F**king S**tting A**ing T**tting C**ting B**TARD!!!!!
Just got back from a looong train journey (damn Sunday night services).. As most of you know, Hocico couldnt get into the UK. I'm pretty gutted, but for some reason I kinda expected something to go wrong. It never did seem right somehow.. kinda too good to be true! Always had this gut feeling it'd be cancelled..
So I wasnt really that surprised when we were handed this upon arriving on Saturday:
After what can only be described as a small nuke went off in my head, and we stormed off in anger mumbling about getting a complete refund, we decided to goto Starbucks and wait for the rest of the bands to arrive. We were told 8pm, so we headed in at about 7:45 to find the first band, Din A Tod, on stage already. The venue was pretty decent, and about half full, but the atmosphere was like that of a funeral. Everyone was just stood about looking gloomy (well, to the outside I expect most gothy and industrialy type gigs are like that anyway =P ) The band played 3 songs, and left then the stage. They were a male and female duo and he did two songs and she did one.. hers was pretty crap, and his two were alright but a bit boring. Sounded a bit like the Mission.. wouldnt rush out to see them again, but wouldnt avoid if they supported someone good.
As they left the stage, techs came on as usual, acompanied by an annoying woman who looked completely off her face.. after a few minutes when the techs left and another guy came out, it became apparent that they were actually the next band, Ashbury Heights. She started "singing", and we moved quickly for the exit.. it was like nails down a bloody blackboard! I've heard them before and while they're not really my thing, they're nowhere near as bad as they were live! They were also just annoying to look at and were either drugged up or completely pissed, and it was just a complete failure in every respect. They both stood with microphones and left the synth playing the backing track all on its own! Luckily they too played only three songs, and left. In future I'll avoid these like the plague!
After another short interlude, an angry man in a hat and his electronic drummer/synth guy came on stage. These were Proceed. They looked quite pissed off, and shouted something along the lines of "Fuck the UK!! And fuck UK immigration!" (it may have been another band that said this, but I'm pretty sure it was these). This kinda pissed me off a lot! Its not our fault we have decent fucking border control! Not every country is like Mexico! While I was really REALLY pissed off at the situation, I was pissed off at the Out Of Line people since it was surely their goddam fault for not ours! Anyway, the band started and were actually alright. They had a decent stage presence, and the songs were ok.. but I dont think I'd have enjoyed a very long set of it.. there wasnt much variation! Again though, their set was only three tracks long, so it wasnt much of a concern and it was all over very quickly.
Then Spetsnaz came on. The synthy drummer guy looked a bit weird.. and the singer stormed on stage and looked like a complete psycho! They were a complete mismatch and had a really bizzare stage presence. I've heard a fair few Spetsnaz songs, and they seemed alright.. but live it was all just a bit lacking. People started chanting "HOCICO!! HOCICO!!" and the singer told em to "Shut up!". It all felt a but awkward, and we got bored of it very quickly and ended up leaving early. The dodgy atmosphere predictably hadn't improved, and there was just nothing to stick around for.
Needless to say, if these bands had have been playing Corp without Hocico like they did in London, I wouldnt have been going! I'd be urging everyone not to go too.. they weren't that good, and the sets were stupidly short anyway. Maybe it'd have been different if the bands had arrived sooner and had longer sets? The whole depressing atmosphere didn't help, but I honestly feel they wouldnt have been that impressive if the night had've gone to plan.
So yeah, news of a gig in at least London in March is good news.. and we have free entry to it so thats alright. Just a shame that Saturday night was such a depressing waste of time!
So I wasnt really that surprised when we were handed this upon arriving on Saturday:
After what can only be described as a small nuke went off in my head, and we stormed off in anger mumbling about getting a complete refund, we decided to goto Starbucks and wait for the rest of the bands to arrive. We were told 8pm, so we headed in at about 7:45 to find the first band, Din A Tod, on stage already. The venue was pretty decent, and about half full, but the atmosphere was like that of a funeral. Everyone was just stood about looking gloomy (well, to the outside I expect most gothy and industrialy type gigs are like that anyway =P ) The band played 3 songs, and left then the stage. They were a male and female duo and he did two songs and she did one.. hers was pretty crap, and his two were alright but a bit boring. Sounded a bit like the Mission.. wouldnt rush out to see them again, but wouldnt avoid if they supported someone good.
As they left the stage, techs came on as usual, acompanied by an annoying woman who looked completely off her face.. after a few minutes when the techs left and another guy came out, it became apparent that they were actually the next band, Ashbury Heights. She started "singing", and we moved quickly for the exit.. it was like nails down a bloody blackboard! I've heard them before and while they're not really my thing, they're nowhere near as bad as they were live! They were also just annoying to look at and were either drugged up or completely pissed, and it was just a complete failure in every respect. They both stood with microphones and left the synth playing the backing track all on its own! Luckily they too played only three songs, and left. In future I'll avoid these like the plague!
After another short interlude, an angry man in a hat and his electronic drummer/synth guy came on stage. These were Proceed. They looked quite pissed off, and shouted something along the lines of "Fuck the UK!! And fuck UK immigration!" (it may have been another band that said this, but I'm pretty sure it was these). This kinda pissed me off a lot! Its not our fault we have decent fucking border control! Not every country is like Mexico! While I was really REALLY pissed off at the situation, I was pissed off at the Out Of Line people since it was surely their goddam fault for not ours! Anyway, the band started and were actually alright. They had a decent stage presence, and the songs were ok.. but I dont think I'd have enjoyed a very long set of it.. there wasnt much variation! Again though, their set was only three tracks long, so it wasnt much of a concern and it was all over very quickly.
Then Spetsnaz came on. The synthy drummer guy looked a bit weird.. and the singer stormed on stage and looked like a complete psycho! They were a complete mismatch and had a really bizzare stage presence. I've heard a fair few Spetsnaz songs, and they seemed alright.. but live it was all just a bit lacking. People started chanting "HOCICO!! HOCICO!!" and the singer told em to "Shut up!". It all felt a but awkward, and we got bored of it very quickly and ended up leaving early. The dodgy atmosphere predictably hadn't improved, and there was just nothing to stick around for.
Needless to say, if these bands had have been playing Corp without Hocico like they did in London, I wouldnt have been going! I'd be urging everyone not to go too.. they weren't that good, and the sets were stupidly short anyway. Maybe it'd have been different if the bands had arrived sooner and had longer sets? The whole depressing atmosphere didn't help, but I honestly feel they wouldnt have been that impressive if the night had've gone to plan.
So yeah, news of a gig in at least London in March is good news.. and we have free entry to it so thats alright. Just a shame that Saturday night was such a depressing waste of time!