Metallica- Toyota Center, Houston, TX 16 November 2004
Here are some reviews and/or comments about the concerts that I have been to. Some are more detailed than others. Beware- this is a work in progress- there are many more shows that I still need to find stubs for.
Why did I even bother?!?!? Metallica fans pretty much suck these days. Let's explain.....I was hesitant about even going to this show. Why? Well I would rather not hand over my hard-earned money to the "troll" aka Lars. I got around that because my boyfriend paid for the tickets. So we head on out to the show. I'm not a fan of Godsmack so we spent the majority of that time grabbing some dinner and drinking some $7.50 beers. First complaint: Alcohol sales ended as soon as Metallica hit the stage. Have these people (meaning Toyota Center management) seen Metallica fans lately??? I mean come on, it's not like it's a Slayer show or something... After downing as much beer as possible, we took our seats. I was thrilled to hear "Blackened" for the first song, then let down when they played "Fuel". Then several songs off of the black album, then St, Anger, then more off the black album, then a song off Load (of crap). YAWN!! I was really hoping for some old stuff when along comes Sanitarium, Creeping Death and Battery!! WOW- cool songs, lame fans. I was shocked at all the people sitting down or just standing there when these songs came on. AND with general admission on the floor, I was expecting a lot of pushing and shoving- no such luck. Oh wait, a pit DID break out but it was only six dudes pushing each other around like a bunch of sissies- and I only saw one person crowd surf. So, are fans getting old or just getting lame? I'm tending to think the latter applies proportionally to how much 'talica sucks these days. So they played more songs off the black album for a grand total of SIX. Here are the tallies: 2 for AJFA, 1 for RL, 1 for SA, 1 for Load, 1 for RTL, 3 for MOP, 1 for KEA, 1 for G Inc and 1 soundtrack single. So the final verdict on the show: better than I expected but I would probably NOT see them the next time around (unless, of course, I get free tickets!).
Fear Factory- Engine Room, Houston, TX 20 November 2004
Wow- Amazing- Cool- Awesome... There are no words to describe how much I enjoy going to a Fear Factory show. The music is always killer, the energy is always top notch... Did I mention that they are one of my favorite bands?? The show started off with some local Houston band (I can't remember the name). They were average at best. Next came Trivium. Now this band had some serious energy going on. Even though the audience didn't seem that familiar with the songs, the band really got 'em going. I might even go out and buy their new stuff after seeing this show. Now the almighty FF. I started off in the third row but managed to work it to the second row on the right side (in front of Christian). I would have gotten in front but I had a little kid (11-12?) in front of me- no sense in being a total ass- besides I could see right over him. It was sweet being right there with a clear view of the guitar work and the drumming. I also got a pretty good view of Burton but not of the new bassist Byron. Too bad I didn't bring my camera- I would have had some nice pics. Here is the setlist: Slave Labor, Cyberwaste, Shock, Edgecrusher, Demanufacture, Self Bias Resistor, Zero Signal, Arise Above Oppression, Martyr, Bite the Hand That Bleeds, Archetype, Drones, School, Scapegoat and Replica. The biggest omision was Digimortal. I'll admit that it's not their best album but I would have rather heard something off it than School. They also did not play my favorite song Resurrection. Oh well, maybe next tour. Overall I give it three thumbs up (OK so I don't have three thumbs, just saying it was an excellent show).
Slayer/ Killswitch Engage/Mastodon- Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX 02 December 2004
I must say.. I really dig going to a Slayer show. I also really dig going to a KsE show. Unfortunately, I was feeling kinda ill (onset of flu/cold) so I was not up for working it to the front nor was I going to drink any beer. Kind of a bummer when I can't get a few beers in me before a show- it makes me lmore tolerant of some the assholes that usually show up. If you haven't been to a Jagermeister concert and you like freak shows- this is the show for you. "Lizard Man" was freakish as usual- darts to the chest, Jager bottles hanging from his ears, drilling up his nose and condoms from the nose to throat and back again. Mastodon was pretty damn good. I went out and got the CD after the show and was quite impressed. KsE was good as usual. Adam is so frickin' entertaining! Slayer was good as usual- nothing much different from the last time that I saw them- especially since there hasn't been a new album since 2001 (come on- get with it already!!). The biggest disappointment was this so-called "Wall of Blood". I don't know what I was expecting but it was certainly not a MIST! That's right- I couldn't even tell that there was blood falling from where I was standing. The band were covered in blood by the end but it was most certainly NOT a Wall of Blood. Oh well... I still enjoyed the show anyway.
