GiggingNI.com
Spitknot
With Sinocence; Residual Effect;
As a fan, of the majority of singles at least, of Slipknot, I was very much looking forward to this gig. Not only was it the night that Slipknot were to be recreated but it was also the night where my sister's fiancé, Gary Todd, had his stag night - there's nothing better than a few (too many) drinks whilst having a good ole rock(drunken headbanging/dancing) out in the middle of Spring and Airbrake's booze-soaked floor.
First up were local Belfast metalheads Residual Effect and as I walked into the start of their set, it was clear that they weren't going to take shit from no-one. A frantic set, which got the long hair swinging, in the fairly packed-out venue, and the fists pumped up, from five guys who knew how to handle the crowd. Their stage presence was great and vocalist Michael Higgins commanded, and demanded, the crowd brilliantly. If you're looking for something to lose your mind to, you definitely have to check these guys out. Their set was destructive and some of their riffs were deliciously addicting - just how everyone likes their metal to be.
Next up, Sinocence took to the stage after the crowd were fairly shook up by the rockers previous. Sounding like a heavier Northern Irish version of welshmen Bullet for My Valentine, they displayed their experience through a very controlled set and solid performance, that many of their idols would be proud of. Demanding for more noise from the crowd, they got what they asked for through a ton of applause and appreciation after every single song from another Belfast crowd that showed their great love for the metal music scene. The thing with Sinocence is after a while you'll find yourself singing along with them and soon, you won't be able to get enough. Certainly one addiction you won't overcome easily.
Now I'm sure you've heard, from an enemy or a random passer-by, the phrase "Go crawl in a hole and die" (or words to that effect) at some point in your life. One thing I discovered - that night in the Spring and Airbrake was that 'dark hole' everyone was talking about. The furious entrance of Spitknot, with the black curtain even getting pulled down to hide their identities and to add to the dramatic entrance upon ripping it off, was greeted by a rapture of applause. Ripping straight into a set that contained all the major hits including "Spit It Out", "Wait and Bleed", "Left Behind", "Before I Forget" (which started off disastrously but redeemed themselves expertly), "The Heretic Anthem" before even dwelling into new material such as "Psychosocial" and "Sulphur". When every single was played by the highly-impressive tribute act, the video accompanied it on the backdrop of the stage which added to the superb set-up Spitknot have. I highly recommend seeing these guys. They are full of energy, they recreate everything that Slipknot do and are about and, one thing is for sure, if you would have walked in without knowing, you could have believed it was Slipknot themselves! [Photo taken from Spitknot's MySpace]
