14 Dec 14 - The Red Paintings

***SouthSide would like to extend her sincerest condolences to front man/guitarist Trash McSweeney and his family at this time of sorrow***

 

Tonight, it's live art and music ...actually alien geisha creative art with human canvases to be exact coming together amidst a revolution that won't be coming, blogspot readers.

SouthSide was extremely excited to see her friend The Red Paintings once again rockin' stage at Bottom Lounge along with New Year's Day and The Birthday Massacre as part of their You're One of Them US Tour.

Perforeming songs off the band's debut album The Revolution Is Never Coming, The Red Paintings opened the lineup with a rockin' alien bang with songs like "Dead Children", "Wasps" and "You're Not One of Them". However, fans who packed the venue were deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Trash's sister in which you could clearly see how this sudden tragedy was effecting the front man, blogspot readers. It was a tough call yet necessary to end the performance prematurely than expected. Still, it was a fantastic show featuring one of the best cover versions of "Mad World" from Donny Darko which was lovingly dedicated to his sister. It was her favorite song to dance with him and band on stage. What a hauntingly intense cover.

SouthSide was suppose to interview Trash after the show but out of respect she decided against it. She hopes The Red Paintings make a return appearance back to Chicago at a later time. This band always entertain with a unique art show and rock performance.

For more information about The Red Paintings, visit the band at http://www.theredpaintings.com.

  

  

the finished painting of the night dedicated to Trash's sister

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide

13 Apr 14

 

“...enjoy this insanity...” ~ Combichrist

SOLD OUT!

Yep, blogspot readers, you definitely know it’s a hot show when the sign on the venue door reads loud and clear that the concert on this particular night is absolutely SOLD OUT. That was the case on Sunday when SouthSide and photographer Brian Lutz along with a crowd of many attended the Combichrist show featuring New Year’s Day and William Control at Bottom Lounge. This reviewer was excited to see William again after enjoying the last show he did a few months ago as well as seeing her friends, New Year’s Day, returning to Chicago. However, she was most excited to see Combichrist perform live on stage after being introduced to the band’s music when Joe Letz performed a rare DJ set at SubT the month prior. And the way things looked, blogspot readers, it was going to be one insanely wild and awesome night of music.

“...Am I insane?” ~ Ash of New Year’s Day

SouthSide is a creep. The “Creeps” (New Year’s Day fans) were out in full force tonight, blogspot readers, cheering, moshing as well as body surfing  amidst the hardcore sound from their favorite band – New Year’s Day. Currently on tour, this band kicked off the night of insane wild and craziness which featured intense primal screain’ vocals to fierce guitar riffs fueling excitement and much more throughout the venue. Though their opening set was quite brief, NYD still packed a lot of momentous punch into it ...not sparing one second of its allotted time with idle chatter or nonsense. No, this band came to rock and rock they did, blogspot readers. Performing songs like “Technical Party” and “Murder”, creeps were encouraged to crowd surf despite the venue’s strict policy. Plus there were a few wheelchairs somewhere close to the stage. SouthSide’s friend and photographer had a difficult time shooting photos since he was closer to the craziness that ensued near the stage during this performance (along with others to follow after NYD). Never had SouthSide seen a crowd respond so passionately to Ash (NYD female lead vocalist) whenever she would expressive the lyrics with not only the emotions in her voice but with body language (especially when she flipped off people) or to the thrilling shred of the guitars and thunderous drums inciting the wild crowd reactions. What an explosive start to tonight’s show. From beginning to end, it was an intense bang that left the “Creeps” begging for more blood and music, blogspot readers. This reviewer highly recommends checking NYD’s single “Angel Eyes” (featuring Chris Motionless) off the latest release Victim to Villain. For more information, follow New Year’s Day at http://www.twitter.com/NYDrock.

