4th time in 18 months I have seen South of Salem, here at the Riverside with Wednesday 13 in 2023, Stonedead Festival, Bloodstock and back here again. Gives you a good clue as to how good they are.
Bournemouth’s finest quintet is yet to disappoint, yet another superb night but a bit too short for me, only time for 9 tracks, but the joys of being an opening act I suppose. I would have preferred a couple more songs at least but that’s out of their hands.
Now with their 2nd album released ‘Death of the Party’, it was a case of what was going to be left out from their 1st album, which is an absolute belter for a debut album, namely ‘The Sinner takes it all’. The 2023 tour was easy, play the bloody lot. As it turned out a decent 3/6 blend of old and new but sadly no place for ‘Pretty little Nightmare.
I was mega happy to see as many SoS tee shirts lined up in the chilly Autumnal night outside as there were Wednesday 13 thus ensuring a good crowd. With The Riverside being sold out and circa 650 revelers set to take the roof off, SoS opened with ‘Let us Prey’ which for me, this is their ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ song, a song that will hopefully be played at some point in each and every set. It sets the tone nicely for what is to follow and gets everyone jumping from the start. NB: ‘Cold day in hell’ would have done the same but they saved that for last.
A true rock band in all they do, not really the macabre demonic persona which their name might portray, just pure 80s/90s style of rock & roll in 2020’s form. Joey has a fantastic true singers singing voice.
I have no idea what happens behind the organization of gigs but to put SoS with Wednesday 13 seems so complimentary, a real match made in …..Hell probably. Well done to the PR team, managers and promoters for this one.
Full set list: – 1. Let us Prey 2. Jet Black Eyes. 3. Made to be mine. 4. Hellbound heart. 5. Static. 6. Vultures. 7. Death of the Party. 8. Left for Dead. 9. Cold day in Hell.
If that 1st sentence doesn’t give you an idea what this gig was like nothing will. This was the 1st date of the 2024 UK and Europe tour and the boys were in emphatic form. Opening up with ‘Chapel of Blood’ in Newcastle’s Riverside which was sold out and the place was literally bouncing and the walls equally vibrating the crowd were 99% younger than I and they knew every word of every song it seemed, what a superb night. Young kids there, who probably weren’t even born when Murderdolls formed, so I thank good parentage for that. Standing in for Roman Surman on guitars is Diego ‘Ashes’ Ibarra, he of Static X, DevilDriver and Pretty Boy Floyd fame, amongst others.
Now as much as I love Wednesday 13, I can honestly say I know very little of the Murderdolls set from years gone by.
That said it was very much Wednesday 13 but maybe a little heavier / punkier so to speak. The boys seemed very happy men, 1st night on tour happiness, maybe the buzz of getting back on stage, I don’t know but nevertheless a happy men indeed. How these guys are not in larger venues beats me.
Obviously, this is a full Murderdolls setlist and they played for around 2 hours it seemed pausing only for a few anecdotal interludes of the times on tour accompanied by the late great Joey Jordison. If Motley Crue were the so-called bad boys of rock, Murderdolls can’t have been far off that mantle.
Hilarious recollections of the tour with Iron Maiden when they actually tried to get kicked off the tour. It seems Iron Maiden fans did not like them but rather than taking it as an insult by the fans actions, it actually had the opposite effect, spurred them on and made the guys even happier and probably a lot drunker with calamitous results. I won’t spoil it, but it is comedy gold.
Full set list:
- Chapel of Blood.
- Death Valley Superstar.
- 197666.
- Slit my Wrist.
- Love at first Fright.
- Mother Fucker I don’t care.
- Dark Place Alone.
- Bloodstained Valentine.
- Pieces of You.
- Graverobbing USA.
- Die my Bride.
- Summertime suicide.
- People hate me.
- Welcome to the strange.
- White Wedding.
- I love to say Fuck.
- Dead in Hollywood.
WEDNESDAY 13
Now that they have had an explanation of the very different meanings of the Northeast terms ‘Bollocks’ and ‘The Dogs Bollocks’ this show was the absolute fucking Dogs Bollocks. By far the best gig this year for me.
Glasgow, Belfast, Chester, Manchester, Bradford, Bristol, Wolverhampton, Nottingham and London, you are in for a fucking treat and that is not bollocks.