Yngwie Malmsteen/ George Lynch- Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX 05 March 2004
Damageplan/ Hatebreed- Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX 20 April 2004
Slipknot/ Fear Factory/Chimaira- Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX 30 April 2004
Killswitch Engage/ In Flames- Meridian, Houston, TX 19 May 2004
Tesla- Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX 13 June 2004
Rush- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 26 June 2004
Shadows Fall- The Engine Room, Houston, TX 30 July 2004
Judas Priest/ Slayer/ Black Label Society- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 08 August 2004
Van Halen- Toyota Center, Houston, TX 23 September 2004
Queensryche- Nokia Live, Dallas, TX 15 October 2004
Lamb of God/ Fear Factory/ Children of Bodom- Sunset Station, San Antonio,TX 04 Nov 04
Def Leppard- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 31 May 2003
Queensryche- Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX 23 June 2003
David Lee Roth- Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX 21 July 2003
Iron Maiden- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 16 August 2003
Slayer/Hatebreed/Arch Enemy- Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX 11 November 2003
Killswitch Engage/Shadows Fall/ Lamb of God- White Rabbit, San Antonio, TX 25 Nov 03
Slayer- Aerial Theater, Houston, TX 06 February 2002
Rob Zombie- Aerial Theater, Houston, TX 07 March 2002
Sammy Hagar/ David Lee Roth- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 16 June 2002
Geoff Tate- Engine Room, Houston, TX 19 July 2002
Judas Priest- Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX 01 August 2002
Rush- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 16 August 2002
Iron Maiden/Halford/Queensryche- Sunken Gardens, San Antonio, TX 03 September 2000
This is one of the absolute best shows that I have ever been to in my entire life. What more can I say.. the best vocalists ever.... So I was visiting my family in SA for Labor Day weekend, It just so happens that I knew this concert was in town so I got the tickets well in advance. Good thing too because it was a sold out show. I believe the next night (also in SA) was close to being sold out. The line to get in was incredibly long, it was balls-ass HOT and we barely made it in in time to catch the first song of Queensryche. Did I mention that it was hot? Yes, I caught a show on one the the hottest days of the year- it had to have been 102 or 103 degrees (not including the humidity). Just standing there watching the show took a lot out of you. I can't believe there were dudes trying to get a pit going. Did I mention that it was HOT? My shoes were starting to get mushy from the pavement being so damn hot. Queensryche was awesome- Geoff was in prime form AND they played a bunch of songs off Mindcrime- my fave QR album. Next came Halford.. Did I mention that it was hot? There was steam coming off Rob's bald head... He rocked the house with some Halford songs, some Judas Priest and even a Fight song thrown in for good measure. Then the almighty Iron Maiden.. WOW .. This was the first tour with a reunited IM. They played quite a few off the new album plus a good amount of oldies but goodies. The sun had finally gone down by the time they came on stage so it cooled off just a little- what a relief! Altogether it was an amazing show- one that I'll never forget!