“...Are you ready to have a good time?” ~ William Control

Yes, but before joining the crowd for all of the rockin’ fun and excitement, this reviewer sat down with William Control to discuss about his recently released new album, The Neuromancer. Stating that he’s excited about it, William went on to describe it as “...pretty fuckin’ filthy and amazing...” It’s close to what this reviewer would say about The Neuromancer after listening to an advance copy before its recent release, blogspot readers. Compared to his other albums, this artist mentioned he feels that he’s “...evolving as a songwriter, musician and producer...” besides the album also has a great cover (photo). William went on to tell this reviewer that The Neuromancer  “...is the prelude to the hate culture...” based off his book, Revelator: Neuromancer – about how he (the character) lost his mind before asking him if there’s a song that reflects his personality. “...All of them are bits and pieces of my personality...” says William, “...[it’s] about the character I created...” then emphatically adding “...buy it [The Neuromancer] and tell your friends to buy it...” This reviewer concurs with that statement wholeheartedly. She also recommends checking out William Control while he’s currently on tour. What could she say about seeing him for a second time, blogspot readers? Did she have fun like the first time? Yes yet this time she attended the show more like a fan. It was another thrilling time spent with this dapper gent of a musician who had this crowd pumped with excitement amidst the cloud of New World Order within hate culture which left many screaming for more. By now, the venue had swelled to near capacity for this mid-lineup performance that was shrouded in clouded electric glow, rockin’ guitars and digital tech rhythms to give each of William’s fans one long continuous party. However this reviewer noticed one thing about this performance compared to the last. He didn’t have much room to truly to move and perform at his fullest (because of the drum riser for Combichrist) yet that minor problem didn’t stop this musician from weaving his sexy magic on his loyal fans. Performing live versions of “Price We Pay”, “Revelator” and “Illuminator” off The Neuromancer, William’s commanding presence on stage excited everyone especially when he did a couple of song duets with Ash (of New Year’s Day) and invited a lucky female fan to join him. Though it wasn’t part of the set list, this reviewer suggests listening to her (and Brian’s) favorite song – “The Filth and The Fetish” for its deliciousness of chilling shivers which roll down your spine. William also performed her other two favorites – “Razor’s Edge” and “I’m Only Human” to end his (rather) short(er) performance than usual,  blogspot readers. Still it was a thrilling ride. And if you missed his Chicago performance this time, he promised to return again in the fall ...expect SouthSide to be there too when he does. For more information as well as checking out his album. The Neuromancer, visit http://www.williamcontrol.com.

“CombiFuckin’Christ” ~ the sign on the dressing room door

Combichrist

The moment finally had arrived, blogspot readers, for SouthSide to witness as well as experience the band as Combichrist. Recently, this reviewer had a taste of this band’s hardcore industrial/post-punk rock sound when Joe Letz performed a rare DJ set at Subterranean. However, what she experienced then didn’t compared what happened tonight. Describing Combichrist’s headlining show as insanely awesome, thrillingly wild and fan-frenzied chaos is a good start without giving too much away. SouthSide felt sorry for photographer Brian Lutz (who wasn’t able to snap any photos) was caught deep in the middle of fan-frenzied chaos that erupted soon after the band’s symphonic intro ended amidst thunderous cheers (and some jeers because the intro was a bit too long for a few impatient fans). Combi-fans packed all sides of this venue ...side to side ...front to back. Wall to wall bodies pumped up and ready as they welcomed their rock heroes loud and clear when finally appearing on stage. Fanatic shouts of “...hate disorder/ love destroyer...” filled the room, blogspot readers. There were moments when daring fans jumped on stage only to be instantly pushed off by the band’s videographer for a bit of crowd surfing. And if you thought it was wild amongst the hardcore Combi-fans, then you should have seen the band itself. The front man first appeared on stage wearing a red devil-like mask energetically inciting the crowd to react to each angered cry he made over the microphone. The other members of the band followed suited ...rockin hard amongst their various positions on stage even Joe high upon the synths riser. Yet with all of the fan frenzy going on, blogspot readers, it instantly warmed up the venue to the point that the slow moving fans couldn’t help alleviate the rise room temperature. Some of the Combi-fans this reviewer had seen were nearly passing out and had to sit near the emergency exit doors to catch that cool breeze blowing in. Don’t get SouthSide wrong ...she did enjoy the wild craziness at her first Combichrist performance. From the dark themes inciting anger and frustration over the societal ways and rules to the gritty roughness of the electric riffs off the guitars and vocal fervor constantly fueling their fans excitement. Sadly, the warmth inside this venue ended SouthSide’s fun earlier than expected. Still, she cannot wait until Combichrist returns again. For more information, visit Combichrist at http://www.combichrist.com.

