Yesterday... Today... Tomorrow

Tomorrow evening, one of the true standard bearers for classy hard rock return to Belfast – and it’s going to be a facemelting experience.
I am of course referring to Y&T. Although the band will be without founding member Phil Kennemore (currently battling cancer), the San Francisco no doubt will rip another hole in the roof of the Spring And Airbrake when they hit the stage around about 9.30 or so. And, I’ve just one question: are you ready to rawk?
Y&T can truly be called originators of a genre: tracing their roots back to 1974, they slogged their guts out for eight years, crafting their sound and paving the way for the likes of Ratt, Motley Crue, Dokken, Great White and a whole raft of other ‘big hair big attitude’ bands who, like it or not, can pay more than lip service to the influence of Dave Meniketti and company.
Originally called Yesterday and Today, the band released two albums on London Records before, at the dawn of the down and dirty eighties making probably the best two decisions of their lives – switching to the then shit hot A&M roster and shortening their name! The result: one muthafucka of an album that brought them onto my radar – and that of millions of rockers around the world: 1982’s frankly awesome ‘Black Tiger’.
It’s hard to believe that was 28 years ago. But, almost three decades later, it sounds as fresh and as exciting as when I first slipped it from it’s sleeve and tentatively placed my old Binatone deck’s needle into it’s groove: slipping through the instrumental preview of ‘From The Moon’, the salvo that is ‘Open Fire’ still raises (now greying) hairs on the back of my neck.
OK, if you’re ready this, you’re more than likely a Y&T fan, so I’m not going to bore with you all the details of what has happened since... needless to say, ‘Black Tiger’ and the follow-up ‘Mean Streak’ remain two of my favourite albums, regularly finding their way onto my now vintage Sansui turntable (fuck, it might be 20 years old itself but it gives off one helluva sound), and a Y&T track essentially playing at any Paradise City night.
Having returned to glorious studio form earlier this year with ‘Facemelter’ – their first album in 13 years – Y&T continue to prove that, without them, the hard rock genre as we know it today probably would be a very different prospect indeed.
Going back to 1982, Dave Meniketti opened ‘My Way Or The Highway’ with “I’ll tell you what I want girl... I want respect... and I’m going to get it”. One thing’s for sure: he sure as hell has got the respect he and his comrades in arms are due. See you all tomorrow night \m/

A close encounter of the Lawless kind...

Let me take you into the electric circus, give a you sneak peak behind the dark curtain of the dirty world of rock ‘n’ roll... and back more than half a lifetime.
Let me take you back to Tuesday 28 October 1986, to be precise... and let my story unfold.
Yours truly, a meek, 20-year old hack (shit, I’ve just given my age away) is standing timidly outside a dressing room door in the Ulster Hall. Now, I’m not known for being meek and timid (not even way back then...), but on this occasion I had good reason to be that way – and, if truth be told, fucking scared. I literally was quaking in my DMs. Why? Well, I was about to be ushered into the presence of the awesome Blackie Lawless. He and his W.A.S.P. bandmates had brought their ‘Inside The Electric Circus’ tour to Belfast’s most historic venue – and I probably was about to die! Another why? Because I had been told the man was going to eat me alive!
OK, more back story. A month earlier – on 28 September to be precise –the now defunct ‘Sunday News’ had printed a story headlined ‘THE BANNED’. Yes, big bold capital letters on that headline. Yes, you guessed it, I wrote it. (Well, I was the only serious rock journalist working in Norn Iron at the time). Basically, it was an account of how W.A.S.P. had been booked to play the selfsame Ulster Hall two years earlier, in support of their self-titled debut album, but had been banned by the city fathers from doing so (in those days, the council had to sanction every gig played at the Hall, and they were still very nervous after some punks had pogo’d their way through the floor), due to excesses of their stage show. The article detailed those excesses, documented the story of the ‘Animal...’ single. However, although it was a tabloid newspaper, it did not sensationalise things: I told the story in a straightforward (no looking back), factual manner.
Which, in my usual rambling fashion, brings me back to a young rock journalist standing, terrified, outside a dressing room door. Apparently, according a friend inside the Ulster Hall, Blackie had seen the article and was none too pleased... I was going to die... probably very painfully...
The door opens and I am told to come in... I swallow hard and enter, very sheepishly. Inside are all four band members, the tour manager, various roadies and the gig promoter. Blackie is in the middle of the room, sitting cowboy-style on a reversed chair: even sitting down, and out of his stage gear, he’s an impressive muthafucker. Chris Holmes is leaning nonchalantly against a wall: Johnny Rod is sitting quietly in a corner, and drummer Steve Riley – well, it takes a moment for me to recognise him without his wig on...
There’s a chair sitting opposite Blackie. It’s obviously for me. It obviously where the execution is to take place...
“You’re the wee cunt that wrote that shit about us,” Blackie says, very matter of fact, with the promoter lurking ominously over his left shoulder, nodding. I gulp. I don’t know what to say or do. “You saw the piece,” I stammer. “No, but I heard about it.”
Somehow, I become very brave all of a sudden. As I said, I had been warned that Blackie was angry. I had one hope. An hour earlier, I had swung by the paper’s office and picked up a copy of the offending issue. I now reach into my bag and proffer it to him, open at the appropriate page. “Tell you what, here it is. Read it. I’ll wait outside. If you want me to fuck off I will. If you still want to do the interview, then fair enough.” Fuck me. I’ve just stood up to Blackie Lawless. I head to the door.
I don’t make it. I’m reaching from the handle when, expecting a barrage of beer bottles to come my way, I hear a roar of laughter. It’s from Blackie. I nervously look over my shoulder.
“Come back,” he drawls in his LA accent, as he tosses the paper to Chewie Holmes. “That’s one of the most honest articles I’ve ever read about us. You’re obviously a fan. Sit down. Have a beer.”
I’m gonna live. And I’m gonna interview Blackie fucking Lawless. AND I’m gonna have a fucking beer with him.
“One more thing,” Blackie growls. He looks over his shoulder. “Get out.” He’s talking to the promoter. Said fat bastard leaves, even more sheepishly than I was going to.
The interview? Well, to be honest, it’s all lost in the mists of time. I was still so fucking nervous I pressed ‘play’ on my tape deck instead of ‘record’ and ended up with 40 minutes of dead tape. But, what the fuck... I stood at the side of the stage drinking beer as the band soundchecked... I nearly got crushed to death when Chris Holmes hugged me at the end of the gig... I had one of the best days of my then burgeoning rock journalism career...
And I lived to tell the tale...
W.A.S.P. return to Belfast when they play the Mandela Hall on 28 November. Tickets are on sale now.

