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”Think you’re so fucking cool but don’t have a clue and you show it”. Kavanaugh is dizzying to watch as she never stands still, constantly cajoling the crowd on the barrier into some participation. Arms are raised on her command as she takes over. ‘Dear Enemy’ has a great mix of nasty, sleazy beats with a super-clean vocal from Kavanaugh, almost like she is whispering at times. The beats are infectious, and before long, you are moving in time without really knowing it. ’Bad Girl’ brings the short set to an end, and afterwards people are downstairs seeking out some Night Club merch. Check them out here. Combichrist have been kicking in doors now since 2003. Their style of aggrotech really needs to be witnessed in a darkened club, and it doesn’t get darker than tonight. By the time that Andy LaPlegua leads the band out, the place has filled quite considerably, and the amount of Combichrist shirts in the crowd has risen. Aggrotech is often seen as the bastard offspring of industrial music; it’s more electro driven, with less emphasis on guitars. Combichrist put their emphasis on the percussive side of industrial. They have two drummers, each perched on risers, facing each other from opposite sides of the stage. Watching them through the darkness is incredible. Any self-respecting old fart will remember the glory days of Glam Rock when he-who-shall-not-be-named had two drummers in his band (as did Adam Ant). Combichrist have Nick Rossi on one side and Joe Letz on the other, and neither are content to give up the spotlight to fellow band members unencumbered by a drum kit. Rossi is everywhere, playing standing up, climbing on his kit to fire up the faithful. Letz is in make up and wearing mouth guard that makes him look like a fucked-up Aardman Animation creation… like Nick Park had a vision to scare the shit out of kids everywhere. Watching them throw drum sticks to each other, from opposite sides of the stage, and catch them while continuing to hammer out the skull-crushing beats, is spell binding to watch. A real lesson in showmanship. The early airing of monsters such as ‘Electrohead’, ‘Throat Full Of Glass’ and a gonzo version of ‘Exit Eternity’ have the crowd surfers up and the pits open. Combichrist are fucking relentless. LaPlegua has a riser at the front of the stage, and uses it well to make him seem like he is towering over the audience. He stands back and watches as the chaos of ‘Maggots At The Party’ and closing track, ‘What The Fuck Is Wrong With You’ ensues, pausing to pay tribute to security at the front who are looking after the surfers as they come over. Combichrist are not to be missed. Prepare to be dazzled. The Duke of Spook, Wednesday 13, always puts on a killer show, but having Combichrist pummel the crowd beforehand seems to have given him added impetus. After quite a lengthy change over (considering the venue has a strict curfew), the lights dim and the band crash into ‘What The Night Brings’. Wednesday 13 appears with the first of many visual props, a double-headed axe and he cuts quite a figure as he swings it around over his head. The band are heavily made up in ghoul face paint and the spooky backing music adds to the eeriness. It’s dark, but you can still make out drummer Kyle Castronovo, his skills no doubt making his old man, Deen Castronovo, a proud father. As the band have got to get to Bloodstock, there’s not much time for chit-chat. When Wednesday 13 greets the crowd with, “Good evening, people of Earth“, it’s practically the only time he talks. I’m fine with that, and, like Alice Cooper, he stays in character most of the show. ‘Blood Sick’ slides into ‘Scream Baby Scream’ and the old neck muscles get a good workout. That is nothing compared to the rollicking run through of the Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 nugget, ‘197666’. Horror-punk at it’s very best. The props that Wednesday 13 uses are simple, and very effective. Whether it’s a flashlight strafing through the crowd, or the white suit and horned face mask on ‘Condolences’, this is the best show without a massive production that I’ve seen in a while. It’s best exemplified when Wednesday 13 appears on ‘Prey For Me’ wearing a blood-stained butchers apron, and a white face mask on the back of his head. It’s freaky as hell having the frontman performing with his back to the crowd, yet a dead face mask staring right at you. This continues for ‘Put Your Death Mask On’. It’s hard to describe the effect, but there are plenty examples of it online. Encore time is short and sweet. Wednesday 13 is back out wearing a skeleton costume for another Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 classic, this time it’s, what else but, ‘I Love To Say Fuck’. He has a large umbrella, with which he ignores the old superstition, and opens it indoors to reveal a large print of a fist with the middle finger raised in defiance. Simple prop, cleverly used to great effect. By the time the crowd had got last orders in next door, Wednesday 13 was probably tearing South on the M74 to a sun-soaked Bloodstock, but for optimal effect, this is a show for a darkened venue. Easily one of the best Wednesday 13 shows I’ve caught. Review: Dave S Photos: Dave J [gallery type='flickr' user_id='132278830@N06' view='photosets' photoset_id='72157700031396665' media='photos' columns='3' tag_mode='any' sort='date-posted-desc' per_page='30' layout='square' caption='title' thumb_size='s' main_size='z' ]]]>
