May Day

Mastodon / Gojira / Kvelertak
The Fox Theater, Oakland, California
May 1, 2014

This was one of those rare all killer, no filler bills featuring 3 bands that fall into Umlaut's favorite category.  Attending shows at The Fox was made infinitely more surgical when Rudy's Can't Fail opened next door; pre-gig food and libations was never easier.  I don't know if it's merely a coincidence but it seems like guest lists always arrive late at The Fox.  I'm not saying this to slam anybody.. but it's odd.. but in the end everything usually works out fine.  If only all shows were this easy:

According to the Umlaut Archives this was the 3rd time I've seen Kvelertak.  Due to the slight Will Call drama and the early set time,  I missed the first song or two of Kvelertak's short 30 minute set... which was a bummer because I've come to be a huge fan of these Norwegians.  I always enjoy when an opening band takes over a stage and makes it their own and that's what Kvelertak did.  There was a decent crowd on the main floor to urge them on, but our pre-show meal was longer than their set.  Given the circumstances, I was just happy to have seen these warriors from the North again.  However, I did miss the owl mask which left me feeling empty.

According to the Umlaut Archives this was the 5th time I've seen Gojira.  The Frenchmen were as brutal as always and had more stage production than the headliner which was interesting. The set's 2nd song 'The Heaviest Matter of the Universe' was quintessential and the best I've ever seen the band lay it down.  Yes, their songs all tend to sound blast-beaty samey, but I admire how they can generate pit action that is as frothy as a café au lait at a Parisian cafe in the Spring.  Croissant 'N Roll!

According to the Umlaut Archives this was the 16th time I've seen Mastodon, which is hard to believe.  It's weird how trivia like that pops up after you've been following a band for 10 years.  They opened with the vintage 'Hearts Alive' and it reminded me there was a time when I was annoyed that Mastodon basically "borrowed" so much from Neurosis (song structures.. vocal stylings..).  I stopped short of calling it plagiarism because Scott and Steve of Neurosis both played on Mastodon albums.  If they didn't have a problem then neither did I and once I got past that I became a Mastodon fan.  Compared to past tours the staging was stripped down simple with no video screeens... but they did break out the lasers mid-set.  Tonight also featured a nicely compelling setlist that pretty much spanned the band's entire discography but did not include 'Blood And Thunder'... but did debut the great new song 'High Road'.  Speaking of "high".. there was alot of pot smoke being generated by the crowd.  Contact.  High.

If you bought one of every Mastodon merch item you would have paid around $350.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags.  As I was typing this I realized just how much I've been around Mastodon over the past 10 years and I had not really thought about it until now.  It's interesting how 16 shows in 10 years fly by just.. like... that.

 

[From the Umlaut Archives]

Merci Beacoup

Gojira / Devin Townsend Project / The Atlas Moth 
The Fillmore, San Francisco 
January 23, 2013 

I was surprised how filled The Fillmore was for this show; not sold out but at least the next best thing.  It's been 3 years since Gojira last headlined in San Francisco and it was cool to see them make the leap to a larger venue this time around.  Thanks to Steve of CM for the hook up.

The Atlas Moth obviously have Neurosis in their record collections.  In fact I ran into Dave Edwardson after their set (Atlas Month had recently supported Neurosis).   This isn't meant to sound negative, but I couldn't stop thinking how The Atlas Month sounded like Baroness being played on 33rpm instead of the correct 45rpm.   Again, not meant as a negative.  That's just my brain making some kind of lazy blog analogy to describe what I heard while Atlas Moth performed.  While not being very familiar with their music I will always appreciate a band with 3 guitars who can weave them into a decent volume web... and Stavros (guitar) is a cool dude.  THANKS for the CD, man!

I know a lot of people worship Devin Townsend... but I'll just save everyone's time and say his whole schtick is awful.  Dude, the whole laughing at Metal and not with Metal while playing expensive custom guitars offends me.  Awful. However, he is a super star performer when it comes to making funny faces when he's not at the mic...  Anyway..

