en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal The Last.fm journal for AndyMerritt. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2013/05/12/5tmmmt_dames_of_darkness_3_at_robin_2,_bilston,_wolverhampton_on_sat_may_11th_2013 Sun, 12 May 2013 16:48:58 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2013/05/12/5tmmmt_dames_of_darkness_3_at_robin_2,_bilston,_wolverhampton_on_sat_may_11th_2013 Sat 11 May – Dames Of Darkness Festival 3

This is a 700 capacity venue which I hadn't been to before. Decent size stage, bar food available on the premises. I was partly expecting it to be quite empty as some of the Femme Metal bashes used to be, but the place was decently full when even the first band were playing, and very full by the end of the evening, which was pleasing, as if it does well hopefully there will be another!

Incarna: 2:30-3:02pm
4 piece (drums, guitar, bass, female vocals)
Rather bass heavy rock / metal, but without a very audible melody line, and vocals that similarly didn't make any tune clear. They weren't horrible, but definitely didn't inspire either. It may well be that with better sound they would be more interesting.

Chemikill: 3:25-4:00pm
5 piece (drums, bass + growled male vocals, 2 guitars, female vocals)
Instantly and obviously a step up. The rhythm section worked well giving their music a good beat, and on top of this the guitars added an interesting layer which complemented the rather good female vocals, which were mostly clean and melodic but sometimes growled, along with some growled male backing vocals. A good mix of power / doom metal which I rather liked. Not all their songs were quite as good, but for a band I knew nothing about this was a very pleasant surprise.

Ex Libris: 4:22-5:16pm
5 piece (drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, female vocals)
Very Dutch metal, with twiddly guitars and keyboards, and rather shrieky operatic vocals. (Operatic speed prog anyone?) They suffered a bit from 'wall of sound syndrome', which didn't help. That their front woman was active and pretty, and trying hard helped keep my attention, but unfortunately the combination of overfast drumming, too noisy guitars and rather high pitched vocals didn't quite do it for me live, though there were some sections I did enjoy. Perhaps toned down a bit in the studio they might be better, and I would be happy to hear what their recordings are like. This was their first gig in the UK. Happy to have seen them.

Azylya: 5:48-6:28pm
5 piece (drums, bass, 2 guitars / harsh male vocals, female vocals, keyboards on tape)
The first band today that I have listened to before, but only a few tracks on myspace, though those were very good, and so I was looking forward to seeing them live.
Wow! My hopes were greatly exceeded. Great sound and a mesmerizing front lady for this dark heavy female fronted melodic metal band - think somewhere near Tristania / Sirenia - a couple of my favourite bands. From just about the beginning I was headbanging and hair swirling away in a happy daze. A real highlight. Discovering a band you didn't know and being blown away by them is just what festivals like this are about. I bought their CD and got it signed. Very happy.

Apparition: 6:47-7:21pm
4 piece (drums, bass, guitar, female vocals, keyboards on tape)
Having seen them a fair bit before (but not that recently), I was interested to see how they had developed, their early material being very much to my taste.
This set included quite a bit of material I didn't know inc. from their singer's solo album. Their melodic female fronted metal remains enjoyable, and while it isn't my favourite, I was entirely happy to see them play again, and especially so as without them this mini festival wouldn't have happened. Good set, though I would have preferred more old songs - I don't seem to be quite as keen on their newer stuff.

Whyzdom: 7:51-8:35pm
6 piece (drums, keyboards, bass, 2 guitars, female vocals)
I only know a little of their material, mainly from compilation albums, but quite like it. However, I recall seeing them before and being unimpressed - so was that a one off miss, or aren't they my thing live? Their somewhat twiddly power metal with clean female vocals should be just my cup of tea... Well, I wasn't very impressed with the quality of their sound - it was a little mushy, but I suspect it was better than when I saw them before, as this time I enjoyed their set. It still isn't really my thing somehow - it doesn't inspire me - but it was enjoyable. Possibly a damnation of faint praise.

Visions of Atlantis: 9:00-9:48pm
5 piece (keyboards, drums, guitar, male vocals, female vocals, bass on tape)
A band I enjoy, but wouldn't consider a favourite. I have wanted to see them for a while though. I nearly saw them last year, but they had to pull out of that gig at the last minute, which was disappointing.
Anyway VoA's blend of approachable prog metal with lots of duets works well live, and while some of it is a bit too prog and not heavy enough for my taste, other songs are excellent and it is very easy to get caught up and to bop and headbang away. So despite some mike problems a good and enjoyable performance. Not a headline band for me but a good support band, and since that is what they were tonight I was entirely happy.

