(We are) Knuckle Dragger
The Spring & Airbrake, Belfast
4th August 2011
Formerly known as punk band Arcane in a previous life; The Dillinger Escape Plan were back in town yesterday for the
first time in 4 years. So a couple of other hardcore fans and I took this golden opportunity and spent part of the afternoon
pre-soundcheck hanging out with some of the guys. Got various items of memorabillia signed and generally chatting about
random crap. Hell! They even autographed my first little guitar which was only rediscovered in our attic last week, after
years of gathering dust in the dark. Now it's one of my most treasured possesions all-over again and a really cool piece of
'mathcore' memorabillia. Ben Weinmann even managed to knock out a few punk rock riffs on it, which gave the other
band members and the few fans there a laugh.
DEP are really cool down to earth guys. So nice in fact, my parents and my pet staffy actually met Greg Puciato the lead
singer across the way from the venue after dropping me off. He had a long chat with them and took the time to write me a
really positive message which was greatly appreciated by us all.
Now back to the real business of the evening, because when it came to showtime they took no prisoners and tore Belfast a new
asshole. Talk about intense, you don't know the meaning of the word until you've been caught in mosh with a bunch of rabid DEP
fans at feeding time. Local boys (We are) Knuckle Dragger opened the show. They played it hard and fast in a metallic/punk style.
Even though their drummer was doing a one armed Rick Allen impersonation. As he was still in recovery after recieving major
surgery just 2 weeks previous on his left arm. He thrashed away through the show and kept it solid regardless of his temporary
inconvenience. They had some really good hardcore songs in their set like 'Tom Ryder' and '-20% For Being A Loser'. Met the band
afterwards and they were sound guys - I'll be checking them out again. The crowd gave (We are) Knuckle Dragger a polite
reception. And even though they were a tough audience to please, they seemed to like them.
But lets not fool ourselves here. Everyone in the sold out S & A
was only here for one thing...a longawaited face to face visual
and aural battering by The Dillinger Escape Plan. The kings
of complex American 'mathcore' kicked off the set with 'Farewell
Mona Lisa' then it was sheer pandemonium from that moment
on, with the band spending as much time in the audience as
they did on the stage. You haven't lived until you've had Greg
Puciato scream the lyrics straight into your face then push you
away. Or experience Ben Weinmann or Jeff Tuttle (the
guitarists) standing right next to you playing, as their
instruments are screaming and spitting out deadly venom
through a PA, so loud it was painful! Unbelievably DEP cranked
it up a few more notches for 'Sunshine Werewolf'.
And lets not forget the fit inducing strobes used to startling
effect throughout the gig. The front of stage pit was a rough
and tough place to be, but I never left the scene of the crime for
the whole 15 songs. I didn't want to miss a thing, even with the
non-stop pushing and shoving and a continuous stream of
crowd surfers landing on top of my head.
This show was balancing on the razors edge of violence, and so
exciting you could feel the blood speeding around your body.
You just could'nt control your reactions, you just had to get in
there and be part of the madness. No matter what the risk to yourself was. The show ended on a
real high with '43% Burnt' and the audience reaction was frightening, as the energy levels were
still rising and going through the roof!
The band decided to give us one last number and we could pick it ourselves. The audience
choice was 'The Mullet Burden' and we kept the pit going until there was nothing left to give. The
band and fans were running on pure adrenaline and once the last chords were struck DEP made
an instant exit from the stage. Mission accomplished!!!
It was the end of the show, the Spring & Airbrake was like an overheating sauna. The air was so
thin, you couldn't catch a breath and there was codensation dripping in big blobs from the ceiling.
What a night, this is what its all about.
I saw the return of Belfast punk leg-ends the Outcasts last weekend at the Empire and it was
like an OAP's tea party compared to this show. I wasn't there in 1978, I'm far too young, its all
good stuff but this is what really kicks a teenagers ass in 2011.
Its now the morning after the night before, and I'm aching all-over. I still can't hear properly and
I'm speaking like a frog. But it was such a good night with such a brilliant band I wouldn't have
missed it for the world. Lets hope its not another four years until their next visit to these shores,
I can't wait to do it all again.
$pikey $teve Donnelly - Belfast 5.8.11.
