Live Review : Slipknot + Behemoth @ MEN Arena, Manchester on January 16th 2020

Mainstream Metal tends to keep Black Metal at an arm's length. It is reluctant to invite its it's uncouth younger sibling to prestigious occasions, for fear that they will say the wrong thing (like hail Satan in old Norse), burn a couple of churches down or attempt to sacrifice the pet cat. Behemoth however seem to have got in under the wire and are viewed as the acceptable (corpse painted) face of the extreme genres, without actually in any way tempering their approach. They maybe playing one of Europe’s biggest arenas as the opening act for the hottest show in town, but they are still one hundred percent a nasty venomous Satan worshipping machine.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas19 January 2020Manchester ArenaSlipknot, Behemoth, MEN Arena, Manchester, 2020, Live Review, Stewart LucasComment

Live Review : KISS @ MEN Arena, Manchester on July 12th 2019

I spent a considerable part of my childhood in Norway. In the late seventies, there was a craze amongst the Norwegian kids to collect KISS trading cards. I was transfixed by these otherworldly comic book like characters. Resplendent in leather, steel with black and white face paint, they captured my imagination like nothing before. They didn't look like the drab rock stars I was used to seeing on telly, they felt more like super heroes. Pretty soon, I had developed a life long obsession with the band. I stayed true during the lean non-make up eighties (Hell! I even bought “Hot in the Shade”).

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas14 July 2019MEN ArenaKISS, MEN Arena, Manchester, 2019, Live Review, Stewart LucasComment

Live Review : Nightwish + Beast In Black @ MEN Arena, Manchester on December 11th 2018

I've traveled all over this country and to the continent to see Nightwish, so it was quite nice for once to see them with just a simple twenty minute tram ride home. Though, to be honest I suspect booking the cavernous Manchester Arena may have been a slightly over-ambitious move on their part as it is only about at best, a third full and there was enough space at the back of the seating area to build a small nuclear reactor. Though I shouldn't really complain as taking residence in the biggest venue Manchester has to offer means that they have been able to bring their full mega production and that production includes obligatory support act that haven't played UK before.

Live Review : Slayer + Lamb Of God + Anthrax + Obituary @ MEN Arena, Manchester on November 9th 2018

It was only in 2010 that I saw Slayer headline a three quarters full Academy, just eight short years later they pretty much filled the Arena. But this is no bog standard Slayer gig, this is, apparently, the end and everyone wants to get one last look at Slayer before its all over. Because the truth is at some point over the last decade Slayer replaced Black Sabbath as being the officially recognised dictionary definition of Metal. They have become metal's spirit and essence distilled into one band. And now they are going away.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas11 November 2018MEN ArenaSlayer, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Obituary, MEN Arena, Manchester, 2018, ReviewComment