There was ALOT of dope smoke in the air tonight; if I closed my eyes I could have been at a Sleep show.  Gojira are the most hippie Metal band going with their songs about the environment and spirituality and whales.  I'd like to think all of their merch is made from free range hemp and printed with hormone free soy inks.   The elegant interior of The Fillmore was perfect for the Frenchmen's cerebral and tastefully brutal take on Metal.  During the changeover before their set, a smoke machine filled the stage with atmosphere (organic free range atmosphere) as some pleasant Euro dance music played over the PA.   Oh, Zee French!

Also prior to Gojira's grand entrance, I had a delightful backstage conversation with the guy who sings Master Of Puppets.  What did we chat about?  Oh, stuff like the art of John Baizley and other high brow subjects such as Mario's drumming for Gojira.  It was cute to see members of one of the opening bands get completely star struck.  Sometimes I forget that people who are my old friends are also other peoples' heroes.  Pretty cool.

Anyway, all sense of decorum evaporated when the crowd went absolutely berserk as Gojira launched into the evening's performance with the new song 'Explosia' and then into the relatively old song 'Flying Whales' (hippies!).  It's not often that The Fillmore hosts a proper Metal show so watching that kind of excellent crowd action within its hallowed walls is always special.

Photo courtesy of Umlaut's iPhone

Gojira wield a hypnotizing blend of Metal, Jazz, and Prog Rock that I find more compelling than most other bands who are their peers.  I have to say Gojira and Meshuggah are the only two bands who utilize drum triggers and blast beats that I absolutely need in my record collection at this point in my life.  Everything else I can probably trade in for credit at Amoeba.  A nice moment was when the brothers switched roles and Joe went behind the drums and Mario took over his guitar and the vocals for a song.  I don't think I've ever seen someone play a guitar onstage while wearing drummer's gloves before.  Oh, Zee French.

As mayhem filled as the Gojira crowd was it wasn't the type of "Metal" crowd that I was used to being amongst.  It was a younger crowd and I didn't see one Slayer shirt.  That being said it warmed my heart to see the French get such a rousing reaction from San Francisco.  As they have at every show they've played here, Joe took a moment to say how special it was for Gojira to play in The Bay Area since the bands from here mean so much to them.  How do you say "pretty cool" in French?

If you bought one of every Gojira merch item you would have paid around $240.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags.  If only Murder In The Front Row had a French translation.

Baguette

Gojira
Slim's, San Francisco
May 21, 2009



This was Gojira's 3rd visit to San Franfuckincisco, but their first headlining show... Previously the Frenchmen had flattened this city while supporting Behemoth in 2007 and In Flames last November. Their S.F. debut in 2007 at Slim's was nothing short of crushing and is remembered as one of the best performances I saw that year... but I was wondering what kind of draw the French would be as headliners.

Timo and I arrived at Slim's exactly at 9:00PM and timed it perfectly so we bypassed the 2 openers and Gojira was only about 15 minutes from hitting the stage; surgically precise, mofo! Any doubts about Gojira being a headline draw were laid to rest by the crowd's size and enthusiasm; it was nice to see Slim's nicely packed on a Thursday night... Plus, Machine Fucking Head were in The House which gave me the chance to have a nice chat with their manager, who I've known for awhile (Hey Joe).

Gojira brings a decidedly European vibe to Metal.. Most of their songs deal with the environment and spirituality, and this high-brow vibe carried over to their merch table and the watercolor paintings created by band members:

(Pic by Umlaut)

How charmingly French is that!? Joe (vocals / guitar) and his brother Mario (drums) painted the abstract art on scrap pieces of cardboard earlier in the day and they were sold alongside the usual band t-shirts.. While some bands spend their down time backstage doing lines and snorting strippers, Gojira paints. Oh Zee French (cue accordion and the sound of an espresso machine)!

As they had on their previous two visits to S.F., Gojira flattened Slim's with their wall of volume that is a love child of Metal, Prog, and Jazz elements. Witnessing the Frenchmen perform live is like staring at the inner workings of a clock; solid metal craftsmanship and precision musicianship at its finest.. The band knows how to work a stage and Mario is without a doubt one of THE best drummers going right now; his double bass work is beyond compare... and it was great how the intense crowd action down front was hot and heavy from the first song of the set. C'est manifique!

