Extreme Noise Terror? - Extreme Metal Party Methinks

Metal Noise

On Wednesday I went to The Riverside to see a gig on the recommendation of several friends. It was going to be loud metal , but as I get older I have tended to come out of gigs without any effect on myhearing , until The Smyths the other week at the O2 , but somebody assured me that was due to the rubbish sound system at the  O2.

Anyway it's so long since I heard Combichrist or Filter and Rabia Sorda were new to me but recommended and they were on stage when I walked into the place. Part of my ethos is that generally , if a band is any good you don't need to know any of there songs , Gallery Circus are a prime example of that for me.


Rabia Sorda look metal and sound metal with goth threatening make up and eyeliner , and I still cant tell you any of their songs although they did play an impromptu acoustic song outside after the gig, they were also very engaging with the crowd both during the gig and after , and , though they were aggressive shouty metal , they sounded good , and no my ears didn't hurt. Rabia Sorda were actually worth the price of admission alone , which is a good omen for the third band on the bill.


Next up were Filter (awkward name to search for but not as bad as !!! )  , and this band really hit me with low frequency bass and drums, but again they sounded amazing and again I can't remember any songs but they played a wonderful set , crowd pleasing and as threatening as any good horror film. So after the Smyths doing my ears filter hit my body , making me feel the slightest bit queasy. The other thing was that their drummer was well hidden so I thought they were using a drum machine, but by the end of the their set you knew you were at an amazing gig , the second of two brilliant acts.


Finally we had Filter's co headliners Combichrist and after the low frequency attack from Filter , Combichrist had something else in store for me. Two drummers and an impressive sonic assault to start with , songs peppered with the word FVCK  and lots of raised metal fists among the crowds. Although bands like these seem to carry a threat for a lot of the public , they are all about having a brilliant time with great shout along songs like "What The Fvck Is Wrong With You"  and playing the encore finale with members of both the other bands.

However part way through the set I had to walk out , my eyes severely affected by the strobe lighting, outside every street light was a massive white brain searing blob. It eventually wore off and I went back it to watch the rest of the gig , and came away knowing I had been to an amazing one.

IF you get a chance to see any of these bands you should do, it was a brilliant re education for me.

In Orbit at The Riverside - A Public Service Broadcast

On Thursday I went to see Public Service Broadcasting for the second time this year, now expanding to a four piece recalling Kraftwerk's line up in feel as well as look. Several of their songs such as Spitfire utilise Neu's Motorik mechanical beat , giving an excellent framework to the entertaining as well as educational delivery. The Riverside was fully opened up for the night meaning that those at the back had the top half of the stage blocked out, the Riverside does need and internal redesign at some point for putting on big gigs, but I was at the front so it didn't really matter, the building is impressive and the bar staff very efficient.

Smoke Fairies

The support were the Smoke Fairies who manage to combine a heaviness with etheriality, with some amazing dirty slide guitar. They also provide backing vocals on the Public Service Broadcasting song Valentina on The Race For Space album. Their set passed fairly quickly as every song was excellent andit was a welcome return when their voices graced Valentina. The Shadow Inversions track gives a good indication of how good they are and the video is extremely inventive as well.

In Orbit

Public Service Broadcasting took to the stage at 9pm , now expanded to a four piece , playing old and new songs and wowing the crowd with the visuals and brilliance of weaving new music wit old samples and footage. They are probably the only band that you come away from having learned and seen something new. Songs such as Spitfire and Go stood out before their encore starting with Gagarin complete with brass section and dancing cosmonaut andfinishing with Everest with a poignant dediation to the Nepalese earthquake.






They are the first band I've seen that sell their own tea towels , this time on how to build your own rocket.

So another brilliant gig, and this was the first of three consecutive nights for me.

King Charles Man Made Gallery Circus at The Riverside with a bit of Johnny Marr

Last nights gig was my first at The Riverside (formerly Sea), a night club about twenty feet away from the waters of the River Tyne and part of the Think Tank? empire. The gig was absolutely superb apart from the toilets overflowing and leaking onto the crowd below and threatening £30Ks worth of sound console that had to be protected by bin liners, they seriously need to resite the toilets. But I managed to avoid the shower and took a spot behind the consoles which gave us a better view of the bands. The names of the bands run together sound like some kind of profound statement and they all gave an amazing show

Man Made

Man Made on Tour

A three piece, long hair real rock ban, and another case of me not being too bothered about the support band, but I am so glad that I caught them . Shook hand and congratulated the guitarist after the gig and they can grace bigger stages than here. Vocals and guitars blended into excellent songs which made the time fly by and they are playing Think Tank? on March 7th so that gig should be put into your diary straight away but at the moment is not showing up on the web site.


The lead guitarist is Niles Marr son of Johnny Marr and he is pretty good, and that could explain a lot. I am so glad I saw them. Their facebook page is here.

Gallery Circus

I first saw Gallery Circus at a Burlesque night at Bar Loco (I think is was Barcolo then) , and expected a couple of angsty student, they were actually good and one of the highlights of the night. Five years and they are still a two piece playing a non stop exhilarating aural assault that took your breath away.The video for Hollywood drip gives you an idea of why you need to see these guys. Gallery Circus are something else.

By the end of their set, you really had had your moneys worth for the gig and the headliner was yet to appear....

King Charles

The fancy clothes and ringlets have gone , but there's still a fair barnet there, King Charles started with a new song solo, before the band hit the ground running with Mississippi Isobel. Kirsty said that every King Charles gig she goes to there's more and more people know the words to the songs. I still think he's the best thing since Adam Ant and the songs are catch as hell.

Several more favourites were run through before closing the main set with a cover of Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" running into Lady Percy, the crowd stamped and chanted for an encore and they werent disappointed. Another triumphal gig for King Charles leaving the fans wanting more and awaiting the new album

Oh by the way , this gig cost £13 , after seeing the acts , double that would have been cheap.

A fantastic night.