Back in the 20th Century, ümlaut was a xeroxed fanzine that existed from 1992-95. Despite limited distribution, loyal readers ranged from coast to coast and included Rock Stars of various credibility, including Neurosis, Sonic Youth, Melvins, and Metallica. This 21st Century version of ümlaut has been ranting since 2004 and is also the co-author of the book Murder In The Front Row.
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.
Mayhem Festival 2013 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California June 30, 2013
I realized the day before this show that I've attended every Mayhem Festival except one since the debut trek in 2008. Weird. Anyway, I'm going to keep this short since it was that kind of day. It was hot but not unbearably so. Unfortunately, the lower temperature was compensated by more annoyances this year. Huntress and Battlecross were onstage and wailing in the background as I dealt with Will Call drama upon arriving at the venue. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here's 1,000 words about Mayhem Festival 2013:
Born Of Osiris - Watched them until my mind wandered and I found myself having a profound conversation with a cold beer.
Job For A Cowboy - I've seen JFAC several times but I still can't name 1 song and I still find their name annoying.
Machine Head - During the first 40 seconds of their opening song 4 beers and 2 different shoes were thrown in the air above the pit action. Home cooking rules.
Children Of Bodom -Their stage backdrop showing a Finnish snowstorm scene was ironic but also made me hungry. I soon found myself having a delightful conversation with a plate of overpriced "organic" amphitheatre food.
Despite the 18 bands playing today, THE MOST METAL moment was this random Murder In The Front Row reunion:
Bonded by blood 4-ever, man. Anyway after that glimmer of awesomeness the hot day continued with..
Main Stage:
Amon Amarth - The Swedes brought their awesome Viking long boat drum riser to America for the first time... but I think it lost something in translation to a crowd that was primed for some Five Finger Death Punch. I think "Amon Amarth" in Swedish means "Dethklok". I actually like the Swedes quite a bit.. cheesiness and all. What's the Viking word for "cheese"?
Mastodon - Maybe it was because I had just seen the band at a rare club show, but the energy level seemed low; this was my 15th time being in the same venue as Mastodon. Their vocal mix seemed *off* but I still enjoyed their brief time in the direct sunlight.
If there is one band that represents everything I hate about Metal in the 21st Century it's 5FDP. Jocks and the Jock mentality ruined the soul of Metal a long time ago. Remember when Jocks had no clue who Lemmy was? Me too, man. Me too.
Rob Zombie - I have to say tonight was the best Zombie performance I've seen in years. He was engaged, funny, and the set and song choices were focused. This probably means that an hour set might be the perfect length for Zombie to play before my attention starts to wander. That being said, his Hippie stage clothes started making me hungry for some organic food again..
There was way too much merch to do a merch audit, but I have to say that Zombie, Mastodon, and Machine Head had the best looking merch; their merch company nailed it. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. This was not the smoothest or the most fun Mayhem Festival for Umlaut by a long shot. Let's just move on with this year, shall we...
Converse landed in San Francisco to host a series of 5 free shows over 5 nights at Slim's. Each night showcased a different "sound" or "genre" as defined by the Marketing brains at Converse (and their parent company Nike) I assume. Civilians had to enter an online lottery for tickets in the weeks leading up to the events; the shows were part of the marketing blitz for the opening of a new Converse store in this fair city. You have to admit that Converse has balls to totally bite Vans style with this event especially since the latter has worked with some of the featured artists in the past. In shoes there is no loyalty I guess. Since the capacity for the shows was capped at 500 the demand to get in was probably pretty high. The lesson that I learned was this: Never delete an e-mail address even if it's 3 or 4 years old. Long story short: THANKS to that old business associate of mine at Converse for sorting me. Also big kudos to the Slim's staff who got me inside after I was given incorrect instructions by a Converse rep after I left Will Call. Anyway, tonight was the "Metal" night.
I learned later that the guitarist in Hot Lunch was in the early-90's San
Francisco band Mensclub. Interesting. I didn't recognize him and I only caught the last part of their set. Mensclub ruled The Mission in the cheap free swinging pre-dotcom days of the early-90's. Good times. Moving on...
Although 1/2 of Saviours no longer live in The Bay Area, it's always great to see the guys again. I was glad to see Austin and bassist Carson keeping it real and removing their shirts prior to starting their brief set. Given the corporate nature of the night the band was only allotted 20 minutes to do their damage and they did it up right. Boom boom, riffs, solos, and Brent of Mastodon joined them onstage for a Ted Nugent cover. Pretty cool, right? Thankyougoodnight!
The Bay Area flavor of the night was continued next by High On Fire who steamrolled through a fantastic but short set. 'Frost Hammer' ruled the night and how heartwarming was it to be standing at the bar as most of the dudes around me shouted "FROST HAMMER!!" along with Matt?! VERY! Given the corporate nature of the night, the band's set was noticeably stopped short by the stage manager as they probably went over their allotted time. Oh well... 31 minutes of HOF is better than a full set by a lot of other bands, man.
According to the Umlaut Archives this was my 14th time seeing Mastodon over the years.... It was also the 4th time I've seen them at Slim's. I have to admit that I was a little giddy about seeing them in a club again. Seeing the band play their recent songs onstage stripped down without the A/V trappings of their current live show was almost an epiphany. An 11 song, 45 minute set that was a nice cross section from their song arsenal with 'Dry Bone Valley' being my favorite of the night as I sipped a beer. Solid.
