Venom Inc
Blood Stained Earth Tour
Exmortus/Homewrecker/Metalfier/Vision Serpent
The Kingsland
Brooklyn New York
May 4 2019
Setlist
Metal We Bleed
Rip Ride
Don't Burn the Witch
Time to Die
Warhead
War
Dead of the Night
The Evil Dead
Leave Me in Hell
Live Like an Angel (Die Like a Devil)
Lady Lust
Black n' Roll
Black Metal
Witching Hour
Encore:
Bloodlust
In League With Satan
Countess Bathory
Photos by Pj Berlinghof and Tim Winterhalter
Venom Inc tours the US at least once every 18 months or
so – and for one reason or another every time they've come around I couldn't
make it. This time – with the urging of
the fabulous PJ from Ritualizer – I got my butt down to what looks like the new
hot-spot for metal shows in the heart of industrial Greenpoint on the Brooklyn/
Queens border - the Kingsland.
I'm embarrassed to say I haven't been to a real metal show
in ages. When we walked into the
Kingsland it warmed my heart to see a room full of black band t-shirts, battle
vests and band hoodies. I got a few
compliments on my Saxon shirt and launched into a diatribe about how they
should have been bigger than Maiden (don't get me started...) Right away we found people we knew and
started up conversations with new friends – it was such a laid back, friendly
atmosphere. One of my friends (who had
already been drinking with his wife for 3 hours before we got there) told me
Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan, Bass/vocals for Venom Inc. was just walking around
hanging out. Indeed only a few minutes
later we spotted him just chilling by the merch table. We were friends on Facebook and actually
corresponded a few times – he always encouraged my bass playing – but he had
thousands of Facebook friends and I didn't want to be an awkward fan girl. As I was explaining this to PJ – she grabbed
my arm and pulled me over. I heard
myself saying something about Facebook - his eyes lit up, he pointed to my
Motörhead, then to his matching necklace and he gave me a big hug and a kiss.
If he didn't recognize me – he did a really good job pretending he did!! Even so far as to say I should have told him
I was coming, he would have put me on the list!! I asked him how Jeff “Mantas” Dunn (guitars)
was doing – as I read that he had suffered a massive heart attack last year and
it was nothing short of a miracle that he was still with us. We had a very deep conversation about that
and Tony seemed genuinely touched that I was really concerned about his
friend's well being. I felt myself
getting teary eyed just as I had when I read Jeff's harrowing account online
after he was home from the hospital – then in a moment some fans interjected
for autographs and pictures and I slipped back to my friends at the bar.
The way the Kingsland is set up – you can chill at the bar
and watch on a TV screen the bands who are performing in the front room. I wasn't in “journalist” mode at the time and
chose the opener's sets to knock back a few pints of Brooklyn Lager and catch
up on metal talk.
When Metalfier came on we made our way to the front. I had seen them a few years before, opening
for Diamond Head at the Studio at Webster hall
and really liked them. I was happy they
had their own crowd this time. Their set
was tight but went by way too fast, include a tribute to late Slayer guitarist
Jeff Hanneman (it was close to the anniversary of his death), and a cover of
the Metallica song “Escape” dedicated to Michael Alago from Elektra who signed
them all those years ago. Metalfier seem
to get on the bill for a lot of the mid profile metal gigs and it's well
deserved – they always put on a great show and are true supporters of the metal
scene!
It was back to the bar for me for the bands who were direct
support for Venom Inc. and touring with them Exmortus and Homewrecker, but they
sounded great from where I was and everyone came out of the back room raving
about them. At my age I don't have the stamina to be up front for a million
bands but I tip my hat to those that do.
10 Minutes before Venom Inc were due to hit the stage I
found a good spot against the wall maybe 5 heads back from the stage. The changeover time was pretty quick and when
the band hit the stage there was a good size crowd but it wasn't shoulder to
shoulder and I wasn't gasping for air and fighting for space which is something
I'm always scared of at these shows.
The band launched into “Metal We Bleed” from the new album “Ave” and it
was clear from the start this was not a band resting on it's laurels. I had
heard the album but live the tracks are even more in your face. Of course – I have to say – I was a little
disappointed I wouldn't be catching Tony “Abaddon” Bray behind the drum kit as
he left the band a few months ago . Jeramie Kling from Florida metallers “the absence” was behind
the kit and he was like a clock.
That's not to say the set wasn't peppered with Venom
classics which the band nailed – and truth be told I like Tony's voice more
than Conrad “Cronos” Landt's .
And...”Lady Lust???” Seriously? That was one for the Die
Hards!...Speaking of which...I would have loved to have heard it as it was one
of the first songs I taught myself on bass – but I was more than happy with the
set list! When I heard the sound effect that was the beginning of “Black Metal”
I was taken back over 20 years ago when I first sewed a Venom patch on my
messenger bag and it felt like everything was coming full circle. Like another
bucket list item was being checked off.
Demolition Man had the Microphone up at higher angle to he
resembled a certain other throaty bass player that both love. It was no surprise the song “Black and Roll”
from the new album was a tribute to the great man. Venom does Motörhead? Yes please!! Holy
shit!!
At various points one jerk off was yelling out that the
crowd sucked – and everyone basically told him to fuck off – and we all cheered
when security dragged him out. There was
a good size pit but everyone was respectable. MY own qualm was the guy who had
his arm up in the air FILMING almost the entire show. I can't stand that. It's discourteous to the people around
you. One or two songs fine – but the
whole set? Get the fuck out of here its fucking rude.
The set ended and we filed out, crunching empty cups of beer
on the way out while Motörhead's 1916 album played over the PA.
When this band comes around – go see them!!! They're usually
on bigger stages in Europe and deservedly so!!
I'm very happy the “old guard' are still around and kicking ass and can teach
the kids a thing or two about how its done!!!
Black n'
Roll
Venom Inc on Facebook
Order “Avé“ in several different formats and bundles at
http://nuclearblast.com/venominc-ave
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