Wacken Open Air 2012 may be six months away, but the excitement has begun. With tickets sold out and a line-up that boasts Amon Amarth, Saxon, Ministry, Machine Head, Scorpions, Testament, Cradle of Filth, Dark Funeral plus many, many more; W.O.A. 2012 promises to be the must see metal event of the summer!
In true metal spirit, Wacken have been running a battle of the bands since 2004 that takes place in over 30 countries with an all-out final at the festival itself. The top prize includes 1, a gig at Wacken (the final – duh), a yearlong recording contract with Nuclear Blast Records (Anthrax, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, EXODUS, Hammerfall, Sepultura, Nile, Testament, VADER – frickin’ endless list of legends) and assorted endorsements from the festivals sponsors. Not too shabby eh?
On Saturday night, Crunch Metal promotions presents the first of two semi-finals in the Irish heat which take place at Dublin’s The Pint, and will see six native acts launch bloody war upon each other for a chance to claim the coveted prize. Beltbuckle Overdrive (Dublin), Clurichaun (Tipperary), Exzeltic (Dublin), Red Six (Belfast), Spittin’ Bones (Kildare) and Warpath (Dublin) are all in with a chance of reaching the finals which will be held again at The Pint on April 21st but only three will qualify on the night!
Tickets are only €5 on the door and you can bet your nut this will be a night worth going to see. These guys have proven their way around the country to get through the early stages and quarter finals so you’re going to see some full on metal this weekend. Check out the event’s Official Facebook Page for more detials.
W.O.A. Metal Battle Semi-Final 1
The Pint, Eden Quay (Dublin)
Saturday – February 25th 2012
Doors @ 19:00 – Tickets €5
Tickets There kept the head down majorly last year, but you didn’t think we’d miss one of the greatest touring line-ups in living history did you? The heroic conquering heroes Def Leppard, the filthiest grime and sleaze you can scrape off the streets of LA (Steel Panther :p) and the tided up and looking great Mötley Crüe all under the same roof! Not something to be missed no matter how far you have to travel.
Anyone that’s ever been to the MEN arena knows two things. First, it’s massive! Entering at the top level and walking down those oh so fun steps in the dark with thousands of people behind you is no fun whatsoever; but if fills you with plenty of adrenaline that can be doused with pints. Second, there’s no smoking….officially. What happens in the toilets, stays in the toilets. Aside from that, it’s easily one of the greatest venues in the U.K. with plenty of bars, merch stands, standing room and incredible sound. Walking in at the obnoxiously early time of 18:30, it’s strange to see the arena so full, but then again Steel Panther are already on stage and nobody wants to miss this.
Opening with ‘Supersonic Sex Machine’ from their new album, Balls Out, Steel Panther are on fire from the word go. While some felt their tongue in cheek take on metal wouldn’t wash with the English crowd (I cannot fathom where that idea came from) it seems Panther know what they’re doing no matter where they play. ‘Tomorrow Night’,’ Asian Hooker’ and ’Just Like Tiger Woods’ gain them a rapturous response from the crowd and an understood, open invite to return to the UK anytime they choose; but the night’s over yet. Their onstage banter, led by guitarist Satchel, and riff heavy tracks are the perfect entertainment to kick off a night of hair metal. The group close with the classic ballad ‘Community Property’, ‘17 Girls In A Row’ and the almighty giant, ‘Death to All but Metal’ and it’s oh so appropriate line, “Where is Def Leppard, Where is Motley Crue?”…well they’re backstage ”fucking groupies” according to singer Michael Starr. With the group earning “literally hundreds of pounds” to play this tour and their promotion over Reckless Love in the spandex genre, no doubt they’ll come back for more in 2012.
With the novelty side of the night over, it’s time for the first of our two headliners to lay the marker, throw the gauntlet and blow our heads off! Mötley Crüe explodes onstage with all the fire, energy and power they’re known for. ‘Wild Side’ (the greatest drinking song in their repertoire), ‘Saints of Los Angeles’ (proof they still know how to write bitchin’ tracks) and ‘Live Wire’ open the show. Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee and the great Mick Mars all shine on stage with Vince and Nikki covering every inch of the stage, Mick holding his own with the fans and on guitar; and of course, Tommy the legend overshadowing all of them from behind his kit. How does he do it? Well you gotta be blonde to find that out. In every possible way, everyone in attendance tonight knows they’re witnessing one of the most iconic bands in rock music at their best.
‘Shout At The Devil’ boosts a mass sing along from the crows with arms raised, explosions from the stage and pounding on the bass. ‘S.O.S.’ and the awesome ‘Primal Scream’ keep the adrenaline going before the band convene around a grand piano for a stripped back rendition of ‘Home Sweet Home’ before re-launching the action with ‘Looks That Kill’. Taking a break, the band retires back stage to let Tommy begin his drum solo and did we mention….. his drum was set up on a rollercoaster track? Oh Yeah! Tommy kicks off his solo as standard before the whole kit starts to roll to the left and right of the track before going into full 360° action without a single beat being missed. Slowing down, Tommy asks for volunteers from the audience to come up, eventually catching one bewildered looking lady who gets strapped in and flown off as Tommy drums the beat from the Chilli Pepper’s ‘Love Roller-coaster’. And we thought Steel panther were meant to have the theatrics! With that, the band return for Mick Mars apocalyptic-solo before the bands returns for ‘Dr. Feelgood’.
As Crüe’s set comes to an end (still have another band! TT – you’re writing too much nonsense – Ed), Leppard singer, Joe Elliott, walks on stage to present Nikki with a birthday cake and rouse the crowd to sing to him. The set’s closed with ‘Mutherfucker of the Year’,’ Girls, Girls, Girls’ and ‘Smokin’ In The Boys Room’. With one encore of ‘Kickstart My Heart’, the boys are done and the stage is dismantled. While Vince’s voice has never been known for its dominating power in the arena, the sheer force of the band’s sound and incredible wealth of tunes makes them one of the must see bands on the road today. Anytime ye fancy an auld visit to Ireland lads, Tickets There will be waiting.
Now, time for the true Gods of the live arena. The band that sell sex, love and rockin’ out with every note! The one, the only (we’re fans – get over it); Def Leppard! While Panther have the comedy, Crüe have the edge; Leppard will always be the force that pulls it all together and adds so much more. They overcome every single obstacle in the book of ‘Shit things that happen to bands’ and still come out on top every time. They’ve lost members, limbs, fans, popularity and sales and yet here they are, 30+ years after their inception still headlining arenas around the world and breaking new ground with every step. No matter what you say about Def Leppard, they are a true model of how a band stays together, stays successful and comes out ‘winning’ every time.
Leppard kick of their set on a stage that suddenly looks twice as large with ‘Undefeated’ from their new live album, Mirrorball. The band looks every bit in shape and together as they ever have and they waste no time displaying those traits that help them outshine all others in their class. ‘Rocket’, ‘Action’, ‘Make Love Like A Man’ and ‘When Love and Hate Collide’ all lead the traditional route into the heart of their set with Joe Elliott’s voice literally decimating the sound system with its power. Despite the Crüe fans bickering about the true headliners tonight, no-one in the arena can deny that Elliott is knocking Vince Neil out of the park with every note. And it’s not like the rest of the band are taking a break either. ‘Gods of War’, a rare inclusion, sets the night on fire with its powerful riffs, courtesy of Phil and Viv. It’s pounding, yet starkly placed drums (aka – Mr. Rick ‘Thunder God’ Allen) and its incredible wall of backing vocals and heaving bas lines. Step up Mr. Sav. If this isn’t everything you want from a Leppard concert, I don’t know what is!
‘Two Steps Behind’, ‘Bringin’ on the Heartbreak’ and the mega ‘Switch 625’ really lay it home how good the band are sounding these days. It’s obvious the lads are delighted to be playing their first proper UK shows in four years (not including their 2009 and 2011 headlining shows at Download – ahem – Ed) and they’re basking in every minute of it. ‘Hysteria’ and ‘Animal’ follow before the pile drive the set home with the classics ‘Armageddon It’, ‘Photograph’ and ‘Pour Some Sugar On me’. The band scarified ‘Rock of Ages’ for Gods of War, but who’s complaining? Leppard return to the stage to round of an incredibly long but mind-blowing night with ‘Love Bites’ and the always classic, ‘Let’s Get Rocked’. Band happy, Lepp fans happy and Mötley Crüe begrudgingly tipping their hats – it’s a wrap. After eight shows in five years, TT doesn’t know when we’ll get to see the mighty Lepp again, but one’s things for sure; there will be a next time. ..
Is there anything better than glam metal? Def Leppard did it best (not open for debate), Guns N’ Roses made it dangerous and Bon Jovi tried to kill it; but 2011 sees a plethora of young bands revitalizing one of music’s most infamous genres. About bloody time!
