Anyhow, I just got back from Melbourne from my two gigs!
The first night was good. "
Pentemple" (Sunn O))), Striborg and Attila from Mayhem) doing a drone jam with black metal sampling, a taste of what we were to hear the following night.
Second night at the Hifi Bar and Ballroom, Melbourne.
Boris and Sunn O)))
Boris were up first, they had about a 90 minute set.
First up they played one of their 45 minute long Jam albums called Feedbacker (one track), and then moved onto a track from Amplifier Worship (their doom metal album) and then various tracks from the Pink album and then finally finished up with Blood Swamp from the Sunn O))) & Boris collaboration album,
Altar.
WHAT A ****ING SHOW!!! These guys are by far the most FUN live act I have seen. They are a 3-piece Japanese band that do various styles of music from Drone/Doom to Stoner and Punk Rock. They have a female lead guitarist, she is about 5'2"; tank top and jeans wielding a Gibson Les Paul and OMG she can play! The riffs and solos she can pull off are freaking nuts, easily one of the best guitarists I have heard.
I think nearly everyone who had never heard of Boris before that was at that gig walked away thinking "O_O I just saw an amazing chick guitarist, am I really
that stoned?"
Their other 'guitarist' wielded one of those guitars with the guitar and bass strings on it (like a double guitar) and he proceeded to switch back and forth between guitar and bass throughout the tracks with skill and fire.
And their drummer is one crazy son of a gun. I have never seen such a pumped, excited, happy look on the face of a musician when playing their instrument, this guy was literally the king of the drummer face. He was quite a good drummer as well, has his own style, very simple kit, just the one bass drum, snare, floor tom, a rack tom, a crash and a high hat. He was always chanting to himself and shouting out YEAH YEAH YEAH and COME ON and screaming away to the songs and when he wasn't drumming he would JUMP out of his kit and vocalize the crowd and get people's hands in the air.
After each song they played I swear I had never screamed praise as loud and serious "YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" at the top of my lungs
Sunn O))) came on about 30 minutes later. Dressed in deep hooded cloaks and brandishing wine bottles as they walked on stage (lol). Sin Nanna from Striborg surprisingly also performing with them. The stage was a mass of amps and speakers, a massive ring wall for the three guitars. Sin Nanna started with some samples and Attila Csihar with some very monastic like vocals, and then the first guitar chords were struck ... and the doors of perception were ripped off their hinges and sucked into a black hole. The whole building began to shake and hum, my entire body began to feel the vibrations ripple through me. The droning began. And this was definitely the loudest, heaviest, bassiest thing I have ever experienced, I found it immensely peaceful, the waves of feedback and sonic noise caressing my ears and the sheer power of the vibrations pulsating through my body ... Then they turned on their laser machine and dry ice machines and all the cool lights ....
Most people there were stoned, on acid, magic mushrooms or a combination of the three, so it would have been a pretty warped experience for them. I also pity the poor souls without earplugs, they must be very deaf by now.
It's kind of impossible to describe what it is like to be at a Sunn O))) gig, but if you ever get the opportunity I really do suggest going along.
An hour and forty five minutes of the heaviest, loudest form of meditation music
