Pix by Rashid Alkamraihki
Words by Jimmy Glinster
After a week of anxiety and self-doubt relating to interviewing a couple of my Nu-Metal idols, it finally dawned on me only yesterday the significance of this event. Not only are Mudvayne and Coal Chamber two of the most iconic Nu-Metal bands ever – who both had absolutely killer debut albums with Mudvayne’s LD50, and Coal Chamber’s Self-Titled, with both among the most iconic Nu-Metal releases ever – but they also released one of the most iconic album opening tracks in history, of which I’m sure we’ll hear tonight. 20- year old Nu-Metal me is literally jizzing in his pants right now.
Let’s not get carried away with the whole Nu-Metal resurgence though, because did it ever actually go away? Some of the most popular heavy bands still to this day are Nu-Metal bands (Slipknot, Disturbed, Korn, System of a Down) and as a perfect example, Mudvayne and Coal Chamber are still selling out theatres without having released a new album for the past 10-15 years or so respectively. Yet here we are with Mudvayne and Coal Chamber back on the road again, together.
Anyway, I should probably start talking about the who right, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I run into promoter AJ out front of the venue and he comes straight up and shakes my hand. It gets awkward for a second, and then he says, “I’m AJ” and I’m like, “Oh, I’m Jimmy”. Intriguing conversation. Now, not to blow my own whistle, but one of the biggest promoters in the country knew who the fuck I was and here I was standing there with no idea who this bloke was. In his defense, I’d never seen his face before like the unlucky bastard has to see mine every time Krispy makes me interview someone. But I’m glad that first date is now out of the way because I have a feeling our paths will cross plenty more in the future.
There is a line-up all the way down the mall and around the corner, just because a few people decided to start a line and then a couple of thousand decided to jump in behind it. So, I just walk on by and decide to head to a pub close by for a drink with Krispy when I notice Chad from Mudvayne trying to get into the loading dock and looking quite distraught. I offer to help by getting in contact with someone for him, but he just looks at me like I’m some kind of weird fanboy.
Probably because I am some kind of weird fanboy.
Oh, I still haven’t got to the show yet, and I nearly didn’t because they asked for my ID which of course has my real name on it. Panic ensued but luckily AJ the nice guy that he is saved the day and I got in just before 8pm for the Sandman bringing us a dream intro and Coal Chamber kick the night off by launching straight into Loco. What a way to send the crowd stir fucking crazy from the get-go. Holy Shit, look at all those fiends go!
It’s not long before Dez suggests we take a drive in his Big Truck and shortly after he asks the crowd to make some noise, and well, they obliged. This sharing of immense energy from the crowd resulted in an IOU. The energy onstage is full throttle and Dez and Meegs are all over the elevated platform while Nadja is positioned like a fiery siren atop a platform at her side of stage. Her pure presence demands attention, and as for Mike, he’s just up the back holding it all together with some solid thumping drums while one of the road crew stands close by pouring bottled water over his sweaty head and body.
Cynics and Christ-like hypocrites, how they stick to you like glue. Well, not yet they don’t, that was just a sneaky little bit of mist. Instead, we kill the man, become the monster, get dead and then get fucked in the head. And then Dez thanks the crowd and then the day gets a little darker before he introduces his “sister” Nadja to the crowd because this is the way it’s got to be.
And with another Nail in the Coffin, this motherfucking thumping set is soon to come to an end, but not before the roof is on fire up in this motherfucker!
That was hella fun, but now we wait for Mudvayne and holy fuck this place is packed now as everyone compresses to the front of the stage. I had to be really careful to not fall down as I worked my way back through the crowd. After Chad warms up his voice on the first song, he makes his way on top of the crowd for the Under My Skin and some keen crowd surfers get close enough to actually get under his skin.
The band looks like a bunch of carnival freaks in true Mudvayne style, but I take it back, I take it back. They don’t need your sympathy or apathy, just shut up or be Silenced. So that Chad can tell us they need to try harder and not take another 18 years to get back here.
Sounds promising in a World So Cold, and in a moment of solidarity the phone torches all come up and the whole crowd sings along. It’s good to see a heavy band’s “ballad” get so much love.
The little-known second guitarist Marcus is half hidden side of stage but you sure as hell can’t miss his solid backing vocals throughout the song. That was fucking epic, and I could probably leave now, but I won’t because I know there is still way more to come. I don’t think I knew the next song, so maybe I should lift my game, or maybe get a New Game. Oh wait…
Let’s just take a minute to appreciate Ryan Martinie. Holy fuck, what can I say, those fucking bass skills! One of the best, if not the best in my opinion. He really does pull himself out of body when he kills that bass guitar in that space between a blink and a tear. In the end though, Death Blooms.
Now, the next few tracks are rocking but I can’t quite grasp what they are, so I really hope AJ gets these set lists to me because I’m stumped again. Everyone else seems to know the fucking words though so why is it that I cannot resist the obvious? I guess I’m just not fucking Determined enough.
We are now over an hour into the set and the pit is still bouncing like a motherfucker. So, Chad takes a minute to calm the crowd and makes some comments that it’s a shit long trip out here, but how apparently, we, the fans, make it all worthwhile. He also makes note of the young metal kids in the crowd and how he himself is just a young metal kid. Then we get some 5- minute speech about our community of metal people, but I can’t hear shit cause every c@#t is yelling out over the top of him like he is just some kind of soiled dirty boy.
When he finally gets a clear word out, he asks us all if we can Dig it and we are all feeling pretty fucking Happy now!
And what’s left? Nothing. Some good-bye waves, some dripping sweatbands, guitar pics, set lists, drumsticks and gloves thrown into the crowd, and then the lights come on.
What a fucking night, and what a fucking experience if only just for the nostalgia! It was much more than that though, and you should make sure not to miss it when they hit your part of this big ol’ country over the coming days.
