| The Dillinger Escape Plan / Foe - Liverpool Uni SU, Mountford Hall, Brown Room Thursday 21st March 2002 |
The venue seems to be some kind of forgotten old storage room in the university that has walls lined with huge air vents and pipes that helped set a great atmosphere for the show as the crowd began to thicken.
As 9pm hits, Foe take to the stage. Once final nods are exchanged between them we get a brief announcement from Foe's guitarist "Good evening...we're Foe...hope you enjoy." And with that they launch straight into 'Blood Moss' which although still carries that classic Geiger Counter sound has heavier, flowing riffs and has you nodding within seconds and slightly gritting your teeth with the satisfaction that you instantly know this is going to be incredible - and this is the only the first song of the evening! Next up 'Wasp-Eating Bulldog' (which receives cheers for the title alone) is equally satisfying and continues to please all here that crave classy, rocking riffs that are tangled up with great time changes and structures.
Foe give us 3 more songs before they leave the stage. 'They Have Their Uses...Gooses' is a great, clinically defined reworking of the Geiger Counter classic and 'Its Been A Hard Year For Mr. David Cyberman' that has a quicker pace and only lasts a couple of minutes but is mean as fuck! The set ends with the epic 'Pick On God For A Good Laugh' that receives further cheers from those amused by the title, and as it reaches its final few bars leaves tonight’s audience excited, impressed and a little confused and left us all with big dumb grins on our faces. As the set closes Foe announce that they have free cds to give away to anyone who wants them, which was followed by a serge towards the merch stand (like piranha being thrown fresh meat) with thrusting open hands, before clearing away in less than 60 seconds and leaving their merch bloke slightly dazed.
Now onto Dillinger Escape Plan. Initially I’m not the biggest DEP fan but since discovering them about a year ago I have become quite fond of them and have been quite eager to see them live and how they would pull off the amazing, intricate songs I have only heard on 'Calculating Infinity' and 'Under The Running Board', both of which I would recommend to anyone with a taste for any kinda heavy and intense music. I have heard no previous 'live stories' or anything like that so didn't really know what to expect. I kind of imagined that as the stuff is quite fast and complex that it would be a head-down, teeth grinding sort of affair kinda like old Carcass Videos...Sweet-Fucking-Christ I could never be more wrong!
Dillinger's drummer gives thumbs up to the soundman who cuts the music and gives way to the dark Dillinger samples oozing out of the PA…the band wait for the sample cue and steam into 'Sugar Coated Sour'. My jaw hit the fucking deck! They play just as tight as the record (which is an awesome task for any mortal) and have more energy than bands like At The Drive-In could ever dream of throwing into a live performance...all the amp-jumping, guitar-slinging, body-hurtling you'll ever need. Their sound is incredible and is just as brutal and precise as their recording. Its not long before a pit kicks off and a mass of bodies are flying into other along to such Dillinger classics as 'The Mullet Burden', 'Jim Fear', 'Destro's Secrect', 'Sandbox Magician', 'Calculating Infinity' and 'The Running Board'. Every song is met with enthusiastic, hearty applause and appreciation from the more than excited audience who grow more impressed and excited, as we are hit with the continuous brutal assault and genius that is The Dillinger Escape Plan!
As the set hits around the 40 minute mark and tonight’s crowd seem to begin to tire slightly (from exhaustion) and still crave more, the various mic leads and pedals have been knocked out of position are quickly reset. There is a quick nod from one guitarist to the drummer who as a quick look around to the other band members and finish us off with the awesome power of '43% Burnt'. Once more the pit goes ballistic and throws it last collective energy into its most violent storm as DEP's vocalist climbs the vents and piping above whilst his band mates continue to rip up the stage and leave us all in a mix of awe, excitement and an urgent need for more!
It's kind of hard to explain Dillingers live show, as my poor writing does absolutely no justice to witnessing the show first hand. However I highly recommend that you check out either band when they next play near you and see for yourself.
the hornbearer