Delain: 10:25-11:51pm
5 piece (drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, female vocals)
I saw them last October in Germany, and while they were good, sometimes excellent, they were dogged by poor sound, so I was really hoping for that to be rectified tonight, so I can appreciate them properly. It took quite a while for everything to be set up right, but then as soon as the set started the sound was superb, and the vocals came through loud and clear (which was the main problem before). They are an excellent band and when they do fast / heavy songs they are great to headbang too. Thus I was quickly enjoying myself. Their set started off with an eclectic mix of old and new which I found slightly harder to get into, but then after taking time for a slow song to calm things down, they then launched into the second half of their set which was pretty much a string of greatest hits - which is impossible not to get completely carried away by. They are definitely worthy headliners. Great to see them again, and with proper sound.

Overall then an excellent day of female fronted metal - I hope it did well enough that we will have another one soon!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/11/27/5oi3tm_rob_zombie_%252B_marilyn_manson_at_the_o2_arena,_london,_26th_nov_2012 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:52:52 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/11/27/5oi3tm_rob_zombie_%252B_marilyn_manson_at_the_o2_arena,_london,_26th_nov_2012 Mon 26 Nov – Twins Of Evil Tour 2012

We arrived very early as the ticketing for the standing area was annoyingly 'non guarenteed', which meant first come first served, with latecomers having tier 1 seating. A daft and very annoying idea. As it turned out, we needn't have rushed quite so much. There was a fair bit of queuing, but it was indoors and well organised, and once in we found we could get to within 6 rows of the front. The arena was quite empty for a long while, and even after M.M.'s set the seated area looked only about half full. Hopefully next time they will play Brixton Academy instead as Rob Zombie did last time.

DJ 6:55-7:30pm
Decent mix of industrial and metal, but no lights at all, and where we were not quite enough space to dance. A better selection of music than the default background selection, but still not sure why they bothered. Either a later door opening time, or a support band would have been better...

Marilyn Manson 8:03-9:09pm
4 piece (drums, guitar, bass, vocals)
For me MM are a good band, but one I find do rather a high proportion of not so interesting songs on album, though with some good and even great stuff mixed in. Sadly the good and great coming almost entirely from his early work... Combine this with having been warned that he didn't put much effort into recent tours, I wasn't expecting too much. (I do recall seeing him many years ago at Download and being quite impressed though). My experience tonight was initially of being swept along in the crowd - everyone around us was jumping around and it was hard enough just to keep ones feet! We edged back a bit and things got a bit more sensible. The enthusiasm was infectious and M.M. changed outfits several times and there were quite a few stage show gimmicks especially during the better songs, which added to it quite a bit - the confetti showers were especially good. Soundwise, everything was OK, but there were definitely some times when M.M.'s voice really wasn't what it should be, which was disappointing. The set, fortunately, tended towards his older (better IMO) material, and had the classics, and also included two of his best covers: Sweet Dreams and Personal Jesus, which were excellent. It does say something though when a fair proportion of a major act's best material is covers... So, yes, I enjoyed this performance but wouldn't come just for them.

Rob Zombie 9:40-10:50
4 piece (drums, guitar, bass, vocals) + keyboard track
We moved slightly away from the centre but still quite close to the stage, and were buffeted somewhat by moshers, but managed to keep out of the way mostly. My first impression of the stage show was just how much of it there was. Banks of screens showing several different things at the same time, as well as a near constant stream of giant monsters of various types, a giant Mars vehicle, Dragula steps and much more. Oh yes, there amongst all this, were the band as well, who were full of enthusiasm and bounce and in great costumes, but sometimes seemed smaller than life amongst all this stuff! There were gimmicks, such as beachballs and confetti too. So the stage show pulled out all the stops. The sound was also good - no complaints there. The set was a real "best of" show, and thus was a constant assault of bouncy melodic industrial goodness, just as it should be, and us bouncing, headbanging and dancing the whole time. My only complaint: the set could have been longer, which would also have allowed the gimmicks and gizmos to be a bit more spaced out, and for the band themselves to be a bit more centre of the focus. For me Rob Zombie is pretty much the best in the genre right now, and certainly blew away M.M. completely.