In the thirty odd years since Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison, Guns N’ Roses and the likes took that old blues rock n roll, dumped a tonne of eye liner, Jack Daniels and explicit west coast sex into the mix; a lot has changed in the world. Geeks have taken over, bands ware scarves, converse, recycle like Germans and …God help us, Chris Martin and Thom Yorke are even considered rock stars. Don’t panic, there’s hope! Tonight, Finland’s extremely credible successor to Hanoi Rocks; Reckless Love are in Dublin to inject a little sleaze into our cold Irish blood.
Last year the band visited Ireland on their ‘Back To Paradise tour’ in support of their self-titled debut LP. Now they’re back with a new album, ‘Animal Attraction’ and a jump in venue; going from Crawdaddy to Whelan’s. A pint of the black stuff in hand, hair down; it’s time to rock n roll with openers The Dirty Youth who, if nothing else, manage to deliver a little ‘eazy on the eyes’ warm up. Not implying anything…. While we may not speak for everyone, this concert goer found it difficult to focus on their music right off due to the sight of their lovely lead singer Danni Monroe in short shorts. Yes, Tickets There likes short shorts. So, all’s well and they don’t sound bad either.
Taking the stage shortly after, tonight’s’ headliners easily manage to jump that all important step from opening act to main attraction. Pepe (guitars), Hessu (drums, crowd control) and Jalle (bass) take positions and kick into the group’s latest single, ‘Animal Attraction’. As the slow drums and feedback guitar fill the PA, lead singer Olli Herman slides on stage, teasing the impressive array of young Irish fillies lined up at the front. Despite some worries about Animal Attraction lacking in the balls department, Reckless prove the new material has just as much umpf as their standards, Animal Attraction and following track ‘Speedin’ deliver everything that’s good about the glam scene. Guitars, solos, speed and born-to-be-rock stars. ‘Badass‘ from their début comes next giving all fans the first major rallying point of the night. As calls come from the crowd for him to remove his shirt and a degree of tension from the ladies as he ponders it, Olli endorses the sound man and a few audience members to remove theirs first and start “to have romances together”. Ice firmly broken, let’s go.
The set is mostly taken from their new record with eight tracks getting an airing tonight. Born To Break Your Heart, Animal Attraction’s first single, ‘Hot’ and ‘Fantasy’ all get the band’s special live treatment and deliver a few instantly enjoyable riffs and chorus’s. The band blaze through tonight’s show with professional ease and arena style antics. Every pose, pout and kick are reminiscent of the greats; but revitalized with youthful energy from a band with a long career ahead of them.
Romance bring things back their full fighting harmonic best before the set gets rounded off with new tracks ‘Dirty Dreams’, ‘On The Radio’ and ‘Dance’. With the band fully in form and winning the crowd over with their new material, the return to their debut for the final pounding. ‘Wild Touch’ explodes from the PA like a panther, sounding stronger and more aggressive than any recording could capture. Returning for the encore, the band demand one final roar from the crowd before bringing it home with the cock rock-tastic ‘Beautiful Bomb’ and the anthematic ‘One More Time’. That’s twice Dublin Metal Events have had them over and hopefully they’re the first visits of many. Reckless Love are not a band you want to miss next time.
Just four months after they tore Whelan’s apart, ASH are back and this time they’ve got an old friend with them. Back in August, fans around the world rejoiced at the news that legendary fourth member; Charlotte Hatherley was joining the band for a one off U.K. & IRE tour to mark the tenth anniversary of their career defining album, Free All Angels. Charlotte amicably parted ways with the group in early 2006 to pursue a successful solo career and the group have carried on as trio ever since, but have on occasion called on the services of Bloc Party’s Russel Lissack for live performances. While Charlotte’s return may only be temporary, fans of the band will agree the group were at their live best with her in the line-up. She adds a quiet coolness, delicate character and shredding guitar to their sound and don’t even mention the harmonies – too good. With drummer Rick McMurray also present and correct after a short absence, the scene is set for the most memorable ASH gig of the last decade.
The night kicks off early with support acts Tieranniesaur and The Future but, no offence to them, there’s only one band people want to see tonight. As the lights go dark, dramatic music and NASA launch commands boom over the PA, ASH take the stage and the crowd explode with excitement. Seeing the four members back together is a dream come to life for those in attendance (and yours truly of course). Obviously delighted with the response, the band immediately delves into Free All Angels and kick off proceedings with Walking Barefoot, followed by Shinning Light and a jaw dropping performance of Burn Baby Burn. Right off the bat it’s clear that the time apart hasn’t hampered the group’s ability to perfectly fuse together and deliver these songs as they should sound. Charlotte’s overwhelming charm hasn’t diminished in any way shape or form since her departure and she still rocks like a motherf**ker on stage. Tim spends the first half of the set competing with the crowd to be heard as every word of every song is sung back to him. Mark and Rick just perfectly round off one of the hardest rockin’ bands this country has ever produced.
Tim pauses for a moment to thank everyone in attendance, ‘re-introduce’ Charlotte and highlight that now the band are about to play songs they haven’t performed in nearly ten years before kicking into Candy, Cherry Bomb, the Rick Mc Murray composed Submission and Someday with the songs sounding as fresh as they did in 2001. As the album continues, Sometimes and There’s A Star shine through with the incredible World Domination rounding off the set. Despite this being the first ever full performance of the record, the band don’t miss a beat and in itself delivered a quality show. But wait, there’s more!. Tim thanks the crowd who are still screaming with delight and announces the band will return in a few minutes to play another full set which sees the audience leap with astonishment and delight.
The band return quickly and fire off with Projects from Nu-Clear Sounds (the band’s first album with Charlotte) before continuing their assault with A Life Less Ordinary (earth shatteringly amazing performance), Star Crossed and Orpheus from the Meltdown album and the classic Wildsurf. There’s also a special performance of Warmer Than Fire which Tim reminisces used to be a set standard in the Free All Angels days before they close off their main set with the rallying Oh Yeah.
Returning to the stage, the band introduce two time Irish air guitar champion Deku Chan for one of the nights stand out performances, Lose Control. Kung Fu Follows sending the mosh pit into chaos and the night is closed with the triumphant Girl From Mars. With that, the band hit their curfew and take a well deserved bow before leaving the stage.
This was without a doubt the greatest ASH performance many have ever seen and it delivered everything any fan could have ever hoped for. Whether Charlotte’s return to the group turns into a permanent situation or not remains to be seen, but for now the group look and sound the best they ever have and this tour is just another reminder of why we love them so much. Fans in the U.K. – prepare to be amazed!
The stage appears small with the array of wires, lights and electronic music equipment that Le Galaxie have brought to the Workman’s Club tonight for the launch of their first album Laserdisc Nights 2. Roars go up as a hoodedluminous face painted quartet takes to the stage. From the word go, it’s clear the cinematic element of the album has been slightly sidelined for a heavy indie/dance sound. Not that it’s a bad thing! There’s also a touch of nostalgia in the air as a handful of glowsticks are thrown into the crowd. It feels like acid house all over again and so dance numbers Beyond Transworld and Earth are quite befitting.
Rarely addressing the crowd Le Galaxie plough through their set. By the time they reach Powers ofMiami and Solarbabies things really start to heat up. Both numbers are loaded with euphoric synth sounds just perfect for busting some dance moves. How could you not possible move to this music?!
More glowsticks are tossed from the stage to guide our way. When writing gig reviews I often find myself jotting notes blindly in the dark but not tonight. I stick a few into the frames of my glasses and away I go. It’s nice when bands have a kind thought for the reviewers!
What’s so great about this act is their ability to mix things up. During numbers like Police Department and This is Reality Diane I’m bouncing around at a dance gig with pulsating synths and a laser light show. The next moment our sonic electro heads pick up guitars and things go all hard indie and heavy as drums pound and guitars distort. But they also know how to ease off the accelerator a bit with numbers like Orion and Victory.
You could tell this was an album launch. To make it a memorable night they take the last song to the crowd. Vocalist Le Michael Galaxie as he’s called on the band’s Facebook page; jumps from the stage armed with a synth and a cowbell. It’s a nice moment as everyone crowds around and joins in.
I can’t remember the last time I witnessed such a solid performance and I also can’t think of a better way to spend a Friday night. If you have not yet had the pleasure of catching Le Galaxie, treat yourself!
Ash, Ireland’s favourite pop rock trio are back in Dublin tonight for a highly anticipated appearance at local indie haunt, Whelan’s of Wexford St. Excitement’s been building for weeks so it’s no surprise to see queue’s of hungry Ash fans geared up for a night of sweat, pints and tuneage. Entering the packed venue it seems tonight’s sell out crowd don’t seem concerned that they’ve lost the fashionably late edge by piling in just in time for opening act, The Plea. Fortunately it’s one of those nights you’re glad you came early as The Plea rocket through an incredibly well played set of heavy guitar laden alt-rock gems including ‘Praise Be’ from their split, special tour edition E.P. Definitely a band that requires further investigation and a great start to the night.
