Okay here it is. After waiting almost 30 years, I finally got to see Slayer. Here is a short rundown of the whole event. Sorry no pics, I tried but they suck.
First up, Napalm Death. Not super familiar with their material, but their show was really energetic. The singer was running all over the stage like a wild animal. The string players paced their respective sides of the stage like caged tigers. The drummer seemed pretty chill while blasting away. His gear was Yamaha and Sabian. On a strange note, he had two kicks but used a double pedal. They played for about 35 minutes.
Testament was next. Their show was great. Gene is a monster, and played open handed. His playing was phenomenal. The rest of the band really worked their asses off too. I never really got into Testament back in the day, and I think I'm gonna have to rethink this. I was totally impressed.
Ladies and gentleman, batting third is Anthrax! I was a bit disappointed that Charlie wasn't there. I don't know why, but Gene pulled double duty and filled in spectacularly. Everything they played was a classic. I thought it was cool that they opened the show with like the first minute of Panteras Cowboys From Hell, and ended the show with like the last minute of it. Joey does an amazing job getting the audience to participate. Actually, the whole band did. Lots of interaction. They put on a great show. Anyone who is a fan that hasn't seen them should really do so. They were amazing.
Lamb of God was next. No Chris Adler. Art Cruz filled in an did an awesome job. Randy Blythe was, well, Randy. Running, jumping, just acting like an overall lunatic. The stage setup was pretty cool. It was like a giant set of bleachers with a big drumset in the middle. No one really climbed the bleachers that much though. The string players just stayed in their areas and headbanged. Guess this is a case of just letting the music speak for itself.
And finally: Slayer! I think this speaks for itself. Great show, lights, pyrotechnics, explosions, the whole schebang. They played for about 90 minutes. About halfway through their set it started to pour. The venue is an outdoor covered ampitheater. The wind was whipping and everyone got soaked. There are giant video screens on either side of the stage, and you could see water bouncing off drums, collecting on cymbals, and running off stringed instruments. It didn't seem to bother anyone. Except me, I hate getting wet! But who cares, it was Slayer!
All in all, definitely worth the wait and money. I did have some issues with being buried amongst a sea of people, as giant crowds and chaos cause me to have anxiety. I was able to deal though, and all in all had a blast. My voice is shot, ears are ringing as I forget my earplugs in the car, and feel like I got hit by a truck. My whole body hurts. But I am 42, so it was expected.
Great show, lots of fun. Would I do it again, no. Am I glad I did, abso-freakin-lutely. I can only sum it all up in this way: SLAAAYYYERRRRRRR!
Now it's your turn, GO SEE THEM.
First up, Napalm Death. Not super familiar with their material, but their show was really energetic. The singer was running all over the stage like a wild animal. The string players paced their respective sides of the stage like caged tigers. The drummer seemed pretty chill while blasting away. His gear was Yamaha and Sabian. On a strange note, he had two kicks but used a double pedal. They played for about 35 minutes.
Testament was next. Their show was great. Gene is a monster, and played open handed. His playing was phenomenal. The rest of the band really worked their asses off too. I never really got into Testament back in the day, and I think I'm gonna have to rethink this. I was totally impressed.
Ladies and gentleman, batting third is Anthrax! I was a bit disappointed that Charlie wasn't there. I don't know why, but Gene pulled double duty and filled in spectacularly. Everything they played was a classic. I thought it was cool that they opened the show with like the first minute of Panteras Cowboys From Hell, and ended the show with like the last minute of it. Joey does an amazing job getting the audience to participate. Actually, the whole band did. Lots of interaction. They put on a great show. Anyone who is a fan that hasn't seen them should really do so. They were amazing.
Lamb of God was next. No Chris Adler. Art Cruz filled in an did an awesome job. Randy Blythe was, well, Randy. Running, jumping, just acting like an overall lunatic. The stage setup was pretty cool. It was like a giant set of bleachers with a big drumset in the middle. No one really climbed the bleachers that much though. The string players just stayed in their areas and headbanged. Guess this is a case of just letting the music speak for itself.
And finally: Slayer! I think this speaks for itself. Great show, lights, pyrotechnics, explosions, the whole schebang. They played for about 90 minutes. About halfway through their set it started to pour. The venue is an outdoor covered ampitheater. The wind was whipping and everyone got soaked. There are giant video screens on either side of the stage, and you could see water bouncing off drums, collecting on cymbals, and running off stringed instruments. It didn't seem to bother anyone. Except me, I hate getting wet! But who cares, it was Slayer!
All in all, definitely worth the wait and money. I did have some issues with being buried amongst a sea of people, as giant crowds and chaos cause me to have anxiety. I was able to deal though, and all in all had a blast. My voice is shot, ears are ringing as I forget my earplugs in the car, and feel like I got hit by a truck. My whole body hurts. But I am 42, so it was expected.
Great show, lots of fun. Would I do it again, no. Am I glad I did, abso-freakin-lutely. I can only sum it all up in this way: SLAAAYYYERRRRRRR!
Now it's your turn, GO SEE THEM.