Conclusion: Really great gig, but I wish it hadn't been at the O2 Arena!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/11/20/5oa3an_nightwish:_imaginaerum_tour_at_brixton_academy_-_mon_5th_nov_2012 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:18:51 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/11/20/5oa3an_nightwish:_imaginaerum_tour_at_brixton_academy_-_mon_5th_nov_2012 Nightwish: Imaginaerum Tour at Brixton Academy - Mon 5th Nov 2012

The queue outside the Brixton Acaemy was long, but once the doors were open it moved swiftly, despite the bag checking and quick pat-down everyone was given. We found a place a little way back from the front towards the RHS in front of some of the barriers on the slope well in time for the support band. The sloping standing area is really helpful, making it possible to get a decent view for a lot more people than if it were flat.

Pain: 7:45-8:30pm
4 piece (drums, bass, guitar, guitar + male vocals) + keyboard track
Pain are an odd band, as on paper I should like them a lot, but in practice I find them lacking a certain spark. Almost all their songs start very well, but then I feel they get a little more mundane somewhere in the middle, and for many of them I have lost interest by the end. They do have a few songs which I enjoy more than that, but not so many. Live this evening their sound was adequate but the vocals weren't as clear as they could be and the mix was just slightly mushy. This didn't help me enjoy them. Ok, so all this sounds pretty negative, which isn't fair - they performed well and as a support band they were definitely enjoyable, but I wouldn't go and see them as headliners...

Nightwish: 9:05-10:50pm
5/6 piece (female vocals, drums, keyboards, guitar, bass, + on many songs Finish bagpipes? / folk flute?)
This was always going to be interesting, with Floor Jansen stepping in at short notice for the second half of this tour, and so I was nervous in case it didn't really work. I was also concerned in case the sound issues with Pain stayed for Nightwish. Fortunately I needn't have worried on either count. The sound was really pretty good, and Floor excelled herself. To me she felt more at home here than she does either with Revamp or even with After Forever! She tackled both songs from the latest two albums as well as some of the trickier Tarja era material (eg. Nemo) with skill and passion. She and the band felt like they were really pleased to be here and were enjoying playing. This isn't something you get all the time! The selection of songs was good, with both recent and old material included. There was a quite long accoustic / folk metal section in the middle which featured those strange non-blown bagpipes, which are more mellow and haunting than regular ones - a fantastic instrument. With such a great performance we were both jumping around, dancing and banging our heads a plenty, and at times we just looked at each other and went 'Wow!', as this was REAL Nightwish. More real than it has been for some time, if you take my meaning. Afterwards we both said that we thought Nightwish should take on Floor permanently - she fits beautifully. Revamp are decent, but not this good! So then to sum up, a stunning performance and one I will remember for a long time. My only minor quibble is that I had rather expected some sort of pyrotechnics given their prominence last time I saw them, and that it was also Guy Fawkes night... However, the lack of them kept the focus on the music.

Conclusion: a great gig, and seeing Floor accompany Nightwish was a real treat!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/11/20/5oa36e_cambridge_rock_festival_sat_4th_aug_at_haggis_farm,_barton,_cambridge Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:12:34 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/11/20/5oa36e_cambridge_rock_festival_sat_4th_aug_at_haggis_farm,_barton,_cambridge Cambridge Rock Festival Sat 4th Aug at Haggis Farm, Barton

I got ready and then cycled to the Cambridge Rock Festival, about 40 mins away, but it was very pleasant in the sunshine. It is a quite big affair, with 3 stages, so lots of bands, its just that I have never heard of any of them, except for Winter In Eden who gave me my ticket, and a couple of other 70s / 80s Prog bands. The stages all have tents which is good, so no standing in the rain, and there are lots of food stands, and a decent selection of beer / cider too.

During some gaps and less interesting bands I did some diary typing and partook of the cider...

Soulweaver 3:50ish-4:55pm
3 piece (male vocals + guitar, female bass player + some backing vocals, drums)
I arrived at the festival at about 4pm looked at the programme and headed to the Classic Rock stage, which looks to be most my thing. These guys were already playing, and were pretty good. 80s style metal, with clean vocals, clear guitars and solid drumming. Down to earth and a good performance, but often just a little bit run of the mill, but with a few more interesting songs which for me had a bit more of a spark. For a support band I'd never heard of before, a pleasant surprise.

