Megan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ferrumaeternum) wrote2010-03-23 01:03 am
ferrumaeternum) wrote2010-03-23 01:03 am
Entry tags:
Deutsche Metal ist Krieg
Oder etwas. Last week Saturday was the Kreator show at The Rave. I also got in free for this show after winning yet another online contest. It was my first time seeing them and all the bands that opened for them, so it was definitely an interesting experience!
I got to the venue when the doors were supposed to open, but there was a half hour delay, so we all had to stand around just inside the side entrance. A guy I knew from high school came up to me after a while and asked if I wanted to hang out with him and his friends so I didn’t have to stand by myself. Not wanting to be rude, I agreed, but I really don’t know about this guy. He kept going on about how he likes obscure, underground bands, and all he has listed on his Facebook page are really mainstream death metal bands and a ton of bad radio nu-metal. I know I’m being my typical music snob self here, but come on! Disturbed, Godsmack, Korn, Drowning Pool…Kittie!? You’ve got to be kidding. He and his friends are also really socially awkward and immature, which is why I really don’t want to see more of him than I need to. Beth and Sam are going to be at the next show this guy is also going to, so at least I’ll have a good excuse not to hang out with him. However, since they couldn’t make it to this show, I was actually glad I was able to hang out with him because there was this creepy guy named Terrence who is stalking me that was also going to be there.
I briefly met Terrence at the Epica show when he came up to talk to Beth. Apparently, she has known him for over a decade. He unfortunately discovered me on Facebook after adding Beth back in February and got a little too excited about meeting another metalhead who also likes punk rock and post-punk. He told me he has major anxiety issues (that are obviously untreated) and has sent me several awkward messages on the site. Because of his anxiety, he told me he usually hangs out in the back of the lobby and the back of the venue in the shadows. Um, yeah, that’s not weird or anything. He specifically told me the night before the show that he’d be waiting for me in the back of the lobby without even asking if I wanted to hang out with him at all. After Sam and Beth saw this, they both sent me messages warning me about him. I guess Beth was looking to get some people together to form a band several years ago, and scrapped the plans after meeting Terrence (who was interested in playing in it) because he was just that freaky. Thank the gods he came to the show late! More on that later…
There weren’t many people there before the show started, so I got a close spot in the second row between the center and the right of the stage. It’s always a good decision to have someone in front of you as a buffer between the crowd and stage when the pit gets out of control! ;)
LaZarus A.D.
This is the only band (other than the Violent Femmes) that I’ve listened to from Milwaukee that hasn’t sucked. (I know they’re technically from Kenosha, but nobody outside of Wisconsin cares.) It’s usually a given that I’ll automatically like a thrash metal band, but these guys set themselves apart from a lot of the run-of-the-mill bands of the thrash revival. They also identify themselves as hard rock, which is probably part of the reason why they don’t fall prey to a lot of the clichés you’ll find within this subgenre. Their set list included songs that varied in tempo and melody. Overall, it was a really solid performance with tight technical playing skills from all the musicians. It really showed that they were having a good time doing a hometown show and by the end of their set, the bar was mostly filled.
Evile
When I heard the band goofing off with call and response riffs while warming up, I knew I was going to have fun watching this band. That, and they played the intro to The Sisters of Mercy’s “Temple of Love”, which instantly had me hooked. ;) I first heard about them on the Wyrd Ways Rock Show and was impressed with what I’d heard. My only complaint is that there wasn’t much variation in tempo in the songs they played. Speed is crucial for a thrash metal band, but all fast songs gets tedious after a while. However, I loved their stage presence and their vocalist’s banter with the audience. I’m looking forward to seeing these guys again in April along with LaZarus A.D. when they open for Overkill. Vader, Warbringer, and Woe of Tyrants will also be playing, so it’s going to be an epic show!
