By Andrew Bansal
January 10th 2014, The Echo, Los Angeles CA: Rejuvenated hardcore punk veterans from Santa Cruz, California, Bl’ast played with Neurosis a couple of weeks ago in Santa Ana and San Francisco. Those were Bl’ast’s first shows in over 15 years, with the lineup of original members Clifford Dinsmore on vocals and Mike Neider on guitars, along with the newly recruited Nick Oliveri on bass and Hoss Wright on drums. Based on the experiences of people who attended either of those shows, it’s clear that Bl’ast are back with a vengeance, living up to their name and reputation with the performances they put on in front of those crowds and holding their own amongst bands like Neurosis and Yob. But on this occasion at the Echo, it was their headline show, to be played to a sold-out venue packed with a majority of their Los Angeles fans, and with support from three amazing bands.
Doors opened at around 8:40, people flocked in and shortly after, the Echo was bustling with anticipation. At 9:10, Venice-based trio The Shrine started the show by ripping this stage a new one with their 35-minute set of punk-infused rock n’ roll. These boys have conquered several stages in Los Angeles and beyond, recently completing a successful North American tour with the mighty Red Fang and then heading to Australia with Earthless for a 10-day run. That tour ended on January 6th and they returned to LA just in time for this gig, so one would expect them to be jet-lagged and burnt out, but on the contrary, their performance last night was just about as good as any I’ve seen previously. Newer songs like ‘Tripping Corpse’ and ‘Worship’ certainly made their show dynamic and energetic, while the older material, as always, went down well with the fans, many of whom had turned up here early to support the band. Besides, extended jam-oriented versions of ‘Nothing Forever’ and ‘Deep River (Livin’ To Die)’ showcased the added level of musical maturity that’s naturally crept into the band. One cannot and should not get tired of watching The Shrine in a live setting, for they are truly one of Los Angeles’ finest.
Visit The Shrine on the web:
TheShrineband.com
facebook.com/TheShrineFuzz
instagram.com/TheShrine
Set List:
01. Tripping Corpse
02. Worship
03. Whistlings Of Death
04. Drinking Man
05. Run The Night
06. Nothing Forever
07. Deep River (Livin’ To Die)
Longtime Los Angeles-based sludge quartet 16 were next to take the stage. As their brand of dirty low-end sludge was almost the polar opposite of The Shrine’s music, it took a little getting used to at first, but a couple of tunes in, their set was making its desired impact and the crowd was beginning to enjoy it. The band has been around since 1992 and were releasing albums consistently up until 2004 following which they broke up, but in 2007 they reunited, signed to Relapse Records and resumed their activities full-on. Strangely enough, despite them being an LA band this was my first time seeing them, and it’s safe to say it won’t be my last because their portrayal of quintessential sludge was extremely apt and engaging for fans of the genre.
Visit 16 on the web:
facebook.com/16band
twitter.com/16theband
Set List:
01. Skin & Bones
02. Born To Lose
03. Broom Pusher
04. Theme From ‘Pill Popper’
05. A Real Piece Of Work
06. Her Little Accident
07. Ride The Snake
08. Asian Heat
Following that, the ever-destructive Oxnard power violence outfit Nails destroyed the stage with a typically punishing set. Their recent bad luck of canceled appearances with Godflesh and Exodus finally came to an end, and on this occasion they arrived with a purpose and delivered the goods. It had been a while since I’d last seen Nails, and this set of theirs reminded me of just how amazing of a live band they are. Vocalist/guitarist Todd Jones was his usual pissed-off self, well-assisted by his band mates, and together they laid down some earth-shattering hardcore music which generated violent mosh pits in the crowd. But aside from expressing himself to the fullest extent during the set, Todd Jones was gracious to share the story of how Bl’ast influenced him in his early teenage years, and before the band played the tune ‘Absolute Control’ from their latest album Abandon All Life, Jones went on to make a statement that really resonated deeply with me, “Music is above any aesthetic or way of dressing. It’s a feeling, it’s an emotion.” Overall, this Nails set was slower in pace as compared to some of the previous times I’ve seen them, but it was definitely more devastating and the tempo changes brought forth by the newer material added an extra dimension to their live show. Nails look all set to annihilate everything that comes in their path in the year of 2014 and beyond.
Visit Nails on the web:
facebook.com/NailsOxnard
twitter.com/NailsOxnard
And finally, Bl’ast took the stage at midnight and played an excellent 45-minute set that induced mosh pits, plenty of crowd surfing and stage diving, creating an electric atmosphere inside this tiny room. Their Los Angeles fan base had come out in large numbers to attend this show, and the level of appreciation for Bl’ast’s performance could be clearly felt as they brought 30 years of California hardcore punk to this stage, led by a fantastic performance from vocalist Clifford Dinsmore and an equally powerful display from his band mates. He formally introduced Nick Oliveri amidst loud cheers from the audience which consisted of a lot of old-time fans who’d been waiting to see Bl’ast for a long time, and by the looks of it, the new incarnation of Bl’ast received an overwhelmingly positive response from everyone in attendance. With an announcement from Dinsmore stated that Bl’ast will be playing a co-headline with Final Conflict at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach on January 24th, this set came to an end and fans dispersed, satisfied with what they were treated with. Bl’ast are alive and well again, and mean business.
Visit Bl’ast on the web:
BlastOfficial.com
facebook.com/pages/Blast/44354206391