Canadian industrial legends Skinny Puppy finish off a brief UK tour with their first ever Scottish show - and absolutely astonish all in attendance. The band has had its fair share of ups and downs - both personally and musically - in its 25 years of off-and-on existence, but really pulled out all the stops to deliver a barnstorming performance for its loyal Scottish pups.
KMFDM, doin’ it again...well, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? They may be a one-trick pony, but if the trick has been good enough to sustain leadman Sascha K and his ever-changing cohorts for 25 years, they must be doing something right (their website describes this as "over two and a half decades of conceptual continuity"). Despite the pessimism inherent in their distrust of politics and the fascist aesthetics they toy with, there’s always been an underlying positivity to KMFDM’s music and message, that somehow transcends their humorously ironic lyrics. Their incessant sloganeering opens them up to their audience, making the whole concept something their fans can embrace and feel a part of, even if it’s just by shouting their own name back at them.
The Doncaster Dome is a grand venue and it gives access to music for those in East and North Yorkshire who are, for the most part starved of top-level acts - you would think that they could afford some bloody air conditioning then, eh? That notwithstanding, Pendulum rock the house tonight with their emotive electro-dance-rock sound and a set made up of "classic" tunes as well as the best new material (well, not the killer 'Self vs Self' featuring In Flames...obviously) but still, it's pretty good.
Everyone knows that this band has been through a lot over the years and that they are no strangers to the spotlight or mass controversy. Last time Atari Teenage Riot were here was with the late Carl Crack and the band’s inner turmoil had reduced them to performing spiteful white-noise work-outs, as documented by their infamous ‘Live At Brixton Academy’ EP from 1999; all of this is acknowledged by a heartfelt Empire during their London return.
