concert

Ministry

Concert Reviews

May 4, 2023 – Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia PA

Review by Chris Yates // Photography by Estelle Massry

In true industrial metal rock fashion there is no other venue that would be more appropriate for Ministry than the converted General Electric Switchgear Plant, Franklin Music Hall in Philly PA! The place was packed and full of electricity (no switch needed) and rocking from floor to ceiling.

Ministry is touring in support of their 2021 album ‘Moral Hygiene’ accompanied by an ageless Gary Numan as well as the Canadian electro-industrial rockers Front Line Assembly, which featured Bill Leeb, formally of Skinny Puppy.

Front Line Assembly opened the evening with great stage presence and cool, throw back sounds which included covering Falco’s 1985 hit ‘Rock Me Amadeus’. From there I was transported back to my high school days which set me up nicely for Gary Numan.

The 65 year old (going on 35) Gary Numan is touring in support of his nineteenth studio album ‘Intruder’ which was released almost two years ago to the day. One of the first LP’s I ever purchased was Gary Numan’s, ‘The Pleasure Principle’ and I played the song ‘Cars’ over and over until the needle scratched through the vinyl. I honestly haven’t heard Gary perform in decades and wasn’t sure what to expect but I was overly impressed with his edgy music and the style he puts into his performance. He spoke not a word between songs and I found no words to be needed as he focussed on his performance. Gary, with his face war paint and all, is an excellent front man moving about the stage in flowing form and while his music still had the electronic, synthesizer sounds, it was overlayed with hard hitting rock & roll. It was a good mix! Gary was flanked by his two guitarists, donning shaved heads with long gray skirts and grey tee’s supporting the overall industrial theme of the night. I loved it!

One would think both Front Line Assembly and Gary Numan would not be an opening match for the hard hitting Ministry but I found the lineup to be quite the contrary.  Both were wonderful complements to Ministry and set up the vibe of the venue perfectly for the headliner! 

Grammy-award nominated industrial rock titans Ministry are touring in support of their 2021 album ‘Moral Hygiene’, as well as in support of a new album entitled, ‘Hopium for the Masses’. I’ve seen and reviewed Ministry before and really enjoy their “volume up – it goes to 11″ attitude.  The place was thundering! Last time I saw them the band played behind a cage which worked well with their vibe but I personally found myself wanting to see through the chain link fence for a clearer experience. This time around, however, there was no cage to be found which allowed for a better viewing experience for everyone… especially for the photographers of which there were many at this particular show.

Ministry: Al Jourgensen, Monte Pittman, John Bechdel, Roy Mayorga, Paul D’Amour and Cesar Soto went on around 10pm and played well into the evening for close to two hours. Here’s the state of the world according to Al Jourgensen: We’re fucked but we’re going down fighting and partying hard. “How concerned are you?” displayed on the large screen as the backdrop. They exploded onto stage as the screen would show video associated to each song they played throughout the evening, many with political and societal undertones. They began with many new songs which sounded great and thankfully indicates to me that they are not going anywhere for a while. After about the 4th song (all new), Al joked to the audience saying, “I know what you’re all thinking, we paid all this money and all we’re hearing is this new stuff… well guess what… here’s one more…” And he went on to play Broken System before launching into some older more familiar songs. Their lighting was cool, they played hard as they always do with Al talking to the audience and introducing each song. The place was packed and people were fist pumping and head banging away as the hard hitting band blew everyone’s eardrums (in a very good way)! 

Indestructible industrial titans Ministry provide the soundtrack to the end of the world, which no-one seems to mind.

For more info please visit: http://www.ministryband.com http://www.garynuman.com http://www.frontlineassembly.com

Setlist

  1. Alert Level
  2. Good Trouble
  3. Disinformation
  4. Believe Me
  5. Broken System
  6. Goddamn White Trash
  7. N.W.O.
  8. Just One Fix
  9. The Missing
  10. Deity
  11. Burning Inside
  12. Stigmata
  13. Ricky’s Hand (Encore)

Alice In Chains

Concert Reviews

October 7, 2022 – PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel NJ

Review by Chris Yates // Photography by Estelle Massry

It was a beautiful fall evening in New Jersey as Alice In Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Bush & Plush closed out the summer schedule with the second to last performance at the PNC Bank Arts Center.