Belfast indie rockers LaFarro take the stage next and initially drop the quality a little. While The Plea presented themselves as well seasoned, confident performers; LaFarro singer Jonny Black looks uncomfortable, inexperienced and unexciting on stage. He stares at the floor, doesn’t connect with the crowd and lacks any energy as the band kick off their set. This drop is heightened by poor sound on the vocals which trespasses on the rest of the band’s efforts. As the set continues, Herb MaGee (the “only Catholic in the band”) begins some onstage banter that seems to liven LaFarro’s mood as well as the crowds. From there we’re treated to some great tunes as Johny finds his feet and Dave Magee’s head banging can be properly enjoyed. Nice save and another band you’ll be hearing more of soon.
As the lights go dark, the crowd erupts at the site of Ash taking the stage. On the rare occasions you get to see a band of their size take the same stage as your mates on their EP launch night, it’s hard not to feel that special tingling. ‘Lose Control’ opens the set and pounds the audience with its furious intensity. Tim Wheeler, Mark Hamilton and tonight’s stand in drummer Alan Lynn (LaFarro), all sound fantastic as they command the stage, kick ass and deliver some of the finest hits any Irish band has ever produced. Tickets There favourites ‘A Life Less Ordinary’ and ‘Dionysian Urge’ follow, immediately cementing this as a great night. ‘Twilight of Innocents’ makes an early appearance, which Tim passes off as an “experiment” and leads to mass sing-alongs from the crowd before hit after hit pile drive the crowd into submission. ‘Girl From Mars’, ‘Gold Finger’ and ‘Petrol’ bring us back to our youth while ‘Joy Kicks Darkness’ holds up the recent material’s crown for all to see.
‘Walking Barefoot’ has to be one of the highlights and it serves as a reminder of how great Free All Angels is. Again, the band are drowned out by the crowd, leaving them no choice but to rip through ‘Oh Yeah’, ‘Kung Fu’ and ‘The Dead Disciples’ which sends the pit into frenzy mode. ‘Shinning Light’, the mega-powered up ‘Orpheus’ and ‘Return of White Rabbit’ – the A-Z singles flagship dance-floor epic, finish the main set; giving all at the front a well needed chance to breath and mop the brow. Before long Ash return and bring us home with the stunning ‘Arcadia’, the punk fused classics ‘Angel Interceptor’, and ‘Jack Names The Planets‘ before calling it a night with one final blow out; the shredding ‘Burn Baby Burn’.
As surprising as it is to think Ash have been around for nearly twenty years, it’s even more incredible how amazing they are on stage. Their energy, passion and enthusiasm ensure they never lose connection with the audience and their songs sound better than ever. While the crowd leave, ears ringing and looking blown away from tonight’s amazing show, the band brim from the stage at a job well done. Come back soon lads!
The weather hasn’t stopped people from coming out tonight to see Bipolar Empire in Monroe’s in Galway. The Dublin four piece have been busy over the last year what with recording in LA with the legendary producer Pat McCarthy who’s worked with REM and U2 and Lance Hogan who put the finishing touches to their first album Feel That You Own It.
It’s clear from the start that this is a band that believes in the sanctity of the three minute pop song. They kick off with aptly titled Start the Show. It’s short and snappy in the rhythm section and is gently flushed with harmonies that are similar to Teenage Fanclub.
Many will be familiar with Tempomanic from a RTE promo reel. The band recently jammed with a member of Muse in Dublin. Comparisons have been made and they’re particular true of this number. With it rumbling drums and buzz-saw guitar it’s easy to see why it’s getting so much attention. Live it comes across heavier and more intense than on the album.
Bringing some Red Hot Chilli Peppers funk to proceedings is Playing With Fire. Lead singer Shane O’Reilly’s vocals have a soaring quality to them that are only brought back to earth when lead guitarist Mark Maguire, with ease and confidence, throws in a few slick guitars licks.
Their time in the presence of Pat McCarthy is evident in numbers like Trip Around the World and From the son as the harmonies sound like the best of early REM.
With no time to waste they move on to Open our Mind. It’s a pop rock anthemic with jangling guitar and a bouncing rhythm section. They’re pumped up and really enjoying themselves now. Not to over do things they take it all down a notch with the slow acoustic number; Why So Sad? which embodies their best trademark, the three piece harmony.
Their time in LA has infused things with a soft American vibe especially on Human Race. O’Reilly’s voice has a powerful but tender quality that could be mistaken for Jeff Buckley. As he moves through number like Smoking Joe and It’s Only Darkness he appears to grow with an unbridled confidence.
A surprise cover of I Want to be Adored by the Stone Roses brings a great reaction from the crowd who have now taken to the dance floor. At this point the place is heaving and a sweaty crowd are begging for more.
Saving the best for last is Feel That You Own It. Drummer Callum McAdam does a great job of nailing a solid beat and with O’Reilly’s vocals coupled with sublime harmonies this sounds like pre Joshua Tree era U2.
Tonight’s performance was certainly an ostentatious showcase of young Irish talent. Things can only get better for the boys from Tallaght. Watch this space!
Back by popular demand, Def Leppard are in Ireland after a two year absence; once again warming up for another headlining slot at the Download Festival. Two years ago they arrived with Journey and the jaw dropping Whitesnake in tow. Tonight’s line-up is even more astonishing with the legendary Thin Lizzy and Mr. shock-rock / Mr. Rock N’ Roll Hall of famer, the one, the only Alice Cooper, around to beef things up. The crowd in the O2 may not be as impressive as 2009’s show, but that just means a few thousand less Journey fans and I think we can all agree that’s never a bad thing.
Kicking of the proceedings tonight are Thin Lizzy and it has to be said, WOW. Anyone who was at their recent shows around the country can surely agree that the current line up are incredible. Ricky Warwick is definitely a worthy successor to the coveted space left by Phil Lynott. At no point tonight do you feel they’re anything less than the real deal, with original members Scott Gorham (original-ish) and Brian Downey rockin’ as hard as they did forty years ago. New guitarist Richard Fortus; whose last appearance in the O2 ended in near riot last September when he rolled into town with his day band, Guns N’ Roses; is more than capable of replacing John Sykes as he tears away at those rolling dual lead guitar solos with Scott. The only thought about the new line-up is that Scott and Brian will never be afforded the chance to be their age. With Phil in the band, Lizzy would be able to grow older and fans would go with it. Unfortunately, the band need to tear every song to pieces and ram it forcefully down your throat In order to walk away with a satisfied crowd to see them off. Maybe that’s the genius of Lizzy, they were never meant to slow down and this ensures it’ll never happen. Either way, Thin Lizzy have too many incredible songs to just leave idle. They need to be played and this line-up are more than up to the task.
Lizzy finish up their set with a pounding performance of ‘Black Rose’ before the mega Cooper stage show is pieced together. As the giant curtain rises up, fans pack around the stage in eager anticipation for one of rocks finest showmen to begin. The Vincent Price intro booms over the PA as the houselights go black building the spook master’s arrival. As the curtain drops, Alice stands atop a towering pulpit, decked out with spider arms around his waist as the band launches into ‘The Black Widow’; from his most recent album, Along Came A Spider. Discarding the jacket, Alice follows through with ‘Brutal Planet‘ before appeasing the greatest hits fans in attendance with his classic, I’m Eighteen. As canes get flung into the crowd amidst sword waving and exploding gloves, the band carry on with the classic ‘Billion Dollar Babies’ (which of course includes the traditional sharing of the Cooper insignia dollars), ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’ and the incredible, living snake accompanied ‘Is It My Body’. ‘I’ll Bite Your Face Off’ follows with the crowd being informed the title and the fact that’s it’s a new song via Alice’s jacket and blood soaked shirt.
‘Feed My Frankenstein’ swiftly follows suit and easily stands out as one of the night’s highlights, especially when you factor in the 12 foot Frankenstein donning the Cooper make-up that’s brought to life to sing the last chorus… while walking around the stage Oh God yes, it is that good!. ‘Poison’ and ‘Wicked Young Man’ cause mass hysterics, followed by the classic ‘Killer’, which ends in the traditional guillotine gorge of death. Alice, wrestled into a headlock by sadistic ghouls meets his end by violent execution. With his decapitated head being displayed by the ghouls, fans are united for a sing along to ‘I Love The Dead’ before the master returns with shiny top hat, coat; with his sword and balloons to boot for a blow out version of ‘Schools Out’, appropriate given the week that’s in it (although any JC/LC students may not agree). With a little break, the band return for one last blaze of glory; ‘Elected’, which Alice dedicates to Dublin while waving the tri-colour and dressed in the Irish jersey. Amazing show from start to finish, time to head ho…oh wait (cheeky)
With the crowd gleaming up to the nines from Cooper’s performance, it’s time for the Mighty Leppard to take the stage and show all the naysayers out there why they can headline above any other act in the world. With a striking new stage setup, Leppard emerge triumphantly to rapturous cheering from the now packed O2 arena. Starting with ‘Undefeated’, one of the three news songs that’ll be on their forthcoming live album, Mirrorball, the band are on fire. Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, Rick Savage, Vivian Campbell and thunder God himself, Mr.Rick Allen are all at the top of their game, adorned by glittering gloves, mike stands, headphones – the works. ‘Action’ and ‘Let’s Get Rocked’ follow, sending the crowd into a sing-along frenzy before older fans are treated to the incredible ‘Foolin’. ‘Make Love Like A Man’ and the iconic ‘Love Bites’ drive the point home that Leppard can damn well do anything they please because this is a band with more hits per album than most others can achieve over a whole career. Sav’s now standard bass solo/intro for the bands cover of David Essex’s ‘Rock On’ has to be noted as a highlight.
