Soundwave Festival, Olympic Park, Sydney 26 February 2012

Soundwave is a very daunting task when think about trying to plan your day.  The festival which boasts 6 stages and 90 odd bands there is defiantly a risk of clashes and missing someone fantastic.  I arrived at Olympic Park to find a very large line waiting to get through the gates.  The line was right back to the entrance of the Olympic Park Station.  Thinking this didn't sound like the funniest thing I could be doing so following the rest of my train I mixed into the crowd near the front.  This still didn't mean that would get in for another 30 minutes due to some overzealous security. 

I heard the beginning of Chimaira’s set while in line and once in caught the rest of their set.  Chimaira put on a good show and are a nice mixture of Death Metal and Groove Metal.  Not really all that different to allot of the bands in their genre but a nice way to warm into the day.

Chimaira Setlist:

TBC

Due to a last minute timetable change Turisas where now on the smaller stage 7.  I made my way to catch the end of their set only to find they hadn’t started yet.  I’m not sure what the reason for this was but there was a crowd of dedicated followers get very restless.  The band finally came out with only 20 minutes of their scheduled set remaining and to their credit stuck to their slot.  At festivals there is nothing worse than a band running overtime due technical issues or running over time.  Turisas were a trip.  The band is dress in battle dress with Red and Black Stripped body paint.  Musically the song are anthemic power metal with fist in the air chorus’.  I have never heard a note of music from this band or read anything about them so when they broke out a cover of Boney M’s Rasputin I got very confused.  The melody was very familiar and when the chorus came in that it all clicked.  Tarisas were allot of fun and are a band you just have to go with and not think too much about it.    

Tarisas Setlist:

The March of the Varangian Guard

The Great Escape

To Holmgard and Beyond

Rasputin

Battle Metal

Next on the program was Steel Panther in the main stadium with a big crowd to see the bands first ever set in Sydney.  Steel Panther are a comedy act that is so on the mark that it is almost and embarrassment to enjoy their set.  Each band member in character from the get go with Vocalist Michael Starr and Guitarist Satchel being the ring masters and lead jokers.  Unfortunately like most musical comedy acts and glam rock bands the songs fall flat and don’t warrant (pun intended) repeat visits but in a live setting they absolutely fit the purpose.  Songs from the band’s first album Feel The Steel work best and seem to be sharper than songs from the bands second album Balls Out.  Highlights include Asian Hooker, Community Property and closer Death To All But Metal.

Steel Panther Setlist:

Eyes Of A Panther

Tomorrow Night

Just Like Tiger Woods

Asian Hooker

Gold-Digging Whore

Community Property

17 Girls In A Row

The Shocker

Death To All But Metal

After picking up some food and checking out the Merch I made my way to check out Meshuggah.  Shadows Fall were a few songs from the end of their set really didn’t do much for me.  I’ll be honest and say I don’t follow nearly as many metal bands as I use to and bands like Shadow Fall are the reason.  No variation from the form.

Shadow Fall Setlist:

The Power of I and I

Still I Rise

Destroyer of Senses

Fire From the Sky

King of Nothing

Stepping Outside the Circle

The Light That Blinds

Meshuggah certainly don’t suffer from that problem.  I was keen to check this band out because I had heard that they played with some wild time signatures.  The songs the band plays are extremely confusing but at the same time fascinating and brutal.  Vocalist Jens Kidman convulses on stage like he is being thrown around by the grooves and signatures the rest of the band are playing.  This is not the kind of music you can just jump around and have some good fun it is intense and extremely challenging.  Though I think they struggled in a Festival situation they put on a show that was highly original.  Definitely worth checking out.

Meshuggah Setlist:

Rational Gaze

Pravus

New Millennium Cyanide Christ

Combustion

Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion

Bleed

The recently reformed Coal Chamber was up next.  I had quite a fondness for this band back in the day but time hasn’t been kind to their kind of music.  They sounded very thin live and the songs really didn’t sound interesting in a live setting.  The band played their biggest songs as the first three songs by which time Muggs started having power issues with his guitars.  Dez’s posturing and empty threats to the stage staff were disappointing and unnecessary.  They struggles through a few more power outages and went 10 minutes overtime because of it.  As I have previously mentioned this annoys me in general but at a festival it’s the worst.  I hope that the Coal Chamber boys and girl are having some fun on this little tour but you time has long since passed.

Coal Chamber Setlist:

Loco

Big Truck

Fiend

Rowboat

Not Living

I

Something Told Me

Oddity

Sway

In Flames was everything that Coal Chamber was not.  This band is extremely tight and on point with their songs.  Their melodic Death Metal sound worked great in this setting and being the pros they are they played a tight set which closed the overrun Coal Chamber had left them.  Good lads.  The band the crowd had a blast and I will definitely be checking out more from this band.

