Machine Head - Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh - July 31 2014 (Live Review)
Monday, 04 August 2014
Written by Heather McDaid
There are few acceptable ways to describe the heat at Edinburgh's Liquid Rooms on a normal evening. When Pete Doherty plays there and people barely move it's overly clammy, so when Machine Head announced they would be stopping by, a sweatfest became something of a passing concern for those lucky enough to snag tickets.
Hostile open and prove to be one of precious few bands who can have a track that revolves around the phrase “we don't give a fuck” without sounding lousy. Their Pantera influence is worn on their sleeves, but their ferocity makes for a killer set.
But, there’s one major issue: no band could compare to Machine Head in a venue of this size. Their fans' vocal chords are already strained as the PA belts out metal classics, so when the foursome actually appear on the crammed stage and launch into Imperium, sheer madness ensues.
And they just keep going. The live prowess that has captivated arenas and festival crowds only intensifies when they're in a dark, sweaty club. Beautiful Morning segues into Locust and by three songs in their brilliance is undeniable.
Robb Flynn talks at length before Darkness Within, one of many interludes, about his passion for music and its importance. “Some people in the world don't care about music,” he says, before asking how that's possible. When you're at a show of this venomous calibre, the man’s got one hell of a point.
Killers & Kings, the tour's namesake, is met with the same enthusiasm as older tracks, while Davidian crowns the main set with the biggest response of the evening. Aesthetics of Hate, meanwhile, is downright crazy and Halo is a fitting goodbye, an encapsulation of the Machine Head live experience in one song.
Sure, you're not going to leave the venue pretty. Clothes are torn, make-up has sweated off and everyone is pretty much stuck to each other. But that's OK, because, man, it's a show you'll never forget, one packed with blood, sweat and tears.
Machine Head have never been ones for Rob Zombie-esque theatrics, but even with that considered, this is a stripped back show. There are no frills, just the band going back to humble surroundings and reminding everyone just what's brought them this far.
Machine Head Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Mon August 04 2014 - BRIGHTON Concorde 2
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