The talented all female band, Plush, opened the night with some great rock & roll. I’ve read that their mission is to bring rock back to the forefront of the music scene. The heavy guitar playing lady rockers are certainly driving that train in the right direction. They played for about half an hour and were a perfect opener to get the crowd amped up as rock fans filled the venue.

The 90’s alternative grunge rock band favorite Bush followed, and by the time Gavin Rossdale and team played their second song the Arts Center was packed and the amphitheater stayed that way for the entire night.  Bush sounded great, played for about 45 minutes and mixed in a bunch of old and new.  A few highlights for me were when Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains joined Bush for “Comedown” and another was when Gavin left the stage and paraded through the entire venue, from the orchestra all the way up to the deepest of lawn seats, singing the entire time and occasionally stopping for a hug, a hi-five and even a photo or two.


New Jersey born and Pennsylvania raised Benjamin Burnley IV of Breaking Benjamin followed. I have never seen them before but was familiar with their music and enjoyed their performance. Lead singer and guitar player Benjamin Burnley sounded great and belted some amazing rock and roll, mixed with the modern heavy metal screams to complete their unique sound. Many know that Burnley has a recurring illness (Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome), which is an acute brain disorder resulting from a lack of thiamine. This essential vitamin changes sugar into energy. When you have too little thiamine, your brain doesn’t have enough energy to work properly. The most common cause of thiamine deficiency is chronic alcohol use which in his case, almost ended his career. Burnley plays in the dark or without spot light or bright flashing lights in front of him due to the sensitivity of how his illness affects him. None-the-less, he doesn’t perform like he has a lack of anything and certainly not energy.  Burnley played for an hour, spoke to the audience often and seemed grateful to be in front of his adoring fans, all of whom he defines as his home crowd.  The band is comprised of Benjamin Burnley (lead vocals & rhythm guitar), Jasen Rauch (lead guitar & electronic strings), Keith Wallen (rhythm guitar & backing vocals), Aaron Bruch (bass & backing vocals), and Shaun Foist (drums & electronic percussion).  They completely rocked the house and were a perfect tee-up for Alice In Chains.

Alice In Chains (AIC) then finally came to stage to finish out the night and were AWESOME! I’ve been a big Alice In Chains fan but unfortunately have never had the opportunity to see the original front man and co-founder of the band Layne Staley perform before his passing. To this day he lives on as any alternative rock station will play AIC with Layne’s vocals. However, I must say the band has come together wonderfully and filled a tough seat in Layne Staley with new front man William DuVall.  Since 2006, DuVall has fronted Alice In Chains, sharing vocals and guitar with co-founding member Jerry Cantrell on three albums following the death of Layne Staley in 2002.  Original AIC band member and co-founder Jerry Cantrell said about DuVall when hiring him that he already knew DuVall and told him to just be himself rather than emulating Staley. Jerry highlighted that Alice In Chains was always better with two vocals supporting each other, so they worked well with DuVall and it was apparent. Not only do they sound similar but DuVall also brings a new look and feel while still maintaining the bands hard alternative rock image. I loved the show and the performance as they played throughout the night.  Gavin Rossdale of Bush returned the favor and joined AIC on stage for “Man in the Box” as the show wound down to its conclusion.

It was a great lineup and a perfect way to cap off a great summer of music at the PNC Bank Arts Center!  I’m already looking forward to next season!

For more info please visit http://www.aliceinchains.com

Setlist

  1. Again
  2. Check My Brain
  3. Grind
  4. Them Bones
  5. Dam That River
  6. Hollow
  7. Down in a Hole
  8. Angry Chair
  9. Man in the Box
  10. Nutshell
  11. The One You Know
  12. Bleed the Freak
  13. No Excuses
  14. Would?
  15. Rooster

Sevendust

Concert Reviews

September 16, 2022 – Starland Ballroom, Sayreville NJ

Review by Chris Yates // Photography by Estelle Massry

The heavy hitting, alternative metal, heavy metal, hard rock band Sevendust blew the roof off the Starland Ballroom last Friday night as they played explosively to a packed house of fans. The band played their entire Animosity album (plus a few extras) to the roaring delight of the crowd.  The band celebrated their 20th anniversary of their album “Animosity” (21st actually due to Covid) which is the third studio album by the American rock band hailing from Atlanta, Georgia. The album was released on November 13, 2001 and appeared on the Billboard 200, remained there for thirteen weeks, peaking at No. 28, and was certified gold on March 11, 2002.

