by old friends and at several times during the set we looked at each other and said "Holy shit!" at each other.  It was pretty special to feel 18 years old again in the company of people who I actually knew when I was 18.. back when I had a baby's brain and an old man's heart.

Graeme English (bass) and Sean Taylor (drums) anchoring the band and the twin guitar greatness of Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins put me right back in my teenage Metalhead bedroom again.  It was an epiphany to discover that Russ Tippins is the unsung Guitar God of my generation!   We never knew who played the guitar solos on specific songs and his live solos transcended any studio recordings.  It was a revelation, man... and it just added to the entire magical nature of Satan finally laying waste to San Francisco after all these years. 

I did not want the set to end.  The instrumental 'Dark Side Of Innocence' was the perfect aural bridge in my head back to the early-80's when life really was more innocent.  I felt like I had drank from the Fountain of Youth and could rage all night with one of my life-defining Metal bands again... but alas.. all things come to an end.  Appropriately the set closed with my fave Satan song 'Alone In The Dock'.. and as the sweaty heat from this blazing fun set hung in the air the night's quintessential moment came when Brian Ross dedicated the set to our departed brother Sam Kress (R.I.P.) before they left the stage.

WOW.

After the final notes rang out I made my way to the band's dressing room.. and each of the band guys greeted me with a spontaneous bro hug.. and 30 years melted away just like that.  Then when I walked outside I encountered most of the old friends I mentioned before and we all gave each other hugs.  This was as close to a high school reunion as I've ever attended and it was amazing that a Metal show could remind me of that long ago youthful bond again.  I hope the current generation of Metal kidz can have this kind of life affirming Metal moment years from now.  Then maybe some of the newer Metal bands who I dislike so much now will have served a purpose after all. 

As I said at the start of this, time travel does exist. Finally meeting these lads from Newcastle after 30+ years made up for the pain I got from my parents when they got the phone bill in 1983 after I called Brian Ross in Newcastle, England long distance to chat about Metal.  Amazing.

Special THANKS for my Asian Brutha from a different mutha Henry who was part of the Satan crew.

If you bought one of every Satan merch item you would have paid $95.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. When I got home I realized that both of my upper arms were covered in bruises from the crowd action.  I still got it.

Click HERE to see more of Photo Ray's shots from this magical night!

Humm Baby

I've been a Giants fan since I was 5.  I've been going to games semi-regularly to religiously for 30 years.  Tonight was the most amazing greatest game I've ever witnessed in person.

I lost count of how many times I said "Holy. Shit." out loud after Morse's HR in the 8th to tie and then after Ishikawa's walk off HR in the bottom of the 9th.  It was the first time the Giants have been sent to the World Series on a walk off HR since Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round The World" in 1951. 

Historic.  

Crazy. 

Amazing. 

Tonight was made even more special because I was also at the September 13th game when the Giants lost 17-0 to the fucking Dodgers; I stayed until the final out with a couple of good friends and beers.  It was the worst home loss in the 131-year history of the Giants.

Yes, I'm afraid at this moment in my life I love baseball more than Metal.

City Baby's Revenge

G.B.H. / Verbal Abuse
The Metro Operahouse, Oakland, California
September 14, 2014

This was one of the few shows that could get me out of Casa de Umlaut to drive across The Bay Bridge to down 'n dirty West Oakland on a Sunday night.  The night before I had attended and sat through the entire 9 innings of a historic 17-0 (!?) Giants loss to the fucking Dodgers; it was the worst shut out loss in the Giants 131 year history!!  Awful... The only positive was seeing manager Bruce Bochy handing the ball to his pitcher son in the 6th Inning.  It was the first time a manager father has ever brought his pitcher son into a game in the 145 year history of Major League Baseball!!  That was mind blowing amazing...but the good feeling did not last long as young Bochy quickly gave up a 2 run HR to the fucking Dodgers.  So after that traumatic baseball experience I needed a G.B.H.-style 'Give Me Fire' cleansing.    Anyway... enough about sports.

