Being a single melophile, is there any better way to spend Valentine's Day than seeing two bands, live and loud?
Especially when it is two, big-name bands from the nu-metal era of my youth, who remain in high rotation on my playlists and star in the soundtrack of my life? No, there is not!Mudvayne and Coal Chamber's sold-out Brisbane show at The Fortitude Music Hall (14 February) just happens to bring fans of both bands together and let's face it, with this line-up there is no room for supports!
Inside the venue, punters are packing in quickly and tightly. The stage illuminates a Coal Chamber logo for the backdrop, while amp stacks either side of the drum kit feature Coal Chamber smiley faces framed with different coloured LED lights.
Coal Chamber - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Over the speakers, 'Mr. Sandman' (The Chordettes) is almost silenced by a deafening roar from punters behind me. After a little vocal subsidence, I recognise the unsettling sounds of John Carpenter's 'Halloween Theme'. Another joyous roar from the crowd erupts as we know what song follows this piece.
At the same time, Mike Cox (drums) comes onstage taking his seat behind the kick drum with someone already pouring a bottle of water over his head. He's obviously wanting to keep on top of the steamy night from the get-go.
Nadja Peulen (bass) takes place before a fan that blows her deep red mane around her head and Miguel Rascón (guitar) aka Meegs strikes a cool guitar pose for his fans. Meegs and Peulen flank either side of Dez Farafa (vocals) who has swaggered onstage in black, short-sleeved overalls printed with 'Dez' on the front and 'Coal Chamber' on the back.
He holds out his arms as he takes in the sight of the packed house before him. From this point forwards, Coal Chamber hold our attention hostage. As the intro of their opening fan favourite 'Loco' concludes with its lengthy sustained note ringing in the air around us, Fafara bellows a deep "Pull!".
Coal Chamber - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Peulen then gives us the killer basslines who along with Cox hold tight the song's heavy groove before Fafara and the crowd chime in with "Steamroller rollin' through my head, said attached to loco, power up coal! Through the system. . . use the main plan. Full power, up to the point man, don't f... with me! mm Loco!"
Boy, we are about as loco as we can be without having to be committed – yet committed we are to decimating our vocal cords with this very first song. The steam created from hot bodies in front of the stage has created its own steam train locomotive of moshing fans who keep riding that train as 'Loco' gives way to a brilliant performance of their classic banger 'Fiend'.
Fafara addresses his fans with a cheeky grin asking us: 'Who's got tha keys to this motherf...er?" Oh yeah! 'Big Truck' hits like a B-double coming at us at 150kph. Big truck alright – a downright sonic t-boning!
The intensity remains solid with 'I.O.U. Nothing' as Meegs receives a lot of attention from his fans as he crouches low and makes eye contact. We get a little reprieve, albeit still acoustically and lusciously heavy, with a chance to slow rock-mosh to 'Rowboat', a Flood cover that Coal Chamber has made their own and tonight it's cooked to perfection Fafara and Meegs style.
The aggression of 'Drove' smashes us about the ears next and follows with a short and sweet 'Mist' that's the prelude to 'El Cu Cuy' and 'Not Living', which keeps us in a state of mosh mayhem.
'Dark Days' is greeted with loud roars and 'Oddity' gives fans more energy to turn the pit into a tornado of moshing maniacs. 'Another Nail In The Coffin' and 'Something Told Me' are performed before Fafara introduces big banger 'Clock' where he directs us to swing an arm side to side over our heads to the timing of "Clock, tick, tick, tick, tick-tock, tick-tock," before it hammers our ears.
Coal Chamber - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Fans easily predict Coal Chamber's best has been saved to close out their set who start to bleat out: "The roof. The roof. The roof is on fire!" The venue erupts into chaotic glee as the band come in with that exact song.
Everyone around me sings and screams, bouncing on their soles, rocking and swaying side to side – it's "So hypnotic!" Peulen and Cox finish as tight as they started, Fafara's voice has stayed strong throughout and Meegs, well everybody knows Meegs is just bloody awesome since the dawn of Coal Chamber!
Fans and recent converts can only be ecstatic with Coal Chamber's performance judging by the sea of heaving chests, and a floor covered in sweat, water spray and spilled drinks of moshing fans!