Sankara 5:25-?
4 piece (male vocals + keys/guitar, bass, guitar, drums)
I was initially put off by their frontman having short grey hair and wearing a suit... More 80's style rock, but the vocals didn't really do it for me - a bit too screechy? Decent enough as an unknown support, but I didn't feel any need to stay for their full set.

Remus Down Boulevard - 5:25ish-6:25ish
4 piece (drums, male vocals + guitar, guitar, bass)
Apparently lead by Iron Maiden's first guitarist, Dennis Stratton. Their guitar and style did indeed have some Maiden influences, but the vocals were less special and the songs didn't have the power, but even so, not bad... Emminently listenable and better than Sankara in the other tent, so I quite happily listened to the rest of their set, which they finished with Phantom of the Opera, done very well.

Jump 6:50-???
6 piece (male vocals, 2 guitars, bass, keyboards, drums)
First impresson: Marillionesque rock. Clean vocals, gentle slightly jangly guitars with keyboard melody. Vocals a bit Fishy. Not unpleasant, but Prog Rock isn't really my thing these days, but quite happy to sit and listen for a while. They seemed very proficient at what they do.

Tygers of Pan Tang 7pm ish-???
5 piece (drums, 2 guitars, bass, male vocals)
70s / 80s style rock. Heavier and much less clean a sound than Jump, as you would expect. The vocals were clean, and their frontman looked the part, which helps a lot. Not really my thing these days either, but more so than Prog, so I stuck around here.

Winter In Eden - 8:25-9:51pm
5 piece (drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, female vocals)
Now WiE is the reason I came, and many thanks to them for providing me with a ticket for the festival - much appreciated!
The sound started a bit unbalanced with the vocals not as audible as they should be, but fortunately this problem was fixed as the set went on, and they had a much longer set than I have seen them play before, which was great! I have only listened to the new album a little, and was very interested to see how it came over live. I needn't have worried as it came over very well, and while Stolen Fairytale is still my favourite track of theirs, the new album definitely has some good stuff on it. I was right at the front and rocked out from the start, and really enjoyed the set. They are as good live as I remember, and it seemed that the crowd agreed with me, as they were enthusiastic, even if only a few were as physical about it as I was! Sadly there was no time for an encore - I'll just have to see them again soon!

Kyrbgrinder - 10:20-???
3 piece (drums male vocals, bass,guitar)
Shouted vocals, pounding drums, deep bass and very fast non melodic guitar. Not my thing at all. I didn't stick around after thanking WiE for my free tickets and congratulating them on a great set.

Focus - 10:45-???
4 piece (hammond organ + male vocals, guitar, bass, drums)
Dutch Prog from the 70s - Oooh errr. I stayed to see what it was like, but it started slow and all organ with modified vocals, and it just isn't my thing at all even when it sped up a bit, so I decided to head off, after all I had a 9 miles cycle in the dark...]]> http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/11/20/5oa314_patti_plinko_and_her_boy_at_st_ed%27s_church,_cambridge,_april_27th_2012 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:03:18 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/11/20/5oa314_patti_plinko_and_her_boy_at_st_ed%27s_church,_cambridge,_april_27th_2012 Patti Plinko And Her Boy: 8:48-10:20pm
I arrived early, a habit picked up from helping set up at the Goth Eucharist, and so helped out with dishing out free wine - a popular job! I also got to chat to Patti briefly.
2 piece (Patti: deep female vocals, tambourine, kazoo, wine bottle, ukulele, violin; guitar)
Very much burlesque in style, with fast paced songs in minor chords with deep vocals. They are very good at what they do, and it is excellent foot-tapping stuff, which really feels like it would be more at home in a seedy smoky bar than in a medieval church, but the sound here is great, and it is a lovely venue too. Lovely of Malcolm to put on free wine / juice! There was a break in the music to get another drink for a bit, and everyone was encouraged to have a top up for the last song which everyone had to howl along to as well!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/10/18/5n6dhg_delain_%252B_69_chambers_%252B_iintemporal_at_zeche_carl,_essen,_thu_18th_oct_2012 Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:55:25 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/10/18/5n6dhg_delain_%252B_69_chambers_%252B_iintemporal_at_zeche_carl,_essen,_thu_18th_oct_2012 Delain @ Zeche Carl, Essen