G.B.H. are one of my all-time favorite bands and they still deliver.  I know there are many who haven't seen them since back in The Day (aka The 80's).  Hear me now and believe me later:  G.B.H. here in the 21st Century are as great as you can expect a 30+ year old band to be.  They're still 3/4 of the original lineup... and the "newest" member is the drummer who has been with the band for almost 20 years now.  Solid. 

As an added bonus on this 17-city North American Tour, the lads from Birmingham opened their set by playing the seminal release Leather, Bristles, Studs and Acne front to back.  Yes, it was a Sunday night but it was inspiring to see a nice attendance... but I was surprised that not a lot of G.B.H. fans from the Metal side of the tracks were in attendance this time.  However, there was  a young "Punk" wearing an Accept shirt... but it was a Metal Heart tee.. (cue slapping forehead with palm of hand)..  Uhhh... Ooookaay.  Poser.

Verbal Abuse were a late addition to the bill and a very pleasant surprise.  The addition of these local legends ratcheted the anticipation level up in my head pre-show and I could not remember the last time I had even thought about Verbal Abuse.. but that's my loss because they completely delivered.  Nope, I have not been paying attention, but evidently the band has been playing a few shows recently so if any more pop up the old schoolers reading this should check them out.

At one point in between bands I was chatting with another longtime G.B.H. fan who had not seen them since back in The Day.  I didn't want to come off as too much of a gushing fanboy but what I did say to him was that G.B.H. would make him feel 18 years old again.. and I left it at that... Confident that the band would not make me look like an old fool.

I need not have worried!  I did indeed feel 18-years old again as G.B.H. walked onstage for their triumphant return to The Bay Area after almost a 2 1/2 year break. I was bummed that the people who I saw G.B.H. with in 1985 weren't at the show.. Number of drinks thrown at the stage during the first 1 1/2 songs = 4.  Umlaut can be a very jaded mofo... so I surprised even myself when I instinctively raised my fist in the air to sing along during the double shot of 'City Baby Attacked By Rats' into 'City Baby's Revenge'.    "... Attacked by rats!"..... "Revenge!!"

Shitty iPhone Pic courtesy of Umlaut's iPhone

My fave bullet from the past tonight was 'Drugs Party In 526'... but the set became one of my favorite shows of the year when the band threw in the riff to 'Black Sabbath' as the intro to 'Sick Boy'!  Birmingham Pride in full effect!  It's the little things.. Nice, right?!  On a night like this... with a band like G.B.H. onstage.. the Oakland Metro is the closest thing to Murder In The Front Row Ruthie's Inn that you can experience here in the 21st Century.

If you bought one of every G.B.H. merch item you would have paid around $300 I think.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced punks called me a fag.  A great night out... and I went to a G.B.H. show and bought a book instead of a t-shirt:

It's the autobiography of G.B.H. bassist Ross Lomas... and it's a fantastic read!  Click HERE to find out more about it.  The book is funny and entertaining and I had no idea it existed until the show.  I bought it on the recommendation of a friend who bought it ahead of me (Thanks Scott!).  Trivia:  Longtime Metallica sound guy legend Big Mick features prominently in the book.  I had no idea he was an early mate and sound guy for G.B.H.!  Nice, right?

Back To The Future

Kirk Von Hammett's Fear FestEvil After Party
Exodus and Special Guests  
San Diego, California
July 25, 2014

One thing led to another and Umlaut found himself landing in San Diego on a warm Friday morning.  In less than an hour this happened:

Motörhead.. "Professional"..  

If you've never been to San Diego Comi-Con (SDCC) I won't mince words:  It's a massive clusterfuck.   WAY too many people jammed into a facility that is too small; a square peg of 150,000 people trying to fit into a round hole of a convention center.  I have no idea how members of the general public have a good time at this event.  On paper it looks like a mindblowing event.  However, when you're onsite and in the belly of the beast and see the humanity strewn around the center and the surrounding streets it literally looks like the zombie apocalypse. 

