Therion storms Islington
Therion
w/Tristania & Trail of Tears
The Garage, Islington
16 November 2004
If you like your music heavy, symphonic, gothic, pagan, and Norwegian, there was no other place to be that night than the Garage. The Garage’s dinky stage probably has never seen so many people on its stage and probably never will again. (The gig was ended 30 minutes early out of their 2 hour-set as the entire electrical system died.) This, of course, was a bit of a pity as like most bands, Therion saved their best stuff for last. We were treated to an acapella Norwegian folk by the female lead, who looked rather like she just came from a performance of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. She and her compatriot backing singers were not only obviously classically trained opera singers but were also prone to creative hand movements while singing. Considering the sheer number of people on the stage during Therion’s set: 6 singers (3 male, 3 female, one of each sang lead), a full contingent of 2 guitarists, 1 bassist, a drummer, and a violinist, it was not a wonder the electrics gave out. I would like to note that there was no unpleasantness when the hordes of leather clad metal-heads were asked to leave the venue. Therion played a selection of music from their past including material from their pre-symphonic days(allowing the singers a rest); we were even treated to an acoustic number before the power went out. The band, who had not been in the UK for 6 years, played an astonishingly good gig to a sold-out and rather appreciative audience. There were some who left after Tristania’s set; this was probably a reflection of the fact that the line-up for the gig, while all being Norwegian, was a bit diverse. Tristania treated the audience to a tight set of their brand of female operatic-led death metal. The set featured several songs from their forthcoming CD “Ashes” (rather good: full review soon) as well as songs from their past. It was competent enough death metal, but it had little chance to impress considering who was following. Due to travel problems I was unable to see ToT and hope to catch them on their next swing through London. Several punters told me that they delivered a decent performance, with their brand of symphonic death/black metal to open the show. Despite the disappointment of the early exit, all of us were treated to one of the best metal gigs for a long time. Therion delivered their consistently high level of performance. My Norwegian companion and I both wondered aloud what one of their “full” fesitval performances would be like. If the band could deliver such an amazing show on such a small stage, just imagine what they could do with their full contingent of singers and musicians.
Rating: 5/5
Saddam had no links to terrorists?
The left continues to bleat on about how Saddam had no links to Islamic terrorism. Unfortunately, like most of their talking-points, that is not entirely accurate. It was widely known, by anyone paying attention, that Saddam paid bounties to Palestinian homicide bombers families. We are now learning that he paid for his “kill-a-jew and get a cash windfall scheme” with money from the Oil for Food program. Furthermore, those big fans of co-operation, the UN, have refused to aid in the investigation into curruption in the OF program.
Comments are off for this postGermans react to Islamists?
Looks like the German media is waking up to the dangers posed by islamic fundamentalists.ZDF, one of the two German public tv channels, secretly made a film in a Berlin mosque. And this is what the preacher said:
“These Germans, these atheists, these Europeans don’t shave under their arms and their sweat collects under their hair with a revolting smell and they stink. Hell lives for the infidels! Down with all democracies and all democrats!”
Now, the smell thing doesn’t sell well in Germany.
If only the preacher had just concentrated on denouncing democracy…
This bit of insight comes via David of Medienkritik fame. I am actively trying to pinch him for this blog.
Comments are off for this postI’ll Be There For You
So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, your love life’s D.O.A
It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear
—the rembrandts
You might have heard of the sexual harassment suit filed by a woman who worked as an assistant to the writing staff on the TV show Friends.
The case arose after a former writers’ assistant on the show, Amaani Lyle, accused the creative team of sexual harassment, though none of the remarks she complains about had been directed at her.Among the frequent discussions about sex that had formed part of the creative process for the show, she claimed the team talked about how one of the writers had missed an opportunity to sleep with Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel, and had spoken pejoratively of part of Courteney Cox Arquette’s (Monica) anatomy.
The writers admit they discussed their own sex lives and their fantasies about actors in the show, but argue she has no case for ‘passive’ sexual harassment.
I think I’ve watched one episode of Friends from start to finish, and it was competently done, but nothing that I cared to watch again. I do remember that the plot revolved around sex or something. There was some subplot involving . . . sex, I think. There were a lot of double entendres, and even more single entendres.
Call it a hunch, but I’ll bet the topic of . . . sex got batted around in the writers’ bullpen from time to time.
Lyle admits she was warned conversations would be more explicit than in her previous job, working as a writers’ assistant on the children’s channel Nickelodeon. She was fired in 1999 for typing too slowly and went on to file a sexual harassment suit against the makers of the show, Warner Bros Television Productions Inc.
Hm-hmm. Anyone notice something of a pattern here?
Lyle, 31, is now in Germany with the US air force.
Consider this a heads-up, flyboys.
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