My favorite song of the set was 'Vacuity' off the new album... and I couldn't stop watching the band's monitor / sound guy at stage right as he rocked out to his band's performance; you don't see that kind of enthusiasm from an employee very often. I also thought it was charming that Joe wore a Beatles shirt onstage; NOT Metal, but Zee French march to their owner drummer, don't they? Charming.. simply charming.

I must admit that Umlaut has been thinking alot about the Old Metal Dayz again due to the publication of *that book* and sometimes I don't have a perspective on how influential the old Bay Area Metal scene has been to bands over the years.. I was reminded of this when Joe said what an honor it was for Gojira to have come all the way from France and headline in San Francisco, because without the bands from The Bay Area (he name checked Metallica and Machine Head) Gojira would not exist. That's some heavy shit, man. Oh Zee French have such a way with words, don't they?

As I said back in 2007 after seeing Gojira: They say "Merci Beaucoup!" the way other bands says "Motherfucker!" Charming.. simply charming... However, I didn't do a proper merch audit. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. Paris is one of Umlaut's favorite cities and don't be a jingoistic American: Zee French know Zee Metal.. For Zee Newbies:

Gojira - 'Embrace The World' (live)

Click HERE for Photo Ray's shots from the show!

Bands Of Brothers

Trivia: 3/4 of the bands in this post feature siblings in their lineups. Discuss amongst yourselves.

The Jesus & Mary Chain
The Fillmore, San Francisco
October 26, 2007

Band Of Brothers: Jim (vox) and William (guitar) Reid.

As I drank my beer (Thanks Raymond!) I remembered that 20 years ago (TWENTY YEARS!?) I was at The Fillmore seeing JMC... The Darklands Tour... The first time I saw a show at The Fillmore.. The Reid Brothers had a drum machine instead of a drummer. I'm sure I was drunk or stoned. These two nights at The Fillmore here in the 21st Century were the first JMC shows in S.F. in some years.

You know, Jesus & Mary Chain have been one of my favorite bands for a long, long time.. but I kinda look at them through rose-colored glasses because, truth be told, they've never been the most stellar live band. Tonight was no exception.

All the hits were rolled out... I mean, 'Head On' was the second song of the set.. and hearing others like 'Just Like Honey', 'Darklands', and 'Some Candy Talking' were gleat.. but I'm just not into the shoegazing stage demeanor at this point in my life; love the songs though.. I also still worship William Reid's guitar tone. Fookin' gleat, dontchaknow... Oh, and the drummer from Ride was onstage with them too.. and you know he's gazed at his shoes a good bit in the past.

If you bought one of every Jesus & Mary Chain merch item you would have paid $150. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. Speaking of cars: As we walked back to the car I received a text from Miatomic informing me that she had recovered her beloved car that had been stolen a month earlier!! STUNNING.

"... and the way I feel tonight, I could die and I wouldn't mind."

High On Fire / Mono
The Independent, San Francisco
October 28, 2007

High On Fire's latest album is their best one yet and the local lads have definitely taken things to the next level. Their two night homecoming stand at The Independent was a highlight of Umlaut's Rocktober calendar for sure, like, totally.

The Umlaut Nation was out in force on this evening, but my communication with everyone should have been better since I didn't know some of them were going to be there.. Sorry.. but a shout out to Todd, Lori, Timo, Johnny, Joey, Eric, Raymond, Robin, and John.

Under different circumstances I would have really dug Mono... but I just wasn't in the mood for bombastic Japanese rock instrumentals tonight. That being said I did venture to their merch table after their set to get one of their CDs, but the line was too long... so I bailed.

High On Fire remind me of another local Bay Area Metal band who rose out of the local scene many years ago. They have that same kind of fire and charisma onstage... Let's just hope Matt and company don't decide to film a self-serving documentary about their personal lives anytime soon. Just keep it about the music, lads... Keep it about the MUSIC.

Man, as much as I love High On Fire, their merch was really underwhelming; if only there was another merch company out there for them. If you bought one of every High On Fire merch item you would have paid over $315. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. Before the gig I realized that the laundromat on the corner of Divisadero / Hayes is now the fancy restaurant I've been hearing about for awhile. Wow... I need to get out more.

Gojira
Slim's, San Francisco
October 29, 2007

Band Of Brothers: Joe (vox / guitar) and Mario (drums) Duplantier.

