If Rudolph Could Growl an event organized by Freak Show featured 6 bands from different genres, ranging from psychedelic to post-hardcore. The attendance was okay, though somehow relatively low. The event again lacked a lot of original material with an exception of a couple of bands.
The event started out with Mindstorm, the band played songs ranging from System of a Down to Red Hot Chilli Peppers. They had a great set list; the choice of songs was perfect for such event. However, it was obvious that the band needed more practice since they lacked a lot of spirit while performing and it seemed like they just went on stage to play what they had been practicing without actually giving us a “show”. Nevertheless, the band obviously had talent and one bad performance shouldn’t be an indication of the band’s overall skills.
Next up on stage were Havoc, the newly rising old school heavy/thrash metal band. They covered Metallica and Iron Maiden and they were really impressive, even though their set-list was kind of short. What was really impressive about them is that they were very professional in everything they did: the performance, the communication with the crowd and the musicianship. They were splendid and they satisfied the attendees and gave a very good first impression. Good luck to the band and I hope they start writing some originals because such talent shouldn’t only be wasted on covers.
December Dies Alone AKA DDA, hit the stage next and they played songs from their upcoming EP. Their performance was topnotch and they were really playing at ease and that was the reason why they had a lot of chemistry on stage and the crowd was really pleased with that. They are also skilled at what they do, especially the drummer who was able to keep up with the songs and not mess up on any of them! It is also magnificent for a relatively newly rising band to play mostly originals and to prepare themselves for their EP release. Great work at the event and good luck on the EP.
Before We Drop Dead (BWDD) came next, and they really don’t need any introduction. The band is becoming well-known in the scene and they already have a well-defined fan base and people can’t wait to see them play, because they know that BWDD is all about quality. Their performance was good and they kept the crowd excited with their breakdowns and the fine tunes that they played.
After Dark covered songs for Evanescence, Within Temptation, Nightwish and others. Now they weren’t really that good and I don’t know if the problem is with the sound or with the band itself. They lacked a lot of presence on stage and they didn’t really quite give a good performance. The crowd was also getting less and people started leaving after BWDD and maybe that was the reason why they weren’t motivated enough to give us a good performance.
Psychronic were the last band on stage and it was sad that they didn’t get the sound that they needed or deserved. The band is really talented and it was obvious that they know what they are playing. But it is always known that the last band of the every event will get a bad sound and the crowd will be very minimal, not to mention that the electricity went off while they were performing and alone causes the morale of a band to drop. I can’t wait to see them live in another situation with another setting that they truly deserve.
In a nutshell the event was generally okay, but it wasn’t anything new. Originality is fading away from our scene, and bands are still covering the same songs, the same bands and doing the exact same thing! I am not attacking anyone I am merely giving a remark about something most of us are annoyed about. Every band’s aim should be about writing originals and not covering other bands, that is sadly not the case in our scene.