Besides having 2 of the best local bands on the bill tonight, the local vibe was further exaggerated by the presence of quite a few friends, acquaintances, and band dudes from Death Angel and Acid King. At one point 'Sucking My Love' by Diamond Head played over the PA in between bands. Nicely done, Converse DJ.
Anyway, the Quicksand reunion after over a decade of inactivity is a big thing to a lot of people; I shrugged my shoulders. I did see Quicksand twice in 1992 including this show in downtown San Jose:
Nine dollars...
[From the Umlaut Archives]
Anyway, Quicksand were the obvious crowd favorite tonight and a couple of guys seriously lost it when they started playing. I shrugged my shoulders. Quicksand sound so dated and I was taken aback by how much they sounded like Jane's Addiction here in the 21st Century. Oh the 90's... I bailed early and stopped at Taqueria Cancun to grab a post Rock Show burrito.
Number of Bolt Thrower and Mercyful Fate shirts = 3 and 2 respectively. There was no band merch for sale but Converse gave out a free event tee. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. Then 24 hours later it was:
Tonight was the "Punk" night. Prior to the show I met up with Sensory Abuse and Photo Ray at the awesome Cathead's BBQ for food and libations. Umlaut says visit Cathead's prior to seeing a show at Slim's next time. Best good number one! With the Supreme Court's ruling on Prop 8 earlier in the day and Gay Pride weekend approaching the mood on the streets of San Francisco felt downright giddy tonight.
I didn't know anything about Ceremony but evidently they've played Gilman St. in the past... so I guess the obvious question is will they be allowed to play Gilman again now that they've played a Corporate gig? Oh the politics.. Discuss amongst yourselves.
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The Bronx RULE. That is all. My favorite band from these 2 shows. That's all I'm gonna say. Go see them the next time they come through your town... they'll help you party down.
Vid courtesy of Umlaut's iPhone
As I waited to see Rocket From the Crypt for the first time in 17 years, 'Warrior' by Thin Lizzy played over the PA. Nicely done, Converse DJ. It was obvious that the RFTC reunion was a very big deal as the crowd was jammed down front and going nutters with the band from the first note. The band's infectious San Diego horn infused guitar punk-a-billy was still F-U-N after all these years and they played all the hits. John is still a charismatic goofball front man and the rest of the band was tight; I'm sure it helped that drummer Mario has been keeping sharp by playing with OFF!. A pretty great set and I'm glad I saw RFTC again since they're only playing a few select shows worldwide and it's unclear how long this reunion will last.
The crowd noticeably thinned out during the changeover for Suicidal which I guess shouldn't have been surprising. Kidz these days probably think they'll get shivved at a Suicidal show like it was 1986. Mike Muir and his current band took over the stage and surprisingly played 'Institutionalized' only 3 songs into the set. It was obvious that this was the only Suicidal song the majority of the crowd knew. Less than 3 songs later literally 1/4 of the crowd left as Mike and the boys played a good version of 'War Inside My Head'. Maybe all of those people had to meet their parents out front for a ride home or something. Oh well... Punks not dead... Just bored I guess.
All in all it was a F-U-N pair of nights as guests of Converse and their parent company Nike. The shows were well organized and they were FREE so there really is nothing for me to complain about without sounding like a dick. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. For the record, Umlaut doesn't wear Chuck Taylors any longer because I need arch support. Hope I die before I get old.
Opeth / Mastodon / Ghost Gibson Amphitheatre, Hollywood, California April 26, 2012
Ghost are Umlaut's favorite band at this moment in history. Why? Because I dig their combination of diabolically catchy songs about Satan and their retro Horror movie aesthetic. More often than not these days Umlaut finds his "professional" life and "Umlaut" life blending into the same thing. Long story short, on the morning and afternoon before the show I found myself on a plane and then working out of the cavernous high tech Hollywood Rock 'N Roll HQ of Tour Manager Doug. Then as show time approached we made our way over to the Gibson Amphitheatre, which happens to be located on the Universal Studios lot.
After the deserved hype and frenzy of their debut U.S. Tour back in February, I had been looking forward to seeing Ghost as a support act in front a bigger audience who they'd have to win over. Would a more mass audience *get* them?? I was also looking forward to seeing Ghost on a big stage, where I expected their theatrical presentation to shine. The Gibson is basically an outdoor amphitheater inside of a building, which makes for an disconcertingly sterile concert environment. Backstage in the VIP area a red light is turned on to tell the very important people that a band is about to go onstage. When the red light went on for the first time at around 8:15pm, the venue was far less than half full to greet Ghost as they descended onstage.
As the intro tape started, a couple of kidz behind me started laughing as the Nameless Ghouls solemnly walked onstage and took their places. The anticipation was allowed to build a bit longer before Papa Emeritus emerged from stage left, swinging his incense burning thurible that I'm sure made every Catholic in the room cringe. Then Nameless Ghoul on bass put pick to string and rang out the intro to 'Con Clavi Con Dio' and tonight's ritual was off and running.