Fear Factory- Numbers, Houston, TX 14 January 1999
Black Sabbath/ Pantera- Compaq Center, Houston, TX 25 January 1999
The Cult- Aerial Theater, Houston, TX 10 August 1999
Testament- Westfield Civic Center, Houston, TX 22 August 1999
Queensryche- Aerial Theater, Houston, TX 20 November 1999
Megadeth- Aerial Theater, Houston, TX 21 December 1999
KISS- Alamodome, San Antonio, TX 07 Jul 1996
Def Leppard- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 04 August 1996
Van Halen- Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
Van Halen- Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
Bang Tango- Limelight, NYC
Guns N Roses- Madison Square Garden, NYC
Iron Maiden/Anthrax- Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, TX
Judas Priest/ Megadeth- Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, TX
XYZ- Palladium, NYC
Metallica- Madison Square Garden, NYC
Poison/David Lee Roth- Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, TX
Bon Jovi/Skid Row- Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, TX
Soilwork/Dark Tranquility- Engine Room, Houston, TX 20 April 2005
Awesome show... I got there a liitle late so I missed the first two bands but I made it in time for the best anyway. Dark Tranquility was pretty damn cool. What really got me was how happy the singer was. He would do a song (growling along the way) and then smile at the crowd, then smile some more. I guess he was enjoying it as much as the crowd was. Soilwork was great as usual. It was nice seeing them as the headliner this time around. They played a good amount of stuff off the new album plus some older material. Altogether, an awesome time. Too bad I had to go to work the next day...
Kreator/ Vader- The Sanctuary, San Antonio, TX 29 April 2005
Holy Sh!t! That blew me away! There are no words to describe how incredible this show was. I had to make the road trip to San Antonio in order to see them for my first time since they were not stopping in Houston this tour around. It was well worth the trip!! I had my photographer with me (that would be my brother) since he's the tall one- got some great pics- check them out at http://metalgoddess.photosite.com/Kreator_at_Sanctuary/. I managed to get close to the front at the beginning of the show. By the third song, I was in the front f@#$in' row! How about that! I was so close I could have played Mille's guitar! WOW WOW WOW!!!!! They played a good number of songs off the new album: Enemy of God, Impossible Brutality, World Anarchy, Voices of the Dead plus some older stuff such as: Violent Revoluion, Extreme Aggression, All of the Same Blood, Phobia, Flag of Hate, Betrayer... plus a lot more. I HIGHLY recommend anyone reading this to check Kreator out. You won't regret it!
Queensryche/Judas Priest- Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, S.A., TX 25 June 2005
COOL!! So I had to make a road trip in order to see the almighty Judas Priest. It was well worth the trip. First off, Queensryche was awesome. Geoff is still in fine form. They played a bunch of old stuff- pre-"Mindcrime". Unfortunately, it appeared that the audience was not that familiar with the oldies but goodies. Oh, well- I enjoyed it mucho. Judas Priest then appeared just as it was getting dark. They rocked the house as expected. Playing the old favorites plus a healthy dose of the new stuff. Altogether a great show. Probably the best part was introducing JP to my brother's fiance. She had an awesome time and dug all the songs. Too bad she didn't like QR as much. Something I'll have to work on...
Megadeth/Dream Theater/Fear Factory/Nevermore- Sunset Station, S.A., TX 01 Aug 2005
Why do I always decide to go to concerts on the hottest days of the year?!?!? So it’s about 102 degrees out on a sunny San Antonio day. Nevermore comes on at about 6pm. We miss the first few songs because my brother and I are running a little late due to traffic. Nevermore is ok- nothing to write home about but not terrible either. Then the almighty Fear Factory came on, who were awesome as always. BIG problem though- the crowd was SOOOO lame. There were these three kids standing in front of us- musta been about 15-16 years old. They just stood there! No expression on their faces whatsoever! No pounding fists, no horns, no yelling, no nothing!!! Why do people like this insist on standing near the front when they are not even into it?!?! Let the real fans get up front- damn that really pisses me off. Have these guys ever been to a metal show in their life?? Come on! Damn……. So they don’t get to play for very long but it’s plenty for me since I AM actually into it. They started off with the new Transgression and included Martyr, Shock, Demanufacture, etc. and finished with Replica. Dream Theater came on next. First let me say that I am not a fan of DT. I know they are good musicians and all but the music just doesn’t move me. With that in mind, here goes… Why does one need a drum kit that is about three times that of a regular drum kit?? Why does one even attempt