Kiss suffer no Demons despite Spın̈al Tap-finish

Originally written in March 2010

Kiss
Islington Academy

There's a certain unique electricity in the air inside the Islington Academy tonight. Fuelled by the lack of any support band and any rush by the headliners to get on stage to a baying crowd, it would be forgivable for the assembled throng of fans to go a little flat in the two hour wait for any music to begin. However, this isn't your standard evening at the Academy. Tonight, Kiss are playing an remarkably intimate show – reportedly, their smallest since the mid-70s – and nothing could dampen the sense of anticipation for those lucky enough to bare witness to what has to go down as a significant event in rock music.

Kiss certainly need no introduction, seemingly symbolised by the forgoing of the band's trademark "You wanted the best, you got the best!" intro. Instead, frontman/guitarist Paul Stanley, along with bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer in tow, simply walks on stage to a crowd that is now frothing at the mouth before announcing that the band were in Europe for an appearance on German TV and thought "Why not play a small London show?", before opening with new album Sonic Boom's lead single, Modern Day Delilah.

The only other song to get an airing from 2009's Sonic Boom is second single and album closer, Say Yeah, which set the tone for the show with its sing along chorus - something the band were keen to get everyone heavily involved in. The crowd didn't disappoint, remaining on good form through renditions of the likes of Love Gun and Black Diamond, building a crescendo of voices to set-closer Rock and Roll All Nite.

The upcoming leg of the Sonic Boom tour is billed 'From the Beginning to the Boom' and tonight appeared to be a warm up for the 'beginning' part of that billing. On top of the two tracks from their latest album, the only other song that wasn't released in the 70s was 1982’s I Love it Loud from the Creatures of the Night album.

It was during Rock and Roll All Nite that the gig took a turn. Confetti was fired out into the venue, filling it half a foot deep in snow-like white, however, it wasn't just confetti that filled the Academy; carbon dioxide was also filling the venue. The band persevered, however the CO² had taken its affect. Kiss retired backstage, before realising that each member was also struggling due to the lack of oxygen.

The band managed to return to play one of their four-song encore, Detroit Rock City. It was, however, somewhat appropriate that such a unique event was to end on a Spın̈al Tap-esque moment. Could there really be a more memorable way to end a historic night? It's tempting to say it was an error befitting the occasion - it certainly didn't take away any of the sheen for the 500 fans in attendance, who are able to say they were a part of something exceptional on this chilly March night.

Th1rt3en is lucky for some

Megadeth, Sanguine
Electric Ballroom

Megadeth’s first headlining set on British soil since an off-date on the Priest Feast tour along with Testament, in Newcastle three years ago – hardly the most accessible part of the country. For those who have missed their two Download festival appearances since, it’s been a long time coming to see the Arizona-based thrashers. That the band are playing a club venue only adds to expectation from the capacity crowd, which included a few famous faces fresh from Download appearances.

And Megadeth don’t disappoint. Opening with the ferocious Never Dead from latest album, Thirteen, the pace doesn’t relent as they hurtle into Head Crusher and set-stalwarts Hangar 18 and She-Wolf. However, the evening’s set has more emphasis on the band’s more melodic material. A very rare outing for Foreclosure of a Dream, in preparation for the Countdown to Extinction 20th Anniversary shows in Argentina later in the year, goes down very well with a surprisingly high number of the apparently partisan crowd singing along.

The band, consisting of frontman and guitarist Dave Mustaine, returning bassist David Ellefson, drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick, are in fine form and seem to be enjoying themselves on stage. Mustaine is warm in between songs aside from dealing with someone in the crowd talking over him and when expressing his displeasure at the resident soundman.

After somehow contriving to not play any UK dates supporting the brilliant Endgame album, the band are ensuring that Thirteen isn’t anywhere near as neglected with the triple-salvo of Guns, Drugs and Money, Whose Life (Is It Anyways) and Public Enemy No. 1. A rousing run through of Symphony of Destruction, whose every note is sang by the assembled Droogies, finishes the set before the band return for a frantic encore of Peace Sells and Holy Wars.

As Silent Scorn plays over the PA and Mustaine ends with his usual refrain of “You’ve been great, we’ve been Megadeth”, it’s hard not to think that tonight Mustaine is selling himself short – the Electric Ballroom witnessed something special tonight.

You're an Angel Witch, you're an Angel Wi...

Angel Witch, Gates of Slumber, Crowning Glory, Witchsorrow

The Underworld

Witchsorrow opened up proceedings on a balmy spring evening in London, playing to the relatively small number of people who had turned up to the Underworld early enough for doors, who weren’t at the bar or still upstairs in the World’s End. As a result of this, their crushing doom reverberated around the venue, providing a decent enough soundtrack to those at the bar.

The venue had began to fill out, an hour after doors, just in time for London trad metallers Crowning Glory, back on home soil after a three-date jaunt to the Emerald Isle with The Gates of Slumber. Clearly gelling more and more as a five piece (with the addition of second guitarist Steve Parkyn now not seeming such a recent development), the band blasted through set stalwart Dead Man’s Paradise, going straight into newer number Path to Glory. The band continued their high octane set, the frenetic pace only slowing down in tuning breaks, where frontman Rob Alexander talks to the crowd like a seasoned pro. The Londoners conclude their set with a double salvo of Sea of Dead Dreams and Winter in our Blood and you get the feeling that a few more ‘Gloryhunters’ were born this evening.

The next band to take the stage hail from Indianapolis, which, some investigative journalism will reveal, is the home of NASCAR’s biggest event, the Allstate 400. The Allstate 400 is rumoured to be second only in size in Indiana’s capital, to The Gates of Slumber’s gargantuan riffs. During Crowning Glory’s set, Rob Alexander was gushing with enthusiasm for the American triumvirate, and on this showing it’s easy to see why. The band’s old school style of Doom Metal is easily accessible to those who have even a small appreciation for Doom, and it’s played incredibly tight, interspersed with vocalist and guitarist Karl Simon’s unique sense of humour. The band go down great with the assembled crowd and ensure that everyone is pumped up for the headline act.

This gig came in my calendar only a few days after the inaugural Hammerfest, and with a fairly stacked bill tonight, the bands on offer played succinct, straight to the point, festival-esque sets. Midway through Angel Witch’s set, I was thinking that it would make a welcome change to see a full-length set. I feel this is worth mentioning, as Angel Witch play a tight (if unremarkable due to sound issues) set, and around an hour in, mention the famous Metal for Muthas compilation, ringing in fan favourite Baphomet. I initially thought that this was down to odd placement, however the eponymous Angel Witch, accompanied with a tremendous sing-a-long, followed, and the band disappeared offstage for encores. One famous scribe behind me (who may or may not have been Dave Ling) was heard as saying “Sixty minutes, wow” at the conclusion of their set. Whilst you certainly would have preferred a longer set, you can’t argue with what was on display, and Angel Witch sent their fans home happy, if not hungry for more.