 

Special thanks to Brian Lutz for snapping William Control pictures taken during the interview.

 

 

Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide  

02 Nov 12

***SouthSide sincerely apologizes for the lateness of this review***

"...my ovaries hurt..." ~ Jeffree Star



Hey, blogspot readers, the scene is dead! It was self-proclaimed during this rockin' tour that rolled through Chicago this evening at this Southside venue - Reggie's Rock Club. This was where SouthSide and her daughter, Sunday (not her real name) joined many of fashionably dressed tweens, teens and adults converged to see Blood On The Dance Floor! The lineup also featured the return of New Year's Day as well as Jeffree Star and Davey Suicide with  a DJ spinning the hottest industrial/metalized mixes before and in between acts during this all-ages spectacular. For many attendees, it was return seeing their favorite bands and meeting them after the sets while for others (especially for some parents) it was an experience this reviewer is certain they would never forget.

Kicking off the night of rockin' music and fun was a suicidal riot of pent up teenage frustration and loud "...glam goth monster..." rock, blogspot readers. Davey Suicide opened the lineup with a hardcore bang of  metalized guitar rock coupled with primal screamo vocals and thunderous percussion rhythms which seems to frighten some of the parents sitting in the balcony. However, their kids weren't appalled or shocked by this band's "scary" appearance. Rather, Davey touched on what today's youth are thinking and clearly this band highlighted the discord through songs like Generation Fuck Star (which disses reality music competition shows such as The Voice, X Factor and American Idol) and Fear Is a God. "...it's the idea of creating something larger hand life with 80s and industrial influences such Guns N Roses, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie..." Davey told SouthSide adding "...it's a preference but not so much 80s music ...there's more 80s influence within Davey's [music] than Zombie or Manson..." During her interview with Davey Suicide himself, this reviewer did ask him what other songs should blogspot readers check out off his new album, Put Our Trust In Suicide. "...Hide Your Morals and Kids of America..." according to the band's front man and songwriter because "...it's a band staple ....[plus] they're big anthem-like songs..." If you have seen the official video for Generation Fuck Star (if not, check it out on Davey's YouTube page), blogspot readers, you might notice a cryptic message that reads "...the name Suicide is a constant reminder that unless we kill ourselves, there is no ceiling for what we're capable of. Dreaming keeps us alive..." Davey explained to SouthSide that's a powerful motto ...a self belief in which "...too many people have crutches and they rely on their crutches too many times instead of relying on themselves..." So true indeed. Yet while watching Davey's opening performance, this reviewer couldn't help there was more to this band's performance than what was seen on stage. She did get a chance to ask him about that and he replied "...it was a typical 20 minute set ...[we] had to trim songs for tonight ...some are more melodic and there's one sleazy song..." Also Davey added "...[we] put together a B-side set ...there's a theme song we didn't get to walk on stage to ...[it's] hard to get into a groove within 20 minutes..." And even though it was a mere twenty minutes, this band put a lot into their set that truly had their fans screaming loudly for more. Also - believe it or not, blogspot readers, Davey Suicide is a HUGE (Chicago) Bears fan! Somewhere under his black makeup that coated his arm is a tattoo of Da Bears. Davey also disclosed during the brief interview that if given the opportunity he would like to collaborate with Eminem because "...lyrically he paints things like no one else can..." before adding (Rob) Zombie and (Marilyn) Manson to the mix "...just to learn and get inside their heads to understand their creativity..." SouthSide highly suggests checking out Davey Suicide who's currently touring the Midwest and West coast until mid December as well as snag the album which was released on November 6th. For more information about Davey Suicide and music, visit the official website http://www.daveysuicide.tumblr.com/ .