In Flames Setlist:

Sounds of a Playground Fading

Deliver Us

The Mirror's Truth

Fear Is the Weakness

The Quiet Place

Where the Dead Ships Dwell

Cloud Connected

Take This Life

The only real clash I had was with Kittie and Mastodon.  Seeing as I was seeing Mastodon’s Sidewave later in the week went and saw Kitties set the headed back for the remainder of Mastodon's set. 

Being fairly early for Kittie I checked out In This Moment the band on before them.  The band is aimed directly at teenage boys.  Musically they play some fairly generic metal core that I’m sure their target market thinks is seriously heavy but really isn’t.  And to be honest really isn’t terribly interesting.  But to sweeten the prospect they have added in a buxom blond to sing and growl.  I really didn’t get much from this bands set and was glad when it was over.  It does confuse me why

In This Moment Setlist:

Just Drive

Blazin

Standing Alone

Blood

Gunshow

Kittie were wedge between In This Moment and Black Veil Brides.  Just saying.

Even though Kittie are an all girl Metal band they are not a gimmick and they are not the kind of band you say they are good for girls.  Kittie are a great live band and to be honest would have been better placed taking Coal Chamber's slot on the Metal stages.  From the opening strains of the title track of their latest album I Failed You until the closer of this brief set We Are The Lamb they didn’t let up.  The only disappointment was they due to technical issues and the previous bands overrun the band had to cut a song or two from their set.  An all but too sort set from a great band.  

Kittie Setlist:

I've Failed You

My Plague

Look So Pretty

Never Again

We Are the Lamb

I dashed back to the metal stages to catch the remainder of Mastodon's Set.  Mastodon are probably my favourite metal band only being trumped by my favourite band of all time Sepultura.  What I like about this band is that they are doing something different with the genre.  Having watched a number of live performances there was a worry that the vocal might not be the best.  Thankfully there was no issue with that at this performance.  The vocals were strong and on the mark.  Of what I saw Aqua Dementia, Blood And Thunder and Creature Lives were the highlights of the set.  Bring on Thursday!

Mastodon Setlist:

Dry Bone Valley

Black Tongue

Crystal Skull

Megalodon

Thickening

Blasteroid

All the Heavy Lifting

Spectrelight

Curl of the Burl

Bedazzled Fingernails

Circle of Cysquatch

Aqua Dementia

Crack the Skye

Blood and Thunder

Creature Lives 

I only saw part of Marilyn Manson’s set but to put it bluntly it awful.  Brian was completely off his face on drugs or Alcohol or something and was looking like they had just dragged out of the gutter to do the show.  In between songs there were streams of incoherent ramblings before the band, who by the way were very good, put us out of our misery and played another song for Brian to make odd noises over.  I have only seen one performer absolutely fail worse in a live setting (The Scare opening for Die!Die!Die! at the Oxford Art Factory) but luckily for them it was in front of 100 people not 20,000 people.  Hope you enjoyed it Brian because I find it hard to believe anyone else did.

Marilyn Manson Setlist:

Antichrist Superstar

Disposable Teens

The Love Song

Little Horn

The Dope Show

Rock Is Dead

Personal Jesus

mOBSCENE

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

1996

The Beautiful People

I've seen Slipknot before and was disappointed.  Not with the band but the sound was absolutely terrible at their Melbourne Big Day Out performance in 2005.  So I was hoping for a better experience and to really get to enjoy their songs along with their live show.  For the most extent the sound was great but did get very muddy in places.  As a live band Slipknot are an over loading of information.  With 8 people on stage, who for the most part don’t stand still, and a set that includes rising platforms and fire there is allot to take in.  The next time that KISS claim to have the greatest show on earth I can confidently call bullshit on it because being a fan of both bands and having seen them live Slipknot are better no contest.  The set was really strong with very few lulls (Pulse of The Maggots being disappointing) with songs mostly taken from the bands first two albums including my personal favourite Iowa.  The highlights of the set for me were Eyeless, Before I Forget, People = Shit & Surfacing.  Fantastic set from a band that everyone interested in heavy music or music in general should set live at least once.

Slipknot Setlist:

742617000027

(sic)

Eyeless

Wait and Bleed

The Blister Exists

Liberate

Before I Forget

Pulse of the Maggots

Left Behind

Disasterpiece

Psychosocial

The Heretic Anthem

Duality

Spit It Out

People = Shit

Surfacing

My last set of the night was System Of A Down.  System Of A Down are a band that can at times be very inconsistent.  When they hit their highs they a fantastic but they can at times lean towards the mediocre.  With the stage fronted with a white and Black System Of A Down banner the band broke into Prison Song.  It was fantastic and set the mood for the set.  The highlights were definitely tracks from the bands first two albums were played.  For me the set did drag in places and unfortunately exposed the weakness of the bands catalogue as it currently stands.  The set ended on a high with the last four songs being fantastic especially the jazz metal of Sugar.      