BONJOUR FRENCH METAL! This was Gojira's first visit to S.F. and, although they were 2nd on the bill, the crowd treated them as if they were the headliners (who, for the record, were Behemoth and Job For A Cowboy..). A chant of "Gojira!! Gojira!" started up before the band even hit the stage... and when they did hit the stage the packed crowd was going OFF from the first note. C'est manifique!

Fook me... but Gojira was the most brutal live band I've seen in awhile.. Machine like precision and monstrous stage presence. It was cool hearing a singer say "MERCI BEAUCOUP!!" but in a tone that other Metal singers say "MOTHERFUCKER!".. The French have such a beautiful way of saying things (*sigh*).

This was the type of show that reminded me why I love going to Metal shows most of all... In the line out front a couple of Metal kidz asked if they'd be able to get in even though they were under 18.. To quote Neil Young: "Old man, take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you were.." The kidz got in of course... However, Timo and I bailed after Gojira 'cause it was a Monday night... so I suppose we were fronting (as they say in The 'Hood).. but at least those kidz will carry on our Metal legacy. Go forth and do great things in the name of METAL, my lads.

Gojira only had 1 shirt, their 2 CDs, and their live DVD for sale.. but no prices were posted. Oh well. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. Ummm... I'm hungry for some French food right about now.. NO ONE does trout like the French, man. No one.

Redd Kross
Slim's, San Francisco
November 9, 2007

Band Of Brothers: Jeff (vox / guitar) and Steve (bass) McDonald.

Wow.. I couldn't believe it had been 10 years (TEN YEARS?!) since the last time Redd Kross played in S.F.!! Redd Kross are one of my all time favorite bands - Top 5 for sure. Remember when they'd open with their note perfect cover of 'Deuce' that included a perfect recreation of KISS' 1975 stage choreography? Me 2. Were you at the Butthole Surfers / Redd Kross show? Me 2! Did you see The Spirit Of '76 in the theater when it came out? ME 2!! Redd Kross are a band that takes me back to a very specific time in my life and their music reminds me of very specific people... but in a good way.

Twas the original Neurotica era lineup and they opened with some OLD songs: 'Linda Blair' > 'Annette's Got The Hits'.. It was a time warp, man... 'Annette's Got The Hits'! Wow.. Every time I've seen Redd Kross, since Day 1, I've always had a smile on my face during the show.. and here in the 21st Century it was no different.

Trivia: The 1984 Teen Babes From Monsanto record has only been released on CD as a 1992 Australian Tour CD. Good luck finding it... but I can burn it for you if you want. Umlaut went through a maniacal Redd Kross geek phase once upon a time... so I have all that stuff. Just lemme know.

The show was billed as "career spanning" and it was.. Pretty much all of the old hits were trotted out: 'Blow You A Kiss In The Wind', 'Annie's Gone', 'Jimmy's Fantasy', 'Frosted Flake', etc. etc. The kicker was the band played the songs in chronological order, which was a nice touch.. The band would play 2-3 songs from an early release, followed by 2-3 songs from the next record, and so on.. and then start the cycle over again. Besides that they also threw in a couple of surprises.

Back in The Day, Redd Kross were the quintessential Music Geek / Pop Culture band.. At their last S.F. show 10 years ago (TEN YEARS?!) they pulled out a cover of my fave Kinks song 'Til The End Of The Day'.. and here in the 21st Century they lived up to that by performing an out-of-left field cover of PJ Harvey's 'Rid Of Me'... Woah!

Of course, the set closed with 'Peach Kelli Pop'.. The definitive Redd Kross song, right? Dude, they played for 2 hours and it was so much fun seeing the McDonald brothers onstage again.. They may have cut off their matching waist-length hair years ago, but the spirit is still there. Dog Bless Them!

At one point Steve McDonald name checked S.F. clubs Redd Kross has played over the years: The Farm, The On Broadway, The I-Beam, The Kennel Club... Nicely done. R.I.P. all of them.

If you bought one of every Redd Kross merch item you would have paid $30; the 2 shirts for sale were the same ones they sold 10 years ago. Good thing someone kept them in their attic! On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. This was one of those shows that reminded me of where I've been... but in a good way.

"Laughing at all the assholes at The Rainbow flying high on coke... what a joke."