Anthrax / Beyond Fear / Kingsize Blues
10 April 2006
London Astoria
I didn`t even know Kingsize Blues were on the bill tonight, but this is what should always happen at the Astoria. It always seems to take so long to get the crowd in that the opening support warm up a very slowly building crowd. So why not give that opportunity to a young band like Kingsize Blues who played a short well received set.
With more bodies in the venue the guitars started to get a better definition and it was easier to try and hear what Kingsize Blues were playing. Their actual sound isn`t as straight forward to pin down and names I noted included The Haunted, Pantera and Stampin Ground.
There were no ballads for vocalist Tom to sing and it`s a good job with a caustic throat like his. Guitarists Melly and Alex thrashed away, with Alex showing particular exuberance. So much so, I kept thinking he was going to fall over as he teetered around on his little legs.
At times it did feel like the band were playing to their friends at the front, though experiences like these can only stand them in good stead, as would watching how Tim Owens and Anthrax approached the crowd after them. Full marks to Alex and bassist Matt for beer salutes whilst chugging away however.
Kingsize Blues set list:
An Introduction To Self Destruction / Grief Stricken / Dependency / Kingsize Blues / Soul Destroying Sickness / Weight Of Content
The last time I saw Tim "Ripper" Owens sing live he was fronting Judas Priest on the very same stage. Owens indeed mentions that tonight as it was his first London show. That night I remembered on hearing his voice why he was the obvious choice for Priest in Halford`s absence and as Beyond Fear opened with And…You Will Die, the same thoughts entered my mind.
Whereas Owens was the singer for an established band, tonight it`s the opposite, with the band playing for the established singer. This is very much Owens band, apparent from his control of the performance as the rest of the band get on with their roles professionally but without a lot of show.
Interestingly much of Beyond Fear`s material is pitched at the top of Owens range, perhaps more so than his time with Priest. The man shows no problems at all in reaching those notes. Musically, Owens tells us that this is plainly Heavy Metal. It is indeed and it does seem to follow on from what he was doing with Priest. This is shown when a medley including Burn In Hell and One On One is played. It`s not ground breaking but it is very good. Occasionally touching on Thrash and occasionally hitting Pantera like grooves and staccato riffing.
The band`s debut album will be worth checking out. On the evidence of tonight`s set I can`t see it setting the world alight, but it should serve Owens well. The crowd response was certainly positive and that was to a set where most of the material was unknown.
Beyond Fear set list:
And… You Will Die / Save Me / Words Of Wisdom / My Last Words / Your Time Has Come / The Human Race / Judas Priest Medley / Coming At You / I Don`t Need This / Scream Machine
A massive cheer went up when the Anthrax backdrop was revealed and that cheer was twice as loud as the house light dimmed and the customary Blues Brother Intro commenced. No surprises that the tape continued with the opening to Among The Living as Charlie Benante appeared behind his kit. Then shadowy figures appeared on stage skipping around like boxers pre-fight. Lights on and bang, the band launched into the song with Joey Belladonna walking out from the wings to a huge cheer. The song may be 19 years old, but it has lost none of its bite and the crowd nearly drown out the vocals.
Without a pause for breath, tonight`s oldest song, Metal Thrashing Mad is next with Scott Ian running round in circles with an extra zip in his step and leaping at the appropriate culmination of each riff. From the oldest to the most recently recorded song, from 1990!, with the cover of Joe Jackson`s Got The Time which saw Frank Bello centre stage for his bass solo. As ever Bello is Anthrax`s cheerleader constantly running from one side of the stage to the other and often stopping playing with his right hand in order to wave for more noise.
Finally it seems a slight pause for breath, but when Scott Ian walks centre stage along chugging on his guitar it was only going to be a prelude to trouble and Caught In A Mosh is just that causing a riotous reaction from the pit.
At last time for Something from Spreading The Disease and the awesome AIR obliges with Charlie Benante`s drumming thunderous, as it was for the entire set. The man really looks in better shape then I think I have seen him and it shows in his playing. If that was good however what followed was my highlight as Anthrax, "Pull out of our asses", as Scott Ian put it, Skeletons In The Closet, for the first time in London. I`d always wanted to hear this one live and it didn`t disappoint. The band looked to be loving playing something fresh, with Dan Spitz looking particularly smug with his guitar solo responses to each line of the second verse. Spitz as ever tended to keep to his side and get on with business in a cool looking manner.
The obligatory sing-a-long that is Antisocial has been adopted by Anthrax as it`s on, to such an extent that I`m guessing a lot of people don`t even realise it`s a cover. At its conclusion Ian says his friend Mr Belladonna has something to tell us. Cue "Joey" chants which the man himself looks humbled by and you know he means it when he says how glad he his to be back. He then goes on to sing the pre-chorus of NFL, before the band kick in and the crowd kick off. Throughout the show Belladonna`s vocals seemed a cut above the performances I had witnessed last year.
A show of hands confirms there are some new Anthrax fans here tonight, but the Medusa is dedicated to the old guys, though "You`re never too old" states Ian. The main set was now wrapping up and following band introductions, as if we didn`t know who these guys were, it`s time for Indians. I remember reading Ian was not always impressed with Belladonna`s goofing around, so when he manages to catch a pair of luminous sunglasses from the crowd and start stalking round in them I was waiting for Ian`s facial reaction. However, following a bizarre half tripping run as the song kicked in the glasses fly off and Belladonna nearly fell over. Belladonna might not be allowed the Indian headdress, but one crowd surfer has one. Just as the bouncers are removing him from the pit, he`s rescued by Belladonna for a brief bow, before WARDANCE and complete mayhem ensued!
The band return for the encore with Be All, End All, which was the more recently penned song by Anthrax played all night and dates back to 1988. Ian told us later that the band were going away to write and write and write until they have the heaviest Anthrax album ever. There`s a lot of history behind tonight`s set, so it`s going to have to be as good as he hopes.
Belladonna then takes a back seat as Bello and Ian lead the vocals for I`m The Man. Bello spends most of the song wrestling his mic stand with his bass slung over his shoulder whilst Ian`s admission that "This is so retarded" was most amusing.
Having destroyed his stand it`s joke time from the roadies as they put out for Bello a weird over the head mic stand contraption which promptly falls on his head during Aftershock. Like Skeletons, this one wasn`t expected but was greatly received.
Of course we wouldn`t leave without Anthrax`s ode to Mr Judge Dread and that`s exactly what we got as I Am The Law sent the crowd home happy.
I saw the reunited Anthrax twice last year and whilst I enjoyed those performances tonight was something else. All that touring has obviously reunited the band as a unit. They seemed both tighter and more fluid together. We can only hope that the magic works when they hit the studio.
Band set list:
Among The Living / Metal Thrashing Mad / Got The Time / Caught In A Mosh / AIR / Skeletons In The Closet / Antisocial / NFL / Medusa / Indians / Be All, End All / I'm The Man / Aftershock / I Am The Law
LINKS:
Anthrax
Beyond Fear
Kingsize Blues
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