I had hoped to go along with my friend Sylvia, but she was unable to come, sp I went on my own. I had never been to Zeche Carl before and was surprised how small it was. Quite a lot smaller than London Islington O2 Academy where I last saw Delain. Thus I was able to get close to the stage, which was also surprisingly high for such a small venue, ensuring a good view for more people. However, the sound here was not so good. It felt a bit muffled - not exactly like a wall of sound, but it did make all the vocals quite a bit harder to hear clearly than should be the case, which it has to be said did dampen my enjoyment of the show somewhat.

Intemporal 7:30ish - 8:03pm
4 piece (female vocals, guitar, bass, drums, some keyboards taped)
I missed the start of their set, but was pleased to see that they were definitely the right sort of band for this gig - the lineup having changed quite recently. They were a bit like Lacuna Coil, but with less memorable songs, and I felt they weren't all that tight. The sound issues didn't help them either. So a decent enough start to the evening, and their last song stepped up the pace and was rather better than the rest, though the other songs had their moments. Not a band I will be looking out for, but happy to have seen them, and I have seen a lot worse openers!

69 Chambers 8:15-8:53pm
3 piece (female vocals + bass, guitar, drums, some keyboards taped)
I had listened to their CD a few times before coming, initial investigation having been positive, and I was looking forward to seeing them as they are an unusual addition to the genre. The drumming is powerful but skilful (as indicated by the drum solo) and the guitar has definite thrash metal influence, which adds some interesting elements to their material. The vocal range from female growls, through more normal metal vocals to rather Alanis Morissette-like vocals on some songs. As I said a very I interesting mix. Some of their songs ate really rather good, and I got well into them. Others don't have as much going on, but are still ok. I felt their sound didn't suffer as much as the other bands, perhaps because they were only a 3 piece so there was less to get wrong? In any case I was well impressed with their performance and hope to be able to see them again soon.

Delain 9:28-10:48pm
5 piece (female vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums)
As already mentioned I felt the sound did Delain no favours at all. When I saw them in London I enjoyed them more than this evening, and that is mostly down to the vocals being much less clear here. The song selection was interesting, even if the three 'encores' were completely predictable (but excellent and essential). I still enjoyed their performance and felt they worked hard, and Charlotte was as stunning as ever. I was also pleased that the new material worked well live. Delain are a class act, but not quite up their with my favourites of the genre. How will this gig compare to seeing Nightwish (fronted by Floor Jansen!) in a couple of weeks in London? Well, I look forward to finding out...]]> http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/07/01/5iwioc_combichrist_%252B_support_at_the_electric_ballroom_camden_on_jun_28th_2012 Sun, 1 Jul 2012 11:10:40 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/07/01/5iwioc_combichrist_%252B_support_at_the_electric_ballroom_camden_on_jun_28th_2012 Thu 28 Jun – Combichrist, Surgyn, CONCRETE LUNG

I hadn't been to the Electric Ballroom for quite a while, but recalled that the sound had sometimes been lacklustre there, so I found a spot a little in front of the sound desk and stayed there, hoping the mix would be OK there, and I was entirely happy with the sound quality throughout - also it wasn't TOO loud, which it can be at some venues!

Concrete Lung 7:15-7:43pm
2 piece (bass, guitar + harsh vocals)
Wall of noise guitars, and noise vocals is not really for me. There were some hints of Ministry there, but without most of the good stuff. Not totally horrible, but not at all special, and not for me - sorry.

Surgyn 7:59-8:31pm
2 piece (MacBook + harshish vocals, cleanish male vocals)
Dressed in surgeon's pinnies, these guys were definitely interesting. Their music has pounding beats with electronic drums and lots of synth. Some of their music was definitely catchy and rather good, but for me the vocals were a bit of a letdown - not as interesting as the synths. Still definitely danceable and good as a support band. Perhaps I had been hoping for too much as I had heard their performance at Resistance (which I missed) was excellent. So yes, good, but not great.

Jayce Lewis 8:43-9:18pm
5 piece (drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, male vocals + extra drums)
A proper band! Not just recorded stuff from a MacBook! Proper industrial metal with slightly shouted vocals. Hints of Ministry and Disturbed. I was quite impressed by the drumming - some really good beats. There were some good bits in various songs and the last one I rather liked, but there were also some less interesting sections as well. Overall then, a good support band - and different in style to Surgyn, so a good addition to the lineup for me.