Sevendust is comprised of: Lajon Witherspoon (lead vocals), Clint Lowery (lead guitar, backing vocals), John Connolly (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Vinnie Hornsby (bass), and Morgan Rose (drums, backing vocals).

It was my first time seeing Sevendust and by the end of the first song I was a fan!  Sevendust played with tremendous energy and for as hard metal rock as their music is, the stage presence of each member and the front-man work of Lajon Witherspoon were very welcoming, uplifting, and created an amazingly feel-good environment.  I didn’t want it to end.  They obviously have a huge following of superfans, as people traveled from all over and many from great distances to see them play.  The crowd knew every word to every song and sang along with Lajon and team to each belting lyric.  The fans were having a blast and surfed the crowd being passed along on their backs from the back of the floor to the pit in front of the stage. They were having an amazing time and feeding off the fun and positive energy of Sevendust.  

I must acknowledge the security working at the Starland Ballroom.  About 6 of them were lined up with backs against the stage with the knowledge of the level of crowd-surfing that was to come.  I had one eye on the band and the other on the safety of our photographer (Estelle) as the pit was tight with security and other photographers. Security caught and hauled every surfer over the rails and were gently (in most cases) escorted back out to the crowd.  It was such a cyclical pattern of surfing that I noticed some of the same individuals coming through for a 5th, 6th and even 7th time, resembling an amusement park ride you take over and over again. Singing with a smile, Lajon and Sevendust welcomed the fun and the energy, fist-bumping and slapping hands with fans as they safely landed stage-front before being escorted away.  

Opening for Sevendust were: Burden of the Sky, Bastardane & Nonpoint. 

Working backwards from the headliner and playing just before Sevendust, Nonpoint brought the same tremendous, fun energy to their playing as Sevendust and made for a great pairing. Prior to Nonpoint, Bastardane played with thundering prowess and were anchored by drummer and heavy metal rock royalty, Castor Hetfield, son of Metallica’s James Hetfield. It was fun to see him play with similar mannerisms. It was a great evening of Rock & Roll.

For more info please visit http://www.sevendust.com

Setlist

  1. T.O.A.B.
  2. Praise
  3. Trust
  4. Xmas Day
  5. Dead Set
  6. Follow
  7. Shine
  8. Damaged
  9. Live Again
  10. Beautiful
  11. Redefine
  12. Angel’s Son
  13. Crucified
  14. Pieces (Encore)
  15. Face to Face (Encore)

Alice Cooper

Concert Reviews

March 22, 2022 – NJPAC, Newark NJ

Review by Chris Yates // Photography by Estelle Massry

If you haven’t attended an Alice Cooper concert, you’re stuck in purgatory and need to find your nearest escalator down.  His army of adoring fans will attest, it’s an experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen.  I was early, so I meandered around the lobby of NJPAC and asked some concert goers one common question… Knowing he has a passionate, army of the dead, “zombie’sque”  following, I was curious to learn how many Alice Cooper shows they have attended?  It was no surprise that each answer were in the high double digits, and in some cases triple digits, with some fans having experienced over 100 shows since the mid 80’s. 100+ SHOWS!

LA based Buckcherry opened the show, warming the legions of Alice Cooper fans up for his one of a kind performance.

Alice and his all star cast of absolute rock superstars, (Nita Strauss/guitar, Ryan Roxie/guitar, Tommy Henriksen/guitar, Chuck Garric/bass and Glen Sobel/drums), put on not a just a great rock concert but a theatrical music performance, and as Alice would describe, “Vaudeville meets Cirque du Soleil, meets Rock & Roll!”

As I write this I truly don’t know where to begin. The show started with a large blue curtain backdrop (stage front) drawing of Alice’s dark eyes, and as a deep, haunting voice from the depths “welcomed us to our doom”, the pupils of the eyes on the curtain lit up.  Then as “Feed My Frankenstein” began to play the curtain dropped to a stage design, representing a dark castle, as if straight out of a Bram Stoker & Mary Shelley novel. Alice then emerged from a smoke filled doorway and began to sing.  Dressed in various prince of darkness top hats and jackets, with leather pants and killer skull and cross bone belt, the show launched into the stratosphere, and the army of followers in attendance became possessed.  It was borderline overstimulation of all my senses, from the first song to the last, my eye’s remained hypnotized to the stage and the performance that encompassed it.

