So I heard about this event through facebook. A Punk and Metal night in the Game Gallery, a location that has held many gigs over the years. It's a small sized pool bar with a section in the back for those who prefer the beeps and glows of arcade machines. It usually houses a lot of smokers, and the ventilation is poor at best, secondhand smoking ain't optional.
Also, it is very common to see people with tears in their eyes. It's not an emotional reaction to the music, nor is it a gathering of EMO's. There's just That much smoke to deal with. Though it does add to the atmosphere a murky feel of danger and excitement.
The party started late, As usual. People never seem to be able to get there on time. But unlike my last review, I'm done trying to figure it out. So it's just the way things are done here. I guess.
The Good:
Alcohol at a decent price, not cheap, but affordable and definitely wallet-friendly
New Bands! Always nice to see a new addition to the small roster of local bands
Great performances from both bands
Crowd Surfing: It seems this has become a trend lately at the rock parties. Originally started by De Rotte Appels frontman Shavero Ferrier and his rowdy gang.
The Bad:
Guitar Volume: The guitar volume was lacking during De Rotte Appels' performance, the sound man tried his best to improve it, still no luck.
Fight! Apparently someone fell into a moshpit, then had a hissy fit, and started throwing punches left and right like Urkel on crack. Two of the locals restrained him, dragged him out, and I believe he was officially kicked out due to malignant behaviour.
Smoke! My eyes were litterally burning by the time Shadows at Dawn were halfway through their set list.
The Review:
The place itself seemed dead-ish when I arrived there A handfull of people, and some Smile Empty Soul blasting through the speakers.I wondered if people were actually going to show, since it was already 11 and the party was supposed to start around 9:30.
De Rotte Appels:
From the underbelly of Suriname, this rowdy bunch of punk rockers made their way into the scene by playing a slew of house parties before being awarded a chance to play a real show in front of friends, fansm and strangers. From beginning to end it was a nonstop rollercoaster ride of heavy pop punk tunes and Hardcore punk. The band played their versions of pop songs "What's Up?" and "I've Got a Feeling" to which the crowd cheered on. Their drummer even paused for a second during on of their songs to blast the room full of confetti. Their initial reception was luke warm at first, for the metalheads outweighed the punk rockers, but by the end of the night they had everyone cheering them on. The mic stand took a crumbling hit as it became the victim of a moshpit. There was also some weird guy with an oversized Orange hat bouncing around. Their sound has drastically improved since their house party playing days.
Shadows at Dawn:
A new band I had heard very little about and was anxious to see. They crowd grew and had all gathered to see the new band perform. Their tone and style differed drastically from De Rotte Appels, it was darker, heavier and slower. After a while, their songs sounded a bit too slow, and became less dramatic and had more of a droaning feel. The vocalist is a decent screamer, but his vocals cannot seem to reach very high, nor can his volume. But I believe this will get better in time. They soon picked up the pace as their female vocalist joined the group in what I believe to be 2 numbers. My memory fails me, if only there was a brand of beer which did not cause memory loss after continuous abuse. One can only pray. Zeynno, ex frontman of Bitter Confessions, joined them, opening with Drowning Pool's "Bodies" Moshpits and crowd surfing blanketed Shadows at Dawn's final number as they were embraced by the crowd's support. Metal heads and punks united for sweet partying (not to mention sweaty).
Conclusion:
Both bands did an wonderful job, keeping the crowd going. No slow songs this time, just a fast and heavy musical explosion throughout the night. It wasn't without its hiccups, but they didn't make the event unenjoyable. The fight was something of concern, but that was also dealt with in a non-violent way. I welcome these two bands into the scene and look forward to the next, and hopefully larger, location (with better ventilation).
yours truly, Mr. Funnybone