A duelling guitar solo between Vivian and Phil follows; before the pace is slowed down for acoustic renditions of ‘Two Steps Behind’ and ‘Bringing on the Heartbreak’. Steve Clark’s incendiary ‘Switch 625′ launches the band back into hard rock mode before and extended performance of ‘Rocket’ is unleashed in all it’s pounding drum glory. ‘Hysteria’, ‘Armageddon It’ and ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ nail the set down before Leppard brings things near close with the almighty ‘Rock of Ages’. Of course they do return for an obligatory encore, performing one of their biggest Irish hits, ‘When Love and Hate Collide’ which goes down a treat before stunning die-hard fans with a final, hell-raising crack at ‘Wasted’ from On Through The Night.
Easily one of the best shows Ireland will see this year. Three amazing bands in one place, every one of them playing a blinder and not a hint of ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. Value for money in anyone’s books.
We Are Losers are fuzzpop superstars in the making. Saturday night’s high-octane 7 song set in Whelan’s was astounding. Such is the quality of the songwriting and the on-stage intensity of the Kildare/Dublin quartet. Elements of Sonic Youth and Buddy Holly combine to produce stylish, uptempo, 2min darts of harmonising happiness.
Gavin Elsted’s quirky voice, light-speed guitar and head movements, are the visual focus. While Bronwyn Murphy-White (bass) and Steve Conlan (lead guitar) slingshot, sunshine harmonies and riffs towards the audience.
A 60’s surf-pop song, fights to emerge from a curtain of fuzztone guitars on “The Narcissist” as We Are Losers kick things off in considerable style. “We Vampires” has an Indie-disco feel. With elements of Flaming Lips and Strokes. The song slowly builds until Gavin Elsted, delivers the excellent chorus of “We let the light in” with great harmonies provided by the rest of the band.
“She Dreams in Spectrals”from the forthcomingPopical Island compilation, is a great song. Continuing in the high-spirits of the previous material. It is slightly reminiscent of “Girl from Mars” era Ash, dripping with fuzzed up harmonies. The only thing that lets We Are Losers down, is the amount of time taken to tune guitars between songs, as this disturbs the momentum of their show.. However, this can be easily rectified.
Forthcoming single “Cheerleader” (July 11th) gets the best reaction from the crowd so far. Its catchy chorus of “let me cheer you on” drawing them in. We are Losers finish off their set with “Empty Head” a track from their 2010 self titled debut EP. It’s a two and a half minute fuzzpop masterpiece, with a great chorus “I wanna live forever”and an“oh oh oh”verse.
It’s great to discover yet another, top quality Irish band exists.
Suede kicked of their 3 night residency of reunion gigs in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre by performing their genre defining, seminal, 1993 self-titled debut album Suede in its entirety. Eighteen years later, the songs are still fresh and authentic. Although this is not the original line-up (with original guitarist turned super-producer Bernard Butler having refused the invitation to play. He instead opted to re-master tonight’s material and follow up album Dog Man Star) their was a certain amount of romance, in the air as the band took to the stage
Dublin quartet Sweet Jane had the unenviable job of support act, on such an emotional occasion for Suede fans. But they steadily won the crowd over, with their dark ephemeral, wall of sound. Lydia Des Dolles voice is a cross between Hope Sandoval andBilinda Butcher while guitarist Danda Paxton’s voice adds a dark colour to the mist of grime Their musical influences include The Jesus and Marychain, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Iggy Pop and The Ramones. The crowd sing lustfully along to a Sex Pistols track, as the lights dim andSuedeswagger onto the stage, dressed head-to-toe in black. Led by drummer Simon Gilbert who appears to have been in cryostasis, all these years. In fact most of the band seem to have preserved themselves remarkably well. Brett Anderson strides onto the stage last, to thunderous applause. The years have been, especially kind to Anderson, who is just as thin as he was in 1993.
From the first note of “So Young” its obvious that this is no mere, money collecting exercise, by a band riding this years nostalgia wave. Suede, clearly have a point to prove, and prove it they do. Anderson’s voice is impeccable through the entire show, as he prances and pogo’s nonstop. Fan favourite “Animal Nitrate” is the first of many songs to benefit from the addition of Neil Codling on guitar. Though the highlight for many seemed to be, being given “the finger” by Anderson.
However, the man with the most to prove is Richard Oakes, having replaced the architect of Suede’s sound, Bernard Butler. Oakes has often been the fan’s whipping boy for Butler’s departure, rather than the rest of the band. By the time the band play the rousing “Moving” Oakes, has dispelled these misgivings totally, with precise renditions of the guitar parts. He is clearly enjoying himself, especially on songs like “Sleeping Pills“ and “Metal Mickey”.
Anderson’s voice goes Bowie on the outro of “Pantomime Horse” as he goes down on his knees and repeats “have you ever tried in that way…” Anderson bounds the stage, like a man possessed, on “The Drowners” going into the crowd at one point. The fan’s are also treated to Anderson’s signature claps, on this track.
“Metal Mickey” and “Animal Lover” whip the crowd into a frenzy, before the band depart, leaving Anderson and Codling to deliver the albums closing track “The Next Life” This sparse piano balled perfectly suits the intimate surroundings of the Olympia.
After a short break, Suede return to play some fan-favourite B-sides “My Insatiable One” and “For The Birds” Disappointingly, the band opt to ignore calls to play “Killing of a Flash Boy” Opting instead to give fan’s a taster of whats to come, in their “Coming Op” gig. Firstly with “Thrash” The crowd go manic as Anderson, once again throws himself into the crowd. They finish the night with “Beautiful One’s” where Anderson encourages the crowd to “Sing it!” repeatedly. Once again Anderson bounds into the pit for the final bars, before the band disappear into the night. Just like the characters from their songs.
The Róisín Dubh is packed to near capacity as Ryan Sheridan takes to the stage. He’s in high spirits tonight after the release of his debut album The Day You Live Forever. Dressed in peaked black cap and suit jacket, he cuts a slightly stocky figure.
With no time to waste he jumps straight into his brand of high tempo acoustic rock. With what appears to be a basic enough percussion setup (hand cymbals, bongos and a beat box), the Polish born Artur Grazcyk brings an incredible rhythm and power to the performance that compliments Sheridan’s fast strumming style. There is no let up in this regard for the first few numbers; Take it All Back, High Roller and Standing Tall, as the duo let the crowd know what to expect for the next hour or so.
Providing insight, the Monaghan man pauses between songs and states “I started this song in New York” where Sheridan lived for most of his teen years. His vocals have a polished American flavour to them as they carry over the enthusiastic crowd and juxtaposed with his scratchy guitar sound they serve well in drawing the audience in.
The single The Dreamer brings a great reaction. Graczyk’s stomping beat strapped tightly to Sheridan’s choppy guitar now has the crowed dancing.Machine and Endless Roadreveals a softer slow tempo sound as he abandons his strumming hand and picks his way through these simple acoustic numbers but is forced to stop abruptly due to sound problems. However this doesn’t seem to phase him as he chooses to share the origins of his songs with the audience.
The show moves on with a pumped up version of Johnny Cash’sFolsom Prison Blues, which brings the house down, and Sheridan too, as he intentionally falls flat on his back but manages to still play the guitar with great ease. Perhaps due to his dancing days with Riverdance, Sheridan’s performing persona stands to him as he commands the stage with the album title track ‘The Day You Live Forever’ and also The Game.
By now he’s cocky and gregarious with the crowd in front of him. He finishes with the single; Jigsaw, which only leaves people begging for more. He delivers in the form of The Dreamer as an encore, which is played for a second time tonight.
This was a tight well-worked performance from a talented singer-songwriter. Sheridan certainly delivered the goods throughout the entire performance and there is no doubt that he will do so in the future.
