Persistence Tour 2005 - Paradiso got persistant on tearing it down
The Resistance Tour is no more, viva la Persistence! For unknown reasons the famous backpack brand is no longer sponsor of what is probably the biggest anual hardcore tour in Europe. But who gives a shit. Them fancy fashion items are way too expensive anyway. What's more important, is the fact that this great package landed in the best looking club in the Netherlands; Paradiso in Amsterdam. Metalrage was on the guestlist, but I have to dissappoint the photo freaks, the place was packed and there was no chance in hell I was mingeling with the violent moshing with my brand new camera. Result: blurry pictures. I'd rather just not post them, if you do not mind!In good Metalrage tradition, I arrived way too late. Somewhere around a quarter to seven I entered the old church that is Paradiso, and I was happy to see that this had to be a near sold out house, it was crowded as hell! On stage there was some delightfull hell being raised by the unkown (to me) USA metalcore act Full Blown Chaos. Hotdamn that shit was loud! Metalcore? Sounds more like metal to me, and in a way that made it a fine predesessor for Hatebreed, later on that night. I decided to get a beer, and watch a wall of death that was performed by the audience followed by one fantastic breakdown after the other. Metalheads and Hardcore kids need to keep their ears to the street for this group, as Full Blown Chaos are the living proof that violence can be good fun!
Somehow two bands seemed to have got their names changed around here. 'Cause the Boston based group The Red Chord plays music that's just full blown chaos, if you'd ask me! Fast, fast, slow, slooow, fast!fast! slooooow! One tempo change after the other, whilst the singer does silly Boney M dance moves, in between of his monotone grunting and screaming. Balancing somewhere on the deviding line of hardcore and death metal (go figure), it was just too confusing to enjoy lightly. The people down in the pit were having a hard job trying to slam to this band's music, since every logical build-up seemed to lack. I have to admit it, it was quite entertaining. But I can't help but asking what The Red Chord's business was on the Persistence Tour. Right band, wrong tour? If you like your music with a pinch of psychosis (DEP, Glassjaw, Pig Destroyer) go check 'em out. Oh look, he's doing that dance again! He's crazy like a fool! Wah! Wah! Wurrhh! Daddy Cool!
Maybe I overheard it wrong, but I could swear I heard Born From Pain's singer say that they were the only European group on the tour. If that was so, I was looking forward to the famous Brasilian salsa group Napalm Death allready! All lack of sense of humor aside, B.F.P. was just what Paradiso needed after the general confusion of The Red Chord's chaotic music that had just ended. Breakdown here, huge circle pit there. Respect to the scene, believe in yourself, the entire club from front to back make some fucking noise. Some might call it brilliant, I just call it a good time.
Up next was the impecable Napalm Death! I contemplated the worst scenario (general desinterest) for my favorite lefty bringers of destruction, but N.D.'s shit caught on like bird flu in Vietnam! The hardest badasses in the crowd knocked out each other's teeth at the tones of Suffer The Children. And tens of 'children' in the audience suffered indeed, I tell thee! After one of the best Napalm songs ever (the recent 'The Silence Is Deafening) it was time for the timeless sing-a-long "You Suffer", and the set ended too early (for my taste) with Nazi Punks Fuck Off. And I actually did see some bald nerds with Dutch flags on their bomber jacks leave the hall! Jello Biafra would have been proud of the Brits (who are growing bald spots!). The atmosphere was rough, violent and energetic. Some kids probably died that night. Good clean fun!
If there's one negative thing to note about events such as this, I'd say that ones ears suffer deeply throughout the night. Even though my pattented Hubo (TM) ear plugs were protecting my ear drums, all the noise does tyre you out. By the time one of the biggest hardcore groups the world has ever seen, Agnostic Front, entered the stage, I felt worn out. But I decided to lock my jaws and do some serious head nodding along with the meat is murder folks. And well, I had a good time anyway. But I do firmly believe that A.F. should alter their lyrics when they come to Holland, since there isn't an East Coast in the Lowlands. Aside from all that jazz, A.F. did what they allways do, and that is play their greatest hits. I wonder what 'real' journalists write about perfomances like this, as they are always the same (which is not necessarily a bad thing by the way). But why wonder when you get to sing "From the German Border to the West Coast! Gotta Gotta Go!"?
Life has to be pretty damn awfull if your girlfriend's personality is comparable to Hatebreed's attitude. Critics comment that their music sounds too much like metal these days, and what do Jamey Jasta and co do? They play Raining Blood and Refuse Resist, two metal standards! It makes me wonder what I'd do if I had a girlfriend that is a bit like Hatebreed. I'd probably tell her she's too much like a bi-sexual nymphomaniac. But enough about that. With Napalm Death and Agnostic Front just finishing their set, a packed and steaming Paradiso all fired up, and a rightfull reputation as the world's biggest Hardcore group, Hatebreed was playing a match they'd already won. The result: more violence than a David Lynch movie! Circle pits, slamming skins, neuking chaos! The setlist is very far from surprising, but considering their headling slot that's hardly a crime. Jamey said 'Tear It Down', and Paradiso obeyed.
The Persistence Tour 2005 was a fantastic edition that proved that one doesn't need a backpack to kick some ass. See you next year!