Chimaira cancel UK and Irish gigs - but why?

As you most likely know by now, Chimaira have cancelled their shows scheduled for Belfast's Stiff Kitten and Dublin's Academy on 2 and 3 October respectively.
A statement posted on the MCD website simply says: Due to an acute illness, we must cancel our upcoming UK tour. The band was really looking forward to the shows especially coming off a successful run in the US as part of the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. Alas, health comes first, as it should for us all. Sorry to those who planned on attending, but as the Governor of California once said, 'we'll be back'. or something like that.
It's all a bit mysterious. There is no statement on the band's website, and their latest Facebook update - posted after the cancellation announcement - shows all band members apparently fit and healthy on their US tour!
There also don't seem to be any plans to reschedule, as MCD are advising those with tickets to get refunds from the point of purchase.

It's 'on with the show' for Y and T

As the opening track of their excellent new album, 'Facemelter', says, it is definitely 'on with the show' for Y&T's gig at the Spring And Airbrake on 27 September.
The band are fulfilling all touring commitments, despite bassist Phil Kennemore's announcement this week that he is battling cancer. War And Peace's Brad Lang is filling in on live dates until Kennemore is fit to return, as he clearly intends to do, from the following personal statement:
“Up to now you haven’t heard much information (other than about my extreme back pain) because there really hasn’t been much until now. I hated leaving you all in the dark but I didn’t want to say anything until there was something conclusive to say. We do have a lot more information now. The number one thing you need to know is that I have cancer. It wasn’t absolutely formally diagnosed until yesterday.“With the bad news I also got the good news that along with surgery and treatments, I will be back rockin’ and rollin’. I’ll be getting a hip replacement as well as back surgery, which means I’ll also be more agile. The doctor said that this is treatable and I’ll be walking out of this place and I’ll be able to go on the road and do everything I need to do to continue my rock ‘n’ roll life, in due time.“I wanted to thank everyone for your well wishes. I’ve been sitting here in the hospital reading all of the things that you’ve all posted online, and I want you to know it means so very much to me to see how much I am loved, supported, and missed. I can really feel the love as I’m reading. I love reading your posts on the web site forum, and, in fact, I need to hear it. From here on out, whatever thoughts and feelings you have, please know that I wish that I could personally respond to each and every one of you, but I’m not able to right now.“Brad – thank God for Brad (Lang)! I’m so grateful that he stepped in to help keep Y&T on tour, bringing the Facemelter album to the people while I was ordered to the hospital. Right now I think he’s the best guy on earth!“I’ll be released from the hospital within three-to-four weeks, continuing treatment, and at some point, I’ll be returning to the road. Keep the love and good vibes flowing. Do me a favor and go out and see the band now–Y&T is kicking serious ass–and I’ll be back rocking with you all soon.”
I am sure everyone in the Norn Iron rock community will join me in wishing Phil, his family and his bandmates all the best at this difficult time, and wish the man himself a full and speedy recovery.