Hey, IL creeps (ie New Years Day fans), your favorite band kicked some serious hardcore rock arse on stage after beginning the set with a pseudo-Clockwork Orange theme (Funeral Music for Queen Mary) to officially announce the death of the scene! Despite being saddled with a shorter set time, New Years Day utilized every minute for their fans advantage by giving this screaming crowd what they wanted - an awesome, fast paced performance. It was heart pounding fury of energizing intensity within a dark pop/rock vibe at its best, blogspot readers. You could feel the grit off the guitar riffs and thundering percussions in between the feminine gusto on vocals (by Ashley) and her male counterpart who added a bit of testosterone to the lyrics. Once again, this band thoroughly spoke to this generation of rock teens through their songs like Razor and current singles Do Your Worst and Two in the Chest, One in the Head (off the band's Mechancial Heart EP).  For more information about New Years Day, visit the band's Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/newyearsday or on Facebook. Meanwhile, Jeffree Star continued the energizing momenum with his fast pace performance of electronica/club rock atmosphere in which he rocked the stage with two DJs and female dancers. Under the spectacle glow of the electric light and fx, Jeffree turned Reggie's Rock Club into one of the hottest scenes from Hollywood thrilling the delight of his screaming fans on the main floor. Fan will probably recognize this model turned fashion designer now singer/songwriter  from his days on Buzznet or his singly  Lollipop Luxury with Nicki Minaj.  Despite missing most of his set (due to her interview with Davey Suicide), this performer certainly fired up this crowd for the headliner Blood On The Dance Floor with lots of intense music and dazzling sound and lights. And afterwards, he even graciously met with every single fan (including this reviewer) after his set on the balcon for autographs and pictures. For more information about Jeffree Star, visit him at http://www.jeffreestar.tumblr.com/ or on Facebook.

"...I love you times infinity..." ~ Blood On The Dance Floor

After opening to the thrill of excitement and screams of their fans, Blood On The Dance Floor surprised SouthSide with a rather "tame" performance compared to the one she remembered from last year at Reggie's. There wasn't any elaborate costumes or music videos accompanying this hot teen scene band instead there was confetti cannons and soapy bubbles added to the messy mix of sweaty, screaming fans singing and dancing along to their favorite BOTDF song, blogspot readers, though still shocking the parents a little with their full guy on guy lip-locked kiss. That moment right there truly had their fans wildly screaming for more. Featuring an array of songs from Scream For My Ice Cream to Unforgiven and Yo Ho! (A Pirate's Life Is For Me) [Bewitched is still SouthSide's favorite off their All The Rage CD], Dahvie and  Jayy rocked the stage with just more than dance pop for this performance - they even tried something new for instance electric violin(for a love ballad) and female vocals to spice up their already fast paced, sexually-suggested music and sound when featuring songs off their current CDs - Evolution and The Anthem Of The Outcast. SouthSide noticed they have taken a less pop venture for this album and went a bit more hardcore within the subjects of love and death, blogspot readers, when performing Hell On Heels (Givin' In To Sin) and Your Sorry Life. This band does win the award for the best use of  the Home Alone 2: Lost In New York scene where Kevin plays part of the Dirty Angels movie to escape Tim Curry and his hotel staff as part of their lead-in to Design To Kill (SouthSide's not really sure). Yet this clip almost had the fans in near riot stage while the audio was playing. Checking out both albums, this reviewer suggests rockin' to the title track to Anthem Of The Outcast (not the radio edit), D.U.I. (Dancing Under The Influence) and La Petite Morte as well as Frankenstein and The Bride and Mother Earth (off Evolution CD). Check out BOTDF's YouTube page for videos (especially the enchanting Bewitched which gets lots of play on SouthSide's iPod) and also visit http://www.ilovebotdf.com for more information and music.

Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide