A Long Awaited Gig -KILLING JOKE

LIVE AT THE HMV PICTURE HOUSE, EDINBURGH 15TH OCTOBER 2010.

We’d been waiting a long time. The original concert had been due in April but cancellation had struck and the thing re-scheduled for October. Quite a lot of people we know were going and excited messages exchanged on Facebook. The night had arrived an we were all there.

HMV Picturehouse is an old cinema and ideal for gigs with its 3 floors, each equipped with bars. The only failing for me is absolutely no concessions made to smokers (and there were a load present) : once you go in until the end there is nowhere to smoke unless you have a risky one in the loos. Like most bigger venues, once you are in you are in to stay – no stamp to let you come and go. But no smoking zone such as exists at Bristol Academy, respecting the law but allowing people to have a ciggy or two.

One thing this means is that people in the know turn up at the last minute, just to see the main band which is bad news for the support act. In this particular case, I wouldn’t have minded turning up late, although usually I make a real effort to be there having been a support act on numerous occasions. However, NOXSHI, didn’t do it for me. The music was based on slow stoner rock riffs with some electronica but absolutely NO TUNES. This plus an invisible singer (in black when the rest of the band wore white), an over strong strobe pointed directly into our faces, and a bloke who danced very badly meant end it quickly please !!!

The road crews changed round ready for KILLING JOKE quite quickly, stacks of speakers (not too many) separated by a rather high drum rise then a bare stage with two mikes at the front and a white keyboard to the side – we were ready to go.

The sound was good from the start. Drums crisp and clear, bass constantly underpinning everything an spine rattlingly low, guitar machine like and the keyboards providing some necessary colour. And above this, but not too far above the instantly-recognisable voice of Jaz Coleman.

It was back to the original line-up. Always the plan said Jaz but obviously the death of Paul Raven sort of provoked it now. Whatever, it worked. With a good mix of the old and the new.

My particular favorites were WAR DANCE, an old favorite and crowd pleaser, and THE GHOST OF LADBROKE GROVE, a new number that grooves beautifully (and I love the Dub version on the album too.

A very good concert, very well-recieved by a partisan crowd. All over by 10:45. Why do we do that ? Need to get there so early that we have to miss a meal to be out so early that you need to go somewhere else afterward – on a Friday night particularly. And there’s nowhere serving food at that time of night…… Anyhow, all in all 7/10, for KILLING JOKE along, 9/10.

Here’s a video of one of my favorites filmed on my little camera. WAR DANCE live 15/1/2010.

Click to play.    War Dance Live.

Hope you enjoyed that. Will we have another chance to see them live? Doubtful I would say except perhaps at a Festival in the Czech Republic……..