Anyway, after attending to some business and watching our favorite Lead Guitarist sign a couple hundred autographs at the Nuclear Blast booth, Photo Ray and I ended up at the fantastic brew pub called Monkey Paw; we ended up there more than once over the weekend. Umlaut cannot recommend the place enough; great beer and food, a nice space, and a great jukebox (Maiden.. Motörhead..etc.).  I wish San Francisco had more places like Monkey Paw.

Then in the early evening on this warm Friday night we found ourselves back in the Gaslight District hanging out in front of a dubious looking club called F6IX with members of Exodus shooting the shit for a bit.  Evidently the club had never hosted a live band before and a proper Lock 'N Loll PA system and extensions to the stage had been brought in.  The show was a Scion sponsored event with free admission to those who submitted an online RSVP.  I was expecting it to be sweat box packed and possibly not having a good time given the fact the space was not normally a live venue.  However, the Metal Godz work in mysterious ways and tonight ended up being amazing on several levels.

After getting something to eat I hung out with some friends at a bar next door and waited for the doors to open.  Upon entering the venue I was pleasantly surprised that (1) it wasn't a dive and (2) the space was comfortably filled with mostly Metal people and not industry types.  Also, luminaries like Kerry King were casually hanging out by the bar and talking with and posing for selfies with random Metal kidz.  Pretty cool.  One thing soon led to another and I found myself behind the VIP curtain at stage left.  I must give a shout out to the security guy who was watching the VIP area because he was cool to me all night.  Thanks, bro!

Exodus Catering

Holt Awaits:  Warming up playing along to 'Seek And Destroy' on the PA

Behind the curtain, the quality hang time sitting on a comfy couch with these old friends was something I hadn't expected.  I've known at least 5 of the people who were there since before any of us could buy alcohol legally.  The Metal Godz work in mysterious ways, man.

Not long after 10:00pm Exodus stomped onto the small stage and began their first North American show with Zetro back in the band on vocals.  The lads wasted no time and immediately opened with 'Bonded By Blood' and my head left my body for a good hour.  I'm sure it's because of all of the events over the past 3 years, but hearing 'Bonded By Blood' and watching Exodus perform it again is as close to a time machine as I think I'll ever experience.  It's very magical and after 'Scar Spangled Banner' they returned to the ancient Ruthie's Inn days with 'And Then There Were None'.  Seeing Exodus in a space that was around the same size as Ruthie's Inn only magnified the Metal.

It was pretty surreal seeing Zetro back with Exodus on a Friday night in San Diego at a Comi-Con event of all places.  No offense to Rob Dukes, but I'd forgotten how important the East Bay vibe was to Exodus and how it's been missing all these years. That 510 attitude and even the way you talk to a crowd. That vibe is back and it was awesome.  

The mid-set blast of 'A Lesson In Violence' and 'Blacklist' was made even better since I was standing next to one of my oldest friends who now happens to be Mrs. Gary Holt.  Full circle...  and then the moment I'd been waiting for happened.  Anticipation was thick in the air and I know many were wondering how the moment would go as Zetro reclaimed the Exodus song that is truly his:  'Toxic Waltz' was as violent as you could hope here in the 21st Century.  Back to the future, man.. Back to the future.  "You used to do The Monkey but now it's not cool!"

The set closed traditionally with 'Strike Of The Beast' and then the encore that followed was one for the ages:  Exodus were joined by Marc Osegueda of Death Angel and the host (KRK) jamming through nice covers of 'Grinder' by Priest... then into 'Low Rider' by War (!).. then into 'Godzilla' by B.O.C... then Rob of Metallica hopped onstage for 'Seek And Destroy'.  Crazy, man. 

