6.30 p.m. Thursday the 28th August 1997
We arrived at our first gig with a mixed feeling of apprehension and bewilderment.
Due to lacklustre promotion and a general lack of experience within the band we were
unsure of what to expect. Despite receiving our ticket allocation very late we still
managed to sell a large amount of tickets to friends and family who were instructed to
arrive about ten to nine.
The first impression of the gig build up was the lack of help. The sound man basically told us to set up equipment were we wanted it and then buggered off to put some loud blues music on which helped to drown out any instructions we were giving each other. Ordog arrived about the same time as we did and succeeded in stumping the band with their first question. It was the age old classic- " What do you sound like?". After getting ourselves out of that tight corner we established that Ordog (The headliners) were a black metal band, and no they don't paint their faces. They also wouldn't reveal what Ordog meant. Further investigation revealed that they were supplying as little equipment as possible in the shape of a drumkit which, thanks to a late phone call, Malky would be supplying with pedals. Unfortunately they also did not have a drum stool. Nerves were slowly being replaced with a vein of dark humour as we, the new bunch of amateurs, were providing all the amps. Overall Ordog seemed a decent bunch of guys as did the other members of the bill, Half Cut.
We were tuning up when they entered the Rat Trap's hallowed hall. The first thing to hit home was the abundance of Spandex. Further hilarity ensued with the introduction of black pirate type shirts and a short discussion in which we discovered Half Cut's preference for wearing make up on stage. Half Cut then decided that their drum kit was better than the one that was already set up and decided to change the kits about. It was at this time that we discovered that the back stage area was in fact a tiny square situated to the left of the stage. It was here then that a drum kit and an abundance of guitars were stored along with coats and bags basically making everything as difficult as possible. Just as Half Cut started to fuck around with our amps placing theirs in front and on top news filtered through that Ordog had passed up their headlining spot in favour of Half Cut because they looked more professional. It was now that the gig started to descend into a joke.
8.00 p.m.
Doors opened and no sound checks had taken place. Half Cut
were fucking about on stage and it took them about 20 minutes until they started to work
on their sound check. Suitably decked out with a collection of alcoholic beverages we
became a bit worried as to the fact that we would be sound checking while the audience
were in the house and further suggestions that Malky might fuck up on the bass drum during
'Betrayal' where not helping the situation. However as
Half Cut pissed about for an age a feeling of anger started
to take hold as it became clear that we may have a chance of wiping the floor with the
other two bands. Nervous jokes flew round and a group of friends appeared further adding
to the expectant tension.
Eventually Half Cut finished up and Ordog took the stage. They sped up proceedings although playing a whole song in their sound check may have not been the greatest idea.
Eventually it was our turn to take the stage. The place was pretty busy and although we should have been nervous the actual nerves never really came. We were now too laid back to care much and it was a pleasant surprise to find my guitars still in tune. We played through a short section of 'Faithless' twice as our sound check parodying Half Cut's attempt but I believe this created some tension in the crowd as they thought our songs were very short. We had been instructed to immediately start after our sound check which ruined any kind of entrance but calmed us down as we were already on the stage.
I was surprised when Mark suddenly introduced the first song but not nearly as surprised as when the lights went down during the second bar of 'The Bitter Memory'. I kept my eyes to the floor and tried to mosh my way through the whole set. A feeling of purpose and confidence came as soon as the drums started and so Dying Sun started their live career...
With 'The Bitter Memory' complete there came a pleasantly loud cheer and with a short introduction we entered into the realms of 'As The Snow Falls'. I am reliably informed that this is when our mosher made his presence felt although I didn't notice him to much later. The heavy mid section of the song was when we really started to get going somewhat helped by Mark's frantic stage presence. As the song came to an end with Malky's crash ending the cheer came again and the stage belonged to us.
'Sorrow's Smile' was to prove the surprise hit amongst the crowd with its crunching mid section and tasty lead parts appealing to the masses. So far so good, but now came the biggest risk of the night with the acoustic quiet of 'Cold Blood'. After almost breaking Kevin's bass, again, the song started and judging by the cheer at the end the crowd seemed to enjoy it. The rest of the band appeared again to complete the rest of the set with the last two songs. The already familiar 'Faithless' was a cool reintroduction to the heavier side of the band and then came the ever different 'Betrayal'.
Here things went slightly awry with Mark's late intro shout and a bit of a mess near the end but all in all the gig went really well and judging by the praise which was laid upon us by virtually everyone there we figured that they must have enjoyed it. As first gigs go this was not too bad and I think we surprised a few people.
© Graeme Duff 1997