Ghost converts Tinseltown
It did not take long to realize that Ghost would easily bring their message successfully to a larger venue and audience. As the set progressed you could see and feel the newbie members of the audience converting to Ghost and join the fans who had arrived early for them. The kidz standing behind me quickly went from laughing at the band to shouting with them. Pretty cool. Ghost have a subtle sense of humor that is apparent if you're not a Christian. This side of the band is more obvious when Papa is onstage; I could not help but laugh out loud every time he called tonight's city "Tinseltown". The short 30 minute and 6 song set honestly felt longer; I also think the fact the set was 6 songs was significant. To quote from the band's song 'Death Knell': "6-6-6 evoke the King of Hell.."
After Ghost I returned to the VIP Area until the red light started flashing again to announce Mastodon. According to the Umlaut Archives this was my 13th time seeing Mastodon and the creative arc that the band has been on with their last 3 albums has been one of my favorite things to witness by a band. On the last album cycle, Mastodon were entrenching themselves in a Prog Rock groove that was impressive, but made me wonder where they could take it. Fuck the haters: Their latest album The Hunter is their best yet and one of my favorite albums in recent times.
Mastodon channeled their inner Zeppelin and Floyd brilliantly in Tinseltown and I have to say it was my favorite set by them in awhile. Due to the co-headline billing of this tour, their staging was not elaborate but still very effective. A simple album art backdrop and an arsenal of criss crossing and rotating colored spots positioned behind and on either side of the stage. The venue was full at this point in the night and there was also some surprisingly healthy pit action on the main floor. The band members also seemed more animated than at previous shows I've seen... and the set, which featured most of The Hunter album but was also more of a mix of material than their tour 5 months ago, closed on a very personal note when Brann came out from behind the drums to give a shout out to Armand Crump, Kerry King's longtime guitar tech who recently passed away. Umlaut will only say that I knew Armand and he was a good guy who should definitely rest in peace. Anyway...
As much of a Bay Area Snob as I am, I was surprised by how many people who I knew or ran into at this show; well into double digits. It almost felt like I was seeing a show at home. Also, Rock Star sightings included Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney, Blasko, Josh Homme, Adam of Tool.
I was chatting with friends and colleagues back in the VIP area when the red light went on for a 3rd time to signal the arrival of Opeth onstage. I had to choose between carrying my beer inside or staying outside with it. I chose the later and saw some of Opeth because I ventured inside to find a bathroom. Did I say I'm not into Opeth? Oh, sorry... well... yeah.
Then 24 hours later it was...
Opeth / Mastodon / Ghost The Fox Theatre, Oakland, California April 27, 2012
Sometimes I live vicariously through my own Lock 'N Loll lifestyle. Umlaut caught a morning flight back to the Bay Area and hit the ground running again with the work thing. Around 3 hours after landing I found myself delivering these to the venue so they could be sold at the show (Limited edition of 75 prints, dude!):
Birth. School. Work. Metal.
Unlike the night before in Tinseltown, the main floor of The Fox grew completely packed as Ghost brought their message back to The Bay Area. I had been anticipating seeing the band within the gorgeous art deco confines of The Fox and it seemed like the band picked up on the special vibe of the space. Again, the limited 30 minutes and 6 songs seemed to ignore time and Ghost's moment in Oakland felt longer. I stood directly behind a kid wearing a denim vest with a Mercyful Fate Don't Break The Oath back patch who sang along to every song. He was so enthusiastic that late in the set Papa Emeritus came to the front of the stage and acknowledged him with a gesture of his gloved hand. Awesome, right?
Obviously, the focus of Ghost is Papa Emeritus, but the band members are all solid musicians... whoever.. or whatever.. they are.. One thing I noticed while watching Ghost on these consecutive nights is how much of a Guitar God the Nameless Ghoul on the black guitar (aka the Rhythm Guitarist... Lead Guitarist = Nameless Ghoul on the white guitar..) is with his cocky poses while adding his riffs from Hell to the ceremony. At one point during one of the shows, a song ended and this Nameless Ghoul knew he (or should I say it?) had nailed his part and he did the classic Guitar God move of flicking his pick back over his shoulder into the crowd as he turned towards his backline. Metal.
Another thing that was reinforced for me about the band is how seriously they take their theatrical side. As I've said before, Ghost are not merely a band who wear costumes onstage. They are performers with Papa playing up his role as the puppet master of the Nameless Ghouls; throwing his arms and hands up and in their direction like a puppeteer to manipulate them when a guitar solo is taken or a solo bass line thunders out. Magical.
Unlike the previous night in Tinseltown, the Rock Star action was much more subdued in Oakland with only 1/2 of Machine Head being sited. If you bought one of every Ghost merch item you would have paid around $125. Mastodon and Ghost had the most kick ass merch; their merch company must rule. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. The Master was pleased by the frenzy around the merch table after Ghost's set.
After Ghost it was time to bail and head back across The Bay Bridge for...
A Concert For Ronnie Montrose The Regency, San Francisco April 27, 2012
Yes, it was a double header night for Umlaut! Obviously, Ronnie Montrose greatly influenced me during my teenage years via the first Montrose album, Gamma, and his other work such as the song 'Frankenstein' which he wrote for the Edgar Winter Group. If you grew up in the 70's he was one of THE guitar icons, especially here in the Bay Area. It was only after he died on March 3rd that I found out Ronnie lived only 10 minutes from Casa de Umlaut. WOW.