 

 [All live photos courtesy of Photo Ray]

 
If this had been any other night things would have ended there... but KRK had other plans and the night continued to rage as Exodus left the stage and his Special Guests joined him to keep the party going. Admittedly, the guests seemed like a random collection of band guys, but once they were onstage and plugged in things fired off nicely.  There was Marc of Death Angel, KRK, Gary Holt, Robert Trujillo, the bass player guy from King's X (?), Steve Perkins from Jane's Addiction (?), and Richard Christy from Charred Walls Of The Damned (and of course Death.. and the Howard Stern Show).  It was a very loose set of cover songs that included 'Am I Evil', 'The Real Me' (The Who), 'Diary Of A Madman', 'Trapped Under Ice', and 'Purple Haze'.  However, the most unexpectedly great song from this portion of the night was a version of 'Mountain Song' with Osegueda making everyone forget who Perry Farrell is...  As I told Marc afterwards:  "You sang Diamond Head, The Who, Priest, AND Jane's Addiction tonight?!" to which he replied "Yes I did!"  After the dust had settled on the stage this happened:

Osegueda, Umlaut, KRK
[Photo courtesy of Photo Ray]

I was actually rather giddy from all the old school energy that had just enveloped San Diego.   I had nice post gig chats with Zetro, Trujillo, and KRK and then it was back out into the warm night in search of a late night snack.  Who would have guessed that one of the greatest Bay Area Metal shows in recent memory would happen in San Diego at Comi-Con!? AMAZING..

The next day included a field trip with two of my favorite photographers, a return to the madness of the Comi-Con convention site, and another excellent session at Monkey Paw.   This happened as well:

Evil vs. Good on the Streets of San Diego

I didn't do a Kirk Von Hammet merch audit.  On the way back to the Bay Area, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags.  We will see if I return to Comi-Con any time soon, but Exodus jumping into the DeLorean and going back to the future to get their groove back was better than any Sci-Fi, man.  Also, this was the most Comi-Con moment of the weekend:

My old friend Flipside Ted deciding his drink with D&D dice. The Geeks shall inherit The Earth.  THANKS to Lance Boom and Toby for getting me sorted for the weekend and to Slagel for the drink tickets.

Click HERE to see more of Photo Ray's epic shots from the night!

Old Friends

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
The Warfield, San Francisco
July 7 and 8, 2014

Some trivia:  These shows were Umlaut's 20th and 21st times seeing Nick Cave dating back to 1990.  It was also the 12th and 13th times I've seen him at The Warfield.  As I've said several times in this space over the years, Nick Cave is my favorite songwriter... and he's also the only artist whose art has seemed to grow with me over the years and kept me engaged.  Yes, some of his albums have left me less interested than others, but I'm not one of those fans who only listens to his "old" stuff.   I'm a fan of the complete oeuvre of Cave (fancy word... Google it..).

NIGHT ONE:   Prior to the show I met up with a couple of old friends for dinner which was a nice opening act.  Also, while passing the line in front of The Warfield on my way to dinner I ran into 2 other old friends who I had not seen in awhile.  Cave shows bring people out of the woodwork.

Mark Lanegan and his deep I-fell-down-a well-while-lost-in-the-forest voice was the perfect opener for Cave tonight.  Also, his presence was made even more valuable when he sang 'The Weeping Song' with Cave & the Bad Seeds later in the night.. but I'm getting ahead of myself.

One thing I always geek out on when Nick & the Bad Seeds come into town is how the Bad Seeds are configured onstage.  This tour's configuration seemed to have the band members more segregated than in the past but I guess it's to give Nick more room to roam.  As with the performances last year, Nick worked the stage in an aggressive way that I haven't seen since his iconic early-90's shows.  I don't know what's gotten into him but it's pretty amazing.

