GIG NUMBER THIRTY-EIGHT
Who
Incidentally, later on in the year I saw Alec Empire, who was what this show should have been like: obscenely loud and amazing! However, this set did actually seem to pick up a bit towards the end but by this point it was too late to salvage proceedings even with a (now too routine to be interesting) guitar trashing. But, although this is probably the only gig I've been to without any merit, there are lessons to be learned, such as that I hear songs by the band before going, make sure I get to the front and arrive early to soak up the atmosphere. I made these mistakes for a lot of gigs around this time and I may even had enjoyed this a tiny bit if I'd prepared myself properly.
Mark: 5.5/10
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
Support
Vue
Sunshine
Where
Manchester Debating Hall
When
25th April 2002
Price
£10.00
Who with
No-one
Position
Towards the back
Comments
Now this was a low! Desperate for any remotely good gig action I settled on Trail Of Dead, expecting a guaranteed good nights entertainment. After making practically no effort to get to the venue on time I caught the end of Sunshine. I can't really say I thought much either way. Vue followed next with what also seemed an indifferent set although I never really paid much attention, which I guess was my fault! Trail Of Dead started with some very promising noises before coming onstage. And then my hopes were dashed. The tunes were weak, straightforward guitar efforts that were totally uninvolving: I'd hoped for full-out fun rock but they didn't even seem to provide that simple pleasure. Antics such as stage diving and climbing the speakers helped keep me awake but the key moment was the comment onstage that "punk rock is alive!" or something. Well if that was what keeps a hard rock fan interested, then my years spent laughing at them and trying to make them see the error of their ways have been spend wisely: this wasn't even that loud, the lightshow was just an irritation and the moshpit was far less violent than at many proper gigs I've been to!