to throw up drum sticks when he can’t catch it to save his life? I don’t know… All I do know is that it was the longest hour and a half of my life! Just when you think they are going to stop and Megadeth is going to come on, they play yet another song. Finally they play “Pull Me Under” (which I actually like by the way) and that is it. The crowd goes wild. I shrug my shoulders. While they were playing, we took the liberty to browse the T-shirts, grab some brews and some gorditas and catch some AC inside one of the adjacent clubs. FYI, Sunset station is a big complex with an open air covered pavilion (where the bands play), several small bars and clubs and a restaurant or two (which were closed tonight). By this time, we were primed for Megadeth so we find a nice spot about five rows back on the right side of the stage right after DT leaves the stage. It takes what seems like forever for the crew to get the stage set up for Megadeth. Oh, I forgot to mention that even though we might have been fifth row, it was actually about 12-13 rows back because there is this huge buffer zone in between the stage and the crowd. I guess there won’t be any high-fives from Dave! They finally get going and the sound is horrible! This had to be the loudest concert I have ever been to. The other bands were loud but the sound was good and it didn’t make my head hurt by being so close to the stage. Megadave literally made my head and ears hurt. I betcha if I had stayed up front for the whole show, my ears would have bled! Yes, that bad. On top of that, since it was so loud, the sound really sucked. The vocals were turned way down, Dave’s guitar way up. I’m thinking something was up with Dave tonight because 1- he barely talked at all- highly unusual since he usually makes asshole comments, 2- the vocals were turned down and when I did hear it, his voice cracked numerous times & 3- he did not do any guitar solos- he let his unknown bandmate do them. What’s up with that? On top of the poor sound, there were some real assholes in the crowd. I’m all for some pushing and shoving and totally expect it BUT I really think that if you want to start hurting people, you should take it to the pit instead of pushing around innocent bystanders who are minding their own business. Don’t try to pick a fight with me, go to someone else who is willing to fight back. I came damn close to elbowing someone in the face which is highly unusual for me since I am usually pretty calm and polite. One bright spot was that I found my hero… this regular looking woman (not some buff Amazon) about 25 or so was in the pit with the guys and doing some damage- awesome…. I wanna grow up to be like her some day. So… after about four songs, my brother and I decided to head towards the back to see if the sound was any better and to give our heads & ears a break. No such luck, the sound was just as bad in the back as it was in front BUT my ears gotta much needed break. We hung out in the back the rest of the show. They played a few off the new album (Die Dead Enough, Kick the Chair, Blackmail the Universe) and some classics like Holy Wars, Peace Sells, In My Darkest Hour and much to my surprise Tornado of Souls. Overall, I give the complete show an average rating- some bright spots (Fear Factory, seeing Megadeth again after about six years) and some not so bright spots (sound quality of Megadeth, assholes and lame asses).
Metallica- The Summit, Houston, TX 28 April 1997
Rush- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 25 May 1997
Glam Jam 98- Numbers, Houston, TX 26 July 1998
Metallica- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 02 August 1998
Page/Plant- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 30 September 1998
Judas Priest- Aerial Theater, Houston, TX 06 October 1998
Rob Zombie- Aerial Theater, Houston, TX 09 October 1998
Kiss- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 01 April 2000
Motley Crue- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 18 July 2000
Poison- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 29 July 2000
Def Leppard- Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, TX 08 August 2000
Tesla- Aerial Theater, Houston, TX 28 February 2001
Def Leppard- Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Houston, TX 01 March 2001
Ozzfest 2005- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston,TX 27 Aug 2005
First off- a rant…. I know, I know… why support Ozzfest after what happened to Maiden? Well, I spent good money on tickets- Sharon has the $$ already so I might as well enjoy myself. Besides, I did not buy any T-shirts/programs or any other merch with the name “Ozzfest” on it. So there Sharon! I really think it’s a load of crap what happened on Iron Maiden’s last date on Ozzfest. Two people are to blame here- Bruce and Sharon. Bruce shouldn’t shoot off his mouth like he does and if that bothers Sharon, she should have said something from the get-go. Throwing eggs and other crap is not only childish but dangerous as well. What if something had happened to one of the members of the band? AND cutting off the sound several times while 40,000+ fans are trying to enjoy the show is absolute bullshit! I know how much I paid for a ticket and there were plenty more fans that paid even more. Paying fans do not deserve that treatment. Air your dirty laundry behind closed doors please. We don’t watch soap operas for a reason you know. Nuff said…