No offense to the staff of The Regency because I know it's not their fault, but when this space is sold out and packed it is awful; no ventilation being the reason. As we sprinted inside the wall of humid heat hit me in the face and, as expected, it was a sweat box of bodies and the floor was unbelievably sticky from the condensation and spilled drinks. However, this was easily ignored because Sammy Hagar was onstage with surviving original Montrose members Denny Carmassi on drums, Bill Church ("The Electric Church"!) on bass, and Joe Satriani on guitar in place of Ronnie blasting out songs from the legendary first Montrose album! 'Bad Motor Scooter' (one of the iconic San Francisco Rock songs, dude!), 'Rock Candy', 'Space Station #5', 'Make It Last' and all the rest. Hagar sounded amazing and there obviously couldn't have been a more perfect tribute moment for these songs to be performed again in Ronnie's memory. Obviously, it's just a shame this reunion could not have happened sooner when Ronnie was alive.
After the Montrose set things sort of went off the rails for awhile, but I do not want to bag on what was a very special event to honor an iconic musician and an important figure in my hometown Bay Area. All I will say is that there were ALOT of drunk and stoned people in the house... but among them one lone teenager wearing an Iron Maiden shirt with his parents. That kid is gonna be alright.
I can hear what some of you are saying: That's all you're going to say about the Montrose show??! Yes, it is... To be honest, while witnessing the Montrose "reunion" was a once in a lifetime event the rest of the bill didn't really engage me. My 48 hours with Ghost and Mastodon are more where my head is at here in the 21st Century. Hope I die before I get old.
This was one of the most solid bills of the year and basically all killer, no filler for Umlaut. At this point in my life, I'm an old jaded fart and I don't pay attention if others think a band is "Hipster Metal" or whatever; if I like a band I could give two shits about what you think about them... and if being labeled "Hipster Metal" means a band of Mastodon's caliber can go from playing clubs to headlining a theater and make a living being musicians, than what's the problem? Anyway, most of my shows this month have revolved around work, which is fine because it's always good when a show is this easy:
I like Red Fang a lot and they seemed to win over the large venue with their Oregonian brand of bearded Rock. Their 30 minutes of boogie sludge flew by, which was a bummer… but not as big of a bummer as when I found out Red Fang had to sell their shirts for $30 tonight. It’s not the band’s fault for the pricing, but it was a reality check about the downside of playing a major venue. I'm looking forward to when Red Fang comes back through town and can sell their tees for $15.
To be honest, I'm not as enamored with Dillinger Escape Plan since I realized they basically copped their sound from Rorschach. However, they're still one of the best live bands going. Dillinger attack a stage like a serial killer with a hunting knife and it's hypnotic to watch the members fly around the stage, up onto the backline, up onto PA stacks, leaping into the air, leaping into the crowd. I always wonder how Dillinger keeps their stage intensity up over an entire tour; they probably do yoga or something. The crowd's 45 minute stint in the Dillinger kill zone was rewarded with the special appearance of Mike Patton on guest vocals; an "only in San Francisco" moment, right? Dillinger are still one of my don't miss live bands; it still feels like anything can happen during their set... and that "anything" usually ends up with people getting bruised.
Outside of the venue I was surprised to see as many as 6 bootleg vendors selling Mastodon tees. Odd. It’s not like Mastodon are AC/DC and the show was not sold out. I should bring this up with the band’s merch company….. Anyway, Mastodon sounded unbelievably great tonight and kudos to their soundman. There's a lot going on when Mastodon are in full roar and the mix was crystal clear and booming out front. Oddly, Mastodon posted the setlist they're playing on this tour on their website. After watching the start of their set from near the soundboard, I found myself at stage left for a couple of songs... and you know you're at a show in San Francisco when Jello Biafra and Matt Pike are standing next to you.
Stage left Mastodon
However, watching a band from onstage is overrated, so for the last part of their 90 minute set I went back out front. As you can see from the posted setlist 'Blood & Thunder' was the final song of the set as it has been for awhile. It was a solid, solid set and it was good to witness Mastodon finally headlining a big stage because I've been following them for a long time... despite what the haters think.
The show was also a Who's Who of Bay Area Rock with 1/2 of Black Cobra, 1/4 of the Dead Kennedys, 1/5 of Faith No More, 2/3 of High On Fire, 1/3 of Papa Wheelie, and 1/4 of Metallica in the house. However, my biggest Music Geek moment happened as I was walking past a table backstage and recognized a member of the band Gallows… I stopped and said “GALLOWS!” and the guy, Laurent (guitar), looked surprised to be recognized. Long story short, Gallows had the day off in S.F. and were playing the next night; I chatted with Laurent for a good while about his band. Unfortunately, Gallows recently got a new singer which was a buzz kill for me... so I felt kind of bad not seeing their S.F. show the next night... but I just wasn't feeling seeing the band with a new front man. Honesty is my only excuse.. bummer.
Oh, cheers to the guy who walked past me at the downstairs bar and shouted "UMLAUT!!" and shook my hand. I think I know what SLAAAYER feels like now. Thanks, dude!
Anyway, I didn't do a merch audit tonight... although Mastodon had the best merch IMO. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. Pop culture trivia learned during backstage hang tonight: That band guy is dating that porn star.
Possibly not since the Giants vs. A's Bay Bridge World Series of 1989 has there been a Left Bay vs. Right Bay clash of this magnitude. In the East Bay we had the massive Missing Link show at the fabulous Fox Theater (3,000 capacity) and in San Franfuckincisco was Ludicra at the usually non-Metal Cafe du Nord. Both shows featured the triumphant homecomings of local heroes: In Oakland it was High On Fire and Black Cobra and the S.F. show was Ludicra's triumphant record release show. Prior to heading over to The East Bay, Photo Ray and I met up at 21st Amendment for food and to catch up on shit. Then it was across The Bay Bridge for...
