Into the Pit: 012: 3ulogy – Live at The Grapes Sheffield – 13-June 2005
Last night’s gig at the Grapes was certainly interesting, and in some respects something of an eye-opener. Not a bad turnout, either, for a Monday night gig.
Into the Pit: 011: Mortiis – Live at Corporation Sheffield – 23-April 2005
As was to be expected, this was something of an odd night gig-wise. Four bands on, due to one reason or another first (local-ish) band The Nothing didn’t appear, so it was left to Panic DHH to open proceedings. And did they.
But Listen: 014: Systemyk – The Victim
Anytime I get given a [demo] CD with a “produced by [famous name]” I’m gonna at least take a look. As in this case, with “Produced by Gregor Mackintosh [Paradise Lost]” on the front. Granted, I had seen them live first. The famous connection will certainly do them no harm. Musicwise, they do bear some […]
But Listen: 013: Gothminister – Empire of Dark Salvation
I viewed Gothminister with something of suspicion first time around. Surely it was all tongue-in-cheek, right? The more I listened, the less it seemed to be. But then, with an album called Gothic Electronic Anthems – and to actually have an album stuffed full of them – made such points moot.
But Listen: 012: Interlock – Crisis//Reinvention
It’s been a while coming, this album. And it has certainly been worth the wait. After being voted “Best Unsigned Band” for 2004 by the readers of Terrorizer, they have been snapped up pretty quickly by Anticulture Records. Gone is the slightly flat and muddy sound of much of the earlier tracks, this album screams […]
But Listen: 011: Nekrodrako – Vitriol
I’ve always had something of a love-hate relationship with the idea of the side-project. Sometimes they are just a lazy attempt to get more attention to the “parent” band (it is not normally difficult to tell this: often any mention of the “new” band will show “x from y’s new project”, or something like), but […]
Into the Pit: 010: Queen Adreena – Live at Rock City Nottingham – 17-March 2005
It was somewhat surprising to recall, on the way to Nottingham, that it is nearly five years since I first (and last) saw Queen Adreena live, at the ill-fated Lost Weekend back in July 2000. Back then, they had not long since emerged from the long-dead ashes of Daisy Chainsaw, with one album (Taxidermy) only […]
But Listen: 010: Red20 – The Red Album
So yes, we have been trailing it for ages. Yes, I have played various versions of some of the tracks over the past few months. But listening to the album as a whole, it has some kind of visceral thrill to it. The big thing to note to start with, is how the band has […]
But Listen: 009: Interlock – Army Of Me/Straight
Army of Me (a cover of the old Bjork single, of course) is looking unlikely to be released officially at present, which would be a shame – seeing as it is an interesting introduction to the band if you have not heard them before.
DJ: Guest: 005: Black Sheep – 27-February 2005
Last night was good fun. Not too bad a turnout.
Into the Pit: 009: Mastodon – Live at Corporation Sheffield – 14-February 2005
Last night was otherwise Mastodon at Corp. Never before have a band had a more apt website name (mastodonrocks.com). Buoyed on by a packed (and enthusiastic) crowd, they seemed to start sluggishly with the mammoth 14-minute epic that is Hearts Alive, sounding somewhat muddy, but as it came to an end everything just seemed to […]
DJ: Guest: 004: Gloominati – 13-February 2005
Attendance was small, but good to see those that did make the effort, thanks for coming down. For what it’s worth I was not entirely keen on it being on a Sunday evening either. Some fascinating rumour/conjecture at the end of the night, ears to the ground on that one.
Into the Pit: 008: Rammstein – Live at Arena Nottingham – 07-February 2005
Support act Apocalyptica were something of a surprise – somehow having not managed to hear them before, they were fantastic. Highlight – christ, where do I start? Seek and Destroy was incredible, the intro spiel to Bittersweet was hilarious (lets just say he wasn’t too complimentary about the vocalists on the track – Ville from […]
Into the Pit: 007: Pop Will Eat Itself – Live in Birmingham – 22-January 2005
Can [we] Dig It? Hell yeah!
Into the Pit: 006: Machines – Live at The Grapes Sheffield – 13-January 2005
…Machines turned out to be yet another fantastic local band. Five, maybe six tracks in 45 minutes. Tool influenced, but not slavishly.
Into the Pit: 005: Mad Capsule Markets – Live at Corporation Sheffield – 11-December 2004
Three hugely mismatched bands, a packed Corporation and a mental crowd. We need more gigs like that in Sheffield.
/Countdown/2004/Albums
It’s kinda scary really. I have been reading others’ lists for albums of the year and trying to think what mine are. And I can barely think of any. Has this year been a bad year for music, or is it just that I have been distracted by things for much of the year and […]
Into the Pit: 004: Rammstein – Live at T-Mobile Arena Prague – 03-December 2004
Getting to the gig was no real problem – outside our hotel ran three tram routes – and amazingly enough, one route ran direct to the T-Mobile Arena! The venue is huge – the national ice hockey arena, no less – so by the time we got there most of the 10,000 people were already […]
Into the Pit: 003: Killing Miranda – Live at Corporation Sheffield – 28-November 2004
First act Dyonisis were a pleasant surprise – two female vocalists, a guitarist and bassist – with various electronics and beats on a backing track. Crippled by what was frankly an appalling sound set-up, there were moments when they really did sound good, especially the acappella track. A demo is coming soon apparently (as is […]
Into the Pit: 002: Assemblage 23 – Live at Corporation Sheffield – 25-October 2004
Run Level Zero were…well, a bit dull really. To start with they very much reminded me of Aslan Faction, trying far too hard to ape bands like :wumpscut:, but with far less aggression and lacking in the killer songs to back it up. To be fair to them, the last couple of tracks did improve […]