Early Man Live In Raleigh 7/29

The End Records PR set me up to go check out Brooklyn NY based thrashers ‘Early Man’. Before I get to them let me talk about the other opening acts. The doors opened at 8 and the first band didn’t go on until 9pm. When there are 4 bands on the bill the least you can do is start earlier than 9pm on a Tuesday.

Anyway, the first band up was H.O.W., a local band that I think is friends with the venue (Volume 11) because after their set the guitar player was workin the bar. So how were they? B-O-R-I-N-G! I was yawning into the second song and I couldn’t wait for their set to be over with. It got me thinking “Damn, I need to start a band.” Their sound was a choppy rock sound that wasn’t very unique or interesting. If you read this, sorry guys, the crowd wasn’t dead because they were tired. That became obvious when the next band played.

Let’s talk about the Monotonix. The Monotonix are from Israel and they have a shitload of energy…and 80 feet of instrument cordage.  They set up their equipment on the floor. A basic drum set with a bass drum, a snare a crash, high hat and a floor tom. The guitar player has a Fender jag or Jazz-master (shit, I don’t know), and a half stack. The singer…a mic. They start out by setting the drum sticks on fire with some paper towels wrapped around them, soaked in lighter fluid. There is also some paper towel (soaked in lighter fluid)on the crash and high hat. They light the drum sticks and use them to light the others and start jamming away. It sounds like some garage noise but it’s full of energy. It started out mildly entertaining but grew old really quick. The singer jumping around, showing his post-40 ass, dumping a trash can full of empty bottles and cans over his drummer heads and leaving the can over the drummer. Then it slowly moves towards the front of the venue. Little by little they keep dragging the drum set towards the front of the venue while still playing with the crowd around them until they are outside and you hear nothing more than feedback and a mess on the floor. Grabbing people beers and dumping them on themselves. They pissed of security for some reason too. I thought they were going to get shut down. Like I said, Mildly entertaining at first and then overboard, but the rest of the crowd loved it and one guy even said “That’s the best live band I’ve ever seen.” Of course he was wearing a sleeveless Motley Crue shirt and an Axl Rose bandana with a studded belt.

Moving on the the band I went to see. Early Man took the stage not long after the Monotonix and set up their stuff fast. It was loud, fast and thrashy. Early Man has a cool thrash sound to them and the singer sound like a cross between Getty Lee and Ozzy. The guitars were crunchy, the bass was loud yet controled and the drums sounded good. My ears didn’t stop ringing until….well their still not right. I wish I had more to say about them, but I’m tired and basically they stole the show. If you get a chance to check out Early Man I highly suggest.

The Valiant Thorr was up next and I left two songs in. They didn’t have my interest but it seemed a lot of people were there to see them.

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