Hasn't it been a lovely day? It has hasn't it? Nice, sunny, warm. I should know, I've spent from 9 till 6 in a room full of computers. So I guess it's enjoyment of the lovely evening that's the main reason for yet another absolutely piss poor turnout. No, I'm not saying anything here. I am going to say something, cos this last week and a half has been an absolute fucking shocker, but I'm going to have a rant here instead.
First band I forget the name of, it was posted on the wall by their t-shirts, ex-something I think. Metal, oh yeah, it's been a while since I've seen the headbanging guitar played between the legs full on fury of this. The bassist even wanders the small stage to bang the head in front of what would've been people if anyone was actually here. Didn't really do much for me on a musical front, thrashy grindy stuff, but having only been offered the gig the night before, and playing to no-one, they were always going to be up against it.
Corporation Confusion is a name I've heard before mentioned in various zines, but never clapped eyes or ears on. And it took them a while to really get going, though they announce that the bassist is a standin, so that may have something to do with it. Hailing from Scotland, I've got to admit that with a few pints inside me, I can't understand a word the vocalist says, though the drummer is a bit clearer. The vocalist is totally in the faces of the first band, who are at least giving it some down the front. Hard and heavy, they need more of an identity, as they displayed towards the end of the set.
"I need help" is the backprint of the new Nocte t-shirt that I bought. They don't need help, at least not in the musical sense. Support wise yeah, but hey, like I said, I'm letting it go here. There's something kind of poetic in the band starting pretty much on the stroke of midnight. Beforehand Paul had mentioned he was worried cos his voice is a bit shot, and although it's a bit harsher than normal, it doesn't hold them back. His recent leg injury does a bit, as he's only able to throw himself to the floor once during the entire set. Instead he's there centre stage, and it's almost like you can see it's holding him back but resulting in an even more rabid caged animal kind of appearance. I don't know what Mark was doing in the sound booth, but the ferocity of the bass feels like it's almost going to push you back through the walls. Really, you can feel the sound waves - that's not exaggerated bullshit, you can feel them. The material from the new album such as Has The Penny Dropped, Nothing For Second (except the intro!!), and the absolutley brutal Inside I'm Dying not fits perfectly with the old classics such as All My Friends Are Dead, Hooked on Masterbation and the only way a Nocte show can close, the massive All That I Ask. Neal appears to be having a few technical problems with some of the old guitar pedals, but even if they don't fire on all cylinders, the band are still too much for pretty much all the competition.