This bill was a veritable "Who's Who" of bands ripped from the pages of Decibel magazine. Unfortunately, there was Will Call drama as the guest list that I was on was late getting submitted, so I missed Bison B.C.'s set... which was a bummer. However, it was alright hanging out front passing the time by chatting with various Umlaut Nation friends and catching up with Jason of Black Cobra who came out his Rock Star dressing room to mingle with us civilians.
Band Vans
Black Cobra: Thankfully, the guest list finally arrived at Will Call and I got inside with minutes to spare before Jason and Rafa started their set; I also met up with The Drummer just as the houselights went down. Over the past 7 months since their latest album was released the local boyz have toured practically non-stop. Man, it was so cool to see my bruthas up on that big stage punching the crowd in the stomach with the song 'Negative Reversal' to start and for the next 30 minutes Black Cobra owned The Fox. Whenwedie later reported that in the photo pit he witnessed some of the people in the front row flinch the moment the set started because they weren't expecting that kind of volume from only 2 guys onstage.
It was awesome to watch the crowd get into the volume assault and I'm sure some new fans were made; I watched one kid as he started nodding his head to the music... then by the next song he was banging his head to the music... and not long after that he had his right arm extended giving Black Cobra the horns. Nicely done, lad... nicely done. Standing in the crowd, The Drummer and I agreed that we felt like proud parents watching our "kids" up there on the big Lock 'N Loll stage... and my pride for the boyz was magnified as Jason channeled The Nuge with his guitar moves (Note to the newbies: You CANNOT pull off those moves with short hair.. so grow your hair out, pussies!) and Rafa sported a SWEET Rainbow shirt. Trivia: Black Cobra brought in Billy Anderson to mix their sound for this show... and it was worth it.
After Black Cobra's set there was a nice little Umlaut Nation reunion of friends in the VIP bar... Drinks flowed.. and blood was spilled.. and if the boys wanna fight you better let 'em... and it won't be long 'til Summer comes now that boys are back here again.. or something like that.
Valient Thorr: Valient Thorr tries WAY too hard to be a good time party band; they even had “PARTY” flash on the screen behind them at one point. All I can say is that Valient Thorr tap into something that obviously isn't me and, like, I DON’T wanna party with them. Just being honest. The most entertaining thing about Valient Thorr was how we later kept seeing Valient wandering around the lobby and venue bar like he was looking for people to recognize him. Sorry, dude. Party.
Priestess: Holy shit... I have NO memory OR notes about Priestess. Where the hell was I when they were onstage?? Bizarre... Sorry, guys. If anyone can remind me what I was doing during this 40 minutes I’d appreciate it. Maybe I was abducted by aliens…
Baroness: There is so much hype around Baroness... There are so many people raving about Baroness. All I can say is that Baroness tap into something that obviously isn't me. I know using headwear generalizations is lazy, but during Baroness' set I glanced over to my right and there was a group of 4 young dudes standing together digging the set: 3 were wearing hipster beanies and the 4th had on a backwards baseball cap. Anyway... not that headwear means anything... but I'm just saying, in this case, maybe it does.
High On Fire: This was the final show of High On Fire's current U.S. Tour and in a nice random example of how The Rock Godz work in mysterious ways, as I made my way down front I found myself standing next to old Umlaut friend Radio Cuevas, who was back in town from SoCal. PERFECT! High On Fire swaggered onstage in their hometown and immediately punched their homies in the face with 'Frost Hammer' right out of the gate. Seeing High On Fire on their home turf of Oaktown is a rare event, but it was odd few locals seemed to know an older song like 'Devilution'. Unfortunately HOF weren’t playing a full set tonight as they had when I saw them at SXSW. Tonight they were allotted 45 minutes onstage and they made the most of it as most of Mastodon watched their set from stage left; I had a flashback to OzzFest 2005 at Shoreline when High On Fire watched Mastodon’s 2nd stage set from stage right and ‘Blood & Thunder’ was dedicated to them. The set-closing 'Snakes Of The Divine' seemed to get the most rabid reaction from the punters, but the highlight for me was the hypnotically heavy version of 'How Dark We Pray' that was like having a pillow pressed against your face and the volume sucking the air from your lungs. For the record, HOF were also the only band to say "motherfucker" onstage; keeping it real. Remember when High On Fire played their 1st show ever at the Covered Wagon (aka Annie’s) in S.F.? Me too.. "Frost Hammer!!! Frost Hammer!! Frost Hammer!!! Frost Hammer!!"
Between The Buried And Me: I can’t stand BTBAM. All I can say is that BTBAM tap into something that obviously isn't me. I just can't abide a "Metal" band whose singer runs back and forth between the front of the stage and keyboards... and, I've said this about BTBAM in this space before: The bassist holds his bass high up in that Jazz musician way which is simply NOT METAL. Note to The Kidz: If you play bass or guitar in a METAL band you should wear your weapons slung LOW like a gunslinger. Otherwise you look like you're dry humping your instrument onstage... which is fine if you're in a Jazz band... but dry humping is NOT Metal. During BTBAM's set we hung out in the bar where they had a video feed of the band onstage on one plasma screen behind the bar and on another screen they were showing the Sharks vs. Red Wings playoff game. Guess which screen had a crowd in front of it...