We are left to recuperate during the short intermission ahead of Mudvayne. Matthew McDonough (drums) who is perched behind his huge drum kit can hardly be seen. Chad Gray (vocals) has Ryan Martinie (bass) and Greg Tribbett (guitar) on each side and Marcus Rafferty (guitar, backing vocals) beside McDonough.
Mudvayne launch headfirst into 'Not Falling'. Gray's face is covered in bandages splashed with white, black and splats of red paint. He's a nightmare of our subconscious, his mouth painted in a grotesque clown-like smile – beneath the disguise, the voice of Gray emerges stronger than ever taking the crowd from their interval slumber into a mad and manic mosh.
Gray is simply a legendary frontman of metal, and tonight he's solidifying this fact as he gets intimate with the moshing fans behind the barrier for 'Under My Skin'. Security takes no chances of losing him to the clutches of fans – one guard holds fast onto the back of Gray's white overalls as he leans far forward to sing into the faces of his worshippers.
Mudvayne - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Diehard fans are reaching to touch Gray, screaming the lyrics loud and proud. This special moment will be etched into the vaults of our live music memories and immortalised by raised mobile phones and cameras. Fans are absolutely frothing and feeding Gray an abundance of energy in return for this special interaction.
Back onstage 'Internal Primates Forever', '-1' and 'Silenced' (which I assure no one in the room stood still for), are played before Gray asks fans to whip out their mobile phones to light up Fortitude music Hall. This is one of the few times we see Gray stand behind a mic-stand as he sings the first few lines of 'World So Cold'.
'A New Game', 'Severed' and one of my favourites 'Death Blooms' witness a steady stream of crowd surfers ride the hands of the music loving brethren towards the stage throughout – big love to the venue's security staff who ensure these eager punters or mosh escapees make it safe to the wings of the pit barrier so they can return to the flock.
Mudvayne - image © Clea-marie Thorne
'Fish Out Of Water' and 'Dull Boy' maintain the momentum – what's more you cannot deny the powerful pipes Gray is displaying; in fact this may be the best I have ever heard him live.
Gray stops only a couple of times to let us know he's really hates the long flight to Australia – but it's totally worth it to be in front of this crowd performing and reminding us about our metal community and respectful interaction of "metal kids", which we were/ are (at heart) and how we all look after each other and pick each other up if we fall down.
'Nothing To Gein' is next and yes it's about Ed Gein. Gray asks us if we can "dig it" and the crowd explode before the band does to perform 'Dig'.
Gray shows just how much he still has left in his vocal tank as he digs to deliver the deep intro scream that rattles our bones, sending fans ballistic in all areas of the room. Bodies are flailing, left, right and centre. Martinie is steadfast in delivering the hectic bass grooves. What a player!
Mudvayne - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Water is being hurled about to help cool down the bodies lathered in sweat in the middle of the mosh. Some outliers realise this is the last chance they will get to get amongst the moshpit herd while others are making their exit, battered and spent all the while smiling in their retreat. Kudos to them and even more to the stayers!
While the band has some downright hectic time signature changes and intricate rhythms that make their songs standout and can be easily listened to over and over, it's the lyrical content that adds and gives the music robust longevity.
There's probably more than a few songs in their discography that resonate with fans, that have brought us through hard times, good times or just been there in the background and evoke a sense of a place and time.
Whatever the connection, instrumentation, lyrics or both, it's a strong one with the fans in the room and the punters are in bliss as we help Gray finish the show with loud voices and hooks in our cheeks for 'Happy?'. That is not the best word to describe the feels of the night, but it goes down a treat and is a fantastic choice to end the set on.
Gray strips off the bandages that were wrapped around his forehead as part of his stage costume and tosses it into the crowd while Tribbet, Martinie and Rafferty throw out picks. McDonough makes an appearance from behind his massive kit to give tribute to the fans and toss a few drumsticks caught by lucky punters.
Mudvayne - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The intense performances by Mudvayne and Coal Chamber, while unique to the sounds and lyricism of the respective bands, have been comparable tonight in the precision of their delivery and the reaction and reception for fans in the crowd.
This resulted in a feeling of camaraderie among punters who are filing out happily wrecked, feeling fully released of tension and absolutely high on the serotonin and dopamine that only one hell of a night of cathartic metal music could give! I feel the love, love, love! It is after all, Valentine's Day.
More photos from the show.