Combichrist 9:35-11:00pm
2-5 piece (harsh male vocals, guitar, 3 sets of drums and 2 keyboards)
They started off as a 2 piece but as the set went on extra band members came out and joined in, which was quite surprising but interesting and worked OK actually. Also they used different sets of drums and keyboards for different songs. Despite all this the sound was good, and what struck me straight away was just how their music grabs you, sets you dancing and just doesn't let you go. The beats are strong and insistent and the tunes so very catchy. Thus I danced a great deal and really enjoyed myself. That said, they played quite a few new songs which I don't really know, and some of them didn't seem quite as interesting to me. However, their older material is just so strong! Overall then a very enjoyable performance and I was very glad to see them - especially as I have somehow never managed to see them before. An excellent industrial ebm band which I look forward to seeing again. But why no "This Is My Rifle"? Surely having the place go completely wild for you would be a good thing?]]> http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/04/18/5ffyxv_resistanz_festival:_corporation,_sheffield_april_7th8th Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:17:15 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/04/18/5ffyxv_resistanz_festival:_corporation,_sheffield_april_7th8th Sat 7 Apr – Resistanz International Industrial Festival 2012

Before I get onto my comments on the bands. I will say that my taste in industrial music is more towards softer ebm and even synthpop rather than very harsh and pounding industrial ebm. Much of my non-industrial musical taste these days is goth metal - this just so you can see where my comments are coming from! I went to Resistanz last year as well, and enjoyed it a great deal, so coming this year was a no-brainer.

Sat April 7th

Memmaker 4:45-5:30
3 piece (3 guys in shirts and ties with MacBooks)
Very pounding, with minimal vocals, and nothing memorable about their music, but equally not totally awful either. We didn't stay for their whole set, but went to look around the stalls instead.

Be My Enemy 5:45-6:25
4 piece (guitar, bass, drums, male harsh vocals)
A real band, but rather a cacophony of sound which didn't appeal to me. Jen couldn't stand it and headed off straight away. I managed to stay a bit longer, and sometimes you could hear the keyboards (taped) which was an improvement, but still too harsh and noisy for me. I headed out after a few songs...

E.S.A. 6:45-7:30
1 piece (electronic drum pad, MacBook and vocals)
Harsh fast and furious electronics, with only semi audible harsh vocals. Sort of a one man (guitarless) Ministry but not as interesting. Still not bad, and definitely better than the first two bands. A bit too samey though for me. I lasted 30 mins of the 45 min set before I had had enough.

Soman 7:51-8:48
1 piece (with MacBook) + 2 dancers
Quite funky and very danceable ebm. Pretty much all instrumental, which means the tunes and beats have to be pretty special to stop it getting boring. They mostly managed this, but not entirely. What I'm not sure at all though is if this can really be called live in any meaningful sense at all... Overall I enjoyed the set, and was the first today I watched the whole of.

Frozen Plasma 9:08-9:56
2 piece (MacBook + keyboards, clean male vocals)
A band I only know a few songs of, but I like most of those, so I hoped to like them live, and they looked to be the best fit to my tastes so far today. They play a mix of mild ebm / synthpop, and I found it enjoyable, but while his vocals were decent and the keyboards and rhythms melodic, much of it doesn't really inspire me. Give me S.P.O.C.K (!) instead any day! Glad to have seen them though. They upped the quality of their songs towards the end, especially with Warmongers. At their peak really rather good, but much of the time quite a way off that peak for me.

Nachtmahr 10:12-11:18
3 piece (drums, male vocals + MacBook + keyboard, MacBook + keyboards) + 2 girls with (water) guns
What a scary looking frontman! Militaristic harsh ebm with mainly harsh vocals. I have listened to some of their music, but not a huge amount. On the other hand, I really love L'Ame Immortelle, so I was hoping that I would like this. Generally it is a bit harsh and poundy without enough melody for my taste, and this was true live too, though I did enjoy dancing to some of their more approachable songs. I also appreciated the way their drummer seemed to play while standing up and marching all the time. All a bit scary... Not bad though not really my thing. Not as good as Frozen Plasma or Soman for me.

