ILL NINO, FOREVER NEVER & DIE SO FLUID
ISLINGTON CARLING ACADEMY - LONDON 27/04/08
First thing I noticed about this gig as I arrived early to grab some dinner, was the sizable gathering around the entrance of the venue, strategically hidden in the middle of a shopping centre. The reason was members of Ill Nino, beers in hand, posing for photos and chatting to fans that had been staked out. It’s always a good thing to see a band connecting so well with the audience, with no sign of pretension. When the doors finally opened to let in the audience, the first fans to sprint up the stairs were treated to a 30 second sound check by opening 3 piece, assorted problems not of their making meaning this was all they could squeeze in.
By the time the time Die So Fluid, having only landed from the US a couple of hours before, hit the stage, the venue was mostly filled with what seemed to me a very young audience, which did not initially warm to the gothic alternative sound of the band, a few of the local brain donors having nothing better to do then shout out, “show us your tits” to vocalist/bassist Grog. Admittedly, in her sequined cat suit, as she shimmied round the stage she made a very eye catching sight, especially compared to the picture of static concentration that was guitarist Drew. But what surprised many of the audience, was her proficiency as a bassist, as well as her deep and husky vocals, matching so well with the Ska tinged rhythms of drummer Al Fletcher, a man who has previously banged the skins for the likes of Selector and Lee “Scratch” Perry. The jetlag that the band must have been feeling never showed in their set, as they won over the audience, having the crowd clapping along to their current single, “Existential Baby”, the intro to which sounded so much like “Mirror in the Bathroom” I almost expected a cover version, before the track evolved into their own style. Sadly, the penultimate track of their all too short 30 minute set had to be abandoned thanks to a dying drum mike, but when they finished, although in no way a metal act, Die So Fluid went off stage to appreciative applause and calls for more.
www.myspace.com/diesofluid
www.myspace.com/diesofluid.co.uk
Next up on stage was Essex based Forever Never. With a heavy tour schedule supporting other acts around UK and Europe, as well as numerous headlining shows around London and the South East, it was obvious a lot of the crowd was here to see them play, judging by their surge forward as the band’s intro started and dry ice filled the stage. With their nu metal sound, mixed with the trendy emo look of low slung trousers and floppy fringes, Forever Never had their target audience firmly in the palm of their hands as they started off with recent single “Empty Promises”. The fact that so many had come to see them meant the band could lean heavily on new tracks from their forthcoming album, knowing that they would already be familiar to crowd that was bouncing along to the onstage jumping and stamping. Whilst most of their tracks relied on the emo shouting so prevalent amongst many newer bands, singer Renny Carroll proved he had a far greater vocal range and a voice that could cover a number of styles, whilst the occasional hints of thrash in their two guitar riffing had me nodding along. Their final track was the title song from their debut album, Aporia, a wall of sound that managed to be both heavy yet melodic, vocal harmonies competing with the heavy beat of the chorus. Forever Never have been garnering good reviews in the less extreme quarters of the metal press, and on this performance it can be seen why they appeal to the newer Kerrang audience.
www.myspace.com/forevernever
www.forevernever.com
Every time I’ve caught Ill Nino live, I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the sheer energy they sustain. Even their most recent and eclectic album, “Enigma”, barely encapsulates the power this Latin Metal six piece bring to the stage. As the lights dim there is an instant chant of “Ill Nino”, dissolving into cheers as they take the stage in a whirlwind of tattoos and dreadlocks, firing into “If You Still Hate Me”, before segueing directly into “Te Amo”. The front of the stage is dominated by the screaming presence of Cristian Machado, whilst from the back Dave Chavarri batters his drum kit like a demented Animal, swapping grins with his co-conspirator in percussion, Danny Couto. It is this Latin beat, mixed with flashes of arpeggio Spanish guitar that really make Ill Nino stand out from the crowd, lending a distinctive sound unmatched by many other bands of a similar vintage who flesh out their live sound with sequencers and drum machines.
Most of the way into a long tour, the band could be forgiven for coasting slightly, but at no point do they let up, every scream from the stage of “Fucking Go!” matched by the pit whipping itself into a new level of frenzied jumping. Every interaction with the crowd was carried out with a genuine smile, asking the audience, “you like horror movies like Freddy vs Jason”, before the band blast into a storming rendition of “How Can I Live”, Cristian holding out his mike by its pentagram base for the audience to sing along. Even the drum solo, normally a queue to head for the bar, had the crowd pushing forward, being a heady duel between the drummer’s metal thrashing and percussionist’s Latin beats.
Towards the end of the set the band play a medley of one verse each of Slayer’s “South of Heaven”, Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Going to Take It”, and an incendiary rendition of Sepultura’s “Chaos AD”. The first two had many of the younger crowd looking confused, whilst wringing out cheers and laughter in equal measure from the more mature fans, whilst the third had the whole venue shaking as the crowd jumped as one. From start to finish Ill Nino proved why they are such an exciting and highly regarded live act. Whilst they have finished their current European tour, if they stay true to form they should be back on these shores soon, be it headlining or in one of the many festivals they have graced before.
www.illnino
www.myspace.com/illnino2
Spenny Bullen
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