Well, I've just discovered I've pissed someone else off. Soon a review is going to consist of nothing for fear of upsetting some more egos within the industry.
The task of opening up this evening falls to Jnr Loaded, who are apparently from Northampton. I'm sure I've heard a track on one of the Organ Radio CDs, but it's pretty much a new experience for me. Most of it comes across as fairly standard nu-metal, with the addition of two vocalists. There are some more etheral moments in there, indicating that they have some kind of handle on doing something a little different, which I personally hope they carry on with. The most outstanding moment of the set was the most melodic and restrained (forget the name of the track now). But even though they're new to these ears, and I'd guess quite a few others, and they're first on the bill, there are still people responding and dancing, which makes a nice change.
I dunno. You mention that you only see 1 earthtone9 gig in a 2 month tour, and suddenly another comes along only a few days later. Bit like waiting for a bus really. Well actually no it's nothing like waiting for a bus. But it would've been if buses had been involved. Which they weren't. Instead it was the runaway train that is the current earthtone9 live performance. There's little I can really say that's new. Serpentine Placement, I Nagual Eye, Zeachariah Rush they all crush and groove. The vocals tonight sound a bit too high and distorted in the mix, but on the other hand, I can actually make out Graeme's bass in the mix more than I have in the past. Withered still gets the best reception, and Simon Says is the punishing climax to the set. The people in the pit are going off, with Karl having to push some back as they attempt to reach the stage. The earthtone experience is one that you have to give time to. The music isn't the instant fix that is seemingly required these days, but just let it simper into the brain, let it settle, and suddenly without you realising it, it's taking you over. I've not seen One Minute Silence for a good few months, like most people, and was looking forward to it. But after earthtone9 I wasn't sure. At the moment there isn't really a way you can follow it, because it just embraces you totally. If only that one guitarist would learn to do a guitar scrape properly!
Ah yes, One Minute Silence. A band fast rising, and methinks are going to firmly establish a love em or hate em following. Tonight Yap announces is their first gig in at least 3 months, and of course the people here are firmly in the love em category. Despite opening with an unreleased track, Food For The Brain, the place explodes. People are diving from the steps on the side of the venue and there's a frantic pit. The emphasis tonight from the musical perspective is squarely on the new material from the forthcoming album. It's probably too much new material, but you have to admire the confidence of the band in playing it, and the fact that it doesn't matter one iota to people. It's like a progression of the Available ... material, but with maybe a little less emphasis on the bass, and some heavier rhythm guitar courtesy of new, and possibly staying, guitarist Massey. He adds a further dimension, joining Glen in surfing the crowd while still playing. Holy Man is one of the more striking of the new tracks, drummer Eddie drawing his drumsticks into the sign of a cross as he lays down the beat. Part showmanship, part emphasis of the lyrical content. Religion it appears is playing a strong part, and Yap takes the time to slag off most religion, stating that it's all shit, and that if he gets a bigger stage and bigger crowd, he'll tell them the same. Make your own mind up. The likes ofSouth Central and Stuck Between ... are still staples of the live set. Before new track Rise and Shine Yap takes time out to explain the song. Basically dealing with the middle men that essentially leach the bands of any kind of profit, he explains how the band only get 47p from a CD sale (see the Sack Trick interview in YAZ#11 for more details on all that), and that they won't use t-shirts made in sweatshops in order to keep the prices down. It's a spirited speech, as he says, Pearl Jam tried to change the industry and failed, so although they, and I'm sure many other bands, would like to do so, it's not so easy. A More Violent Approach finishes things off as Yap says they will support Machine Head in Nottingham soon, and if they don't see people there, they'll see them next century.