One Minute Silence. Well, first thing to say, is that there will be a huge fuck off interview with them appearing in a future edition of YAZ. I mean huge. The batteries ran out, the tape ran out, and still they continued. Not for the faint hearted, or the Mark Morrison fan. It'll become clearer soon.
Onstage there's possibly even more energy than in the interviews. Yap goads people. The real metal fans are down here. At the front. All the Indie and Oasis fans are staying at the back, because they're scared of the real metal fans. and various other niceties. Which is strange when you consider the sheer amount of energy this band puts into their live gigs. Immense amounts. And there's songs. Yeah, real songs. Honest songs. Songs with choruses.
Dudley saw a few braves souls dive, Leeds, well Leeds, after I'd traipsed across town to the venue, only to discover it had been MOVED (bastards) to the Cockpit on the other side of town, well, Leeds was a bit tricky. Plenty of people going off. But then, so did the bass rig, meaning a 10 minute silence (Yap's pun not mine!) during the middle of things. Thankfully they didn't take up the crowds request for a drum solo.
Pitchshifter. The Shifter. Yes, I'm in love with the album. It's amazing. First time for the album. Live, well, they've always been great. And no exception now. Coming onstage at Dudley, taking pictures of the people at the front and tossing them to them (JS can be a bastard it would seem, what with this like of cameras). The set is the same as earlier in the year, but now they open up with Microwave, and everyone knows it. Virus, Insects and Triad are still the only old songs, and if some people want more, well for me, that's enough. Basically because of the sheer brilliance of the new stuff.
I dare you to jump, is the cry at Dudley. And of course, people do. Which gets the JS seal of approval. Please Sir is requested a few times. It'll come. It's the final track. I think they know it's possibly their best song ever. And it is something.
Leeds sees similar trouble for the Shifter as for OMS. Dodgy equipment meaning three aborted attempts to start Triad. Look, it's not my fault JS tries to tell people. Eventually it gets going, as does the blood pouring from JS' nose. As do the stage (and speaker) divers. Can you catch them BEFORE they hit the floor. It's a two way thing But it's not enough. Someone call an ambulance please. Someone in the venue please call an abmulance. Where's the mobile, ring for an ambulance the request goes out later. Fortunately the guy seems to recover, and is thought to be suffering only concussion. But it kinda knocks the edge off things a bit. So it was a troubled night in Leeds. Switch of venue, bloody noses, dodgy equipment, and injuries. You get nights like that. But still, through all of that, the quality still shines.