System Of A Down Setlist:

Prison Song

Soldier Side - Intro

B.Y.O.B.

Revenga

Needles

Deer Dance

Radio/Video

Hypnotize

Question!

Suggestions

Psycho

Chop Suey!

Lonely Day

Bounce

Kill Rock 'n Roll

Lost in Hollywood

Forest

Science

Holy Mountains

Aerials

Tentative

Suite-Pee

War?

Toxicity

Sugar

As a day I was entertained and was definitely not left wanting when it came to live bands to check out.  As an event Soundwave like last year’s Harvest Festival was really well run and thought about.  Little things like shelter and space were obviously thought about and delivered in a way that the other event that happens in the same location in January could learn from.   

A Quest for Prog 27: Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick

"A Quest for Prog" is a series of 50 Progressive Rock reviews to be written over a year.  The band selection is taken from the book in the first post on this blog.  And the albums I am reviewing is based on the highest user ratings for each band on Progarchives.com.

Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick (1972)

Produced by Ian Anderson

Ian Anderson – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Flute, Violin, Trumpet & Saxophone

Martin Barre – Electric Guitar & Lute

John Evan – Piano, Organ & Harpsichord

Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond – Bass Guitar & Vocals

Barriemore Barlow – Drums, Percussion & Timpani

Track listing:

Side One:

01. Thick as a Brick, Part I (22:40)

Side Two:

01. Thick as a Brick, Part II (21:06)

Released in 1972 “Thick as a Brick” is the Fifth album by English band Jethro Tull.   The band formed in 1967 by Ian Anderson, Glenn Cornick, Mick Abrahams and Clive Bunker.  During the bands early days they could constantly change their name due to the lack of repeat bookings.  The band happened to be using Jethro Tull when they were offered a return booking.  Originally a Blues band Tull have over their career made Progressive Rock, Folk, Synth Rock and Hard Rock records.  The bands highpoint is regarded as being the Aqualung album which included live favourites Locomotive Breath, Crosseyed Mary and Aqualung.  Still is together and tours with Anderson and long term guitarist Martin Barre along with a revolving cast of musicians.     

“Thick as A Brick” is essentially one 40 minute song split over two sides of an LP hence the two parts. 

“Thick as a Brick, Part I” is the more structured of the two parts.  It begins with acoustic guitars and Flute which plays the main theme of the piece which is a kind of jaunty folk melody.  The recording is very dynamic with instrumentation making brief appearances.  The stripped back folky part of this tune gives way as the full band comes in on a passage similar to the uptempo tracks on Aqualung.  The Guitars, Flute and Keyboards work really well together and play off and around each other.  After an Organ solo the tune slows down into a more bluesy passage around the 6 minute mark that is reminiscent of the bands earlier work on This Was and Stand Up.  There is nice Flute Solo in this section and Ian’s voice is really strong.  The song at this point is moving between passages that showcase different instruments such as a Guitar Solo stylistically similar to Ace Frehley of Kiss.  Into a Keyboard let section with some really nice interlocking melodies with Ian’s Flute.  The signature theme returns around the 12 minute mark with some playing that make it sounds like a victorious military theme.  This section marches on and again the main the returns to herald a section that sounds like a lost Cat Stevens tune.  This part ends with horns and flute and a reprisal of a number of themes in this part. 

Flipping over the record we get “Thick As A Brick, Part II”.  This part much looser and has much more of a Jam feel to it.   Beginning with wind sounds and distant guitars the band comes in we move into quite a Jazz section.  The track gets psychedelic before breaking into a decent drum solo.  Drum solo’s for the most part on record are quite redundant and should be kept for the live setting.  This is no exception and does outstay it’s welcome.  The solo bring the band into quite an Avant-Garde section which is quite interesting.  The main theme returns with the same backing as the start of part 1 but with a completely different melody.  This melody is quite good but doesn’t have the delivery of the original.  A medieval passage with some nice guitars and pianos follows.  Ian’s vocals are probably the most adventurous and progressive I have ever heard them.  This part reminded me of Pentangle but with an uneasy and almost claustrophobic feeling to it.  The flutes and some Harpsichord feature as the song progresses this is all underpinned by some nice rolling drums.  This part is very jammy and does go on far too long.  The part ends with a return again to the main theme and it ends where it first started. 

This album for being a pastiche of Progressive music of its time is still a stellar example of the genre.  The band is on top of their game here and even though at point’s it certainly does drag on it is still a great album.  Is this the best Jethro Tull record? almost.  Is it worth check out? definitely.  Especially if you can get your hands on the excellent Newspaper Vinyl Gatefold.      

6/10