[kj] KJ live in Brisbane - LONG!

[gathering@misera.net]

You lucky, lucky bastard!

-S

~Analysis, Paralysis~






Geoffrey ODonoghue <go1845@yahoo.com>@misera.net on 26/11/2003 17:51:51

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Subject:    [kj] KJ live in Brisbane - LONG!





Hi all

I=A0have been pretty slack about writing this review considering the show w=
as
last Friday but I was waiting to hear more about the reported deaths in the
KJ touring party before I jumped in with=A0an unimportant (by comparison)
concert review. No further information has been forthcoming about this
incident (and I haven't been able to find any mention of it=A0on the news
sites) so here goes.

When I first heard the Joke were coming to town I asked a couple of mates
if they would be interested in going=A0but expected a negative response. Th=
ey
were both fairly keen however and so it was a=A0group of three of us that
fronted up around 8:15 at the=A0Arena in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley=A0(the
valley is described on Brisbane City Council's website as follows: The
Valley is now famous for clubs and restaurants ? along Ann and Brunswick
Streets you'll find DJs and live music for the fans, the backpacking
brigade and the alternative set. This area boasts all-hours bars, coffee
shops and restaurants). It's also a bit grubby and, at times, dangerous -
just the place to go to and see Killing Joke.

After getting a round of over-priced beers in we stood behind the sound
desk where a tall blondish guy with a receding hairline and cargo pants
asked=A0us for help=A0in opening the CD player. Blimey, I thought, that guy
looks like Geordie - he must be a dead keen fan - imitation being the
sincerest form of flattery and all that. Needless to say it was, in fact,
the maestro himself=A0and, after succeeding in putting on a CDR of some sort
of English rap=A0(excuse my ignorance), he proceeded to the far end of the
bar where he=A0consumed=A0beer after beer (no vodka as far as I could see -
just the VBs) for the next hour or so. No I didn't go up and talk to him -
because a) I'm somewhat shy and=A0retiring and=A0b) I=A0had no idea what to
say.=A0Geordie seemed to be in a very happy mood,=A0dispensing hugs to
various=A0associates - mostly women. My companions expressed the opinio n
that he looked "half cut" and speculated about his ability to play (or even
stand) later on in the evening.

The opening act, Headkase,=A0was due to start at 9:00 according to the
soundman's schedule (KJ's start time was down as 10:30) and they promptly
took the stage at that time. I have to say that I quite enjoyed the
performance although their unique style of music took me somewhat by
surprise - imagine a band that=A0employs the same=A0song structure as Mr Bu=
ngle
(i.e. chaotic)=A0with=A0death metal cookie monster vocals. They played a
strangely entertaining 45-minute set.

10:30 came and went of course. By this time we had relocated ourselves to
the second row right in front of Raven's position. I noticed a likable
looking lad purposefully making his way around the band's gear making sure
that all was in readiness. Hmmm...=A0there can't be too many blokes in
Australia with t-shirts advertising Tattoo Parlours in Anchorage, Alaska (I
thought to myself). My conclusion was that this was, in fact, the
Gathering's own Cliff=A0- nice to put a face to a name.

At 10:55=A0the lights dimmed and Faith Healer started up. I=A0hadn't realis=
ed
that they played the whole song=A0beginning to end -=A0the crowd of 400 odd
were getting somewhat agitated as it played through. Then=A0as the keyboard
introduction to Communion started,=A0I realised one of my fondest dreams was
about to come true - I was going to see KJ live!

I had had my reservations about the crowd before the show (I thought they
looked uninterested - like they were just there=A0because it was something =
to
do) but they immediately proved me wrong when they gave the band a big
welcome=A0-=A0the volume increasing when Jaz=A0took the stage. I have to ad=
mit
that the next hour and 40 minutes was a bit of a blur for me. I remember
screaming out the lyrics (or approximate versions) for all the songs,
dancing like a lunatic and, at times, just standing there with a big
shit-eating grin on my face. It was f**king brilliant. The sound was
muddy,=A0you could hardly hear Jaz between numbers - none of it=A0mattered.
This was=A0Killing Joke and they were magnificent - everything I expected
them to be. Jaz seemed to be having a good time and he responded=A0strongly
to the feedback from the crowd. Geordie was a revelation - how the f**k can
he get those sounds out of a guitar that he seems to be strumming gently
while staring=A0blankly into space with a bemused half smile on his face? Mr
Raven was also in fine form - he seems to take his interaction with the
audience very seriously=A0- especially with the female members! Keyboards
were handled very well by the new guy whose name momentarily escapes me. Mr
Parsons=A0treated us to a blistering barrage of drums. He didn't=A0put a fo=
ot
wrong=A0(or should that be a stick) at any time - my favourite=A0moments of=
 his
were during Follow the Leaders - what a thunderous display. That brings me
to the set list which was as follows:

Communion (not a particular favourite of mine but a great live song)
Requiem (great drums by Ted)
Total Invasion (a highlight - very well received by the crowd)
Wardance (time to mosh)
Blood on Your Hands (also a crowd favourite)
Change (time to dance)
Seeing Red (big crowd response for the chorus)
Fall of Because (got a somewhat subdued hearing)
The Death and Resurrection Show (and the crowd was at it again)
Kings and Queens (some entertaining teasing between Jaz and Geordie)
The Wait (we were still trying to dance)
Asteroid (Jaz poured scorn on our pathetically hoarse=A0attempts at the
chorus)
Whiteout (this was f**king brilliant=A0-=A0a longer version would have=A0ki=
lled
us)
Frenzy (another somewhat subdued response)
Pssyche (but then we were at it again)

(encores)
Follow the Leaders (very very good - as mentioned above=A0Ted
was=A0blisteringly loud)
Pandemonium (another crowd favourite but by this time we were knackered)

The set list on the soundboard had Loose Cannon=A0before Follow the Leaders
but they must have decided to give it a miss for some reason.

That's all folks - sorry to go on so long but this concert was a
significant event for me. I only hope it won't be a once in a lifetime
thing.
Geoff









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