The Spring & Airbrake, Belfast
4th August 2011
Formerly known as punk band Arcane in a previous life; The Dillinger Escape Plan were back in town yesterday for the
first time in 4 years. So a couple of other hardcore fans and I took this golden opportunity and spent part of the afternoon
pre-soundcheck hanging out with some of the guys. Got various items of memorabillia signed and generally chatting about
random crap. Hell! They even autographed my first little guitar which was only rediscovered in our attic last week, after
years of gathering dust in the dark. Now it's one of my most treasured possesions all-over again and a really cool piece of
'mathcore' memorabillia. Ben Weinmann even managed to knock out a few punk rock riffs on it, which gave the other
band members and the few fans there a laugh.
DEP are really cool down to earth guys. So nice in fact, my parents and my pet staffy actually met Greg Puciato the lead
singer across the way from the venue after dropping me off. He had a long chat with them and took the time to write me a
really positive message which was greatly appreciated by us all.
Now back to the real business of the evening, because when it came to showtime they took no prisoners and tore Belfast a new
asshole. Talk about intense, you don't know the meaning of the word until you've been caught in mosh with a bunch of rabid DEP
fans at feeding time. Local boys (We are) Knuckle Dragger opened the show. They played it hard and fast in a metallic/punk style.
Even though their drummer was doing a one armed Rick Allen impersonation. As he was still in recovery after recieving major
surgery just 2 weeks previous on his left arm. He thrashed away through the show and kept it solid regardless of his temporary
inconvenience. They had some really good hardcore songs in their set like 'Tom Ryder' and '-20% For Being A Loser'. Met the band
afterwards and they were sound guys - I'll be checking them out again. The crowd gave (We are) Knuckle Dragger a polite
reception. And even though they were a tough audience to please, they seemed to like them.
But lets not fool ourselves here. Everyone in the sold out S & A
was only here for one thing...a longawaited face to face visual
and aural battering by The Dillinger Escape Plan. The kings
of complex American 'mathcore' kicked off the set with 'Farewell
Mona Lisa' then it was sheer pandemonium from that moment
on, with the band spending as much time in the audience as
they did on the stage. You haven't lived until you've had Greg
Puciato scream the lyrics straight into your face then push you
away. Or experience Ben Weinmann or Jeff Tuttle (the
guitarists) standing right next to you playing, as their
instruments are screaming and spitting out deadly venom
through a PA, so loud it was painful! Unbelievably DEP cranked
it up a few more notches for 'Sunshine Werewolf'.
And lets not forget the fit inducing strobes used to startling
effect throughout the gig. The front of stage pit was a rough
and tough place to be, but I never left the scene of the crime for
the whole 15 songs. I didn't want to miss a thing, even with the
non-stop pushing and shoving and a continuous stream of
crowd surfers landing on top of my head.
This show was balancing on the razors edge of violence, and so
exciting you could feel the blood speeding around your body.
You just could'nt control your reactions, you just had to get in
there and be part of the madness. No matter what the risk to yourself was. The show ended on a
real high with '43% Burnt' and the audience reaction was frightening, as the energy levels were
still rising and going through the roof!
The band decided to give us one last number and we could pick it ourselves. The audience
choice was 'The Mullet Burden' and we kept the pit going until there was nothing left to give. The
band and fans were running on pure adrenaline and once the last chords were struck DEP made
an instant exit from the stage. Mission accomplished!!!
It was the end of the show, the Spring & Airbrake was like an overheating sauna. The air was so
thin, you couldn't catch a breath and there was codensation dripping in big blobs from the ceiling.
What a night, this is what its all about.
I saw the return of Belfast punk leg-ends the Outcasts last weekend at the Empire and it was
like an OAP's tea party compared to this show. I wasn't there in 1978, I'm far too young, its all
good stuff but this is what really kicks a teenagers ass in 2011.
Its now the morning after the night before, and I'm aching all-over. I still can't hear properly and
I'm speaking like a frog. But it was such a good night with such a brilliant band I wouldn't have
missed it for the world. Lets hope its not another four years until their next visit to these shores,
I can't wait to do it all again.
$pikey $teve Donnelly - Belfast 5.8.11.