Nachtmystium
After all the hype I’ve heard about them on the Internet for years, I was really disappointed with their performance. Their vocalist didn’t interact with the audience except to mumble a quick thanks for the applause after a couple songs. He also complained about how little room there was onstage to move around, despite the fact that neither he nor anyone else in the band made any attempt at doing such. Before the band even played, he kept making the sound guy mess with different volumes for his mic. This was a really stupid decision because you couldn’t hear his vocals at all and the rest of the band was loud enough to blow out my hearing for more than a day after the show. If you’re playing in a small bar setting, your band does not need to be very loud at all, so the deafening blast that came from them was quite unnecessary. For a band that does not want to be labeled as black metal, they certainly give off the impression of a typical band from that genre! In fact, I don’t see how their sound is psychedelic because all I heard was atmospheric black metal. I feel that I’ve listened to enough of their recorded material to make that statement. Don’t get me wrong; I really dig their sound. It’s like looking on the edge of the abyss and slowly letting yourself teeter off it, falling into oblivion. Their vocalist has fairly clean and discernable vocals for this type of music, so it would’ve been nice to be able to hear them over the rest of the band.
I figured it was going to take a while to set up for Kreator, so I ventured back into the lobby where the merch tables were set up and people were milling about. Who do I see the moment I step out of the bar? Terrence. He greeted me with this weird side-hug and then yelled at me to be careful because he had a healing tattoo on his back. Alright, I’m sorry you can’t handle someone lightly touching a small area that just feels like sunburn. Then he told me that he worships the ground I walk on because of my taste in music. WTF. The whole time I was talking to him, he wouldn’t look at my face. He kept wildly looking around in all directions, as if he was constantly following a flying insect. That is definitely not normal! Then he asked me to send him some records, which I don’t have, and if I did, I wouldn’t be able to give him anyway because I don’t have that contraption that converts vinyl to mp3s. Also, you don’t just ask someone you recently met for favors! When Sam offered me free tickets to the show and I told him that I didn’t need him, Terrence immediately asked for them, despite not knowing Sam at all. He also told Sam that he looks like John Belushi at the Epica show, which he does not. Luckily, I only ended up talking to Terrance for about five minutes, and trust me, they were some of the longest five minutes of my life!
I saw the vocalist/guitarist from Evile hanging out in front of the merch tables, and as I went up talk to him, so did Stach. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this guy before, but there’s usually an older guy with white hair, a white beard, and a very long fu manchu at most of the concerts I go to. He had a painting with him, and I was really excited to find another metalhead who’s also an artist while discovering that security will let you in with a painting. I have a concept sketch for a painting I wanted to make for the Bodom guys next time I see them, so now I’m probably going to go through with it. It would be awesome if we could turn metal show intermissions into ninja art shows. Stach told me his paintings are mainly done using an airbrush, which goes much quicker than brush painting. His work is up here at his MySpace. He’s offered to give me advice if I want to learn the technique, which is something I might try over the summer. I really need to get my work out there as much as possible because you never know what will happen. After Matt from Evile saw his painting, he said he wants to commission some work from him. Stach has also been invited backstage to meet and take photos with several bands and his paintings. While I’ve never had a problem meeting bands or getting invited backstage or on their tour bus, I’d rather it be for my artistic skill than solely based on my appearance. When Stach and Matt left to find the rest of the band to take a picture, I went back to the bar just as the lights dimmed and Kreator came onstage.
Kreator
I had previously heard that this band was boring live, but I chalked it up to Americans not understanding German culture and concert etiquette. Still, I don’t see how anyone could have said that because they had the best stage presence out of all the bands there that night. They played a good mix of old and new material. Their light show was killer. They had a smoke machine. Their frontman worked the title of the next song they were going to play really cleverly into his dialogue with the audience. He got everyone really revved up and helped create the biggest circle pit I’ve ever seen. There were literally dozens of people in it, and the floor was covered in sweat, beer, and blood after the show. Everyone in the band was running around onstage. What more do you want? Kreator gave one of the most professional and musically solid performances I’ve ever seen. I really regret missing them last year on a night where I had a ton of homework to do because they were that good. I definitely recommend seeing them, whether you’re a fan of thrash metal or not. This band has had such an influence on the entire genre of metal that they’re not to be missed. I sincerely hope they’ll be coming back here soon!
After the show I said goodbye to the guy from high school and his group of friends. As I was standing off to the side watching everyone file out of the bar, the bassist from Nachtmystium walked up to me. I noticed him out of the corner of my eye staring at me for a few minutes prior, so I knew the inevitable was coming. At least he was from Chicago, so we could relate pretty well. We talked about sites to see in Milwaukee and I warned him to avoid the McDonald’s next door because of all the crime. Then he noticed the Morrissey poster on the wall, which was from the show I was at last year, and I discovered that he’s also a fan of Moz and The Smiths. He also likes Joy Division, which is pretty exciting for someone in an extreme metal band. He told me that I seemed like the kind of girl who lives on a farm, though. WTF? Yes, my family owns a farm but I sure as hell don’t live there! He asked if he could buy me a beer, but I told him that I didn’t get a wristband because I didn’t feel like drinking that night and that I was leaving. Part of me wanted to take him up on his offer because, hey, free beer! But the other part of me said that he’d probably use it against me and I didn’t want to feel like I owed him something that I didn’t want to give in the first place just because he did something nice for me. I shouldn’t be so presumptuous, but there are a lot of sleazy guys in the metal scene, so you definitely have to watch your back. It’s just annoying that whenever some guys see a girl at a show by herself who did her hair, make-up, and put together a decent-looking outfit, they automatically think she’s a groupie. I’ll put up with Paul from Blackguard because he’s genuinely nice and friendly despite the fact that he tries to get with any and every girl possible. But this guy was weird. It wasn’t until the end of the conversation that he introduced himself (his name is Drew) and I was just like, “Uh, I’m Megan…hi.” The rest of our conversation was pretty awkward as well with a lot of thick, palpable pauses. When he asked again if I wanted to go somewhere and get a drink with him, I told him I was leaving in the politest way possible. Then he looked me up and down and said, “I like your…outfit,” smirked, and walked away. Yep, definitely time to get out of there! He also told me when he first approached me that he was watching me when he was onstage. If that isn’t creepy, I don’t know what is. Outside the venue, he asked if I was really leaving and got really put off when I said I was as I walked away. I wished him well on the rest of the tour, but he just grumbled and left. Serves him right! Just because you’re in a metal band doesn’t mean you can always get chicks! ;) I would’ve taken him up on his offer to buy me a drink if he was friendlier and didn’t give off such weird vibes. Sometimes it’s fun to mess with guys like these, though, like I do (and will continue to do) with Paul!
…Which reminds me, I finally uploaded some of the better examples of my artwork on Facebook, and Dominic noticed right away. I feel really bad because he’s been waiting several months for this, but I guess it’s better late than never. It’ll be interesting to see if he sends me a message soon, but I understand that the language barrier is a huge pain in the ass. Since I’ve been meeting so many French-speaking people lately, I looked into taking French next semester. With two hour classes twice a week and 50 minute discussion sections four times a week, I’m going to have to pass. I don’t understand why it requires so much time when it’s not that difficult of a language! I’ll hopefully be starting Swedish as planned, which involves only two 1 hour and 15 minute classes a week. Plus, I am totally biased toward Germanic languages. ;) Anyway…
Even though a couple people turned out to be creeps, one guy who I thought was a creep turned out to be the opposite. Remember the really mean-looking wifebeater/cargo shorts/Timberland boots guy I mentioned at the Vader show? It turns out, he was part of the group of that guy I went to high school with, and he’s actually really nice! He’s still pretty terrifying when he’s moshing, but the circle pit was generally huge and out of control this time, so I can’t blame him for his behavior. After the show, I was covered in bruises and nauseous from the ridiculous amount of cigarette smoke, but happy nonetheless.
I didn’t realize until this time that you’re allowed to bring cameras to shows at the bar because they don’t check your bag or pat you down, so next time I know I’m going to be at a bar show, I’ll definitely take some pics. The Rave are usually total camera Nazis, but there isn’t security in the bar area. I’ve only been to two shows in this part of the venue, so cut me some slack! :p In the meantime, here are some pics that the venue’s shitty photographer took.
I got to the venue when the doors were supposed to open, but there was a half hour delay, so we all had to stand around just inside the side entrance. A guy I knew from high school came up to me after a while and asked if I wanted to hang out with him and his friends so I didn’t have to stand by myself. Not wanting to be rude, I agreed, but I really don’t know about this guy. He kept going on about how he likes obscure, underground bands, and all he has listed on his Facebook page are really mainstream death metal bands and a ton of bad radio nu-metal. I know I’m being my typical music snob self here, but come on! Disturbed, Godsmack, Korn, Drowning Pool…Kittie!? You’ve got to be kidding. He and his friends are also really socially awkward and immature, which is why I really don’t want to see more of him than I need to. Beth and Sam are going to be at the next show this guy is also going to, so at least I’ll have a good excuse not to hang out with him. However, since they couldn’t make it to this show, I was actually glad I was able to hang out with him because there was this creepy guy named Terrence who is stalking me that was also going to be there.
I briefly met Terrence at the Epica show when he came up to talk to Beth. Apparently, she has known him for over a decade. He unfortunately discovered me on Facebook after adding Beth back in February and got a little too excited about meeting another metalhead who also likes punk rock and post-punk. He told me he has major anxiety issues (that are obviously untreated) and has sent me several awkward messages on the site. Because of his anxiety, he told me he usually hangs out in the back of the lobby and the back of the venue in the shadows. Um, yeah, that’s not weird or anything. He specifically told me the night before the show that he’d be waiting for me in the back of the lobby without even asking if I wanted to hang out with him at all. After Sam and Beth saw this, they both sent me messages warning me about him. I guess Beth was looking to get some people together to form a band several years ago, and scrapped the plans after meeting Terrence (who was interested in playing in it) because he was just that freaky. Thank the gods he came to the show late! More on that later…
There weren’t many people there before the show started, so I got a close spot in the second row between the center and the right of the stage. It’s always a good decision to have someone in front of you as a buffer between the crowd and stage when the pit gets out of control! ;)
LaZarus A.D.
This is the only band (other than the Violent Femmes) that I’ve listened to from Milwaukee that hasn’t sucked. (I know they’re technically from Kenosha, but nobody outside of Wisconsin cares.) It’s usually a given that I’ll automatically like a thrash metal band, but these guys set themselves apart from a lot of the run-of-the-mill bands of the thrash revival. They also identify themselves as hard rock, which is probably part of the reason why they don’t fall prey to a lot of the clichés you’ll find within this subgenre. Their set list included songs that varied in tempo and melody. Overall, it was a really solid performance with tight technical playing skills from all the musicians. It really showed that they were having a good time doing a hometown show and by the end of their set, the bar was mostly filled.
Evile
When I heard the band goofing off with call and response riffs while warming up, I knew I was going to have fun watching this band. That, and they played the intro to The Sisters of Mercy’s “Temple of Love”, which instantly had me hooked. ;) I first heard about them on the Wyrd Ways Rock Show and was impressed with what I’d heard. My only complaint is that there wasn’t much variation in tempo in the songs they played. Speed is crucial for a thrash metal band, but all fast songs gets tedious after a while. However, I loved their stage presence and their vocalist’s banter with the audience. I’m looking forward to seeing these guys again in April along with LaZarus A.D. when they open for Overkill. Vader, Warbringer, and Woe of Tyrants will also be playing, so it’s going to be an epic show!
Nachtmystium
After all the hype I’ve heard about them on the Internet for years, I was really disappointed with their performance. Their vocalist didn’t interact with the audience except to mumble a quick thanks for the applause after a couple songs. He also complained about how little room there was onstage to move around, despite the fact that neither he nor anyone else in the band made any attempt at doing such. Before the band even played, he kept making the sound guy mess with different volumes for his mic. This was a really stupid decision because you couldn’t hear his vocals at all and the rest of the band was loud enough to blow out my hearing for more than a day after the show. If you’re playing in a small bar setting, your band does not need to be very loud at all, so the deafening blast that came from them was quite unnecessary. For a band that does not want to be labeled as black metal, they certainly give off the impression of a typical band from that genre! In fact, I don’t see how their sound is psychedelic because all I heard was atmospheric black metal. I feel that I’ve listened to enough of their recorded material to make that statement. Don’t get me wrong; I really dig their sound. It’s like looking on the edge of the abyss and slowly letting yourself teeter off it, falling into oblivion. Their vocalist has fairly clean and discernable vocals for this type of music, so it would’ve been nice to be able to hear them over the rest of the band.
I figured it was going to take a while to set up for Kreator, so I ventured back into the lobby where the merch tables were set up and people were milling about. Who do I see the moment I step out of the bar? Terrence. He greeted me with this weird side-hug and then yelled at me to be careful because he had a healing tattoo on his back. Alright, I’m sorry you can’t handle someone lightly touching a small area that just feels like sunburn. Then he told me that he worships the ground I walk on because of my taste in music. WTF. The whole time I was talking to him, he wouldn’t look at my face. He kept wildly looking around in all directions, as if he was constantly following a flying insect. That is definitely not normal! Then he asked me to send him some records, which I don’t have, and if I did, I wouldn’t be able to give him anyway because I don’t have that contraption that converts vinyl to mp3s. Also, you don’t just ask someone you recently met for favors! When Sam offered me free tickets to the show and I told him that I didn’t need him, Terrence immediately asked for them, despite not knowing Sam at all. He also told Sam that he looks like John Belushi at the Epica show, which he does not. Luckily, I only ended up talking to Terrance for about five minutes, and trust me, they were some of the longest five minutes of my life!
I saw the vocalist/guitarist from Evile hanging out in front of the merch tables, and as I went up talk to him, so did Stach. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this guy before, but there’s usually an older guy with white hair, a white beard, and a very long fu manchu at most of the concerts I go to. He had a painting with him, and I was really excited to find another metalhead who’s also an artist while discovering that security will let you in with a painting. I have a concept sketch for a painting I wanted to make for the Bodom guys next time I see them, so now I’m probably going to go through with it. It would be awesome if we could turn metal show intermissions into ninja art shows. Stach told me his paintings are mainly done using an airbrush, which goes much quicker than brush painting. His work is up here at his MySpace. He’s offered to give me advice if I want to learn the technique, which is something I might try over the summer. I really need to get my work out there as much as possible because you never know what will happen. After Matt from Evile saw his painting, he said he wants to commission some work from him. Stach has also been invited backstage to meet and take photos with several bands and his paintings. While I’ve never had a problem meeting bands or getting invited backstage or on their tour bus, I’d rather it be for my artistic skill than solely based on my appearance. When Stach and Matt left to find the rest of the band to take a picture, I went back to the bar just as the lights dimmed and Kreator came onstage.
Kreator
I had previously heard that this band was boring live, but I chalked it up to Americans not understanding German culture and concert etiquette. Still, I don’t see how anyone could have said that because they had the best stage presence out of all the bands there that night. They played a good mix of old and new material. Their light show was killer. They had a smoke machine. Their frontman worked the title of the next song they were going to play really cleverly into his dialogue with the audience. He got everyone really revved up and helped create the biggest circle pit I’ve ever seen. There were literally dozens of people in it, and the floor was covered in sweat, beer, and blood after the show. Everyone in the band was running around onstage. What more do you want? Kreator gave one of the most professional and musically solid performances I’ve ever seen. I really regret missing them last year on a night where I had a ton of homework to do because they were that good. I definitely recommend seeing them, whether you’re a fan of thrash metal or not. This band has had such an influence on the entire genre of metal that they’re not to be missed. I sincerely hope they’ll be coming back here soon!
After the show I said goodbye to the guy from high school and his group of friends. As I was standing off to the side watching everyone file out of the bar, the bassist from Nachtmystium walked up to me. I noticed him out of the corner of my eye staring at me for a few minutes prior, so I knew the inevitable was coming. At least he was from Chicago, so we could relate pretty well. We talked about sites to see in Milwaukee and I warned him to avoid the McDonald’s next door because of all the crime. Then he noticed the Morrissey poster on the wall, which was from the show I was at last year, and I discovered that he’s also a fan of Moz and The Smiths. He also likes Joy Division, which is pretty exciting for someone in an extreme metal band. He told me that I seemed like the kind of girl who lives on a farm, though. WTF? Yes, my family owns a farm but I sure as hell don’t live there! He asked if he could buy me a beer, but I told him that I didn’t get a wristband because I didn’t feel like drinking that night and that I was leaving. Part of me wanted to take him up on his offer because, hey, free beer! But the other part of me said that he’d probably use it against me and I didn’t want to feel like I owed him something that I didn’t want to give in the first place just because he did something nice for me. I shouldn’t be so presumptuous, but there are a lot of sleazy guys in the metal scene, so you definitely have to watch your back. It’s just annoying that whenever some guys see a girl at a show by herself who did her hair, make-up, and put together a decent-looking outfit, they automatically think she’s a groupie. I’ll put up with Paul from Blackguard because he’s genuinely nice and friendly despite the fact that he tries to get with any and every girl possible. But this guy was weird. It wasn’t until the end of the conversation that he introduced himself (his name is Drew) and I was just like, “Uh, I’m Megan…hi.” The rest of our conversation was pretty awkward as well with a lot of thick, palpable pauses. When he asked again if I wanted to go somewhere and get a drink with him, I told him I was leaving in the politest way possible. Then he looked me up and down and said, “I like your…outfit,” smirked, and walked away. Yep, definitely time to get out of there! He also told me when he first approached me that he was watching me when he was onstage. If that isn’t creepy, I don’t know what is. Outside the venue, he asked if I was really leaving and got really put off when I said I was as I walked away. I wished him well on the rest of the tour, but he just grumbled and left. Serves him right! Just because you’re in a metal band doesn’t mean you can always get chicks! ;) I would’ve taken him up on his offer to buy me a drink if he was friendlier and didn’t give off such weird vibes. Sometimes it’s fun to mess with guys like these, though, like I do (and will continue to do) with Paul!
…Which reminds me, I finally uploaded some of the better examples of my artwork on Facebook, and Dominic noticed right away. I feel really bad because he’s been waiting several months for this, but I guess it’s better late than never. It’ll be interesting to see if he sends me a message soon, but I understand that the language barrier is a huge pain in the ass. Since I’ve been meeting so many French-speaking people lately, I looked into taking French next semester. With two hour classes twice a week and 50 minute discussion sections four times a week, I’m going to have to pass. I don’t understand why it requires so much time when it’s not that difficult of a language! I’ll hopefully be starting Swedish as planned, which involves only two 1 hour and 15 minute classes a week. Plus, I am totally biased toward Germanic languages. ;) Anyway…
Even though a couple people turned out to be creeps, one guy who I thought was a creep turned out to be the opposite. Remember the really mean-looking wifebeater/cargo shorts/Timberland boots guy I mentioned at the Vader show? It turns out, he was part of the group of that guy I went to high school with, and he’s actually really nice! He’s still pretty terrifying when he’s moshing, but the circle pit was generally huge and out of control this time, so I can’t blame him for his behavior. After the show, I was covered in bruises and nauseous from the ridiculous amount of cigarette smoke, but happy nonetheless.
I didn’t realize until this time that you’re allowed to bring cameras to shows at the bar because they don’t check your bag or pat you down, so next time I know I’m going to be at a bar show, I’ll definitely take some pics. The Rave are usually total camera Nazis, but there isn’t security in the bar area. I’ve only been to two shows in this part of the venue, so cut me some slack! :p In the meantime, here are some pics that the venue’s shitty photographer took.