So I get up at 8am on a Saturday morning which is like pure torture because I like sleeping in on the weekends BUT it’s for a good time so I drag my ass out of bed. I then wake the kids up (that would be Dave & Yoli, my brother & his fiancé). Checked the weather forecast before we left- HOT as hell- already 83 degrees with a forecast of 97 degrees with 105 heat index. Nice… I just love sweltering days….. We hit the road and arrive around 9am, decide to spend the dough and pay for reserved parking in a parking deck right next to the venue. We think “Cool- plenty of time to get thru security before the show starts”. Unfortunately, the concert starts 15 minutes early so we miss just half a song from Trivium because we were lucky sons-a-bitches and picked the shortest line for security. Sweet. I really like Trivium- I’ve seen them once before and they were really energetic and put on a really good show. I was not disappointed this time around. AND this time, I actually knew the songs that were played and there were many other fans as well. Since there was some autograph signings happening, we decide to skip Black Dahlia Murder and get my CD signed by the band. Sweet (in my best Cartman voice)… The signings are running slightly behind schedule so Dave and I miss the first song of The Haunted (Yoli and my boyfriend Greg have bailed since they have nothing to sign and have already headed to the stage). We catch up to them and enjoy the show. Up next… a much needed break…
We grabbed some food and more water (what a rip! $3.50 for fucking water!) and did a little window shopping since I could care less about seeing Bury Your Dead, Wicked Wisdom & Gizmachi. Unfortunately, Yoli is determined that she wants to see Wicked Wisdom because I made the mistake of telling her that Jada Pinkett Smith is the singer. On a side note, Yoli is NOT a metalhead by any means (at least not yet) so all of these bands are relatively new to her (I made some CDs of the Ozzfest bands to get her prepared so she wouldn’t be totally lost). I love the way she butchers the names- Fist of Furies, Army of Enemies, Trivia. She cracks me up! Since she is my future sister-in-law, we head over to see Wicked Wisdom. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the performance. They actually tried to blend in with the styles of the other Ozzfest bands. I give ‘em a thumbs up for effort. Jada was the only one that was lacking- with all the money she has you’d think she’d hire a voice coach! Well Jada, don’t quit your day job!
So… did I mention that it was hot? I mean really hot. If you’ve read my other reviews where I complain about the heat, they don’t even come close to this day (probably because this is an all day affair). After WW, we head over to buy some more %$&*in’ $3.50 water since there is not a water fountain in sight. Missed Gizmachi, took in some shade instead. Now the almighty Soilwork. I love Soilwork!! I really have a hard time taking their CDs out of my car once they get put in. The only problem with the show is that it’s too short! They didn’t play anything pre-Natural Born Chaos- not enough time I guess. I sure hope they do some more touring because I would definitely pay good money to see them again (I know they just hit Houston recently but come on, they are one of my faves). Another autograph signing!!! The signing is running behind schedule so I miss all of It Dies Today (no big deal) and unfortunately, the first song of Arch Enemy. I sprint back to the second stage area and finally find the group (who didn’t get anything signed). Arch Enemy is awesome as I had expected. Dave and Yoli were instant fans in the short time they played. They played mostly stuff from the Angela days which is disappointing because I really dig the older stuff too. Next came A Dozen Furies. I’m not that impressed so I volunteer to stand in line for yet another water break. Yoli is impressed by the spinning guitars. Whoop-de-freakin-do. By the time they get off the stage, I am exhausted and about to pass out from the heat so we decide to catch some shade. We find a place in the woods next to the stage (yes, I said woods- there are a lot of wooded areas in the community hence the name “The Woodlands”). The sound is fine but we can’t see. Oh well, last time I checked, As I Lay Dying and Mastodon don’t have any hot guys in the band. From what I could hear, Mastodon put on a damn good show. We re-emerge from the woods in time to find a sweet spot on this elevated platform (actually it’s a storm drain with an elevated concrete block on top) before Killswitch Engage comes on.