This is not a concert but a well choreographed experience. Fans erupted as giant character after character were introduced with each song.  A larger than life Frankenstein walked the stage and messed with the musicians, giant babies, witches, zombie brides and demons were all parts of the show, appropriately complementing each song. Confetti filled giant balloons popped through the crowd, cannons shot streamers, and bubbles that filled the stage like haunted orbs, popped turning into smoke. It was quite a spectacle that allowed the audience to interact with the show.

Alices soldiers, Nita, Ryan, Tommy & Chuck shredded their guitars all night and worked the stage and played to the theme as if having an actors role in the script Alice wrote for the night, all as the rightfully anointed, #1 voted drummer in the world (Glen Sobel) banged away. 

I addition to Feed My Frankenstein, everyone’s favorite songs were played from “Poison”, to “I’m Eighteen” and “Hey Stoopid”, to “Dead Babies”, “Bed of Nails” and many more.  After two hours of rock joy, the show seemingly concluded, but the audience screamed “one more song” over and over, to the point where I felt they would sell their soul for one more tune. Their wish was granted as Alice closed the evening with a long version of “School’s Out”.

If Alice ever comes your way, don’t miss him. And hey… if you cant score a ticket, you might want to consider selling your soul. You may just get a front row seat.

For more info please visit http://www.alicecooper.com

Joe Bonamassa

Concert Reviews

March 20, 2022 – Count Basie, Red Bank NJ

Review and photography by Estelle Massry

At 8 o’clock sharp the theme song from “Welcome Back Kotter” blared through the sold out theatre. The guitar virtuoso and his band then walked out silently on the dark stage as fans prepared for what would be a hypnotic experience… “The Guitar Event of the Year”.

Joe dressed in black with his trademark dark shades and slicked back hair, electrified fans with “Evil Mama”. There was so much love in the audience straight from the first note. Few artists have established such a devoted fan base as Bonamassa has. It is very impressive.

One can alway rely on Joe assembling the best of the best, absolutely outstanding musicians and singers. I was mesmerized by the beautiful backup vocals of Jade MacRae & Danielle De Andrea who were seamlessly in lock-step with one another throughout the entire performance. Bonamassa never disappoints!

Joe is a master of contemporary blues. One of the top 5 guitarists alive today and the world’s most high-profile guitar collector. All of these vintage guitars mixed with his talent is pure magic, legendary guitar riffs of blues/rock. Bonamassa meticulously displays outstanding showmanship and phenomenal guitar playing. One can feel his soul pouring through his body, down to his fingers, delivering pure magic through his guitar.

It’s astonishing how Joe can transition from soulful blues to full on rock & roll – powerful is an understatement . Two hours of nonstop, goosebump performance to the point where I could barely hold my camera.

“Royal Tea” is the fourteenth solo studio album and has been nominated for a Grammy Award as “Best Contemporary Blues” album, deserving of royalty!

For more info please visit http://www.jbonamassa.com

Setlist

  1. Evil Mama
  2. Dust Bowl
  3. Love Aint A Love Song
  4. Midnight Blues
  5. The Heart That Never Waits
  6. I Didn’t Think She Would Do It
  7. Just Cuz You Can
  8. Pain and Sorrow
  9. Notches
  10. Lonely Boy
  11. Ballad of John Henry
  12. Woke Up Dreaming
  13. Mountain Time

Psychedelic Furs

Concert Reviews

March 11, 2022 – The Wellmont , Montclair NJ

Review by Chris Yates // Photography by Estelle Massry

Being a high school product of the mid 80’s, and a fan of 80’s punk & rock music, (as well as John Hughes films), I didn’t know what to expect as I was driving up the Garden State Parkway, about to review the Psychedelic Furs.  Would they be stuck in the 80’s? What would they wear? Would they have 80’s hair?  Would they even have hair? How old do they really look (and sound)?  I mean, it’s been over 30 years since they’ve released an album. I thought to myself, I don’t think it will be a packed house… I mean, I danced to their songs at my high school prom for shit’s sake…

I arrived early and caught the opening act, Royston Langdon.  He seemed to have a following, as some of the young members of the audience who crowded the lower level of the theatre to experience him left after his performance. This, in turn, left me with a worried feeling, fearing a lack of attendance for the Psychedelic Furs.  