Posted in Gig Review, Music on May 17, 2011 by goodgutterpress
On occasions when theatre and pop music have collided the results have not often been pretty. Some things just do not work well together. Automatically We Will Rock You; thejukebox musical based on the songs of Queen springs to mind. Due in part to Bono’s superhero complex, U2s efforts recently to make it on Broadway have also resulted in the doomed theatrical production of Spiderman.
So as I relaxed in the bar of Galway’s Tall Hall Theatre in anticipation for tonight’s Very Best of John Lennon; (an event inspired by the musician’s life)I couldn’t help but think about what a pantomime based on the life of the famous Beatle would be like and what would Lennon himself make of it.
Whether you see Lennon as some kind of philosopher or activist or simply a surly rocker with a lippy wit his life certainly deserves examination, as he is unquestionably one of the most important cultural icons of the last century.
In the lead up the 30th anniversary of the singer’s death we’ve witnessed some very dubious documentaries and feature films. Most have focused on the killing of Lennon in New York in 1980 or Lennon the activist, but none have touched on the darker sides to Lennon’s character.
Often in death we are immortalised by our good deeds. Society tends to uphold certain aspects of ones character and disregards what is deemed unpleasant. This Waterdonkeyproduction attempts to examine those aspects of Lennon’s life that we don’t often hear about, such as the adulater, the drug addict and poor father.
Using five actors, the show takes snippets of his life and performs them. The actors use experiences from their own lives to demonstrate how Lennon impacted on them personally. At times they address each other according to their real names and so it’s often a struggle to figure out what characters in the life of Lennon they are referring to.
The production jumps from theme to theme and from one important moment in his life to another. We see John and Yoko on the Dick Cavett Show from the 1970s speaking openly about the effects of drug use. We then jump to Cynthia Lennon witness her coming home to find Yoko dressed in her robe with John looking apologetic.
The infamous killing is also touched on – the production asks; was society at large to blame for the tragic death? But without pause for thought we quickly make another leap in time. For such a significant movement in pop culture history I felt this issue could have been examined with greater detail.
On a whole this is my only qualm with the production. It never inspects any of these themes with the great depth that they deserve. It might have been better to take one aspect, such as the killing or John’s difficult relationship with his son Julian and explore that in its entirety. The piece finishes strongly by looking at what Lennon meant when he said: “Give peace a chance” and poses the question; how can we each bring a little bit more peace into our lives?
The acting here was solid and the set design, although basic, worked perfectly. All in all, this production may leave you feeling confused or you might walk away having learnt a little bit more about the Liverpudlian. But it has to be remembered that John Lennon was only human, with many faults and problems like the rest of us.
Up front and honest, Tickets There have never been very knowledgeable fans of guitar god, Mr. ‘Slowhand’ himself – Eric Clapton. Aside from a handful of standout classics from his long and very illustrious career, we are unfamiliar with the legend on an album to album basis. Not that this interfered with tonight’s show at the O2 Arena however as we were treated to two hours of ‘incendiary’ (all young writers like to stick that word in ever since we all saw Almost Famous – finally justified to use in this instanceJ) guitar playing, amazing musicianship from two of the best key belters you’ll ever find; not to mention the presentation of the entire night. Great showmen will always leave you feeling happy, but inspiring musicians will leave you feeling gobsmacked. Eric is of course the epitome of the latter experience.
Arriving early is a necessity tonight as Mr. Clapton has brought the excellent Andy Fairweather Low and his band, The Low Riders along for the tour. Apparently everyone else feels the same as the Low Riders are greeted by a full house for their guest spot. Andy is best remembered for his time with the British pop rockets, Amen Corner but he’s matured with the years to become a shinning example of excellent live musicianship fuelled by an experienced, seasoned love from blues rock. Andy’s onstage banter and accompanying selection of early rock classics, blues numbers and his own material make for a perfect warm up show. It may have been several decades since Andy last played the capital, but tonight’s reception will surely entice him to visit again soon.
With a short interval for set-up, Eric Clapton and band arrive on stage very unceremoniously to a roaring house. Clapton’s live shows have never focused their performances on gimmicks, theatrics or OOT novelties. Rather they centre on the incredible skill of the performers and tonight is no exception. Backing musicians Willie Weeks (Bass), Steve Gadd (drums) and accompanying singers all provide an excellent rhythm section, while keyboardists Chris Stainton and in particular Tim Carmon, push things over the edge and nearly steal the show with their awe-inspiring talent and control of their instruments. Of course, no-one in the world is going to upstage tonight’s star! Clapton wastes no time displaying his almost effortless control of the guitar with note perfect performances of Key To The Highway, Going Down Slow and Hoochie Coochie Man. His cover of Bob Marley’s classic ‘I Shot The Sheriff’, thrills greatest hits fans while Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out brings a little happy swagger back into the night.
A man of few words, Eric takes the chair for a number of acoustic tracks including Gary Moore’s Still Got The Blues, When Somebody Thinks You’re Wonderful and a reworked blues version of Layla. Aside from the regular thank-yous, Eric doesn’t communicate much with the crowd but does take the sitting down opportunity to joke he always “dreamed of becoming a DJ”. It may not have landed the laughs that Andy Fairweather Low had managed but it’s enough to show the legend is enjoying himself tonight.
Strapping the electric on, Eric returns to full form for an explosive version of Cream’s classic Badge before blowing the crowd away with a powerful performance of Wonderful Tonight. Of course, no Clapton show would be complete without his classic version of John Cale’s Cocaine which ends the main set and brings the arena to its feet. Just in case the crowd hasn’t yet understood that we’re in the presence of one of the greatest guitarist of all time, the band arrive back for one final blue performance of Crossroads. With that, Eric waves and the band are gone in the same unceremonious fashion they arrived. But they’ve done their job tonight. Crowd happy, TT happy. Now when’s he coming back?
A month! That’s how bloody long it’s taken us to knuckle down and tell you how good The Riptide Movement were at the Academy on March 5th. Whoever said Tickets There was a lazy blog owes us a serious apology. With speed like this we may even be considered for expulsion from the Irish music scene we hold so little presence on.
Aside from the delays, blurry memories and drunkenness that was ensnared us at The Riptide’s gig in March, we are happy to report that they rocked the place to it’s core. Not only that, but they managed to out play, out last and upstage the Go Team who were holding court in the venue’s main room on the same night. Having missed the opening acts of the evenings, Tickets There and a completely packed out Academy were treated to an hour and a half of excellently performed blues rock from one of Ireland’s brightest hopes in guitar rock for 2011. There was the hits from the forthcoming album including Hot Tramp and new single Keep on, Keepin’ On as well as a sizeable chunk of material from their début, What About The Tip Jars. There was an orchestra, there was crowd participation. Hell, there was even attempts at crowd suffering when things really heated up.
Without going into half fictional details due to the whole beer, lack of notes and goldfish like memory, we can honestly say it was one of the best Irish shows we’ve been to in yonks. The band’s practice of playing live every five seconds is ensuring their sound is delivered as good as any seasoned band and their songs are getting better by the day. With gigs beginning to exceed expectations in every way, you can bet that The Riptide Movement is a name you’ll be hearing a lot more of over the next few months.
….but no matter how good they are, we will never encourage them or any other Irish band to play the same stage as The Kings of Leon, no matter how good of an opportunity it is! Damn the KOL to hell!
Recessions have their purpose, for those of us who like to see the good side at least (*on hands and knees – Please lord, don’t make Tickets There eat those words with your wrath). Aside from tax increases, less benefits, no jobs and, oddly enough, rising prices; there are some perks like Saucy Sundays at the Grand Social. A whole day of free music with food and booze deals to boot. Having never been, Tickets There jumped at the chance for a new experience accompanied by music from Kildare’s excellent Fox E. and The Good Hands. There were others…..but let’s not go there.
With recent line up changes now finished and a whole batch of new material rarin’ to go, The Good Hands are looking and sounding better than ever and they’re finally ready to seek out some real success. Their blues / soul / rock sound mixed with lead singer, Fox E’s sexy, seductive voice are enough to make any music fan drop to the floor in respect for some of the finest talent you are going to hear this year.
Coming on to an almost packed house, the bands reputation has obviously preceded them with most in attendance rapturously greeting them. Kicking things off with the Forbidden Fruit, the band waste little time living up to the audience’s expectations and winning over the bystanders. A cover of Blackstreet’s No Diggity helps the band find their feet on stage which become firmly cemented after a performance of the wonderful For Elise. The sexy, energetic soul feel returns with excellent performances of Ain’t Got No Cigarettes, Please Me and the wonderful I Like It Cury. The bands on stage and audience interaction only heightens your love for them but with tracks like Sunday’s Whore and the others played tonight, they could say SFA and you’d still be back begging for more. If not for Fox E.’s charms and amazing voice then definitely for David’s soaring guitar solo’s or Barry’s tendency to belt out some pretty decent rap solo’s.
