Review(s): |
By: Neeta C
Source: Blistering.com
One thing that I never quite understood about Machine Head is why they never seemed to want to play bay area shows. Other than a mini-tour last spring, their last few major tours managed to skip the bay area or play in one of those day fest things where you pay forty bucks to see a band play for a whole half hour. This year’s Road Rage tour was no different. The closest place they booked was two hours away, an, unfortunately for me, was on a night that I had a midterm. So imagine my excitement as I was rifling through club listings trying to figure out something fun to do and saw a listing for Ten Ton Hammer, a band name I knew Machine Head had used in the past for a secret show. I was so excited I didn’t even care that I was probably going alone. I just went, bought my ticket, and looked widely anticipated the day. And I have to say that the concert was well worth the wait and far exceeded my expectations.
Before going into the show, I think that it must be pointed out that it was Halloween in the City, which, as Robb so succinctly put it, is like Mardi Gras is to New Orleans. The weirdos come out and play and you find yourself one of them. The club was a mix of street clothes and costumes, some extremely gory and some somewhat normal. The club itself wasn’t that big, and the stage (which has to be less than three feet high) looked ludicrously smaller than it actually was because it had a riser for a double kick drum set up on it (and only Machine Head really needed that much space.) All in all, there was probably two and a half feet in front of the riser, and four feet to the sides. The rest was all monitors and amps.
The bands did manage to deal just fine with the crowded stage. The first band that played, Technocracy, started out in costume. I couldn’t tell you what all of them were, but it definitely added to the entertainment factor. It was actually kind of disturbing, too, because the singer had on a nun’s habit, and just watching him sing in it was weird. The band seemed more progressive than metal, but they fit in well enough that nobody minded.
After a rather amusing set change that had ten people (yes, I counted) helping to set-up on the dinky stage, Ill Nino started their set. I’m really glad I got to see them play because everyone had told me that they sounded like a Sepultura/Soulfly type band and for that reason I never got the CD. They didn’t seem anything like that that Brazilian tribal sound. They had a little bit more percussive than most bands, but they seemed more like a standard metal act and I liked them a lot better that way. It would have been interesting to see what they could have done on a bigger stage. As it was, I was ducking in fear because their guitarist, who apparently has taken tae-boe, was doing high kicks the entire time. I had to admire the fact that he managed to play guitar while doing the kicks, but, being right in front him, I would have vastly preferred the three-foot space that a “real” venue provides.
It seemed odd to me that Ill Nino wasn’t main support when they are a signed band on tour with Machine Head, but Swarm managed to do an adequate job. Being local, I’ve seen them before, but they just aren’t my style. They have awesome bass lines and songs that really, well, grove, and their stage presence is really strong. There were a lot of Swarm fans in the house and they were having a great time singing along and feeling the music. They had to cut their set short, though. All the bands had run late and the club was going to stay open as a nightclub after the show.
The set change between Swarm and Machine Head, excuse me, Ten Ton Hammer, was interminable. It seemed to take forever. But then, it could also have been the fact that 11:30 at night. The crowd was getting restless, and after hearing Shout at the Devil played three times in a row, we were all starting to wonder what was going on. But finally, near midnight, it happened, and the reason for the repeated Motley Crue became perfectly clear.
You see, the “Machine Head cover band” Ten Ton Hammer was actually a Motley Crue cover band. Their singer, Robb Flynn had on red vinyl pants and a matching vest without a shirt, red converse, and a bright blond poofy wig. He also had matching accessories; namely a lot of spikes and wristbands and what seemed to be electrical tape around the upper arm. While he didn’t quite remind me of Vince Neil, the resemblance was close enough. Even more eerie were the rest of the members.
Ahrue came out as his Motley Crue counterpart, Mick Mars. Somewhere, he had managed to find a wig that exactly matched the Mick Mars hair do. He also had the eighties clothes going. When he first walked out on the stage, he was a dead ringer for Mick Mars (well, as much as a non-white guy can be).
Adam played the part of Nicki Sixx. He had on a shirt that had see-through net part in them and a wig that was also a dead ringer for Nicki Sixx’s hair. (I have to wonder if there are Motley Crue costumes out there somewhere.) Adam was also possessed of the full range of accompanying spikes.
But my personal favorite was Dave’s rendition of Tommy Lee. He had the poof hair thing going with only a bandana to top it all off. Being used to seeing him with no hair at all, it was quite a change. What was really weird was how well he pulled it off (or actually, I guess kept it on would be better phraseology). The bandana was not much of a restraint and actually flew off during the first song.
It was pretty obvious the band themselves were having a damn good time. They came on stage ready to enjoy this show. They started the show with Shout at the Devil that sounded remarkably like the original. Or at least it did until Robb gave up on the high tone and started growling it instead (although I did prefer it that way). They then barreled into their own material and played a pretty good mix of all the albums as well as some covers. The songs included Davidian, Old, Ten Ton Hammer, The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears, From this Day, Bulldozer, and American High, to name a few. The covers ranged from Ozzy to Maiden and included guest appearances by friends. They also did another Motley Crue cover, Live Wire, with the singer from Swarm.
The energy for this show was just so great. The size of the venue does change things. It was all intimate and just about having a good time. The band, namely Robb and Dave, were guzzling brown eyes, which, I found out, are two parts to one vodka and coke. I don’t know which is which, though, because I wasn’t paying too much attention. Of course, they did share with the audience.
The entire show, all of the bands, was great, and overall the night went very quickly. The crowd, including myself, loved it. As far as I could tell, so did the bands. I don’t think there was a thing I’d change about the night, other than the fact it was a Wednesday. Even the sound was okay, which was something I’d never dream possible for a band with that many mics in a club. The only thing I regret about the night is that because it wasn’t an official tour date, they didn’t play all the new stuff, which I’ve found myself curiously addicted to. And the vibe, while definitely Machine Head musically, was different because you’d look up and there’s be this blond or black wig and extreme outfits that just didn’t quite mesh with the music.
At the same time, I’m glad I got to see them making fools of themselves and having fun doing it (their words, not mine). I don’t know if anyone of you readers will ever get quite the opportunity I did in seeing Machine Head at their goofiest, but if you have the chance to check them—or any of the other bands that played this show—out, I would definitely suggest taking it. With the exception of Ill Nino, I’ve seen them all before and they just keep getting better. |