I found Royston to be an awkward mix of Johnny Cash & Justin Bieber (as if you can try to picture that) but as he played, I warmed up to him and can see why he has a cultish following. He played a hard-strumming guitar with a strong range of vocals, from a deep bass and upper baritone to a high treble. I enjoyed his performance.

Thankfully and a bit to my pleasure, the theatre filled quickly as the techs prepped the stage for the Furs. I found myself frequently looking back to the audience from up close near the pit, and each time I turned, the crowd filled in more and more.  Ultimately, it was truly a packed house of Psychedelic Fur fans and fans of 80’s music. I was pleasantly surprised.

The Butler brothers, Richard (lead vocal) and Tim (bass), and the rest of the band members, Rich Good (lead guitar), Mars Williams (sax) and Zack Alford (drums), walked on stage as the lights dimmed, greeting the applauding crowd with a wave as they took to their positions. Before even hearing a note or tune, I was immediately launched back to my high school days when I noticed their hair and Richard’s baggy pants accompanied by an English tuxedo jacket with tails.  Brother Tim on bass dressed more modern Rock & Roll, with side snap jeans and a skull embroidered blazer, as did Rich and Mars, with form fitting jeans, cool tee’s, and stylish button downs. A very cool political (more humanitarian) statement of peace was made by Rich Good, as his guitar adorned the Ukrainian flags colors of blue and gold, acknowledging his support as the country has been continually under siege by Russian forces these past 3 weeks.

As if the the visual of the band didn’t throw me back enough, the moment they started playing, the lead vocals of Richard Butler catapulted me, pleasantly back in time with his smooth melancholy tones.  The Furs didn’t act their age either, and what I mean by that is, they are great performers!  Theatrical, with plenty of movement as they seemed to connect intimately with the crowd, as if knowing the impact they had on their generation.  Tim interacted closely, leaning into the crowd with his bass and Mars used every inch of the stage as he played his iconic sax sounds for which the band is so well known.

The British Punk Rock band opened with “Highwire Days” followed by many more favorites, incorporating a good mix of new songs and old, including their famed “Pretty in Pink” – finishing off with “Heartbreak Beat” before the encore “Sister Europe” & “India”.

It was a great, nostalgic evening.  I found myself wanting to hear and see more, and I’d do it again in a “Heartbreak Beat”!

For more info please visit http://www.thepsychedelicfurs.com

Post Malone

Concert Reviews

February 21, 2020 – Wells Fargo, Philadelphia PA

With his messy-hair, scraggly beard and face etched with “stay away” tattoos, Post Malone may seem an unlikely megastar, but his is undoubtedly one of the biggest singers and songwriters on the planet right now.

The rapper, pop star, rock star, singer and songwriter emerged through a haze of smoke playing to a full house at Wells Fargo. He made his way down a long runway that extended far out in the audience as he opened with the instrumental introduction “Hollywood’s Bleeding” as a quintessential way to start the “Runaway Tour”.

Post Malone dominated the stage and poured so much emotion into very single song. There was no major “theatricals” other than the constant fireworks and flames. It was Post Malone, intimate and raw, showing us who he is and how appreciative he is, being ever so humble thanking the crowd numerous times in between songs for being there.

“I went from sleeping in a closet to being able to tour and come and play and sing these songs for people who want to hear them. And it is the biggest blessing in the f-cking world and I cannot thank you enough.

What makes Post Malones music so well received? The secret can be seen in each hit…starting each song with a chorus. Post’s music is smooth. His sustained vibrato belches combined with hip-hop machine rhythm and rock’s tonal smearing leads you in an almost hypnotic state. The music streams into you and through you.

The audience were all captivated by his versatility, authenticity, his movements and his style. He really is a true ROCKSTAR!

http://www.postmalone.com

Set List

  1. Hollywood’s Bleeding
  2. Better Now
  3. Saint-Tropez
  4. Goodbyes
  5. Die for Me
  6. Allergic
  7. Candy Paint
  8. Psycho
  9. Enemies
  10. Wow
  11. Paranoid
  12. I Fall Apart
  13. Over Now
  14. Take What You Want
  15. Stay
  16. Circles
  17. Go Flex
  18. White Iverson
  19. Sunflower (with Swae Lee)
  20. Rockstar
  21. Congratulations