Venerdì 1 Gen 2010, 3:36
01. Les Claypool
Date: 05 Dec 2009
Venue: Fowlers Live
Support: Dr El Suavo
Highlights: Fisticuffs, Cosmic Highway
Notes: I have never been late to a show before this day (at least not for the headlining band anyway), so imagine how pissed off I was that the first time I'm late to a show is for one of my all time favourite musicians.
Having said that, I got there part way through Fisticuffs and soon got over the disappointment and substituted it for complete awe. I'm pretty sure anyone would have thought I was either very high or mentally retarded had they have looked at me.
02. Melvins
Date: 27 Jan 2009
Venue: Ding Dong Lounge
Support: Umläut
Highlights: Copache, Atlas Face (with Mike Patton)
Notes: An appearance from Mike Patton during Umläut's set and Melvins playing all of Houdini make this something that I think I would have had to destroy children had I have missed it.
I now feel like a complete moron for not caring when they supported Tool in 2002 and even more of a moron for choosing to see Sepultura in 2003 instead of doing the Ipecac geek show but hindsight is an amazing thing.
If you ever get a chance to do it, see the Melvins or you're a bigger moron than the underage Ash was.
03. Mogwai
Date: 05 Mar 2009
Venue: Forum Theatre
Support: Beaches
Highlights: Christmas Steps, We're No Here
Notes: I wasn't a massive fan of Beaches. I wouldn't say they were shit, I just wasn't a fan.
Mogwai were the first band I considered traveling interstate to see when they were touring Mr. Beast and didn't play Adelaide (actually it might have been Isis when they toured for Panopticon, who cares?). Due to financial issues, that never happened so when they announced this tour I had quite a high excitement and expectation level.
Mogwai were amazing and pretty much everything I hoped they would be. A lot of people complained about the long noisy wankfest ending to We're No Here but I loved it so fuck everyone else.
04. Serj Tankian & Fantômas
Date: 25 Jan 2009
Venue: Palace Theatre
Highlights: Rosemary's Baby, Space Oddity
Notes: I love Mike Patton so Fantômas were always going to be on this list, especially when Dale Crover was drumming for them (refer to previous Melvins praise). Fantômas were so good that I actually hunted down a cheap Big Day Out ticket so I could see them again at Adelaide BDO (thank you Neil Young for making this possible).
Serj was great fun, for me to say my highlight of that set was a Bowie cover is not so much me saying I think his material is shit but more I really enjoyed the way they did the song (plus Bowie just wins at everything). This show's so high on my list purely due to Fantômas though.
05. Soundwave
Date: 28 Feb 2008
Venue: Bonython Park
Bands: Nine inch Nails, Alice in Chains, The Dillinger Escape Plan & Bloodhound Gang
Highlights: When Good Dogs Do Bad Things, Wish (with TDEP)
Notes: This was my first Soundwave and I'd like to state that I'll be quite pissed off if this doesn't last as long as BDO has. Having said that, the first few BDO lineups were also amazing and we know where they are now so there's still time for Soundwave to go shit.
Moving on, Nine Inch Nails are a band that I've always wanted to see but not enough to bother traveling to see when they decided to skip Adelaide. Having now seen them, I'm a little pissed that I waited until what seems like it will have been their last tour with the huge light show. Plus seeing Greg and Ben from TDEP play Wish with them was amazing.
Anyone avoiding Alice in Chains now because "it's not Layne" is a moron. William DuVall has a great voice and I can't help but respect someone that doesn't try and imitate Layne when singing these songs. Plus a lot of the sound came from Cantrell's backing vocals anyway.
If you know me, you know I crap on about Dillinger to much so I'll just say they were incredible again and leave it at that.
06. Cult of Luna
Date: 17 Feb 2009
Venue: Fowlers Live
Support: Eleventh He Reaches London
Highlights: Ghost Trail, Following Betulas
Notes: I quite liked the support band but for some reason I forgot to keep a note of them to catch them next time they're in Adelaide. Things I'm doing after I finish this: That.
I never really rated Cult of Luna too highly as a band based on their albums prior to this. I always knew they were good but kind of viewed them as a diet-Isis. I now know I'm retarded because they are amazing live and I appreciate them so much more now.
07. Black Cobra
Date: 03 Oct 2009
Venue: Enigma Bar
Support: Space Bong, Thunderclaw & Blarke Bayer / Black Widow
Notes: I wont pretend I know Black Cobra well enough to be able to say which songs of there's were the highlight of their set. They were a band I decided to see after hearing a couple of songs on Myspace and after having seen that Heathen Skulls were responsible for them being in the country.
I was thoroughly impressed by this band, especially the sound that they get with being a two-piece. I'll definitely see them again if I ever get the opportunity.
08. Lightning Bold
Date: 27 Nov 2009
Venue: Fowlers Live
Support: Bronze Chariot & Robotosaurus
Notes: It's pretty much the same story with Lightning Bolt as it was with Black Cobra. I'd listened to Lightning Bolt a little before seeing them but was mainly seeing them based on the fact that it was a Heathen Skulls show. Plus Grey Daturas and Primitive Calculators were meant to be supporting which changed some time before the night.
This is another two-piece that I was extremely impressed by as well. Brian Chippendale is an amazing drummer and anyone who disagrees with me should get new ears.
09. Monarch!
Date: 27 Feb 2009
Venue: Enigma Bar
Support: Support: Robotosaurus, Agonhymn & Cunt Scrape
Notes: Facts about this night:
1. This was the last day of work as we were all made redundant.
2. Copious amounts of drinking happened prior to this gig based on work drinks that started at 5pm.
The result of this was Ash being quite drunk and losing track of time. I thought the progression of events would be Robotosaurus, Cunt Scrape, Agonhymn and then Monarch. I planned to get there part way through Cunt Scrape as I really wanted to see Agonhymn. I got there part way through the 3rd band which were Robotosaurus, this is what happens when you get drunk and lose track of time.
Anyway, from what I remember of the night Monarch were amazing. I can't wait to see them again and not be as drunk next time around.
10. Megadeth
Date: 11 Oct 2009
Venue: Thebarton Theatre
Support: Double Dragon
Highlights: Sweating Bullets, Head Crusher
Notes: This was meant to be Slayer and Megadeth but Slayer pulled out to Tom Araya getting laryngitis. This meant Megadeth got a full set which I was pleased about because I've seen Slayer and they were outdone by Mastodon so I could care less if I saw them on this tour (although seeing two of the big four on the one night would have been great).
Megadeth were insanely fun and I'm extremely annoyed for having not seen them prior to this tour.