Grendel 11:55-00:58
4 piece (drums, guitar, keyboards, harsh male vocals)
After a very odd start with a couple of very strange tracks, with vocals that were just not even close to right, things changed somewhat as they started Chemicals + Circuitry, and the sound seemed better to me, and the vocals were somewhat corrected, and suddenly this was the Grendel I have listened to so much but had never seen, and from then on their set was much improved, a continuous dance frenzy for me. Jen didn't feel the shift of gear though and felt disappointed by them. For me, ignoring their bad start, this was the highlight of the day for me, as the headliner should be.

Sun April 8th

I missed Surgyn, arriving about 5:15pm. Jen didn't come down till later.

Detroit Diesel 5:00ish - 5:42
2 piece (very harsh male vocals, lass with laptop and keyboards)
Enjoyable ebm tunes with good beats, effectively all instumental due to the mostly inaudible vocals. Very much danceable to, but in a rave type way rather than because of appreciating the songs. Still I have heard a great deal worse support bands, so a pleasant start to the evening.

FGFC820 6:00-6:48
2 piece (harsh male vocals, keyboards + electronica + male growls)
I love their music on CD and in clubs and had never seen them, and didn't know they were still active, let alone touring. So this was a real pleasure, especially as I only discovered they were playing a few days ago! The main vocals were fine, but when their front man spoke between songs it was way too quiet for half the set, soso the crowd shouted for him to be made louder, which he took as heckling... Other than this everything was great, and their very melodic industrial with both harsh vocals and growled vocals really works just as well live, so I was dancing around madly the whole time. They also actually felt pretty live - the vocals were a bit different and different to on the CD and sounded live (in a good way), and the keyboard was actually played rather than occasionally poked... Also interesting to see the difference between a German military style band and an American one. This was much less scary! Fantastic set, and definitely my highlight so far, ahead of Grendel last night. I hope I get to see them again and look forward to their new CD.

W.A.S.T.E 7:07-7:50
3 piece (2 guys with keyboards and electronica, one with laptop and keyboard)
Very harsh industrial / noise band. No melody at all that I could hear, so I stayed only 10 mins. Not for me. I went and got a baked potato instead...

Straftanz 8:18-9:01
3 piece (multiple MacBooks + effect vocals, harsh male vocals, bass)
Having listened to them a fair bit over the last couple of weeks, but not before that, I wasn't sure what to expect live. Recorded, they sometimes hit the mark perfectly for me with their hard and fast ebm, but with a good melodic edge. Other times they are a just a bit too hard and harsh for me. Live my feeling is much the same. Du Stirbst Aus and The Enchantment were great to dance to. Other songs were decent, but a few were over the edge for me (too much just drum and bass with only a little tune), but overall still very decent, so they get a thumbs up from me, with the highlights having been excellent.

Ultaviolence 9:15-10:05
4 piece (guitar, keyboards, male vocals, female vocals)
Having only listened to a few tracks of theirs before coming, I wasn't expecting them to be my thing at all. Thus I only dipped into their set, and heard one song so harsh and pounding I was going to head off straight away, but then they did a couple of slower songs, which were a lot more interesting, with clean female vocals. Then followed a cover of Ministry's Stigmata, then a dull instrumental. I was left with no real consistent picture of what they were like... Of course they finished with Hardcore Motherfucker. So not my thing, but interesting in parts.

Mind.In.A.Box 10:34-11:36
4 piece (clean male vocals + keyboards, drums, guitar, bass)
Quite a change from everything else at Resistanz! Performing with a pretty much normal rock band, here they came across as a quite mellow industrial / prog rock combination, which is I guess what they are, but I hadn't thought of them like that before, as normally the keyboards and voice effects are so much to the fore. Thus they were gently danceable, sometimes rocking out a bit more.They had some problems with their tech, but managed to just carry on anyway, which was really good, and gets my respect. I did enjoy them a good deal, and was quite surprised how non electro they were for this show, making a real change from all the other bands. Still not quite up to FGFC820 for me personally though, but a performance I will remember for a long time.

