Posts Tagged ‘heavy metal’
Voivod Concert Review – 3/20/10
March 20, 2010
Voivod
Live at the Galaxy Room, Austin, TX
Three Voivod shows in 4 days. There was a show on the 18th as well but I didn’t make it thinking it was a badge/wristband only show. Unfortunately it wasn’t and only about 40 people showed up from what I was told. Oh well.
Yesterday’s show was pretty cool. The Galaxy Room was an old closed venue that got a quick facelift and a coat of paint to host shows for SxSW. This show was sponsored by Brooklyn Vegans and “M is for Montreal”. Vegans. Alrighty.
This particular show featured Roky Erickson (of whom I am still unfamiliar with), Andrew WK, Voivod and a bunch of other bands I have never heard of…mostly hispter bands. I was there for Voivod, of course.
I arrived about an hour before the show just to make sure I had a place in the venue. These SxSW shows can get filled pretty quickly sometimes, no matter who is playing. The band arrived shortly after and I got to have a few drinks and talk with them a bit, especially with Dan Mongrain from Martyr who is a cool dude and a great guitar player.
It was oddly cold outside yesterday and had rained earl in the morning. It was 75 for a good solid week and then a front rolled through and it was in the 40s all day. Sucked.
The band got introduced by some dude from Montreal who is apparently pretty famous up there. He ran through a quick repertoire of Canadian metal bands. Voivod was slated to play at 315PM but the bands were running behind. I 
think they went on around 345. This was to be a short set, only 6 songs. Unfortunately technical problems cut the set by one song.
As with the other shows the band was great. They all looked to be having fun again until the amp/chord issue happened. After tha was resolved they had time to do one final song, Astronomy Domine. At that point they were a little more frustrated. They were slated to leave for Canada by bus immediately after the show. When they finished their set I helped them load off of the stage, said my thank yous and goodbyes and went foraging for food.
As stated in my first of these Voivod reviews, I was never a big fan of the early work, but after seeing them live 3 times this week, I’ll do my best to see them anytime that I can. Great musicians, nice guys, good times all around. No need to post more pics of them, you know what they look like!
Voivod Concert Review – 3/19/10
March 19, 2010
Voivod
Live at Scoot Inn, Austin, TX
I’m having a blast during SxSW this year. Just saw legendary DC area doom band Iron Man. Not too bad at all. But at 5PM today I saw my second Voivod show. Just wow.
Before the show, each one of the guys in the band asked me if I was hurt badly at the other show a few days ago. Very nice of them. And for my vast audience, yes, I’m fine. No worries.
We saw a few bands before Voivod his the stage…locals Iron Age and NAAM from Brooklyn, NY. Both bands sounded great. Right at the end of NAAM’s set, Jeff and I worked our way into the light crowd and got front and center like we did for the 3/17 show.
After a quick soundcheck they went into the song Voivod. Sounded great. They are a very solid band and I wish I would have had the chance to see them years ago. Dan Mongrain is a very competent guitar player…it’s surely a requirement to play in this band. They have some good riffs and I really wish I could enjoy their early work a little more. However, hearing/seeing them live is great.
They changed their setlist up a little and said that tomorrow’s set will be a little different again. Sweet! 
I was happy to see that they had some merch today. Do I need more black t-shirts? Well, it’s not always a question of need is it? They had a Nothingface shirt. Unfortunately they were out of XXL. I should lose some weight so I can own some cooler t-shirts. Yeah? I instead bought the Killing Technology shirt.
The band seems to enjoy playing live. Lots of movement, lots of glances, laughs and smiles at each other. I’m really excited to see them again tomorrow for the 3rd time this week.
Enjoy the picks from today. I’ll try to get some video up soon as well.
Snake
Blacky
Dan
Voivod Concert Revew – 3/17/10
March 17, 2010
Voivod
Live at Red 7, Austin, TX
Voivod. Usually when I hear the name all I can think of is the song Cockroaches. I was never a big fan. Their breed of techno-thrash was just a tad too rough for my ears. Then came Nothingface, Angelrat and Outer Limits. Those album were a little more melodic and I’ve always liked them a lot. I’ve gone back and tried listening to stuff like Killing Technology and Rooooaaaaarrrr but it does nothing for me.
I found out a month or so ago that Voivod was coming to Austin to play the SxSW. Even with me not being a big fan, I’ve never seen them live so I figured I’d go.
I’m so glad that I did.
After leaving another show where LA Guns and Faster Pussycat were getting ready to go on, I ventured over a few blocks to Red 7. This whole show was part of the Relapse Records showcase. I caught the last song by a band called Tombs. Forgettable stuff for me. Saw a good friend up front and weasled my way to stand next to him at the front of the stage.
As the band got set up, there was a short comedy set by metalhead comedian Brian Posehn. It was pretty funny. The
Brian Posehn
energy in the room was pretty good. Lots of people there to see Voivod. It was cool to see their real fans there.
After Posehn’s set, the band comes out and fires into the song Voivod. The crowd went apeshit. So did I. The setlist was right in front of me and I only knew maybe 3 songs. Cockroaches wasn’t on the set and the only thing from the 3 albums I liked was their cover of Pink Floyd’s Astronomy Domine. But it didn’t matter. They sounded great. They were lively. The crowd loved it. They added one extra song but I don’t know what it was.
Some minor mosh pit action happening behind me. There were a
Boot to the head...Metal, sometimes we bleed for it.
few stagedivers, one of which kicked me in the head and drew blood. He was just some hipster douche who I don’t think even knew who Voivod was, he just wanted to be “cool” and stage dive like the other 2 dudes did. I wasn’t really pissed about it but I found him after the show and put the fear of god in him. I think he almost pissed himself. I told him if he was still there when I turned around that I was going to kick his ass. He took off. Funny. Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t have a violent bone in my body. Luckily my looks and my size are intimidating to most people that I don’t get bothered much.
Blacky and new guitarist Dan Mongrain, from the Canadian band Martyr, both handed me a pick. Pretty cool and good ones to add to my collection.
Blacky and Dan's picks
Blacky and Dan's picks
I got to see a good local friend that I haven’t seen in a while as well, and that’s always a good thing. VoiVod is playing 2 more FREE shows this weekend within walking distance of my place, so I will try and check them out. I sort of regret not going to see last night’s Motorhead show as I heard it was a small crowd. Oh well.
Below are some pics from the show. Enjoy. I sure did.
Snake
Away
Blacky
Dan Mongrain
Setlist
HAMMERON – Nothin’ To Do But Rock
Here’s one that I don’t really have any connection to but up until this week has been sitting in my collection for a few 
years. Hammeron hailed from Chicago and the singer, Brian Troch, sang on the first 2 releases by Cyclone Temple. Apparently he did a stint in Znowhite as well, who of course became Cyclone Temple, so the math works, eh?
This is not a great album by any stretch of the imagination but if you liked that dude’s voice on the CT stuff, you’ll dig this probably. Straight up US metal.
When I saw Cyclone Temple in 1994(?), he was already out of the band. Didn’t matter. They were awesome live.
This never came out officially but I picked it up from Europe as a bootleg on CD.
The Metal Files 
You must be logged in to post a comment.