Going against the grain tonight, the band are hastily brought back after finishing their set to feed the hungry audience with one final helping of music gold (in other words, a cover of Stevie WondersSuperstition) which brings the house down. An incredible gig from a band that have success stamped firmly across their respective line-up. Watch this space!
Fot those that just can’t wait for Tickets There to get off our bottoms, follow the band on their Official Facebook.
Crap Pictures (Really out of focus, far away/B&W ones) by Tickets There
“STOP! Right, here’s the Deal. One more bottle – we go home. It’s up to you. We would like to Stay, you want us to stay? We want to stay; we want to have some fun. If you don’t want to have fun all you gotta do is let us know and we got no problem, we’ll go on our way. Start Over.”
– Axl Roses, Dublin September 1st 2010.
What ever problems Guns N’ Roses have had over the past twenty years, today more than ever it is very, very unpopular to be their fan in Ireland. Just 24 hours after an amazing performance in Belfast, last night’s O2 area show almost ended in total chaos when the band left the stage after just twenty minutes due to bottles and objects being thrown on stage and at band members despite a very firm warning from Axl earlier in the set that the band would leave if another object was thrown.
The Bad: Let’s get the Elephant Out of the Way…
Dublin fans become irritated when the band turned up almost 40 minutes late for their set, not bad in normal Guns N’ Roses time but more than the gathering of greatest hits fans in attendance were used to. The final 20 minutes of waiting had been filled with a mixture of booing, complaints and chants from the restless, now tired, bored and drink filled crowd. When the band finally took the stage, their opening song Chinese Democracy did little to calm the audience down. Even the opening chords to their second song, Welcome To The Jungle were meet with an even mixture of boos and cheers. After three objects were directly thrown at Axl, the show was stopped for Axl’s warning before the band kicked into WTTJ again.
It’s So Easy followed, where a pissed off Axl could be seen to give more than a normal effort into the line “I see you standing there, you think you’re so cool. Why don’t you just, Fuck Off!’ flipping of the remaining nay sayers in the audience. The classic Mr. Brownstone went off without a hitch but still didn’t relieve the tension in the room and Axl’s unapologetic Sorry from Chinese Democracy landed like a lead balloon in the room. At this point, Axl introduced guitarist Richard Fortus for a solo and as he turned around to depart the stage, he was once again struck by an object from the crowd. Axl simply turned and said goodbye to the crowd, announced the show was over and the band walked off.
You don’t know why, I won’t act the way you think I should…. To hell with the pressure, I’m not cavin’ in.
– Guns N’ Roses – Sorry (Chinese Democracy, 2008)
This was meet by massive booing from the now pissed off crowd. The lights remained dark and people that weren’t roaring insults at the stage were deep in GN’R conversation about the possibilities of the band actually returning to the stage. As most GN’R fans know, Axl will almost never return to a stage after walking off and right now, Tickets There cannot think of one time he’s actually done before last night.
After a period of waiting, an official spokesperson announced the crew were working through some “technical difficulties”, an announcement that was meet with a burst of laughter from the crowd. Seeing the tension. Denis Desmond from MCD took the mike to inform the crowd they were trying their best to get Guns N’ Roses back on stage and asked the crowd for calm. The House lights were turned on and several thousand people departed assuming the show was over. Outside, security guards scrambled to remove all fencing from around the arena and smoking areas for fear of a mass exit and possible riot while departing fans roared their disapproval at Axl’s treatment of the crowd. Back inside the bars and merch stands were closed, fans stood around not knowing what to do, smoking openly in the middle of the floor unable to restrain their anger towards the band, especially lead singer Axl.
Out of nowhere, the house-lights were turned off, the cameramen took their positions around the stage and the band reappeared, jumping around and smiling. Axl begrudgingly retook the stage and the band sombrely started into Live And Let Die, which was met with a nervous relief and quiet excitement from the remaining crowd members. Axl stood at the back of the stage, away from the shower of bottles many in the crowd were sure would arrive if the band actually returned. Fortunately the lesson seemed to work as no more objects were thrown at the stage and the booing seemed to stop completely. Axl remained at the back of stage for almost the entire night moving only to walk back stage occasionally during song breaks and solos and to take his piano for November Rain (not including his solo this time).
Like the majority of the crowd, Axl looked upset, pissed off and in no form to be on stage after the fiasco that had occurred earlier in the night but his voice was strong, soaring, deep and shirking. Every note was delivered perfectly and had he been more animated, no-one in the audience would have known there’d ever been a problem.
Leaving the stage around 01:00am, the band had managed to play almost their entire set and Axl once again spoke to the crowd to wish us a good night. The band forwent their usual collective bow and Frank Sinatra’sMy Way came over the PA as the house lights lit up. Show over, people left quietly in a mixed state of disillusionment, disappointment tiredness and for some, a secret thrill that they had attended what will surely become a highly talked about, notorious Guns show. For others, the circus of media attention awaiting the next day seemed like a hassle not needed after a night like that. Some fans just left happy enough to have seen the band play their full set.
The BLITZ!: It wasn’t all bad, quite the opposite in fact…
In stark contrast to the Dublin show, Guns N’ Roses performance in Belfast was immaculate, euphoric, rapturously well received and quite simply, amazing. It was a testimonial that the current line-up and Axl can come together so perfectly and deliver a nights entertainment that few can measure when fans in attendance are respectful to the band.
Taking the stage roughly 35 minutes after support band Danko Jones finished their set, Guns came out with all ..ehm, guns blazing. Chinese Democracy blew the arena to pieces and the mere sight of the iconic front man was enough to lift everyone to their feet and explode with delight that Guns were here, they were on stage and they were kicking ass.
Welcome To The Jungle blitzed the Odyssey Arena as all fans, new and old, diehard and greatest hits folks jumped for the ceiling with Axl dominating every corner of the stage. The claims that the singer was bloated unfit and unable to sing turned out to be total rubbish and became so laughable, few could even remember there ever was any negativity in the press. It’s So Easy and Mr. Brownstone only strengthened the audiences excitement and sheer joy that the band were firing on all cylinders, delivering an already highly memorable performances.
Sorry went over exceptionally well for a new ballad after such an explosive start and Richard Fortus’ solo brought him closer to the crowds hearts, making that initial step to being accepted into the old fans hearts. Live and Let Die turned into a 14,000 strong sing along and This I Love was again warmly welcomed before the classic Rocket Queen once again brought the crowd to its full force fighting feet. A piano solo from Dizzy Reed calmed the now drink/breath starved audience before the band returned to the stage to deliver a note perfect rendition of Street of Dreams, one of Chinese Democracy’s real highlights. Axl smiled the entire way through the show, obviously ecstatic that the headlines from the weekend were behind him and Guns were back to doing what they do best, putting on the greatest show on earth. He looked great, sounded great and with occasional costume changes, he made this every bit a Guns N’ Roses show we’d ever heard about – without the controversy.
You Could Be Mine and Sweet Child O Mine ripped through the arena like a tornado with the crowd showing pure excitement in every form. Moshing broke out towards the front, crowd surfing started, everyone with a pack of cigarettes in the middle broke them out and for the first time in a long time, we knew we were at a real rock n roll show. Axl arrived in stage to a disco ball styled Roland piano for a nurturing solo before causing mass eruption with the opening notes to the classic November Rain, which on its own made the ticket price worth every penny. The band were as tight as they come, the stage show was amazing with explosions, towering flames and visuals for almost every performance.
Ron Thal’sPink Panther solo added an inspiring, comical touch to the night with the crowd singling along to the familiar themes before new song, Better turned up to fight Chinese Democracy’s corner and win. Knockin’ On Heavens Door and the amazing Nightrain finished the main set and saw Guns temporally depart.
Returning on his own, Ron Thal again took a solo, delighting fans with an instrumental rendition of Don’t Cry before the band accompanied him for a truly spectacular performance of Madagascar. One final instrumental jam lead the way for tonight’s closing anthem, Paradise City which saw crowd and band alike explode enthusiastically as the arena became engrossed in pyro displays, red and silver confetti and the closing moments of one of the best shows most of us had ever seen.
Guns remained on stage to give three appreciative bows to the audience who stood strong to rousing applaud the band for their incredible performance that delivered everything a fan could ever ask for from any live band. Guns left as heroes, fans left delighted, filled with adrenaline after more than two hours of classic anthems from one of the worlds greatest bands.
The Good: …?…
Guns N’ Roses let alot fans down last night. Some fans let Guns N’ Roses down last night. Axl and co made people wait over 40 minutes (more than an hour including set-up time) for the show to start. The crowd greeted the band with boos (fair enough, Axl has to have come to expect this. It’s as much a part of the show as the late starts themselves). On top of that however, certain crowd members threw multiple objects at the stage with 2/3 hitting Axl directly. For the safety of himself and the band, Axl made his position clear and someone chose to ignore this.
