Black Metal Birthday

2007-03-31
Thee Ravari Tomb

DEVILCAKE + 10 other bands.......

The gig was Charlie Aggression's present to himself. He asked all of his favorite local metal bands to play his birthday for free. All 11 of us.

The event kicked off early, like 6:30pm. Devilcake played later, like in the 9:30pm region.

Let's see, we hadn't rehearsed in like three weeks & I was pretty rusty on the drums at our night-before practice session. We (or was it Satan) pieced together a 25-minute set, tight as ya like. Heavy on the heavy, light on the relief.

I got to Theee Ravariiie Tomb at 8:30, just in time to find Brian & Michelle walking around to the back door. Except they didn't know which door was the actual, like, door to get in through. That sentence makes sense if you've been there.

So, we were the first ones in the place. Gourley pulled up two seconds later, um, carrying my drums in his car. What a guy. I graciously gave him a hand with carrying all of my shit into the place. Ha. Then Michael Bill & Ashley appeared in the parking lot just like two apparitions. One big one with a ZOMBY WOOF shirt.

A band was finishing their set as we walked in. And after about 10 minutes, the next band started & they were heavy as shit. I mean, heavy heavy and professional. They totally had their shit together. They were so much heavier than us. Like, um, Opeth without all the wimpy parts. Just, blastbeats and death grooves and what have you. I mean, damn. I couldn't hear their name.

The place gradually filled up with metalheads of all description. Another band played, whose name I also didn't catch. They were a very loud trio that played something like progressive death metal noise. Um, like Stickdog plus Fudge Tunnel or whatever. Not bad for 20 minutes.

Steve & Rachel came in at that point. I was relieved to see that Rachel didn't opt for the Shaw Blades show after all. So her Devilcake attendance record is still clean.

Then it was our turn to, uh, do our thing. I was going to say it was our turn to rock, but was it really? "Rock" is a relative term. We were like comic relief after the unbelievable heaviness of the day. Except no one really laughed except us. Again.

For the first time in the modern era, I actually set all my drum shit up BEFORE we went on stage. Imagine that! And also for the first time in the modern era, I played decently & settled into a groove immediately. Holy frickin' crap!?!!??!

Steve, unfortunately, had no such luck as we were rushed along by the soundman before our set. His guitar was getting no signal & it was kind of scary for a few minutes there. Luckily he figured it out & we were able to launch into the set... which was something along the lines of

WIENERMOBILE
I WANT A BIG MAC
HANDS OFF MY OREOS
FRIBBLE
CARMEL KNOWLEDGE
MARSHMALLOW
PIZZA PARTY
BURN SANDWICH BURN

Oh man, I was sweatin' up a storm. I broke two, count 'em, TWO sticks. I was beating the hell out of everything & the mic on the mounted tom kept falling off, impeding my savagery. And then the bass drum beater kept getting stuck in my pants. Ha. My cheap-ass cymbal stands crept toward the edge of the drum riser every time I hit them. Which was often, obviously.

And yet I still found time to sing along, act a fool, have some fun. It was nice.

I don't think Gourley was as into it as usual. He seemed kind of subdued, maybe all of the metal-studded black metal fans & bands in the audience were putting him off. I don't know. Michael Bill and Brian were rock solid. Except I couldn't hear Brian on the last couple of songs. I think he had fun, it was his first gig ever.

I think Big Mac was pretty damn heavy, at least it sounded good to me. I love Burn Sandwich Burn but it was just a punishing dirge after I blew my proverbial (okay, actual) wad during Pizza Party. See, I thought we'd finish with Pizza Party & be done. But no.

As soon as we finished playing, I started pulling all of my stuff off the stage, which, again, I don't usually do. I usually just stand on the drum riser like a big tit that's in the way. And take my sweet time breaking stuff down. Not no mo'.

Then I had a 'pizza party' of my own over in the corner, with the two cold Hound Dog's pizzas that Gourley got earlier. Mmmmmm, forbidden cheesy pizza. I was literally trying to break down stands with one hand & hold pizza with the other. Typically shambolic.

So, there you have it. Another Devilcake gig in which we didn't sound like any of the other bands & we just alienated everyone but laughed at ourselves in the process.