There have been few gigs that have been anticipated more than this, the latest installment of Slayer’s ‘World Painted Blood’ tour. Originally scheduled for November last year, then put back until March, then put back again until May as Tom Araya underwent surgery for a Cervical Radiculopathy, which is apparently an occupational hazard for career headbangers.
Anyway, only 6 months later and here they are. The protracted build up to this gig made the anticipation even greater as this was a tour that many feared would never happen. Had the UK seen the last of Slayer ??
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First up were one of the best support acts we have ever seen, Swedish thrashers The Haunted. Having seen them live in much more intimate settings in Sheffield Academy during their night off from the Slayer tour we knew they were a bit good, Tonight they really seemed to lift their game feeding off the energy of the bigger crowd. ‘Moronic Colossus’ was amazing and they really gave it their all.Any lesser headliner would have been blown away….. |
| But not Slayer. This is a band who have been perfecting their craft for almost 30 years. In that time have built up a body of work that surpasses that of any of the other members of Thrash’s big four in terms of consistency and, dare I say, quality. They are a band who have always stayed true to their origins. Slayer have never released a rap album, or performed with the San Francisco Philharmonic Orchestra…..So the question was could they still cut it live, had they lost their edge ?
Well tonight from the moment the band came onstage to a tumultuous roar from the crowd they proceeded to blow everyone in the room clean away. When they launched into the opening strains of ‘World Painted Blood’ the audience went MENTAL. With other bands of Slayer’s generation the new tracks are usually just filler between their classics, but as they tore through ‘Blood’ and then ripped straight into ‘Hate Worldwide’ it was clear that live these songs were up there with anything that they had done before. In front of a simple but effective video screen backdrop Slayer did what they do, what they have done consistently for 25 years…. |
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This really is a band with an amazing stage presence. Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman are in constant motion moving across the stage and really connecting with the crowd. Staring into the front rows, pointing out individual fans, establishing eye contact (OK, I know that sounds weird in a thrash gig) and generally making us feel like we are part of the event, and not just watching some old blokes out for one last pay-day.This was much more than some nostalgia-gasm. Dammit Slayer are still valid, as much as they ever were and many a younger band could learn a thing or two from these masters of their sonic craft. |
| The set-list was a journey through an amazing back catalogue, with songs dating right back to their 1983 debut album ‘Show No Mercy’. It brought home how Slayer have stuck to their own sound and not felt the need to experiment or chase any trends.Having said that, the biggest cheers of the evening were reserved for their undisputed live classics like ‘Mandatory Suicide’, ‘Seasons in the Abyss’, ‘Hell Awaits’ and an absolutely awesome rendition of ‘Chemical Warfare’, which had wave after wave of satisfied customers surfing over the barrier.
This was a show played out at maximum velocity the whole way through. Slayer don’t really do quiet moments. Apart from a few words from Tom Araya thanking us for coming (yeah, like we’d have missed it) and showing us the reason he couldn’t headbang (a ‘pretty cool’ scar from his recent surgery) the set really never let up. It was fast, loud and brutal. And brilliant, absolutely brilliant. |
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It was clear that the band were really enjoying themselves tonight. Tom Araya was grinning from ear to ear by the end, and even gave us a round of applause when we helped him out with THAT scream at the start of ‘Angel of Death’, which turned into a massive sing-along.
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At this point we should really tell you the high points of the gig, but going over the set-list this morning it would be easier to list the low points.There weren’t any.
In addition, hats off to the usually excellent Manchester Academy pit crew, who dealt with the waves of crowd surfers with good humour. From the way they were bobbing their heads to the music you would almost think they were all metalheads This Slayer tour is drawing to a close but if you get a chance to to and see them you really should. I know they are playing Sonisphere but somehow standing in a field won’t be quite the same as being in a sweaty, noisy venue. |
. When one of the crew did get a little ‘robust’ in dealing with an overexcited punter Tom Araya leant down tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to calm down a bit. Brilliant moment.In terms of energy and the ferocity of the performance Slayer have really changed very little over the years. When I first saw them in 1986 I thought they were one of the best live bands on the planet. And here in 2010 that opinion hasn’t changed…..
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