combichrist live

It was a quick dart through the queue since the first band came on at 7:30pm; so weaving through a sea of pink dreds, blokes in skirts, piercings galore, New Rock boots and the ‘you’re my new best friend’ atmosphere wasn’t that simple. Would it be the same without it? No chance! It’s all part of the night!

First up it was that American industrialists, Aesthetic Perfection. The place was packing out fair quickly. To say they were the first band on it was surprising how much of a floor filler they were! I only just managed to catch their set but from what I saw, they were a damn good opening act. To be frank, their name should have been put on the ticket, not just on a poster on the wall in the room of the gig! A damn good first gear of the evening!

Next bark of the night was Mortiis. The dark stage was haunted with suspense as the audience where psyching themselves up for the second portion of the night. After taunting them for long enough, the band finally landed on stage welcomed by a load of screaming cyber-Goths, and as they kicked off with The Ugly Truth, the tension had paid off!

For all of you who are wondering; no he didn’t have his nose on. A jibing audience member did scream “put your nose back on!” Nevertheless he still had his face plastered with a combination of black and white skeletal features (I think). With his floor sweeping dreds flinging around like windscreen wipers, his artistic image still stood to attention!

Add up every luminous color merging into one, the floor shaking, hands flying through the air and an industrial rock band shattering your ear drums and you’ll get what happened when the band played Closer to the End. Yes, it was a case of ‘move, there’s a stampede!’ With a sea of green flashing lights bolting all around to top it off, it was pretty much hard to say this one didn’t leave a stamp on the set. Best one yet!

The stage set up was very basic. If there had been any props on stage they’d have probably ended up smashed. Mortiis was flinging himself from one end of the stage like a donkey on an industrial metal beach; pulling the audience in a carriage behind for a ride! The barer the stage, the better perhaps!
 
There is one criticism, even though it is not the ‘be all and end all’ of a set, Mortiis could have had a little more verbal communication with the audience, it seemed a little rushed. That’s only one opinion though; the atmosphere was still very ripe regardless.

Then it came to the ‘move or snap in two like a lollipop stick’ Decadent and Desperate. Again, the dance floor turned into a volcanic eruption so like it or not, there was no way you could stand still for this song! Put it this way, I spent a lot of time elbow dodging! The facial expressions of Mortiis said it all really, it wasn’t a ‘Mr Nice guy performance’; he puts full on character to his songs I’ll give him that!

By the end of the set, it was obvious Mortiis had given the crowd exactly what they’d come for! The band fed off the audience and the audience fed off them! How they managed to muster up the energy to perform a set where the singer behaves like he’s got ants in his pants, and stay in time musically I do not know; but hey if the guy standing next to you is sweating, you know the band have done their job right!

It was finally time for Combichrist.  By this time the floor was just packed. I was being knocked and nudged by people who’d made a quick dart to the bar before they started. There were a few ‘excuse me, I’m sorry can I just get past’ so naturally the atmosphere was swollen; and didn’t look like it was gonna settle down either!

As the band finally came on to carve their mark on the night they had a more than appetising welcome to say the least. Launching straight into Shut Up and Swallow, the elbows I was getting before the band even started had sufficiently increased. With frontman Andy LaPlegua marching back and forth like a tourist at a train station, the guitarist pogoing round the stage, the dance floor turning into a trampoline and the audience showing no signs of calming down, it’s pretty safe to say the band were out for blood.

With the aggrotech / industrial rock genre, it’s not so much about keeping the vocals prim and pure but more so keeping in time with the underlying beats. Being a very ‘beaty’ band, Combichrist didn’t fail to miss one! With the hypnotic pulsating rhythm of Get Your Body Beat the audience was chanting along surprisingly in time as well. The flashing lights in unison with the music just said it all really. It was another case of ‘move or be moved!’

Blut Royal left a fair mark on the night; and on the dance floor! The band were scattered round the stage and LaPlegua was running back and forth like a rat race; with no intention of being caught. Whether it was the reaction of the audience that did it or simply the music, something was giving him as much energy as a machine gun!

The stage set up was again pretty basic. But props + Andy LaPlegua running from side to side like a fiery ping pong ball = health hazard! Speaking of health and safety, there was a glimpse of a crowd surfer being dragged over the barrier!

Again, there is one thing that maybe was missing, perhaps a little more verbal interaction with the audience. Some of the songs seemed to merge into the next. To be honest though, I think the music sold itself really and if you saw the behaviour of the audience you’d probably say the same. They created an atmosphere of their own! We did get a little communication towards the end, with the whole ‘thank you etc.’, surprisingly enough he made the entire audience say “f**k you Abby”, (Abby Nex that is). Never heard that one before!

Headliners wouldn’t be headliners if they didn’t do an encore. So yes, back on they came. First up we had a speed driven performance of F*** that Shit. The band was like a bull at a gate and as you can imagine we had the audience responding back with “f*** that shit!” in unison. Basically, if you didn’t shout along, you stuck out like a sore thumb! One of the songs of the set I reckon!

Last but not least we got What the F*** is Wrong With You. The place became mayhem; in a good way! Seeing the audience so hypnotised and united with the beat seared up a bit of character to the night! It was like watching an aerobics class with Combichrist being the fitness instructor!

They didn’t do too badly as a gig. It wasn’t a gig where you’d come out and forget all about it, and like Combichrist or not, they certainly gouged their mark on the night!

by Kathryn Longbottom