By Andrew Bansal
December 30th 2013, Skinny’s Lounge, North Hollywood CA: After a successful event in November, the monthly ‘Metal Monday’ returned to Skinny’s Lounge in North Hollywood last night. Presented by Lara Gladstone, this show featured Cobra Venom, Legal Tender, Nothing Sacred, Fracture and Inheritor, yet another diverse lineup of metal bands that promised to lighten up every attendee’s Monday night. I enjoyed the vibe of this venue on my previous visit here last month, and with the prospect of two great local bands Legal Tender and Cobra Venom taking the stage along with three other potentially good bands to look forward to, in addition of course to the venue being easily accessible from the Hollywood area via the Los Angeles Metro Red Line, there was absolutely no reason for me to not attend this show.
Doors opened at 8 PM, ad upon entering the venue, attendees were handed free raffle tickets for an extremely generous giveaway of a pair of NAMM badges, to be held after the last band was done playing. The show began promptly at 8:15 as San Fernando Valley-based modern metal band Fracture started things off with a 30-minute set. Their music was decent enough for an opening act and although it didn’t take me by storm to begin with, it grew on me to an extent as the set went on. But I wouldn’t judge them based on this performance because they were marred by sound issues. The lead guitar wasn’t nearly loud enough and the center microphone was cracking. Nonetheless, not a bad start to the show.
Shortly after, Burbank’s Legal Tender hit the stage with a scorching set of pristine heavy metal that instantly struck the right chord with everyone in this audience. I saw them open for Holy Grail at the Whisky last July and was impressed by their performance then, and saw them again at the same venue this last Thursday when they played a free after-Christmas gig. But last night I got my first chance to take a close look at what this band was all about, and I’m pleased to say they did not disappoint at all. Based on last night, it’s clear to me that Legal Tender musically have the complete package and present it excellently in a live setting. They employ a classic four-piece lineup, which means each member pulls his weight in the band and there’s no one to hide behind. Combining elements of old-school and modern metal, they have what it takes to cater to a wide range of metalheads. Their level of musicianship and on-stage energy was fantastic last night, and at one point the singer took it upon himself to start a mosh pit as he jumped into the crowd and instigated it on his own. They presented four of their own tunes and ended with a solid rendition of Black Sabbath’s ‘Children Of The Grave’. I haven’t felt this good about a new band since I saw Holy Grail for the first time and they blew my mind, so Legal Tender can certainly count me as a new fan, and I’m going to make every effort to attend all of their gigs from now on.
Visit Legal Tender on the web:
facebook.com/LegalTenderband
twitter.com/LegalTenderband
Set List:
1. Street Walker
2. Mark My Words
3. Swallow Your Soul
4. Lust In Demons
5. Children Of The Grave (Black Sabbath cover)
It was a tough act to follow for any band playing after a set like that from Legal Tender, but to their credit, Los Angeles-based hard rock band Nothing Sacred were up to the task. This five-piece lineup brought a late 80s/early 90s style of hard rock to this stage a la Guns N’ Roses and the likes, and they put on an entertaining show with good musicianship and the right kind of stage presence and attitude required to successfully portray this kind of music. Their singer did a great job and so did the rhythm section, but the impact of their set was somewhat ruined by the lack of guitars in the mix. Both guitarists looked like they were shredding circles around their instruments, but they weren’t loud enough in the mix which was a real pity. Other than that, Nothing Sacred put on a good show and I can see them doing well in venues around Hollywood and the Sunset Strip in particular, as their musical style is a perfect fit for those audiences. On a side note, I couldn’t get over the fact that their bassist looked like Kreator frontman Mille Petrozza’s doppelganger.
Visit Nothing Sacred on the web:
facebook.com/NothingSacred
twitter.com/NothingSacredLA
Set List:
1. Shotgun
2. Let’s Dance
3. We’re All Junkies
4. Lowlife
5. Deathwish
6. Walk Of Shame
7. No Way Out
8. You Don’t Even Know
9. Last Chance
10.Kids Of The Night
Every band was different from each other so far, and the trend continued with the next band Cobra Venom decimating this stage with their brand of crossover thrash and hardcore punk expressed through short, to-the-point tunes. It felt like the show needed an influx of dirty thrash, and Cobra Venom certainly provided that in plenty with a crushing performance consisting of the best of their own material and a Dead Kennedys cover thrown in for good measure. Drummer Dan Hegarty, also known in local underground circles for his involvement in the Cliff Burton-era Metallica tribute band Cliff ‘Em All, showcased his skills to the fullest during this Cobra Venom set and his three band mates were just as good in their respective roles. They were the first and only band of the night to get a proper mosh pit and their show definitely compelled the audience to move. A killer set overall by Cobra Venom, another band that now finds a place on my radar as far as upcoming gigs are concerned.
Visit Cobra Venom on the web:
CobraVenom.TV
facebook.com/CobraVenomband
twitter.com/CobraVenomband
Set List:
1. Opiates And Energy Drinks
2. Face Hits The Ground
3. KSW
4. Fullerton P.D.
5. Fight Or Die
6. Forbidden
7. I Have Bomb In Trunk
8. Macho Insecurity (Dead Kennedys cover)
The last band of the night was female-fronted power metal band Inheritor, and I’m afraid they couldn’t really match the quality of musicianship delivered by Cobra Venom, or any of the other bands for that matter. They have the right idea in terms of the style of music they’re going for, but based on last night I’d have to say the execution is lacking. First of all they got their mix horribly wrong as the lead guitar was not sufficiently audible, and secondly the vocals, both the clean and growling varieties, were devoid of juice. They might have sounded better if the mix was perfect, so I wouldn’t write them off completely, but all I’d say is they have a lot to improve upon.
After they were done, Lara Gladstone walked onto the stage and conducted the NAMM raffle. But unlike November’s raffle, she didn’t merely give the prize away without question, and thankfully, it didn’t take an eternity to arrive at the winning number. This time, the first draw itself was successful as the person with the winning raffle ticket number was present. But before she was declared as the deserving winner, she was asked for the expansion of the NAMM abbreviation, and many people in the audience were pleasantly shocked to discover that she actually knew the answer. This idea of doing a trivia-type thing before giving away the prize made the raffle more fun, and frankly I was a little surprised that the prospect of winning two passes to an event as exclusive and prestigious as NAMM didn’t attract more people to the show on its own.
All in all though, this edition of Metal Monday at Skinny’s can be largely deemed as a success due to impressive sets by Cobra Venom, Legal Tender and Nothing Sacred, and even though the turnout was disappointing, I feel a culture of such events is developing at this venue, and as long as the promoter continues to put in the same level of effort, this culture will only grow bigger.
Visit ‘Metal Mondays’ on the web:
facebook.com/MetalMondaysInLA
Visit Skinny’s Lounge on the web:
SkinnysLounge.com
facebook.com/pages/Skinnys-Lounge-in-NOHO/109244342457873
twitter.com/SkinnysNoHo