Protest The Hero - Cardiff University - 2nd March 2012 (Live Review)
Monday, 12 March 2012
Written by Owen Sheppard
Having breezed their way through the “difficult third album” Last year in March with the critically acclaimed Scurrilous, The Canadian tech metal cult heroes have returned to embark on their first UK tour since 2009. In all fairness to them though, they deserve credit for the way they tore Sonisphere’s third stage a new one back in July, but tonight, as front man Rody Walker informs us, is the 5 piece’s “First show in Wales… I think ever!”
I arrived at the smallest of Cardiff Uni Student’s union’s venues, the CF10, a modest club layout built to house a couple of hundred or so with stage about 3 inches higher than the crowd’s level, just in time to catch support from the mundanely named Uneven Structure. They played to a crowd predictably half full with their purely instrumental rock that boasted soundscapes which built to slow crescendos.
Impressions of Mastodon doing their best impression of Mogwai quickly come to mind but not altogether very convincingly. They showed plenty of technical prowess, with drum fills that made the toms snap crackle and pop, and impressive lead guitars which the crowd (obviously a rabble tech loving Protest fans) lapped up. However song for song, it felt repetitive with what crept dangerously towards a tedious case of technical wanking, while neglecting to provide the tunes. The crowd seemed to warm to them, but I wonder if they’d like them as much on record.
Protest The Hero of course received the hero’s welcome of a band whose fans have been gagging to hear for years. Not wasting anytime they went straight for the crowd pleasers. Newy and general goody “Sex Tapes” had the mosh pit in hysterics within seconds. Fan favorite “Blood Meat” was next to be sent forth causing the same kind of roof raising reaction that Reign in Blood would probably trigger at a Slayer gig.
These fans were relishing what was evidently a long overdue visit to Cardiff. Lyrics were sung word for word. Moshing didn’t cease. A smattering of crowd surfing kept the probably over whelmed security on their toes and most amusingly of all was the sight of air guitarists in the crowd mimicking the fret work of the band guitarists note for note on their imaginary instruments. Some die hards (most likely music tech students) even partnered up, facing each other in their power stances in a bizarre sort of air guitar duals to see whose imaginary guitar playing was best. And it should be stated that Protest the hero‘s riffs, being those of a tech-metal band, looked pretty bloody hard to play; a genuine Wayne’s world moment.
The set list itself ended up being a well calculated mix of 40% new album, 40% and 20% first album, which was probably a good approach for an audience of dedicated fans, many of whom had probably never seen them before. Walker took the occasional interval to pop a few jokes, which, came off very successfully, mixing slurs that took the piss out of Scottish people around the topic of getting “completely fucking smashed”. We Brits do love to diss each after all, not to mention enjoy a good binge.
But without time for an encore, the band were packed in all their best, namely “Sequoia Thrown” “Blindfolds Aside” and new singles “Limb from Limb” and “Hair Trigger” in to an epic finishing streak.
The boys are set to make their new drop off in the UK at this year’s Hevy Festival in Kent so you better start saving if you missed them this time.
SET LIST:
• Sex tapes
• Blood meat
• Termites
• Goddess Bound
• Goddess Gagged
• Tongue splitter
• Turn soonest to the sea
• Limb from limb
• Hair trigger
• Blindfolds aside
• Sequoia thrown
• C’est la vie
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