SHARKS WIN!
Umlaut doesn't follow hockey, but it was kind of cool to be *there* as the Sharks eliminated Detroit; dudes on ice skates were better than BTBAM that's for sure. As you've probably already figured out, this show brought out the worst of Umlaut's jaded Old Fart side... but I have to call shit like I see it. It was also amateur night with the alcohol consumption and mishaps… with a good number of “How did I end up on the floor??”-types and at least one casualty leaving the room on a stretcher. Party.
Mastodon: This was the 5th time I've seen Mastodon on this album / tour cycle and, as much as I've liked the Crack The Skye album, I can say that I'm officially burned out on it now. It's interesting that Mastodon are at a level of popularity where they can now be considered a gateway band who draws mainstream folks into Metal. I know alot of my peers have crossed Mastodon off their "cool band" list now, but Umlaut still digs them. However, due to our date with Ludicra back in S.F. we bailed after 3 songs, but I have to say those 3 songs were probably the best performances I experienced since the Mastodon show over a year ago at the Great American. When it comes to the Metal bands that kidz and hipsters are latching onto these days, I'd rather see Mastodon reap the benefits instead of, say, Between The Buried And Me.
Oh shit, I need to say THANKS to the 2 dudes who came up to me at different times during the show who said how much they liked this space. I sometimes forget that people read these rants. Cool Doomriders shirt as well, man.
If you bought one of every Black Cobra merch item you would have paid $95... and if you had bought one of every Mastodon merch item you would have paid $200. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. Then it was back across The Bay Bridge for...
The saga of Ludicra's U.S. Tour is one of THE Metal stories of 2010 and I originally ranted about it HERE... and Umlaut traveled to a foreign land to support the band a couple of weeks ago in Arizona. All of the drama they experienced from sea to shining sea finally led The Undisputed Headliners of The Bay Area Metal Scene back home for this triumphant homecoming show... which also served as the "official" record release party for their amazing album The Tenant. Of course, it was ironic that this celebration came at the end of the tour, but in light of everything that has happened to the band it was perfect. There is no place like HOME.
Welcome Home Art at The Merch Table
After spending 7 hours at The Big Rock Show, Ludicra were the light at the end of the dark, Mainstream Metal tunnel that I wandered through in Oakland. In a surgically precise maneuver (one that is sure to be studied at The Metal War Institute by future Metalheads as a textbook example of a Metal strike..), Photo Ray, Whenwedie, The Drummer, and Umlaut sped back to S.F. in The Prius... docked it at Photo Ray's secret lair... caught a cab within literally 2 minutes... and walked down the stairs into Du Nord within 30 minutes of leaving Oakland. SURGICAL! As we descended into the club, Kowloon Walled City were finishing up their set; I've been meaning to see them but have managed to miss all of their recent local shows. Sorry, guys... next time. Anyway, as I walked into the bar I saw the familiar faces of friends and local Metalheads and I immediately knew this was where I was supposed to be. The big show in Oakland had been fun, but this was the real deal event of the night; this was the event that counted.
I can't get over how brutally gorgeous Ludicra's new songs are when they're performed live... especially 'A Larger Silence'. It's an experience that I don't think human language can properly convey because the songs operate on such a higher level... and few songs in recent memory blow up like 'In Stable' does onstage.
During the set I had a profound sense of belonging; everyone in the room wanted to be there for the same reason: LUDICRA. No one was there simply to "be there" or to "be seen". This event counted. This was not a Scenester event like the show in Oakland; this was a gathering of kindred spirits. Ludicra have the ability to create Inner Peace via Mayhem and that vibe was so thick in the air you could have cut it with a knife. As much as I worship Ludicra's new songs, the song that has sucked me in at every show I've seen on this album / tour cycle has been the set closing 'Walk The Path Of Ash' from their 2006 EP. The title alone has stuck in my head as the perfect statement of how Ludicra have risen above all the bullshit and stress in the name of their art this year. I tend to gravitate towards epic things and Ludicra are an epic band both on and off the stage. As I'd witnessed in Arizona a couple of weeks ago, the new songs and old songs like 'Veils' created a vortex of fury that was completely engulfing and made me forget about time and space; Ludicra are the type of live band who make me live completely in the moment... and that's rare because giving up control over myself is not something I do very often.
For an encore, and the final song of the tour, the band plunged into the 15 minute epic 'Awake The Grey' from their 1st album and it was as if they were purging all of the bile and stress and bullshit from the tour into the ether via the song. It was 15 minutes that will rank as some of the best time I'll spend with a band this year... and with that mesmerizing finale Ludicra's U.S. Tour ended. As the song ended a curtain of feedback was lowered and the band exited stage left to return to The Real World.
The Tenant album is a watershed moment in Bay Area Metal and mark my words that in the years to come it will be one of those albums that future generations of Metalheads will hear about, seek out, and become obsessed with... Mark my words. It's not simply an album for just this year, it's an album for all time. Umlaut saw Ludicra 4x over the past 2 months in 3 cities and 3 states; it was an honor and a privilege. I'm looking forward to when Ludicra emerge from their slumber to rage amongst us again in (hopefully) the near future.