Killswitch Engage comes on and the crowd goes wild! They are always so energetic and entertaining (thanks to Adam- he was sporting the cape and short-shorts this time around). The place is absolutely packed and we have an incredible view over all of it!! I can’t believe there are still people who are into the pit. It is still so freakin’ hot- these people must have shown up late or something because there is no way I could manage it- maybe I’m just getting old or something. KsE finish up and it’s time for Rob Zombie. I’m excited because he’s doing a “stripped-down” show- no dancin’ girls, no stage props, no pyro. Rob comes out and he is looking fabulous! The only problem is that he can’t shut up. He gets a song or two going, then stops to talk to the crowd. OK Rob, shut up and sing will ya? I know it’s hot but you’ve been in an air-conditioned bus all day while the audience has been sweating their asses off. He even gets some fan to pass up their foo-foo umbrella so he can be shaded while he sings. Poor thing… He puts on a good show despite all the talking. Yoli is loving it because this is her first time seeing Rob Zombie and she was a fan before Ozzfest. Now it’s time to hit the seats for the main stage…
By the time we follow the crowd to the main stage, In Flames is into their last song. You’d think that with that many people seeing Rob Zombie and the fact that they were still running 15 minutes ahead of schedule that they would hold off to allow people to make their way to the seats. No such luck. Oh well, I guess I’ll catch them on their next tour. Black Label Society is next. I have a few of their albums but I’m still not that impressed. In fact, I actually doze off in my seat for about five minutes. I sure am glad that we got seats under cover ‘cause I really needed to get out of the sun. BLS was ok, nothing to write home about. Next up is the Shad.
Shadows Fall puts on a great show, playing the hits from the last two albums. I am amazed that Brian with all his hair did not get it caught in the lights or anything else. He hopped up on the drum set and probably hit the drums several times with his hair. That hair must weight about fifteen extra pounds. Anyway, I was into the show but it appeared that a lot of people were taking a break or just sitting down in their seats. Kinda disappointing actually. They are the kind of band that should NOT play to people in seats. Oh well, big opportunity for them so thumbs up. Mudvayne is up next. We take a dinner/beer break since none of us are fans. Next up… Velvet Revolver.
While I used to be a GNR fan, I was never really a STP fan. I owned one album by them and it got overplayed during a difficult time in my life so I don’t care to hear any of those songs anymore. However, Yoli LOVES Scott Weiland. Why? I have no idea. I look at him dancing on the stage and it just wigs me out. He has that drug user skinny look that I do not find appealing at all. I like some meat on my men. She takes my camera that I snuck in and is taking all these pictures of him. I’m downright embarrassed. They actually put on a better show than I expected. I did not know a lot of the songs (a bit of VR plus STP). The GNR tunes brought back some memories and he did well singing them (surprisingly). At least Yoli had a good time during their set.
The almighty Black Sabbath comes out next. I’ve only seen them once and they were awesome though playing almost the exact same set that I remember them playing the last time I saw them. I guess that’s what most fans want nowadays. They start into their third song and the wind really kicks up giving a MUCH needed cool-down. Then it starts raining, like the gods were happy that Black Sabbath was finally playing. It must have dropped about 20 degrees in the span of one song. I enjoyed the show much better after that. Since we were under cover, we got all the benefits of a south Texas thunderstorm but didn’t have to endure the pounding rain or worry about getting struck by lightning. Ozzy was his usual self, throwing buckets of water into the crowd (why does he like to do that???). His poor assistant (who I remember from The Osbournes) was out there on stage mopping all the water up so that Ozzy wouldn’t break a hip slipping on it. Yoli is loving the show. We decide to beat the crowd out so we exit during the encore in the pouring rain. It actually feels great to get soaking wet after the long day. They have opened more exits and we find that we are right next to our parking garage. We get to the car as the show is ending and we still get the benefit of hearing the rest of the show. The parking garage was near empty so we pull out into zero traffic and get home in about ten minutes. Sweet… Along the ride home, Yoli remarks that “This is the best show I’ve ever been to in my entire life!” We just might turn her into a metalhead yet!