Icon of Coil 11:57-01:13
3 piece (cleanish mall vocals, 2x keyboards + electronica)
So at last the headliner! I have to say that I'm not a long time IoC fan. I know a few of there classics well enough and have listened to more of their songs over the last month or two, and I have enjoyed what I have heard, and wondered how well it would translate live. Pleasingly the sound was good, and the vocals came across cleanly and powerfully. Their melodic and danceable ebm kept me dancing pretty much their whole set, and by the end I was shattered and needed a good sit down! So they did their job admirably. However, this said they still aren't a band that truly excite me. Not in the same way FGFC820 did earlier.

My final comments: overall I think I enjoyed last year's lineup more, though
the larger 'outside' area for stalls and seats was a great improvement. Band I
enjoyed most this time: FGFC820. I hope to be back next year!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/04/18/5ffy7j_the_mediaeval_baebes_at_st_sepulchre_without_newgate_church_(london)_on_dec_21st_2011 Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:50:34 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2012/04/18/5ffy7j_the_mediaeval_baebes_at_st_sepulchre_without_newgate_church_(london)_on_dec_21st_2011 Wed 21 Dec – Mediaeval Baebes Live

OK, so posted rather a long time after the event - no idea why this didn't get posted before!

We met up with Cecile and some of her friends in the queue. Simon wasn't there today. They saved us a space about half way back. There was a bit of a wait fo the performance to start, and there was no support of any kind.

The Baebes cam on at 7:45pm and played until 10pm, with a 20 min or so break in the middle. They came on one at a time with candles in the dark, wearing white dresses rather like wedding dresses. They started with three classics and then bracnhed out for a while to more obscure, less obviously beautiful pieces. The second half they came out in purple dresses and then later changed again into an assortment of non matching ones.

There were 7 of them today, and Rabbit was there as stunning as ever, after being ill last time I saw them. They played most of the top material from Illumination and there was a Spanish guitar + violin slot, and an arabic style solo. There was a fair bit of stuff I didn't really know - perhaps some of it new, and it was good.

The sound was good, though the drums a bit too echoey in this very impressive old church. I'm not sure they really added anything to the performances I have seen before, but that's fine, because as a pre-Christmas non-carol service this is just amazing. Sara enjoyed it too. My one issue was the hardness of the wooden seats! Not so comfy!

I hope there are more pre-Christmas performances in churches / cathedrals next year - if so I'll be there!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2011/11/15/55wpro_within_temptation_%252B_anneke_van_giersbergen_at_brixton_academy_nov_11th_2012 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:07:57 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AndyMerritt/journal/2011/11/15/55wpro_within_temptation_%252B_anneke_van_giersbergen_at_brixton_academy_nov_11th_2012 Fri 11 Nov – Within Temptation, Agua De Annique

Not having been to the Brixton Academy for a while, I had forgotten how hideous the queues are, so arriving early I gave up for a while and got a drink in a club/pub doing a special pre gig 'happy hour' - not that the price of cider there made me happy! It did let me warm up a bit though, and I didn't have to stand around for so long.

Anneke van Giersbergen: 8:00-8:30pm
4 piece (2 guitars, bass, drums, female vocals)
I had never seen Anneke or The Gathering before, but know a little of The Gathering's music, though for me they feel a little 'bland' - just fine in the background, but not really grabbing my attention. Live tonight their sound was good, so no complaints there, but I still found their slightly proggy blend of melodic rock a bit uninspiring and often a bit slow going. There were some faster bits which I enjoyed a bit more, but overall not quite my thing.

Within Temptation: 9:02-10:32pm
6 piece (2 guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, female vocals) + taped male vocals.
I last saw WT when they last played here, which I think was 3 years ago now. What was immediately obvious was that this was a bigger budget tour than back then, as they had a two level stage, and a video backdrop as wide as the stage. There were pretty spectacular video backdrops for the newer songs and even most of the older ones. The light show was also very impressive and worked very well with the video. The venue also really suits them. So the visuals were great - what about the sound? Well, the mix wasn't quite right at first, but quickly improved, and WT's wonderful mix of heavy guitar, melodic keyboards, and great female vocals really shone. Live, like many bands, they feel heavier than on CD, which works very well for WT for me. They blasted out song after song of their best material from all their albums (possibly excluding Enter), giving their new one a good outing, especially with the theme story, but not to the exclusion of older material. I was rocking out to just about everything they played, with just a couple of songs I wasn't quite as keen on. Excellent stuff - very enjoyable, and well worth the wait. My expectations for their performance were high, but they were exceeded! I very much look forward to their return which they assured everyone won't be as long this time.]]>