Ludicra onstage at DuNord (Photo courtesy of Whenwedie)
After the feedback curtain fell upon the show we didn't want to leave. We hung out a bit longer, ordered another round of beers at the bar, and chatted a bit with the band and friends. THE SCENE. I didn't do a merch audit, but the nice screen printed gig poster (limited edition of 30) was only $10.. SOLD! On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. It was an epic way to end a long day. However, I have to say THE most METAL thing of the day has to go to Whenwedie's amazing King Diamond LEGO tattoo (King Diamond and LEGO: Both from Denmark... Brilliant!):
When I arrived back at Casa de Umlaut I found this postcard had been stuck in my front screen door by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka The Mormons… of course..): Something tells me Jesus probably digs Between The Buried And Me... Just saying.
Earlier in the week, Umlaut found himself riding in a limousine through Hollywood on my way to a business meeting... when I spotted this billboard on Sunset Boulevard:
Since I was seeing the Dethklok / Mastodon tour again 3 days later I thought it was *funny*... Sometimes when you're riding in the back of a limo through Hollywood mundane things seem interesting I guess... but I just noticed that the speed limit sign is upside down... *Funny*. Anyway... I can't remember off hand the last time I saw the first show of a tour and the final show of the same tour. Over a month ago, Umlaut was in Portland and caught opening night of this package tour... and now 50 days later I arrived at the San Jose State gymnasium (for a mind boggling 3rd time this year..) to witness the final night of this trek.
Photo Ray and I arrived early so we could catch High On Fire... but at Will Call those dreaded 4 words stopped us in our tracks: "NOT ON THE LIST!". Goddamnfucksonofabitchfuck! Evidently there was a fuck up with the guest lists and almost nobody had anything waiting for them, press and band guests alike. So for the next hour or so I stood around in the chilly San Jose night with press friends and various photographers waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately at that point I went into Lock 'N Loll survival mode and basically abandoned my friends in order to sort out my situation (SORRY Photo Ray, Hard Rock Chick, and Photo Alan...). Thankfully, Mastodon / High On Fire's manager is a stand up guy and, although he was at home in L.A. and it was a Saturday night, he responded to my text message and put me directly in touch with his tour manager backstage... who got my tickets and passes sorted (THANKS Nick and Dave!).
Since I didn't need the extra ticket, I handed it to a random kid who was walking past me with him Mom.. My Metal good deed for the day. However, even this good deed couldn't make up for completely missing High On Fire's set. Goddamnfucksonofabitchfuck!
Once inside, Umlaut encountered the same scenario as in Portland: A VIP pass that was basically useless. I don't mean to look a gift horse in the mouth (or maybe I do...), but it was annoying that a VIP pass tonight only allowed access to a backstage foyer area next to doors that led outside, but not into any of the adjoining areas or hallways. For comparison, a VIP pass at the recent Slipknot show in the same venue allowed me to mooch food in Catering and watch the Rock Stars up close in their natural habitat. The pass tonight also granted access to a taped off VIP area in the stands at stage left, which was gratuitous at best since "civilians" kept jumping the tape and after awhile security stopped policing the section seriously. I know I'm being a spoiled bitch about this, but generally "VIP" means something more at big Lock 'N Loll shows. It really does... but the Will Call drama had set the tone for my night and I was getting annoyed by alot of things by then. ANYWAY... sorry to be a whiny bitch.. but I'm better now.
I'm not that familiar with Converge, but they reminded me of Gallows in some respects... I was most impressed by the fact that a good portion of the nearly sold out crowd booed them in between songs. I haven't heard a crowd boo a support act in a LONG time and this made me like the band even more. Fuck this mainstream suburban crowd! During their set, I wandered backstage with Wexford Girl and The Bassist and we happened to be standing in the backstage foyer area as Converge came offstage. As the singer passed me I tapped his arm and said "GOOD SET" (which I genuinely meant..) and he actually GRUNTED at me in response! WTF.. The Bassist and I looked at each other and started cracking up. Oh, Rock Stars.. During the break in between bands a beer vendor bonded with a customer over how "AWESOME" High On Fire had been, which featured the beer vendor air guitaring.
Prior to this show I was hesitant about seeing Mastodon again because I was afraid I was burned out on them; this would be the 4th time Umlaut has seen them on this tour, where they have been playing the entire Crack The Skye album. It's one of my favorite albums of the year, but did I really need to see it played in its entirety for the 4th time in 7 months? However, as their set time neared I found myself standing behind Mastodon for the 2nd time in 3 months as they prepared to go onstage. This is what it looked like back in August:
Golden Gate Park, S.F.
As I mentioned / bitched about earlier, the Will Call drama put me in kind of a foul mood and I found myself not being into watching Mastodon at all after awhile. As they started to play 'The Czar' (Track 4 on Crack The Skye...) Wexford Girl and I scampered upstairs to the merch table to check out the product and to get another beer. At the merch table we were shocked to find out that Dethklok had basically sold out of merch already except for a few Small size shirts. Impressive! Never underestimate the power of a band backed by corporate cable television marketing. So... as much as I genuinely love Mastodon... I spent most of their set chatting with people, drinking a beer, and geeking out over a poster for a show I saw at the Event Center a thousand years ago.
Sorry Mastodon... I've been following you a long time dating back to your club days, dudes... and I'll still support you... but my head just wasn't *there* for you tonight. During the break between bands I saw a guy who I had seen earlier who was sporting a black eye and a Slayer shirt. METAL!
