PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
The gig kicked off with a slight hiccup as the Butcher Babies and Sumo Cyco were heading to Southampton from Birmingham leading them to travel through London whilst the marathon was in full swing. Thankfully the guys and girl of Guilty as Charged were there to save the day and to help with loading.
After what had been the most bizarre start regarding the entrance to the venue, excitement and adrenaline took over! It was finally time for Guilty as Charged to take to the stage (this show being their second live show to date) setting the scene for the night’s events. Their performance was high energy and showed some fantastic potential for the future of the band. The drumming skills of the lovely Samster was a personal favourite throughout Guilty as Charged’s set for me. After a shout out to the amazing Sumo Cyco and the devilish Butcher Babies it was time for Guilty as Charged to leave the stage.
The moment Sumo Cyco stepped foot onto the stage the atmosphere was just incredible, half of the crowd had no idea what they were in for but all they seemed to know was that this was going to be good! From the start of the set Sumo Cyco just had this incredible hype, the incredible high energy given by all band members made this show feel like one of the best I have been to yet. Matt ‘MD’ Drake, whilst playing some outstanding guitar pieces, was rocking out with Sever like a beast throughout the entirety of the gig. At one point Sever was riding Matt’s shoulders mid crowd whilst both maintained immaculate timing It truly was awe inspiring to watch a band be true to themselves and to have an amazing amount of fun whilst doing it. Not forgetting the incredible bass lines throughout played by the one and only Ken Thor Corke himself, magnificent. Throughout the UK tour with Butcher Babies we have all been treated to the incredible upcoming track featuring Skindred’s one and only Mr Benji! For those of you who haven’t been lucky enough to hear this track yet the briefest way I could describe it to you would have to be to take the restraint off your hips and this one will have you jamming through the night. The highlight for me would have to be the moment Crowd Control (Do What We Want) kicked in, the hips were swaying and the heads were banging like wild beasts being lead to water: Sumo Cyco had this crowd under their control! I haven’t stopped promoting these guys to everyone I have met since the show, so readers if you haven’t got around to checking out Sumo Cyco open a new tab right this second and look them up on YouTube then drop us a comment on how you found their unique style. Back to the show, shortly after a killer take on Red Hot Chilli Peppers ‘Give it Away’ it was time for the headline introduction…. BUTCHER BABIES.
Chrissy stepped onto the stage and something just took over me, pure excitement. Thus the cheering began as Jason Aappeared followed shortly by the majestic Henry….. and of course the roaring began when Heidi and Carla ran onto the stage perfectly to time singing ‘National Bloody Anthem’. PlanetMosh photographer Kris and I were lucky enough to catch the Butcher Babies last year on the HMS Hammer but tonight they were just on fire. Hitting every note perfectly, providing a wave of emotion through their performance, being themselves no matter what and having sensational talent, what more can you ask for in a venue with a capacity of under 300!! As I turned to see the reaction of the crowd when Igniter began I was very pleasantly surprised to see a sea of heads banging and fists pumping, this show was kicking last year’s shows butt. The set list for this show was just incredible, ranging from “Jesus need more babies for his War Machine” to the incredible “Mr Slow Death” which is one of my personal favourites (ok, ok, I have lots of favourites when it comes to the BB) and of course the heavyweight champion of Butcher Babies tracks to date “Magnolia Boulevard.” However my highlight of the evening would have to be during “Thrown Away” when Heidi took Kris and my hand and sang the chorus to us as she could see it was our jam, was an incredible moment I know we will treasure for a very long time so I thank you Heidi from the bottom of my heart. The way these guys perform on stage together truly manages to make you feel incredibly proud about those bands who are not afraid to fight the preset battles in the music field and who stand united.
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