The old warhorses like 'Tupelo', 'From Her To Eternity', and 'The Mercy Seat' still hold up, but I think my favorite song of the night was the newest song 'Jubilee Street' with its slow build up that smashes against the wall driven by that maniac Warren Ellis on violin.  Does anyone else remember Warren when he first visited San Francisco in 1995 with his band the Dirty Three wearing an AC/DC t-shirt onstage?  It's almost impossible to imagine it's the same person.  The deep cut tonight was the very vintage 'Sad Waters' (!) which hasn't been in a Nick setlist in 11 years.   The 4-song encore was given a special nod when Nick asked a fan down front what they wanted to hear, he listened, notified the band who switched instruments, and they launched into 'Jack The Ripper'.  Nice.

After the show this happened:

The backstage action was very sedate and the only Bad Seed milling around was Jim Sclavunos; I don't think I can name another drummer who is almost 7 feet tall.  Then 24 hours later it was...

NIGHT TWO: Prior to the show I met up with several old friends for dinner which was a nice opening act.  From experience, for some reason the 2nd night is always better when seeing a band on back to back nights and this is especially true with Nick & the Bad Seeds.  Night #2 in San Francisco was even more intense right out of the gate... Although the set tonight was 1 song shorter but who was counting (I was of course.. but anyway..).  There were multiple deep cuts pulled out including 'Do You Love Me' and the extremely vintage 'Watching Alice' (!); both songs evidently have not been played live in 11 years.

Unfortunately almost 2 weeks has passed since these shows and my post show excitement and inspiration has faded with time... so writing this post mortem of these special nights isn't as fiery as I would like.  All I can finish up with is that Nick Cave is literally the only artist and musician who has kept me completely engaged as profoundly as the when I first fell into that dark space of his creativity many years ago.  It's a very rare artist who can perform a song from his first album that was released 30 years ago and have it be as menacing and relevant sounding as it did in the last century, but that's what Nick did with 'From Her To Eternity' both nights.

It's an even rarer artist who can pull the past into the present so easily and then minutes later slam the here and now down with compelling songs released only a year ago.  For those wanting to know the score, Nick & the Bad Seeds played 22 songs from his cavernous catalog over the 2 San Francisco sessions this time around. Seeing Cave is still a reality check for me about what I value about music and the experience of being a Music Geek.  Metal is like having a cold beer.  Cave is like having that cold beer followed by a glass of wine with an amazing meal.  Food analogies!  Discuss amongst yourselves.

If you bought one of every Cave merch item you would have paid around $470; as much as I love Nick his merch has always been boring.  Oh well... as long as his art doesn't suffer.  On the way back to the car both nights, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  A special shout out to The Sheriff, who has been my Cave fanboy compatriot since 2001.  It's trippy how 25 years of following an artist can go by just... like.. that:

1990 - 2013

Body And Blood

Ghost
House Of Blues, San Diego, California
April 26, 2014

Ghost has been my favorite band for the past 2 years or so and sometimes the Rock Godz work in mysterious ways.  One thing led to another and I found myself in San Diego for the first time in several years and it wasn't for ComiCon!  I did not take this blessing lightly given the fact that Ghost are not visiting Northern California on this tour.

Before the show I had to wander over to the venue for a work related mission.  I must give a shout out to the pair of House Of Blues security guys (Terrance and another guy whose name I missed).  They went above and beyond assisting me despite the fact I didn't have the proper backstage pass yet.  The House Of Blues chain has a dubious reputation for being dogmatic with their "house" rules, but the attitude of these guys was very un-House Of Blues like... and for that I thank them and I hope this doesn't get them into trouble.   Long story short, a door was held open for me to enter and, among other things, I was able to witness tonight's ritual site being erected.