Fear Factory/Soilwork/Trivium- Meridian, Houston, TX 18 November 2005
Children of Bodom/Strapping Young Lad/Trivium- Meridian, Houston, TX 03 December 2005
The Cult- Warehouse Live Ballroom, Houston, TX 11 March 2006
So I’ve been a fan of The Cult dating back to my early high school years (before I became a metalhead) so I jumped at the chance to perhaps see them the last time before they were broken up for good. First of all, I felt like I was probably one of the youngest people at the show. That is a strange feeling because I usually feel kinda old when I’m at a metal show. Second of all, after going to this show, I realized I would much rather be with my brethren in metal than with a bunch of people who aren’t really music fans and obviously don’t get out much (I’ll explain shortly). This show was at Warehouse Live, a brand new venue in the warehouse district of downtown Houston. Parking was easy and the venue was quite large to accommodate a large crowd. There was no opening band but we were let in 1 ½ hours before the show started. This gave plenty of time for everyone to get loaded before the show even got started. With the pricey drinks and the long lines, I’m wondering how these people got liquored up so fast unless, of course, they stayed in line the entire time. There were at least two people in my general area that were literally falling down drunk before the show even started. What a waste!! Why pay all that money to go to the show and be too drunk to even enjoy it BEFORE it even starts! Not only were people falling down drunk, but there were a lot of rude assholes around as well. Sigh, this place really lacked the camaraderie of a metal show. The band finally got started and put on a great show. They played all the classics with a new song thrown in for good measure. For such a large gathering, I was surprised by the lack of enthusiasm for the music. Not a lot of people singing along or anything. And to top it all off- several people were throwing up the horns- at a Cult show! Where’s that rolling eye smiley when you need it. The one cool thing about the show (besides the band) was that a company called Instant LIVE was there recording the concert. After it was over, you could take home a double CD of the show you just watched- how cool is that!! Final verdict- great show, stupid fans. I’ll stick with my metal thank you very much.
Exodus/Full Blown Chaos/Subzero- Engine Room, Houston, TX 22 April 2006
Exodus kicked my ass!!! Got to the show early to catch the opening bands. It was kind of a waste since I did not realize that I wouldn’t like three out of the four. The first band was Cast in Grey and they were pretty damn good for an opener. Good solid metal for the masses. Next up was Bowel- real slow and doom-y. Their songs seemed to last for like forever and it all sounded the same. I’m all for doom and gloom but this band kinda sucked. Next up was Subzero. Since I’m not into NY hardcore, this band also sucked. And I hate those fucking kids that get into the pit and do that stupid windmill shit and try to kick you in the face with their karate kicks - what is up with that?!?! Maybe I’m just too old school- you know bang your head, do some pushing and shoving, but still give your attention to the band. Next to last was Full Blown Chaos. Again, I wasn’t that impressed but the crowd seemed to be into it so it was all good. Finally, Exodus took the stage. I found a spot right in front of Gary in the second row. About three songs in, the dude in front of me left so I took his spot in the front row!! Sweet! My only regret was that I didn’t bring a camera because I would have had some awesome pics. The set list was full of classics from Bonded by Blood plus a ton of stuff from the new album. No Toxic Waltz and no stuff from Impact Is Imminent and Force of Habit though. It was all good even with the omission of those albums. And at the end of the show, I got a guitar pick handed to me personally by Gary Holt himself. I’m looking forward to the next album and the next concert- hopefully they’ll swing by Houston again.
