Openers tonight were Psycore. Having only heard one or two songs of theirs before tonight, I was going with an open mind. I was pleasantly surprised - they were better than expected - by the end of the set, I was getting quite into them. The crowd response was impressive too, considering they were a support band.

Next up was the mighty Sepultura. As they opened with 'Against', I was glad I was on the balcony - looking below on to the short but very wide floor, it was just a sea of bodies jumping and pushing - right up to the back - everywhere! The dry ice machine was working overtime - for the first three or four songs, all I could see on stage was smoke - the effect was very impressive (most bands never use enough dry ice to achieve any effect at all). Anyway, enough gibbering, onto the music. As expected, a lot of material was played from the new album, with a lot of Roots material also getting aired. Not much older stuff in the set at all though, they could have done with more of it. The best songs of the night for me was the material from Roots - weird, considering I never really got into that album much at all. Hearing those songs live, though, gave them a new lease of life for me.

Derrick was better live than I expected - he had great stage presence, and a lot of energy - as well as being damn tall! One bad thing about him (which really had nothing to do with him) was that he had a filter on his voice, making it sound more distorted. It seemed unneccessary, since his voice was damn aggressive anyway. I was impressed with the way he handled songs like 'Refuse/Resist' and 'Arise' - if I wasn't convinced by Derrick before tonight, 1 sure as hell am now.

One down point about the new look Sepultura was the obvious lack of a second guitarist. The material from Chaos A.D. is where I noticed it most - the bass tried to cover the lack of a second guitarist in some of the more obvious parts, and for the most part it worked quite well. Even though Sepultura played a damn good gig, the lack of a second guitar was quite noticeable. Derrick played guitar on two or three songs, but his guitar skills were limited - he couldn't get close to the speed required, making it obvious he was not experienced in playing this type of music. At least he realised his limitations in that area, and didn't become a full time guitarist.

Tonight was clear evidence that there was more to Sepultura than just former frontman Max Cavalera - the new look Sepultura blew the roof off this place tonight, and gave us a sharp reminder of how good they can be.

Got through the door after the metal detectors and search, got the t-shirt, and still made it to the main hall for the first band Caffine. This band are a three piece Offspring type band . A sort of cross between punk, rock, and strong coffee. The whole band look hyped up on something, and their set went down well with the crowd - although I thought too many of the songs sounded the same. The sound quality was good as everything could be heard clearly and nothing appeared to be drowned out or too loud.

Unlike the second band , don't know what their name was as when their vocalist was speaking all I or any of my friends heard was "jdhfhirgeghdbvjvcjehvuowejgvbdhgrhguwfbcuwegkjhruvbqreg" (well not quite but that makes about as much sense.). The sound quality for this band was very poor - there were two guitarist on the stage (I only know that because I saw them, I couldn't hear them), I could hear some drums but mainly all that could be heard was BASS (Hi Kevin) [funny man - Ed]. The stage setup was a little funny as the drummer set his kit up side on to the audience. I don't know if this was because the roadies got it wrong or if the drummer just wanted to show of his tricks (not that any of his tricks where origninal - just the usual throwing the sticks to various hights and catching them again [shut it drummer boy - Ed])

Finally Offspring sneaked onto the stage (well they would have done if the lights hadn't been on). They started with a couple of songs of the new album Americana. See the review here. They got the crowd going before the went back to the forth album ixnay on the hombre, then came the first song off SMASH, 'Bad Habit' and the crowd went wild . The crowd stayed like that as they went through other songs including "Pretty fly","Come out and Play", "Self esteem", they finished the set with "Nitro". It was a well played set and the quality was superb with eveything working apart from the female vocals during "Pretty fly" which could not be heard all that well but that was the only thing that was wrong with an otherwise brilliant set. As the crowd went wilder it was good to see that they were helping each other out to stop alot of the smaller people getting seriously hurt. The was also the intermission which seems to have become a sort of trade mark for The Offspring but this time it had ..... wait for it ......... Bubbles. Ta Da. The intermission gave time for a quick breather before going back to the pit.

All in all this was a concert well worth going to see as all the bands played a good set (the second band seemed to think they had played a good set I just think they were let down by the soundman on the night)

WHITBY A REVOOOOO, THE GLASGOW STORY...

FRIDAY
Bus arrived at 8 ish and everybody gets on BUT no John & Bekki, after much waiting an internationaly agreed time to leave was set at 8:30, said J&B turn up at 30 seconds to 8:30, CLOSE SHAVE..... Bus journey was ok till we got to the service station and we chipped in for a Saltire which was taped to the back of the bus.The malarkie level was low at this point but it always is BUT a bagpipe version of Mull of Kintyre was sang and a few rumbling of others. (no engagements at this point but Joe P got a final written warning for being mouthy). Got to whitby last one on the room, no room for me, B&B bloke got me a fold down bed later but at one point i thought that me and KBD were in the same bed (enough to strike fear into the stronest mens hearts). Went to the Little Angel to meet Ian & Niki and Jaundice-Boy (Gordon from the Dreamies) Ian & Niki turn up, but no J-B he turns up when the pizzas are being ordered did meet the singer from the Sisters of Murphy and his lady-friend.Malarkie level 3 and rising. The Spa was full of grumpy people and could have turned into a bar room brawl at any moment (up early+travling all day+plenty much beer = grumpy goths). Saw Nervosa, they have matured into a fine band, very impressed, missed the rest of the bands too busy talking and catching up. Freddy & Tina had some lovely Apple stuff to drink, stole as much as poss. Danced to Top Cat theme tune and KBD skipped to it. BED,SLEEP... (The 'aftershock incedent' is another story)