There is no excuse for throwing objects at a stage, what ever they might be. There is never any reason to throw anything at any performer in the middle of a crowd trying to do his job, no matter how angry or upset you are. He was there, the band was playing and sounded great and people couldn’t let it go. No band should ever put up with that kind of attitude from the crowd and ignoring it and carrying on is not the answer. Bands who let things like happen are only asking for much worse trouble.
Axl was hit straight on with a bottle during welcome to the Jungle and ignored it. After a second object hit him when his back was turned he warned the crowd. After a third object hit him, again when his back was turned; he left. Any reasonable human being with an ounce of cop on knows he was fully in the right. He would have put up with the booing, the chants and the insults but he’s not stupid enough to become a target for every drunken attendee standing in the mass, blacked out crowd cowardly throwing objects at him. They may have been plastics, but stand there long enough; god knows what else would have appeared.
On the other hand, Axl displayed his happy, gracious and true front man powers in Belfast, performing a truly outstanding and memorable show. That that will sadly be completely eclipsed because of last night but for the 14,000 that showed up, we know exactly what Guns are capable of when the crowd and band are in good form. Dublin missed out on a great opportunity and though Guns played, it wasn’t the show it could have been. The media didn’t seem to care when things went right one night but they can’t get enough of today’s headlines. Hopefully some will calm down and see the unevenness the media creates around the bands image and the knock on effect this has on people attending the shows. Others won’t and will bad mouth Gn’R for the rest of their days. What ever happens, this year Ireland got to see every side of hard rocks greatest band, the good, the bad and the Blitz!
To see the three bottles that struck Axl during Welcome to the Jungle, watch the video below and see the following minutes, 3:23
3:24
3:35
Recession or no recession, the Odessa hasn’t changed a bit. Tickets There’s willing to bet that every man who gets their hair styled in Dublin is in tonight to sample the fine food, drink finest bottles of wine from the bar and soak up the pompous, ego pumped atmosphere. Why do we do bother? Because Live At The Odessa just won’t stop bringing good bands into the fecking place.
As usual, Tickets There (purposely) manages to miss tonight’s support. Last thing we need is a singer songwriter to get us in the mood for the legendary Wall brothers. Instead, trips to local McKenna’s in Dun Laoghaire and O’Reilly’s under Tara are all the support we need. With Murphy’s in hand (of course they don’t have Guinness, that would be too common), it’s time to stand back and soak up some relaxing new material from The Walls.
Opening with their newest single, Carrying The Fire, Steve and Joe begin the show solo with some added beats courtesy of the musical prodigy that is Joe Wall. Swapping vocals, multiple instruments and harmonies mark the early set with their experimental new live style adding a nice vibe to the show. Rather than bringing a full band on tour, The Walls are testing out a new audio-visual show which allows the rest of the band to appear on a screen behind the brothers, letting them play and interact with each other. Surprisingly enough, this new style of performing loses little of the vibe you get from a full band show with everything rehearsed and timed to a T.
Treating fans to a nice selection of material from their up and coming third album, Stop The Lights, the band are keeping their stripped back, cooler than Alaska sound going with atmospheric, ear pleasing tunes. Phantom Power sees Joe take over vocal duties with Steve mostly adding background harmonies. Having never gotten a chance to see The Walls live before tonight, Tickets There’s pleasantly surprised to see Joe knows his way around a lead guitar just as well as a bass.
Not to shy away from their older material, the band manage to knock out classics such as Passing Through, To The Bright and Shinning Sun and a thunderous performance of Drowning Pool before closing the main set and retuning for an encore comprised of Rusty Old River, a song they originally recorded as The Stunning and the Walls very own, Bone Deep.
With the gig over, it’s time to scraper and seek refuge in the cozy confines of The Stags Head with a good, Dublin born pint of the black stuff. Great night from a great band, Tickets There have our eyes focused on the next albums release. More Walls in 2010 will be a lovely thing.
Just one year after their incredible performance with Judas Priest in Dublin, the Deth are back and this time, founding member Dave ‘Junior’ Ellefson is with them. Megadeth may not be the most popular of the early eighties thrash metallers but they’re by far Tickets There’s favorites. Dave Mustaine and co’s rapid fire riffs, snarling vocals and mind devouring metal colossus are bench marks few in the metal industry can equal, let along top. Even now, nearly thirty years after they formed, Megadeth can write and perform aggressive, angry metal like no-one else. Their latest album Endgame is a record that’s power is sure to grow with time but tonight, Megadeth are willing to forgo promotion in favor of treating their Irish fans to an overwhelmingly impressive array of their classics.
Opening act Sirocco are onstage by the time Tickets There reaches the venue. After coming across them before during the MySpace Review series, we actually made an effort to catch their show and we’re glad we did. Not only have they got the songs to justify supporting the mighty Megadeth, they also have the performance ability to pull it off. Unfortunately the crowd tonight aren’t exactly swarming but Sirocco manage to entice those present to wedge around the front of the stage for a great set of Irish brand metal. Memorable and a perfect opener for the American metal heavyweights.
The lights go dim, air-raid sirens rev up and Megadeth arrive on stage one by one with Mustaine the last to appear. The show explodes open with a blistering version of Dialectic Chaos from Endgame and the sher force, might and power of their newer material is instantly conveyed to the crowd before the band lead into Wake Up Dead from their classic Peace Sells Album. Dave Mustaine’s vocals come out a little muffled during Wake Up Dead but seconds into the bands new single, Headcrusher, he comes to life, giving the song a power no producer can capture.
Rather than going the Iron Maiden route of forcing fans to sit through an hour of new material, Megadeth dip into their back catalogue and show the brutal force of In My Darkest Hour before delighting the crowd with a full performance of 1990’s Rust In Peace album to celebrate the records 20th anniversary.
Holy Wars starts with a beefed up sound that sees band and fans alike put heads down and prepare for the war to come. The force of the performance is memorizing and grows stronger with each song. Hanger 18 enhances the feeling as Mustaine and Chris Broderick plough through the song’s four hundred and eighty six solos. Take No Prisoners and Five Magics are a thrill to finally hear live together before the face belting (not melting) Lucretia unveils its many layers of destructive powers. Tornado of Souls quickly becomes one of the nights highlights with the band’s unrelenting power showing no sings of surrendering.
The opening notes of Trust signal the end of an amazing performance of RIP that many fans would have been happy enough to pay for on it’s own before the realization that The Deth ain’t finished yet. A Tout Le Monde brings the band to a higher level before an invasive performance of Sweating Bullets delivers some of the finest riffs n lyrics metal has to offer. The band closes the main set with a full on, no holes barred, grander the grand onslaught of Symphony of Destruction before returning to the stage for an extended performance of Peace Sells that annihilates all those left standing and trumpets the bands ascent to the thrones they so truly deserve.
Mustaine might be generally thought off as the metal world’s trouble maker, but there’s no denying that his ability as a song writer, singer and performer makes him one of metal’s top caliber elites. After three decades his snarling mannerisms haven’t changed much but, neither has his power to deliver one of the finest metal shows you’re ever likely to see and tonight, the good people of Cork can attest to this. Hopefully it won’t be long before Megadeth return and do it all again.
Set-List
1. Dialectic Chaos
2. Wake Up Dead
3. Headcrusher
4. In My Darkest Hour
5. Holy Wars… The Punishment Due
6. Hangar 18
7. Take No Prisoners
8. Five Magics
9. Poison Was the Cure
10. Lucretia
11. Tornado of Souls
12. Dawn Patrol
13. Rust in Peace… Polaris
14. Trust
15. A Tout Le Monde
16. Sweating Bullets
17. Symphony Of Destruction Encore:
18. Peace Sells
After nearly thirty long years of calls, prayers, pleads and begging from the metal community, thrash metal’s ‘Big Four’ have finally done it. On June 14th, all four bands appeared on one stage to play together and Tickets There, along with 80,998 other metal maniacs were fortunate enough to witness an event that will go down as one of metals most historical concerts.
The scene in Warsaw was insane. Never before have we witnessed such an incredibly massive gathering of fans from the metal community and we’re unlikely to ever see anything like it again. People had flown in from all over the world for the show, with flags representing every corner of the earth held high amongst the sea of black and denim. People converged on every space of free land for at least a mile around the venue. Bars, restaurants, roads, grassy Knolls, shopping centers, pavements and flower beds were swarmed with all four bands fans, waiting for the tasty cheap and plentiful Polish beers to dry up before beginning the adrenaline filled walk into the airstrip where the show was held.
Honestly we found the buzz a little strange because we didn’t know which band to get excited about in the flood of possible songs and scenarios that might arise during the day. Whatever happened we knew one thing, Anthrax were first and we’d have to sit through them.
Anthrax
We were never Anthraxfans and actually went about avoiding them for as long as possible. We won’t pretend we saw much of them, only enough to say we saw them. They sounded good for what they did but not our thing. Hopefully similar tours could call out Testament or Exodus to fill the gap between Anthrax’s draw and the other three bands. Saying that, Anthrax fans said the set was great we just never got the band. Maybe one day we’ll regret not showing more of an interest.
Megadeth
Just two days after their face melting show at Cork’s Marquee festival, Tickets There was once again fired up to see our personal nominees for Thrash metal’s premier group, Megadeth. The sight of 81,000 fans seemed to reignite Dave Mustaine and co. as they launched straight into Holy Wars, following it with a full performance of their classic Rust In Peace album. Hanger 18, Take No Prisoners, Five Magic’s and Tornado of Souls blew the air strip to pieces as pits erupted all around the stage with Mustaine acting as the chaotic ring master, barley stopping the assault of music to view the spectacle in front of the stage.
After Rust In Peace, the band threw out their latest single, Head-Crusher from last years End Game album, a song that deserves more attention than almost any other release today’s bands have recorded in the past decade. Obviously appreciative of the roaringly positive reaction from the crowd, Megadeth ploughed through Sweating Bullets and the iconic Symphony of Destruction before closing the set with an extended rendition of the anthematic Peace Sell. Delighted with the crowd’s response, Megadeth took a long bow to soak up the fans screams and applause before thanking everyone and wishing us a great day.
Slayer
Anyone who’s ever been to a Slayer show knows one thing, Slayer take the crowd and fuck them up. Despite a blazing sun, the outdoor setting and Tom Araya’s bright red top, Slayers performance is like experiencing a well oiled war, ferociously laying waste to Warsaw (it’s all in the name)
Opening with the title track from their latest album, War Painted Blood, the band ripped through a set that left the crowd tearfully begging for more. New material like Hate World Wide, Beauty Through Order and Jihad stood the test of standing shoulder to shoulder with the bands classics such as War Ensemble, Dead skin Mask, Angel of Death, Mandatory Suicide, Chemical Warfare and South of Heaven before ending their set with one of thrash metals top outputs, Raining Blood.
Despite previous reports about Tom having vocal problems and the obvious concern over his recent back injury, he was able to stand toe to toe with Kerry, Jeff and Dave to deliver as good a set Slayer have preformed in their entire career. Unfortunately there was no room for Seasons in the Abyss but, if they had cranked that out on top of everything else, the necks wouldn’t have been able to take the night’s final act.
Metallica
Like many metal heads, Tickets There’s love for Metallica’s has waned over the past ten years. All the rubbish with St. Anger and Some Kind of Monster really damaged the lads and the promise of great things from Death Magnetic never really delivered and before long the album really proved a tad devoid of life. Still, no metal head can deny the band has produced some of the genres finest albums and for that, they will always be respected.
Taking the stage as the sun started to set over the air-strip, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo arrive in Metallica’s typical grandiose fashion, launching straight into Creeping Death from 1984’s Ride The Lighteningand all the bad feelings, past disappointments and negativity immediately vanish. Metallica fire on all cylinders delivering the song with incredible force. No time wasting in this show, they follow with the ear bleeding For Whom the Bell Tolls before tearing the crowd apart with an pyro packed rendition of Fuel.
James, beaming with excitement welcomes the crowd to ‘the greatest metal show on earth’ before harking back to Kill Em All to deliver The Four Horseman, followed by Fade to Black.
While many pondered if this ‘Big Four’ tour would result in all the bands churning out just classics, it seems all are intent to stay away from the ‘Heritage’ section for the foreseeable future and Metallica are no different. New songs That Was Just Your Life and Cyanide may not generate the same reaction as their earlier material but visual aides help make them more acceptable.
Taking a break to reflect on the day, James proudly announces that today’s show is history and how fortunate enough all four bands are to still be together, making the music they love. Oddly enough, he went on to dedicate Sad But True to the other bands but given the good relations we’re hearing so much about, we’ll assume it was all for fun.
The show stopping Sanitarium (Welcome Home) followed, sounding as intense as it did in 1986 before All Nightmare Long reminds fans the new material can’t all be written off. Jaw dropping deliveries of One, Master of Puppets and Blackened bring the main set near its close before the usual Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman end the main set.
With the fireworks out and next day workers and sleepy heads on their home, Metallica return to close the day with a blistering cover of Queen’sStone Cold Crazy before delivering the final thrash assault of Hit The Lights and Seek & Destroy leaving 81,000 dedicated metal heads feeling annihilated, obliterated and completely satisfied.
To many, this was a show that could never happen even if the bitter feuds that have divided these bands over the past thirty years could be worked out. It was just one of those ‘dream line-ups’ that have rarely come together but on June 14th, 2010 four heavy metal bands proved that childish fights and age old rivalries can be put aside for the sake of their fans and it worked better than anyone could have imagined. Tickets There is sure this won’t be the last we’ll hear of these four bands partnering up and hopefully they’ll make it to Irish shores on the next jaunt.
Anthrax
01. Caught in a Mosh
02. Got the Time (JOE JACKSON cover)
03. Indians
04. Heaven and Hell (BLACK SABBATH cover)
05. Antisocial (TRUST cover)
06. Madhouse
07. Only
08. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
09. I Am The Law
Megadeth
01. Holy Wars
02. Hangar 18
03. Take No Prisoners
04. Five Magics
05. Poison Was the Cure
06. Lucretia
07. Tornado of Souls
08. Dawn Patrol
09. Rust in Peace… Polaris
10. Head Crusher
11. Sweating Bullets
12. Symphony Of Destruction
13. Peace Sells
Slayer
01. World Painted Blood
02. Jihad
03. War Ensemble
04. Hate Worldwide
05. Dead skin Mask
06. Angel of Death
07. Beauty through order
08. Disciple
09. Mandatory Suicide
10. Chemical Warfare
11. South of Heaven
12. Raining Blood
Metallica
01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Fuel
04. The Four Horsemen
05. Fade To Black
06. That Was Just Your Life
07. Cyanide
08. Sad But True
09. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
10. All Nightmare Long
11. One
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Blackened
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
– – – – – – – –
16. Stone Cold Crazy
17. Hit The Lights
18. Seek and Destroy
Makeup on, leather jacket and studded gloves check, hair up, pints down, KISS has arrived in London and so has Tickets There. Wembley Arena may not be the most impressive building on the planet but when several thousand KISS fans descend, it (like all venues that host the legendary American thunder Gods) turns into the Taj Mahal.
Less than a week after their spectacular show in Dublin’s O2 Arena, KISS are in London to play the first of two nights in North London’s premier hard rock venue and there was no way in hell Tickets There was missing it. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for the support band Taking Dawn, who we managed to miss for the second time in a row. No worries though, the band everyone’s here to see are in the building and everything’s set to make this one hell of a memorable night.
Having seen KISS twice before and going though the ritual marathon Alive I-IV session in the days building up the shows, we thought we were prepared to finally get a grasp on the band and see them as four individuals in makeup playing a rock show like any other. Wrong as usual but happy to admit it. The minute you hear the ‘You Wanted the Best’ Intro, everything goes out the window. KISS’s arrival on stage feels like the second coming as Gene, Paul and Tommy appear on a lifter high above the Eric’s drum kit belting out Modern Day Delilah like they would any of their classics. Knowing some of the crowd may be uneasy with a newer number, Paul instantly calms all woes with a blistering assault on Cold Gin and no-one is left in any doubt about the power this band still commands after almost four decades in the business.
From there, the night becomes a blur of musicianship, showmanship and all out glitz, glory with the best stage show on the planet. Classics such as Deuce, Firehouse, Crazy Nights, 100,000 Years, Calling Doctor Love, Shock Me and Let Me Go Rock N Roll build the main set. On its own, a fine collection of KISS’s back catalog but topped with the additional live fire breathing, rocket firing guitars, stage risers and a bazooka, they instantly become everyone’s wet dreams.
If they left it there, fans would walk home happy. KISS doesn’t want you to be happy, they want to send you home to blinded by their power and, they do just that. All the stops are pulled out for the closing songs. Gene’s classic blood spitting, stage flying bass solo leads into a booming version of I Love It Loud from the top of the lightening rig, Paul and Tommy’s guitars set the stage ablaze with the definitive Love Gun, that see’s the entire arena mass together in their love for these iconic characters, The incredible Black Diamond and Destroyer classic, Detroit Rock City and its massive cluster of explosions and fire close the main set, setting KISS up as 2010’s conquering heroes. But they ain’t finished yet!
As if it all wasn’t enough, KISS turn up the heat and everything else with a five song encore that includes sing along favorites, Lick It Up, Shout It Out Loud, I Was made for Loving You (sang by Paul from his revolving stage in the middle of the crowd), God Gave You Rock N Roll II and the monumental, career defining Rock And Roll All Night. House lights on, a never ending mass of confetti filling the arena’s enormous space and America’s greatest rock n roll band performing one of the greatest rock songs of all time to a packed house of adoring fans! Is there any way to beat that for a closing moment? Not a chance!
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