HardRockChick

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Bled @ BOTH, 4/7/08

dev@hard
April 8, 2008
3
6

I’ve been reading about The Dillinger Escape Plan’s live shows for awhile. With every word, a gaping hole grew larger in my missed experiences file, but, alas, it was soon to be filled.

I’ve never started out a review with a video, but this might be the best way to convey this experience:

From a Virgin Megastore appearance:

OK, so now that you have been appropriately fluffed, here is my review:

I walked in early for The Bled’s set, and was almost immediately knocked over by a mosher. Appropriate. After that song, they had a drum malfunction, causing the usually awkward but well pulled off banter with the crowd. This included the topics of thumb wrestling, Puddle of Mudd, and, of course, beer. There was one particularly riled up dude- let’s call him ‘Puddle of Mudd’ guy, that was obviously there to break stuff. He served as the crowd jester. Once the drum was fixed, the band continued on with their set of perfectly satiating, hardcore punk. The lead singer is rather slight- I don’t know where that scream comes from. It now seems funny in retrospect that our mouth went agape when the bassist jumped into the audience.

bled

Everything was about to pale in comparison to this. It felt like a long long long long wait, but that is only to be expected when bands have to haul their equipment in and out through the audience, and are still setting up their own equipment. It was enough time for me to have what I call my ‘pain beer’- that drink that will numb the bumps and bruises of all the flailing bodies that are about to start moving around.

It wasn’t 5 seconds into the set that multiple band members leaped into the audience. It would be an intense hour.

Bottom of the Hill was made for shows like this. If there were a barrier, or any impending presence of security, it simply wouldn’t work. It was a venue seething in lawless abandon, and we all lapped it up.

The vocalist, Greg, draws many parallels to Henry Rollins, both in appearance and his ‘Cinderella story’. This one giant muscle was a fan that became the singer after the original guy left, just like Rollins did with Black Flag.

There is only one original member surviving, Ben Weinman, who is the root of this band’s mathcore definition- guitarist and technical connoisseur. With the exception of the drummer, I don’t know how any of them can perform these songs without missing a beat while they flail around on stage and in the audience. Over the course of the show the following occurred:

-Greg hangs upside down from a pipe on the ceiling above the crowd
-Greg is screaming in some guy’s face, and Ben jumps on Greg piggy back style while continuing to play
-Ben and Jeff jump into the audience multiple times, while continuing to play
-All members perform some variation on martial arts and Matrix wall-scaling recreations, while continuing to play
-Ben send his guitar into the audience, and it makes it way back after a while
-Multiple audience members crawl all over other audience members and jump on and off the stage

dep

Ah, these things are so rare nowadays. Concerts have become so squeaky clean. I’ll have to admit, I broke my rules– this only happens at NIN, GWAR, and Manson shows…

This setlist looks like it might be accurate- please correct me if I’m wrong:

Setlist:
01. Panasonic Youth
02. 43% Burnt
03. Fix Your Face
04. Lurch
05. Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants
06. Baby’s First Coffin
07. When Acting As A Particle
08. Nong Eye Gong
09. Milk Lizard
10. When Good Dogs Do Bad Things
11. Black Bubblegum
12. Sugar Coated Sour
13. Party Smasher
14. Mullet Burden
15. Sunshine The Werewolf

I like Black Bubblegum because it is a bit different than the rest. But there really isn’t a bum song in the set. Neither the crowd nor the band takes a break at any point. They lay it all out there, and by the end, there’s no need for one of those phony encores.

Sweaty, scratched, and bruised, we limp out of BOTH. What a Monday night.

OVERALL: 9/10
The Dillinger Escape Plan performance: 9.5/10
The Bled performance: 8/10
venue (Bottom of the Hill): 9.5/10
crowd/scene: 8.5/10
value ($15/ticket): 9.5/10
memorable: 9/10

HRC vids:

Fix Your Face

Baby’s First Coffin

When Good Dogs Go Bad

Sunshine the Werewolf

Comments

  1. Hey, great review. The first time I saw dillinger is burned in my brain and I’ll never forget it. I wanted to let you know that I uploaded the dillinger setlist and videos to showmethesetlist.com. It’s a wiki style website that my friend started for setlists and other concert info. Judging by your site, you might enjoy it. Anyway, thanks for the setlist. -Liz

  2. According to those videos, you were actually standing next to the newest member of the band, Jeff Tuttle; not Ben Weinman.

    Also, The Mullet Burden came after Party Smasher and before Sunshine the Werewolf.

  3. This is an excellent description of my first experience at a live Dillinger show as well. They are brilliant and truly one of a kind.

  4. Great review. My wife and I caught DEP the next night in Reno, and I was similarly impressed with their brilliance and almost frightened by their willingness to risk life and limb during an average set. And I do believe my wife has developed a serious crush on Greg Puciato.

  5. BTW, if you haven’t already, you should check out Stolen Babies, the band DEP is borrowing Gil Sharone from. Completely unclassifiable, other than that they rock.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

A New Level: Metallica, Pantera, and Mammoth VH @ SoFi Stadium Los Angeles, 8/25/23

“Now a new look in my eyes my spirit riseForget the pastPresent tense works and lastsGot shit on, pissed on,…

September 4, 2023
9
0

Gimme Danger: Iggy Pop & The Losers with Grace McKagan @ The Pearl Las Vegas, 4/29/23

“Gimme danger, little strangerAnd I feel with you at easeGimme danger, little strangerAnd I’ll feel your disease There’s nothing in…

May 29, 2023
8
77

Kill or Become: Cannibal Corpse, Dark Funeral, Immolation, Black Anvil at House of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay 11/25/22

“Living out the days and nights in absolute fearNever knowing when and where thethreat of the undead draws nearThoughts of…

December 3, 2022
8
89

Looks That Kill: Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison, & Joan Jett & The Blackhearts @ Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, 9/9/22

“Now, listen up She’s a razor sharp If she don’t get her way She’ll slice you apart Now she’s a…

September 19, 2022
10
33

A Dangerous Meeting: Mercyful Fate, High on Fire, Paradise Lost, Fugitive, Suicidal Tendencies, Bone Thugs -n- Harmony, Frozen Soul, Emperor, Mayhem, Carcass, and Wolves in the Throne Room @ Psycho Las Vegas @ Resort World, 8/19-21/22

“Oh, they should have knownNot to play with the powers of HellSome people have lost their waySome people have lost…

August 30, 2022
12
33

Among the Living: Anthrax 40th Anniversary Tour with Black Label Society @ Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, 7/28/22

“I’m the walking dudeI can see all the worldTwist your minds with fearI’m the man with the powerAmong the living,…

August 19, 2022
6
30

Mad World: Tears for Fears, Garbage @ Kia Forum in Los Angeles, 6/4/22

“And I find it kind of funny I find it kind of sad The dreams in which I’m dying Are…

June 12, 2022
8
20

She Sells Sanctuary: The Cult, Des Roc @ House of Blues Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay

“The sparkle in your eyes Keeps me alive And the sparkle in your eyes Keeps me alive, keeps me alive…

May 27, 2022
5
31

Rock You Like A Hurricane: Scorpions, Skid Row @ Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas

“It’s early morning, the sun comes out Last night was shaking and pretty loud My cat is purring, it scratches…

April 15, 2022
5
39

Turbo Lover: 50 Years of Heavy Metal with Judas Priest and Queensrÿche @ Zappos Theater, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Las Vegas, 3/13/22

“We hold each other closer, as we shift to overdrive And everything goes rushing by, with every nerve alive We…

March 22, 2022
7
16