Exciting?  I guess so... but watching someone assemble a drum kit is about as exciting as watching someone put IKEA furniture together... but I admit I can be a jaded mofo.  Anyway, after doing what I needed to do for work it was off to a delightful pre-show dinner with great company.  Then we few, we happy few, made our way back over to the venue and up to the Will Call window.  If only all shows were this easy:

AccessAllAreas

It's been an interesting ride watching Ghost over the past 2 years as they've gained momentum and attracted a worldwide following.   The first time I saw them I knew this was going to happen and I still pity those who can't suspend their jaded attitude and simply have F-U-N with a band.  Ghost reminds me how fun it was to follow a band when I was a kid and also makes me realize I can be a kid about a band again even at my age.  A band who sing melody soaked songs about Satan and who aren't afraid to create an air of mystery around themselves despite the fact that the Internet prevents anything from being a secret.  The killjoys can find out what Papa's human form looks like... but who cares?   So many of the Metal heroes from my salad days are aging or passing away now.  It's nice to simply follow a band that rekindles that sense of escapism which attracted me to Metal bands in the first place; for an hour or two I can forget about real life.  Anyway...

After watching a song or so of the opening band I was summoned via text for an audience with Papa Emeritus II and the Ghouls.   While I had met Papa Emeritus I several times, tonight would be my first audience with his successor.   Our meeting was as intense and cerebral as you can imagine and included Papa's observations on Star Wars toys and other sobering and profound subjects of the day.  Papa Emeritus II is a worthy successor to Papa Emeritus I and I came away feeling inspired and even more motivated to evangelize on behalf of Ghost. They say a picture is worth a thousand words... so here are 3,000 words about my meeting:

 

The most profound moment came when Papa Emeritus II said "We have met before..." to my associate, who had only met Papa Emeritus I previously.  I took this as proof that part of Papa Emeritus I still lives on in the being that is Papa Emeritus II.  Discuss amongst yourselves.  Amen.  Alas, our audience with Papa and the band had to end as they needed to prepare for tonight's performance.  Papa graciously bid us adieu with a handshake and a hug as we left the dressing room just as 2 nuns were being ushered in... Hmmm.

Seeing Ghost again gave me the shot of adrenaline that I needed in my Music Geek brain.  They are the Satanic Beatles.  They are the most F-U-N band here in the 21st Century.  It was interesting seeing them in a city they were visiting for the first time in front of an audience who were mainly Ghost virgins.  I glanced around the crowd during every song to watch the awestruck excitement on the faces of San Diego as they fell under the spell of this band.

 [Photo courtesy of Cable Car]

For the geeks:  The setlist on this tour has been mixed up nicely compared to last year's run. 'Ritual' is placed in the all important 2nd song of the set slot.   For me, the 2nd song of a band's set can be the make or break part of a live set... It's when an audience's excitement is still riding on the high of the band coming onstage.  This is the point when a great live band should take their audience to another level with a roundhouse kick song... and that's what Ghost did.  'Ritual' has closed the set on past tours; having it early in the set blew the roof off things.  Magic.

This night in San Diego was my 8th Ghost ritual since their debut U.S. Tour.  The crowd was a mix of Metalheads and, for lack of a better term, normal people.  The pit was more like a fistfight than a proper pit and that was good.  There were a pair of grey-haired older gentlemen standing to my right who looked somewhat out of place.  However, they were completely engaged with the show and stayed for the entire duration.  Evil has no boundaries even with age.

As the night progressed it was filled with other memorable moments.  The pair of nuns who we had seen backstage came out during 'Body And Blood' to offer sips of sacramental wine to the front row from golden goblets during the song.  Papa noticed a child with his parents in the front and told the crowd to "Look after the little one..." and then later berated a crowd surfer for ignoring these instructions. The return of 'Here Comes The Sun' (The Beatles) to the setlist and the inclusion of 'If You Have Ghosts' (Roky Erickson) could not make it more obvious where the musical roots of Ghost lie.  The rapturous reception and response to 'Year Zero' was godlike and the crowd / band interaction during the show ending 'Monstrance Clock' mirrored that song's lyrics profoundly:

"To the sound of The End of Days.. Mesmerized the assembled sway.. Black candles burn all minds aligned.."

It was a perfect evening.

If you bought one of every Ghost merch item you would have paid around $500.  On the way back to San Francisco, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  Anyway, haters are still going to hate on Ghost but I still love everything about them.  Besides, how many bands quote Goethe on their day sheets here in the 21st Century: