JUSTIN'S LIVE REVIEWS W/C 18/03/02
Princess Charlotte - Leicester 13/03/2002
American Headcharge
Sikth
Snatch
Snatch
When Snatch take the stage at a little after nine O’clock, the Charlotte is already pretty full. Straight away they kick of with their own style of girlie Nu-Metal. Kittie would be proud. Several songs in and the guitarist starts to get into it as her plume of hair whips back and forth in time with the grating riffs. And then the surprise as the melodic harmonising that made Alice In Chains so distinctive is utilised to great effect. Overall they were competent and I think they are one of the bands that will get better with practice and experience. Look out for them in the music press; go see them live if you can.
Sikth
Sikth, on the other hand, for me missed the target altogether. Two vocalists took centre stage in the style of Raging Speedhorn, one for the melodic sections and one for the shouty screechy Will Haven / Cradle Of Filth style vocals. These two very different styles of singing can work very well, but Sikth did not get the mix right. They sounded as if they were battling against each other rather than complimenting one another. The songs were not distinctive enough from each other to stand out, and they did far too much chatting between each track. Overall, a disappointment.
American Headcharge
American Headcharge kept everyone waiting far too long for my liking – about 35 minutes – and then played two military march style compositions by Souza (Liberty Bell – the Monty Python Theme - being one), with their huge backdrop of the Stars and Stripes to herald their entrance. They seemed to fill the Charlotte stage with their presence – as well as their numbers – and right from the first song, showed the previous two acts how it should be done. This was the last date on their UK tour as they told us regularly, and you see and hear why they were the headliners. Their music was fast, loud, aggressive and furious everything a metal band should be. At about 11:30 I got a person full in the face, courtesy of the moshing maniac in front of him. A Violent Reaction was saved ‘til the last song and blasted the remaining would-be moshers into movement. They left with a sense that there should be more to come, and your ears ringing. A great live performance.
Reviewed by Anthony Stone
Princess Charlotte - Leicester 16/03/2002
Will Haven
Defenestration
3rd Strike
Beg To Differ
Beg To Differ
Despite the fact that my ticket told me that the first band took the stage at 9pm, when we arrive at just after 9pm, Beg To Differ were just finishing their set. So I missed them, sorry guys.
3rd Strike
3rd Strike however, you could not miss. Their lead singer has quite a stage presence; bold and well built in the same mould of Kerry King – but without the guitar or distinctive tattoos. Their first song kicks in and straight away I thought, ‘Ah, they have Machine Head albums in their collection’. Chugging riffs and that staccato vocal delivery came across with force and quite an air of professionalism. The next song had chugging riffs and that staccato vocal delivery, but very little tune to be quite honest. The two or three sons were the same and blurred into each other. There then followed a very ordinary and uninspired cover version of Paranoid. I’m sure the band is fans of Sabbath, but it really did not do anything for their set. However the last three songs in the bands set brought their performance up, and the last song particularly - All Lies - was an absolute cracker. Add to this the fact that the had a free sampler CD available containing two tracks – Walked Away & Breathe It Out - and you’ve got one happy punter.
Defenestration
Defenestration suffered from a muffled sound problem. Their usually sharp, crisp sound was distorted too much and as a result Gen’s distinctive Angel/Devil vocals suffered. Apart from that they were excellent. They did a set of roughly 30 minutes, and they obviously wanted the last remaining McWerter brother to sit up and take note. They dashed through Soon Forgotten, and straight into a barrage of new tracks that all seemed to last two minutes. This was then, an attempt to fit as many songs into one short set as is humanly possible. I felt that there were too many new songs, and not enough old favourites mixed in. They did succeeded with the speed element though, leaving you breathless: and with the knowledge that they will soon have enough material for a new album: all be it a short one.
Will Haven
Will Haven have certainly put in the work to deserve the rapturous welcome they received when they finally took the stage. Their unique guitar style grates away at your soul while Grady’s vocals pierce your head and stay there. The crowd moshed and stage-dived with great enthusiasm through classics such as Mason, Foreign Film and the hypnotic Climbing Out This Bottle. The punk style Jaworski whipped the crowd into even more of a frenzy as Grady seemed to challenge anyone near the front as he screamed "Do you want a piece of me?" They gave their all and absolutely pissed on all the other bands on the bill. A stunning performance.
Reviewed by Anthony Stone
Princess Charlotte - Leicester 19/03/2002
Miocene
The Kennedy Soundtrack
Product Of The Fall (P.O.T.F.)
Stinkfist
Stinkfist
Those of you who are familiar with the works of Tool, may well say that you could guess what Stinkfist are like: you would be wrong. They are far from the complex layered structures and the grandiose style of Maynard’s gang. They are pure pop-rock: and that is no bad thing. Simple melodies, catchy refrains and traditional sounding chord changes: good driving music and none too shabby.
Product Of The Fall (P.O.T.F.)
P.O.T.F. on the other hand blast onto the stage and stay there. Fast and furious riffs and gruff vocals take you by surprise and slap you in the face. But it is not unpleasant, and on the whole, impressive.
The Kennedy Soundtrack
Next up come The Kennedy Soundtrack, and for the biggest thrill of the night. They are loud, brash competent and brilliant. The lead vocalist takes huge deep breaths before letting rip with the equivalent of a kick to the groin. The accompanying vocals from the main guitarist are a fantastic melodic contrast. They soar through their set never letting up and you can not fail to be taken with them. My only regret is that I can not recall any of there song titles. But buy their stuff.
Miocene
Miocene kick off with the astounding Fits Like That, and you know you are in for a treat. Their set is of average length, but anyone who knows their material will know that their songs are not. Again I did not catch the title of the mostly new songs that were aired here, but one of them a rambling fusion of jazz and hard core metal must have clocked ten minutes: phenomenal. Old favourites such as Rivets and Free Reign, were welcome mosh-friendly stompers, and were excellent and atmospheric. The gusto and energy that go along with Miocene live shows was there and the band clearly feels passionate about the music and message. You must see this band live, and if you get a chance to see this line up, do it.
Reviewed by Anthony Stone