Rob Zombie/ Lacuna Coil- Verizon Wireless Theater, Houston, TX 04 May 2006
DevilDriver/ Bury Your Dead- Meridian, Houston, TX 19 May 2006
Sammy Hagar- Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX 10 June 2006
Slayer/LOG/Mastodon/COB/Thine Eyes Bleed- Reliant Arena, Houston,TX 25 June 2006
First of all, let me say that the Reliant Arena SUCKS!!! It was hot as hell outside and they only had six lines to get in, two of which were for the ladies. Don’t get me wrong, I got in quickly because of my gender but I really felt for the guys who had already been in line for thirty minutes while I walked right up and got in. Of course, this is after something close to a full cavity search. After being violated, I thought I’d have some alcohol to soothe the nerves. So for all these people, there was only one alcohol line and four beer lines (two for Miller Lite, two for Bud Light). I opted for the short alcohol line with a Crown and coke. Ahhhhh, much better now. So I had sucked down two before my boyfriend even made it through the door. We then scoped out the beer lines which were growing by the minute as everyone was coming in. For a show that started at 5:30, you’d think that there would be a decent food selection, especially if they were expecting a bunch of metal maniac drunkards to show up. No such luck, hot dogs and popcorn were the bulk of the selection. To top it off, they were already out of MLite by the time Mastodon came on. We had to drink the nasty Heineken for more $$ and less beer. Not that it really matters; it tasted like ass anyway so I had to try to hold the buzz for the rest of the evening with that shite. Onto the review….
Thine Eyes Bleed came on and I was pleasantly surprised. Not at all like Slayer, which I was expecting, none of that hardcore, metalcore shit, just good ol’ metal. Horns up!! Children of Bodom kicked some ass, as expected. I just love them, I got up pretty close for them and loved every minute of it. By the time Mastodon came on, I was getting my buzz on, so we laid back in the crowd (what do you know, as I’m writing this, a Mastodon song came up on my radio station!!). The crowd was pretty into it which made for a good set. We also laid back in the crowd when Lamb of God came on. Why, you ask?? Well, I just don’t like them. Yelp- blasphemy!!! Actually I really like the music, it’s just the vocals I can’t stand. Come on LOG, get a new singer and I’ll be a huge fan!! The crowd was REALLY into it. I was not but enjoyed seeing everyone else enjoying themselves. Next came the almighty Slayer! We pushed our way up towards the front which was surprisingly easy. I’m not sure if it was the venue, the lack of beer, or the length of the show but the crowd was just NOT into Slayer. I was maybe five rows back on the right side and I got pushed maybe once during the entire show. C’mon people, this is mutha fuckin’ SLAYER!! They put on a great show, as usual, all the classics plus the new song (finally!) and the crowd was LAME. I walked out unscathed, no bruises, no sore muscles (save my neck) no nothing. Final verdict: Great show but don’t come to the Reliant Arena next time, OK??
Anthrax/ Neverset- Warehouse Live Ballroom, Houston,TX 06 July 2006
What an awesome show!!!! Parking was a breeze, hardly any line to get in, very short bar lines, and a KILLER show by Anthrax. My only complaint was that it was Thursday night because I had to go to work the next day tired with a sore neck. The opening band did nothing for the show except fill dead air. They shouldn’t quit their day jobs…. Anthrax, on the other hand, were in prime form. They started with the full Among the Living set- a masterpiece on the stage. It was so great to see them up close and personal. The last time I saw them I was sitting in the balcony at the Verizon Wireless five years ago and the time before that was in 1991 with Iron Maiden in the nose bleed section. The crowd was in a frenzy by the time they finished ATL. Be All, End All, Got the Time, Medusa, Metal Thrashing Mad were a few songs that followed. A smile was on my face the entire time. My only regret was not having my brother there with me. He was stuck in San Antonio working and couldn’t make it in for the show. On a side note, the Iron Maiden/Anthrax show was his very first concert- a very proud moment for me as his older sister. While not my favorite Anthrax tune by far, I was pretty into Bring the Noise as their encore finale along with a large portion of the crowd. This was probably the best show that I’ve been to since last year’s Kreator show and Queensryche/Halford/Iron Maiden in 2000. \m/
Dragonforce- Meridian, Houston, TX 18 August 2006
Queensryche- Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX 26 September 2006
Rev. Horton Heat- Meridian, Houston, TX 28 September 2006
Celtic Frost- Warehouse Live, Houston, TX 20 October 2006
Soilwork- Warehouse Live, Houston, TX 25 October 2006
Trivium- Meridian, Houston, TX 03 November 2006
Fear Factory- Warehouse Live, Houston, TX 01 November 2006