Prepare to get Katatonic

Tonight sees the third in the series of gigs that have become known as the ‘Summer of Slaughter’ at the Limelight complex.
To be honest, while I had been cognisant of the name Katatonia for around a decade, I had not been overly familiar with their music, which existed by and large on the periphery of my musical radar. In fact, I paid much more attention to the side project of two of the band members – the black metal supergroup Bloodbath.
All that changed a few months ago, when Belfast’s own ‘Mr Metal’, James Loveday, announced that he had attracted this seminal Swedish outfit to a local stage.
Katatonia, in fact, have been around for almost two decades, releasing eight albums in that period. The band was formed in Stockholm by childhood friends Anders Nystrom and Jonas Renske (who were born less than a month apart, trivia fans) in 1991, and released their acclaimed demo, ‘Jhva Elohim Meth’ (please don’t ask me to translate) around a year later. This led to a one-off deal with the legendary Swedish No Fashion label, which resulted in their debut album, ‘Dance of December Souls’, released – suitably enough – in December 1993.
Just as things looked like they were starting to take off for the pair (who recruited additional musicians on an ad hoc basis for recording and live purposes), they then embarked on a move which was to become somewhat of a distinguishing feature of their career – they took a break.
Finally, having recruited guitarist Fred Norman, the band returned to recording in early 1996, emerging back onto the scene with ‘Brave New Day’ later that year.
Over the next decade, and between various side projects (it’s a feature of the Swedish death metal scene that even the biggest acts have members who are in a number of different bands), the band released albums – and contributed to various compilation efforts - at fairly regular, by their standards anyway, intervals, inking a deal with Peaceville Records along the way (1999). All of this culminated in the album that well and truly catapulted them into the international limelight – 2006’s ‘The Great Cold Distance’. Following extensive touring the band then, yes you’ve guessed it, went into hibernation again (well, it’s cold in Sweden!).
They emerged again last year with the long-awaited and highly acclaimed ‘Night Is The New Day’ – described by non other than Opeth frontman Mikael Akerfeldt as the “heaviest album of the year”: but, opinion is subjective and there are many who would argue that there were heavier albums released in 2009, but it’s still a damn fine slice of dark metal and bodes well for a great gig tonight.
See you all there.

Factoring in the Fear!

And so we come to the second night of our summer of slaughter... and the long awaited return, after nine years, of Fear Factory.
Like Soulfly the previous evening, a visit by Burton, Dino and co always promises something brutal: unlike the former, however, the latter delivered brutality of a completely different, and much more welcoming kind.
From opening chords of 'Mechanize' to the dying embers of 'Replica', this was a battering ram of blastbeats, a barrage of booming bass and a slaughterfest of stunning shredding, all topped off with the restrained vocal violence of Mr Bell, on the top of his game.
This was very much a crowd-pleasing set, concentrating on the highlights from 'Obsolete', 'Digimortal' and 'Demanufacture', plus a triumvirate of tunes from their latest masterpiece, 'Mechanise', and the mighty 'Martyr' thrown in for good measure. But, to be honest, that was exactly what was wanted.
This was a tight 85 minutes of just exactly was expected from a band who are masters of their craft.
And, once again, a mention must be made of the S+A sound - once notorious for its muddiness and ability to destroy even the best sound performance, once again it was crystal clear. Well done to whoever is responsible (but not for the fucking ridiculous 10.30 curfew to let in a bunch of smiks seeking cheapo chavification: the fact that all the metallers hung about for another couple of hours and continued pinting like it was going out of fashion should show the powers that be where their audience really lies!)

Soul hardly flies in Belfast

One thing you can be sure of when Soulfly roll into town - it ain't going to be pretty.
Last night's return to Belfast was far from pretty - more like pretty brutal, on a couple of fronts.
Rumours had been circulating for a few days about Max Cavalera's health, and the frontman indeed did not appear his usual self: still the messiah-like rabblerouser, his onstage movements were slower, less fluid than I remember from the 'Dark Ages' tour, and those closer to the stage than I reported he could be seen gasping for air on his frequent departures off stage.
However, Max Cavalera being Max Cavalera, he nevertheless gave it his all - albeit with a somewhat curtailed set (I made it seven songs shorter than published tracklists for the first leg of the 'Omen' tour, before the band hooked up with the festival circuit). From the opening, chantalong barrage of 'Blood Fire War Hate', it was a nonstop circlepit of action, as the band trawled their six album back catalogue (one song from each of 'Soulfly', '3' and 'Conquer', two each from 'Primitive', 'Prophecy' and 'Dark Ages') mixed with three tracks from their latest, and heaviest to date, opus - the anthemic 'Kingdom', the fiercesome 'Bloodbath & Beyond' and the impressive 'Rise Of The Fallen' - and the usual handful of Sepultura classics, 'Refuse/Resist', 'Troops Of Doom' and 'Roots Bloody Roots', with accomplished aplomb.
Temporary bassist, and Rasputin-lookalike, Johnny Chow filled the bottom end admirably, although there were a few missed cues, while birthday boy Marc Rizzo's shredding definitely was the highlight the highlight of the musical side of things.
One other positive to be taken from this evening's performance: the muddy sound which practically ruined Max and co's last visit five years ago was long gone, which bodes well for this evening's visit by the mighty Fear Factory.