Roadburn 2011, Tilburg, The Netherlands – Day 3 & Afterburner (by The Sleeping Shaman)

..and so, as with all good things, Roadburn has to come to an end. One final day of the festival itself, and one ‘mopping-up-the-remains’ day, ‘Afterburner’.

Feeling the after-effects of the night before, namely suffering from one massive Voivod-induced bangover, I steered my sorry carcass into the Midi to watch the always-entertaining Master Musicians Of Bukkake.

Up against the MMOB, over at the 013, were Candlemass – of whom I have NEVER been a fan…far too ‘trad’ for my liking, and not heavy enough either – and Liturgy – who I fail to understand, musically and conceptually…why the hell were they even ON at Roadburn? – neither of whom I really fancied seeing, and Black Math Horseman, who I wouldn’t have minded seeing, but they lost the toss to MMOB this afternoon.

Playing to a pleasantly packed room – not too empty, not so full that you couldn’t move around inside – the Master Musicians were in full swing when I entered, pumping out their heavily eastern-influenced trance-rock in front of a massive projection of the mystical scene pictured on the sleeve of their ‘Themes From The Motion Picture “Man With The Green Gloves On”‘ 7″. Seeing that mystic oriental temple towering over the band, all looking like Touraeg tribesmen hopped-up on magic monkey juice and fronted by a white-faced wailing muezzin with colour-changing laser fingertips was a psychedelic experience all of it’s own, even without factoring in the music. Channelling the Sun City Girls immortal classic ‘Torch of The Mystic’ through a stoner-psych filter, MMOB are a lyergic assault on both eyes and ears and one hell of a way to start the day.

My grumbling tum wouldn’t stay silent during MMOB’s set, so I sloped out early to appease it with some of the Colonel’s finest, fully intending to get back to the Midi in time to see Rwake. Unfortunately, I was distracted and completely forgot they were playing until 5 minutes before they finished. I heard very good reports from friends who had seen ‘em though.

This was to become a pattern for the day.

Thankfully, I DID remember to go and see Ludicra in the tiny Bat Cave, and boy was I thankful for it! They were BLISTERING. Pummelling the small room with their truly progressive take on crusty Black Metal, their set was a masterclass in how to do something right, do something WELL, and do something INDIVIDUAL. They really are their own band.

Drawing audible influence from the classier Black metal acts, oddballs such as Ved Buens Ende, genius guitarist John Cobbett’s old alumni Slough Feg and a heapin’ helpin’ of prime era Voivod – a musical debt admitted to me by drummer and all-around sweetheart Aesop and bassist and thoroughly good egg Ross whilst we were standing in the pit at the previous nights Voivod show – Ludicra are visceral, edgy, dynamic, off-the-wall and flat-out RIPPING.

Smashing through a set heavily weighted in favour of their latest EPIC, ‘The Tenant’, the band displayed their monster chops for the whole room to see – Aesop’s kit-scouring percussion, Ross’s tasteful and rock-solid bass, and Christy Gather’s KILLER axe-attack and throat-shredding vocals all impressed the hell out of me, but axe-maniac John Cobbett and demonically-possessed frontwoman Laurie Sue Shanaman REALLY blew me away.

Continue reading: The Sleeping Shaman – Roadburn 2011, Tilburg, The Netherlands – Day 3 & Afterburner.

Tags: Roadburn, Roadburn 2011, Roadburn Festival, Roadburn Festival 2011, The Sleeping Shaman

This entry was posted on Friday, May 6th, 2011 at 11:06 am and is filed under 2011, Festival News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.