I tried to go into the show with an open mind about Dethklok, especially since I had a bad attitude about them in Portland... Also, the new season of Metalocalypse has been fucking genius and LAUGH OUT LOUD hilarious so I wanted to like Dethklok tonight. I really did.. However, my opinion wasn't swayed. Yes, the musicianship is good... but come on. This is a Metal band geared for kids and casual Metal fans... There, I said it... and I LOVE the t.v. show.. but those are cartoon characters.. and the acid test for me is if you take away the animation and t.v. show context would the music stand on its own. IMO: Nope. However, it was impressive watching 7,000 cable television viewers going bonkers.
San Jose screams for its cream..
Anyway, it was a jagged night that my head wasn't really into 100% but it was still fun.. and that's all that matters, right? Photo Ray and I bailed after Dethklok played 'Murmaider' (a song about mermaid murder...) in order to grab food and beer at Gordon Biersch.... which was funny because it was the exact same moment that I bailed out of the Portland show. I have to admit, the lobster tacos and pint of Pilsner at Gordon Biersch were THE most brutally excellent things of the evening for me... During the meal I traded text messages with a friend in NYC about a Slaughter video... WTF. Up all night.. sleep all day.
Most band shirts in the crowd = SLAYER. If you bought one of every Mastodon merch item you would have paid around $200. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. I just read what I've typed here and, man, am I really that spoiled and jaded!? Wow..... I'm looking at the man in the mirror... This morning I woke up to a news report that Michael Jackson's trademark glove sold for over $350,000.. WTF.
Around 17 hours after returning from Umlaut's 800 Miles To Hell And Back trek, I found myself boarding another plane... this one bound for Drug Store Cowboy Town. My mission to the Northwest is confidential in nature, but ironically it coincided with some substantial METAL activity. The Rock Godz work in mysterious ways. Unfortunately, due to a dinner engagement, I arrived at the venue too late to see High On Fire... which was a bummer.. but it was cool to be able to attend the first night of this much anticipated tour.
Mastodon: This was the 3rd time I've seen Mastodon on their Crack The Skye Tour and they once again performed that album in its entirety. As at their show back in April, the set was augmented by an impressive video presentation on a huge LED screen behind the stage. I can only imagine how the band stays motivated playing their entire new album every night, but it was a great performance to kick off the tour. However, it was interesting how the band's performance kicked up a notch when they played older material following the new album.. It was almost like playing the old songs was the payoff for the band after what might be "the grind" of playing the same set at every show for the past 6-7 months... but that's what great bands do.. they suck it up and do their best... and Mastodon are a great band.
Anyway...
Umlaut has never been issued a VIP pass that gave him access to absolutely nothing, not even a bullshit roped off bar area. When I first attempted to use the VIP pass, the pimply-faced security guard denied me with some standard security mumbo jumbo... and since I'm not a dick I didn't push it. However, since I was bored during the set up time between Mastodon and Dethklok I tried again, but this time I asked to speak to the pimply-faced security guard's supervisor. It turns out the kid was right: He and his boss consulted the xeroxed pass definition list and, indeed, it basically said that a VIP pass granted no access to anywhere. Wow... sorry, dude.. my bad... but WTF... why even issue a pass if it will grant the user absolutely nothing? Many trees died to print those passes. Discuss amongst yourselves. Lock 'N Loll.
Anyway....
Dethklok: Now, Umlaut loves the show Metalocalypse... but this "concert" struck me as what I imagine Star Wars In Concert might be like... I just couldn't get past how inauthentic Dethklok in concert felt to my Old Metal Soul. Of course, I don't doubt that the creators of the show and the musicians involved are Metal fans... and the show's humor and sensibilities definitely ring true to this Metal fan... but I can't buy into the human version of the cartoon band... mainly because I'm from the generation that had t.v. bands like The Banana Splits, Josie & The Pussycats, and The Partridge Family who were basically the same type of "band" as Dethklok. Granted, Dethklok are far more brutal (and funny) than these predecessors, but it's the same type of product, only one that was created here in the 21st Century.
The "real" band performed in the glare of the huge LED screen that projected video featuring the "cartoon" band and it was too much like watching television for me.. The sold out crowd of kidz ate it up, but I walked out of the venue after around 45 minutes after they performed 'The Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle'.. which is the quintessential Dethklok song IMO.
Not to go off on too much of a rant, but I'll still watch the show... buy the DVDs... but supporting Dethklok as a band? My Old Metal Soul won't allow me to go that far... I will support Dethklok in the same way I supported The Partridge Family as a band when I was a kid. Yes, the musicianship of "the band" is decent (with credibility added by Gene Hoglan on drums).. but when there are up-and-coming real world, real deal Metal bands like Landmine Marathon bleeding for Metal in the trenches without the hype and Marketing of a major television network behind them, I have to say that my time is best spent slicing my palm and blood bonding with the real bands.
Mastodon were selling the tour shirt from the first leg of their U.S. Tour back in April for $10 less than the new tour shirt. On the way back to the hotel, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. As I was typing this that old Scorpions song popped into my head: "Make it real, not fantasy.." Prepare for ultimate flavor.
The Worthless VIP Pass (color removed to make it harder for sneaky fucks to counterfeit)
Coming Soon: Umlaut's No Sleep 'Til Vegas Tour Report..