Saturday
75% of the room made it to breakfast, i stayed in bed conserved my energy for shopping. Went to the Spa and shopped for CDs 'n' stuff. Too many to buy, spent too much, went to the pub, back to the B&B to get ready KBD decided to break with tradition and have a shower after which he walked about the room with his pants on hih head and gave us all the 'bo-bo jeebees' :(. Saturday night after a false start (walking into the only locked door of the Spa and bouncing back off it) entered the Spa. Scary-Mary and her friend were the only ones in fancy dress from Glasgow but lots of dressed up goths from else where. Saw the first band they were good (i am not going to try to name them as i got it wrong all weekend G&D help me out) missed the second band, saw some of Rosetta ( last ever gig or so they said) from what i heard later they were a dissapointing average. Hope its not the last one as they and only a few other bands are the last real goth bands in the UK. Didn't dance. Gavin tryed his best chatting up skills on Hazel_sex_Goddess (ask him it's a hoot) he died a death... Gavin,KBD,freddy & Joe wore their t-shirts (not.net.goth) but i danced to the beat of a diffrent drum (or angle-grinder)

Sunday
Saw the breakfast table for the first time then back to bed till someone farted us awake again.I was at this point worrying about what i would play that night as i was helping out with G&D's wheels of steel (sexy sunday at the Metropole Hotel). Saw the pub for the third time this weekend and the Glasgow crowed were already in place for another epic Sunday, banter was mild but still as funny but singing was at a bare minimum. Now, i don't like to be self indulgent but seeing as no one else will do it (and G&D are always left to do it) i am going to review the Sexy Sunday disco (D.I.S.C.O). Last year i heard was very quiet so i exspected it to be the same again,NO! From the doors opening they steamed in and not as i have noticed over the years as the not so dressed up people coming first then the dressed up ones later after much crimping and make-uping,they came in on-mass like the Broons. We started with less well known stuff and album tracks (don't want to peak to soon) but only after a few of them people started filtering on to the dancefloor, flaying arms and mouthing the words and doing more than the usual two-step.As the people came in they started to get a bit brave and ask for a song or two with the exception of one bloke who wrote a page and a half of just band names some of which we had played but it was hard to tell as his writing looked like Chinese, we asked Gavin to read it for us at the end of the night when he is most fluent in said language and even he said 'aaeeeaaeeeaoh oh nhha'.The place was quite busy within an hour or so of the doors opening and once the more known songs were played there was no turning back,almost all the songs were dancefloor classics.We had people dancing on the stage we were djing from and at one point playing the Mission it looked like a Barrowland gig, people on each others shoulders and hands in the air.By the last song (More) the crowd started a conga with the orginiser Hazel. As the music died and people started filtering out again the atmosphere was one of sadness that it had to finish at midnight. As the pa was loaded out and the pa owner was taken away for quetioning by the police (true story) we went home stopping only to get the smiles surgiecally removed from our faces. Got back to the B&B to see Gavin disappearing like a rat up a drainpipe with some people in search of a party, KBD crashed out and talking in his sleep and Colin in a frilly night shirt with frilly cuffs and wearing a frilly night-cap and frilly slippers looking for some frills he may have dropped in our room.

Monday
"come and play it's nice to day at the car wash"
After breakfast we went to play pool but ended up playing 2p games instead, we must have spent at least 70p each. At 10:59:59 Gavin's body stiffened up, nose in the air and said "the taps have been swithced on in the Little Angel", so following on his wake we went to the pub and hug out there till it was time for the bus. Colin going for the bus was somthing to be seen as the heel from his boot had fallen off about an hour before so he looked like a war hero that had taken shrapnel at Dunkirk. NOW! up untill this point the weekend was excelent, but the driver of the bus was a complete w***er, he did not like us one bit and killed the atmosphere as soon as he opened the bus doors.Greg and Dave P had to load and unload the bags, he wouldn't stop for pee-pee breaks and he turnd the heating up full on the bus so (in my opinoin) we would all fall asleep, we didn't. Bus malarkie-0.1, bus drinking-a small carton of ki-ora . By the time we got to Glasgow and we had braved the snow storms and the driver going too fast (get us home quicker) only me,KBD & Gavin were up to the pub.Then home to pick the sparks out of my hair ;)

It was a great weekend, thank you once again to Danelle & Greg who organised the entire weekend.

*if you have read all this you are a better person that i am, i haven't so of i've missed anything or anyone out, post in youself!

If any Glasgow Goths wants to find out about going the Whitby weekend email DD@ntpdg.demon.co.uk

The rest of the world email jo@whitby02.demon.co.uk

or visit the offical Whitby weekend web site:  http://whitby.darkwave.org.uk/

Next weekends are 23rd-25th April 1999 and 5th-7th November 1999