A belated Easter review…
Easter was mainly Beyond the Veil in Leeds: Friday was drive up and settling into a rather nice room in the Metropol Hotel with a rather nice surprise - finding a nifty pub, the Baroque, which served various beers/ales/etc from over the world. The even had Belgium fruit beer on tap - not just the bottle - rar - and Stuart was chuffed to drink some Budvar. Also was very good value with the food. Stuart loved it so much he wanted to set up shop n read & drink his way through the Saturday (but this was not be … ). Also did some shoe shopping - not for me, may I add, but for Stuart (*shock*!). In meantime there were 3 bands at the Vine (first event for BtV). Long thin room made it difficult to view band unless you pushed right to front… but the sound was the best I've heard in quite a long while.
Uninvited Guest - were not bad, abit too metal in places, but had touches of White Zombie which were fun. Found my head nodding in a few places. For their first gig (hope I remember this correctly) they did *extremely* well.
Zeitgeist Zero - Lead singer had a good reportoir and rapport with the crowd. Not my kinda thing, but was an enjoyable gig nontheless.
Deviant UK - Was sitting at back of pub with drinkie/nattering so missed nearly all the set, which also means that what I heard didn't grab me but made good background music ^_^
Afterwards got freebie entrance into a punk orientated pub function room event, Integration which had no dancefloor *sob*. Found it quite frustrating to sit and talk when all the absolutely fab music got played ~grrrr~ this should be rectified.
Saturday? - well Stuart came down with a 24 hour stomach bug and didn't leave room and couldn't even retain anything of the breakfast I smuggled up to his room, poor thing. I made myself busy by visiting Leeds' Alders which is currently having a closing down sale (oops). Bought 3 work skirts, a lacey top for summer layering, a fab Principles jacket 50's syle which could be worn for both work and casual and various other bits n bobs. Didn't make it to the Adelphi for Black Veil. Stuart was still ill and I had an apathy thing going (the hotel room was too hot/stuffy which knocked all umpf from me) so stayed in for an early night. I caught up with watching a very slow, depressing (but interesting) futuristic anime, Texhnolyze (has a Juno Reactor opening track ^_^ ). Apparently the disjointed events start to meld around ep 13, as I am up to ep 7, finding it hardish going (one episode was watching the main character drag himself around the city after having his arm and leg lopped off by one of the local gangs… )
Sunday - was the main event which was held in the hotel itself.
Opened Paradise - very Nephilm boinking the Sisters and Chameleons on the side and walking Bauhaus's dog. Enjoyable, mainly due to the fact that I haven't heard that many Nephilm influenced bands, even though I not a huge fan.
Agonised by Love Didn't make much of an impression, as I cannot for the life of me remember what they sounded like @_@ might have been the band where I wandered off to the stalls … hmmm. Think they played laid back stuff (unfortunately I am currently into bouncy music with a beat).
Voices of Masada - okey I suppose, found them too generic and not my cuppa tea. Finished abruptly, half the audience wandered off, then they demanded the remaining to call for encour… ? oh dear.
Violet Stigmata - think this was my favourite band of BtV, def got two thumbs up. Music was lively, again was too metal in some places, but the stage show/interaction between band members and audience kept attention. Not bad indeed :)
Murder at the Registry - expected them to be my fav band, but it was not to be. Each song start great… then I just lost interest a third way through. Very odd. This was the most 'deathrocky' band for the weekend (ie old style punky/tribal beat goth) but the rythym didn't hold me. Not sure whether I was too tired, as it had been a long day as it had started at 2:pm, and this was around 11:pm~ish (?), still, was the second from the top for the w/e.
Had a mini bop to the stuff played afterwards but wandered off early sometime after midnight with Rammstein's America track ringing in my ears (which have now started to transpose over with 'Yellow Submarine' lyrics, which is rather disconcerting).
Got back to Nottingham midmorning feeling drained and zoned out over the next couple of days mainly reading my way through the Easter hols. Took some pictures, which might get around to putting up (possibly). Took more than I would normally do cos the light show on the Sunday was *gorgeous* and tried to capture some of the combinations (and failed miserably).
This w/e coming is Steve's birthday celebration thang, which should be fun (can’t believe it is Friday tomorrow - huzzah!)