cheerful
scarydavedc and his friend Wayne up to Philly and we caught Danzig at the Trocadero. Wayne is visiting the DC area for business from SF (dude builds the internet. FOR REAL!) and saved my butt, I’d been planning on driving until the damn engine light came on the night before & while the car was driving OK I didn’t want to take any risks and would have rented a car but he was nice enough to volunteer his rental SUV and do the driving for which I am most grateful. I brought along my EZ pass for dave to hold up to the windshield when we approached a toll.We went up a few hours early and went shopping on South Street and grabbed some cheesesteaks at Liberty pizza, then lined up for the show. While walking from the car to the line we can into Steve Zing & he gave me a hug, it was great o see him offstage, he is always so friendly.
It was hotter than hell that day (about 94 degrees even in the evening) so I dared not go up front for fear of passing out from heat exhaustion – very glad that the club was selling Vitamin Water Zeros as I ended up drinking 4 of them to hydrate myself since they are better than plain water due to added electrolytes when you are that dehydrated.
The club was slow letting people in so we missed part of the first band’s set. First up was Seventh Void which features former Type O Negative guitarist Kenny Hickey and drummer Johnny Kelly (who also drums for Danzig) They were really good, just wish I hadn’t missed the beginning! Hope they do well, especially with Type O gone now :(
Next up was Doyle’s band Gorgeous Frankenstein. I've seen them a few times before including their first ever gig a few years ago in Baltimore in October 2007 (the night Glenn Danzig fell of the stage and broke his shoulder) - at the time I thought they were simply awful & needed to decide if they were a band or a novelty act with Doyle’s ex-wrestler wife “Gorgeous George” in her mummy wraps on the stripper’s pole (and showing WAY TOO MUCH of George). I had to keep averting my eyes and have since suffered through them a few more times to see Danzig. So I went expecting to suffer through their set again but I was really amazed at how much better they have gotten, they are taking it seriously like a real band now. Alex from Cancerslug is on vocals now and he looks like a Samhain era Glenn with the same hair, sideburns etc & doing a lot of the same kinda moves but it works and certainly appeals to the crowd, “preaching to the converted” if you will.
I last saw Danzig at the Troc in 1990 on the Lucifuge tour and remember it being just as hot then – it was pretty crazy inside and I was kinda relieved not to be up front as the crowd was nuts and the pit was super active, I stood on the front of the raised part of the back floor right next to the soundboard & could see really well. Glenn was really on and his vocals were the best I’ve heard in over a decade. Tommy Victor was in much better shape than last December when I saw them at the Starland, the new material sounded great live, they played “Hammer of the Gods” and “On a Wicked Night” from the new album and I thrilled to hear "13" and "Tired of Being Alive" which I haven't heard in a long time. The place was pretty packed, if the show wasn’t sold out it must have been close to it and everybody was really into it and singing along. I think their new management is doing a much better job of promoting them and doing some advertising for the new album “Deth Red Sabaoth” than Glennzig has had in a while.
Setlist from memory - I think I got the order right:
Intro
Skin Carver
Twist of Cain
Hammer of the Gods
Her Black Wings
Tired of Being Alive
How the Gods Kill
Do you Wear the Mark
13
Unspeakable
It's Coming Down
On a Wicked Night
Bringer of Death
Black Angel White Angel
Mother
Encore
Dirty Black Summer
Am I Demon
(I am jealous of
atomagedevilman who got to hear "Long Way Back from Hell" and "She Rides" for the encore in Charlotte. I could happily live a long time without hearing Dirty Black Summer again as I am tired of it & it seems they play it for an encore at every show I manage to see)I picked up a nice thermal shirt with the tribal version of the Danzig skull screened in black on black as well as the new CD that comes out tomorrow which came with a free promo “On a Wicked Night” radio edit CD single and sticker.
From there it was down to South Philly and authentic cheesesteaks wid whiz at Pat’s Steaks on the sidewalk – yummm! I so miss my native fare! Since Wayne is from San Francisco he needed to experience the real thing (to be followed up the next day with brunch at Ben Chili’s bowl in DC courtesy of
scarydavedc)Brought my new toy, the iPad, it is great for travelling since it has a built in GPS so it can generate instant directions from wherever you are & show everything nearby. Plus internet anywhere care of 3G so you can google whatever comes up in conversation on the drive that needs to be answered LOL! Can’t wait to take it with me on my upcoming vacation, I am heading out to Orange County for Hootenanney over the 3th of July weekend and can’t wait to get away!
Update: good news on car - it some crazy sensor that burned out, would have been $1,200 to replace but thankfully the car is still under warranty at 98,322 miles on a 100,000 mile warranty. Whoa, another bullet dodged, anything that is planning on going better do it soon!
