Last time The Dillinger Escape Plan were in town they made being in the Concorde feel like being hit by a Concord. The sheer power, aggression and complexity within their music is totally unrivalled, something that their latest effort ‘One Of Us Is The Killer’ only reinforces. Touring off the back of that release The Dillinger Escape Plan have hit almost every notable city in Europe, and being the lucky Brightonians that we are, we get them on the most metal of all nights, Hallowe’en.
The band hit the stage wearing masks similar to those worn by the unwelcome intruders in the movie, The Purge, apart from guitarist James Love who instead has just attached a long brown-haired wig to his machine head. Either side of the drum kit are two screens that continuously show creepy visuals of melted faces and various horror movie clips in black and white. You’re getting an idea as to how this night is going to pan out, right?
Opening with ‘Prancer’ you can tell that they really mean business tonight and it’s not long before lead guitarist Ben Weinman climbs over the barrier and into the crowd where he is held up in a kneeling position shredding out the manic riffs that make him one of the most respected metal guitarists in the world.
Throughout the night Weinman runs around the stage like he is being chased by wasps, climbing on absolutely everything that is raised off of the ground and chopping the air with his guitar like he is wielding a chainsaw.
There is a big reaction during ‘Black Bubblegum’ where the crowd really make their voices heard and Concorde2 really feels like exactly the right place to be on this spooky night.
Whilst their set relies heavily on tracks from ‘One Of Us Is The Killer’, older ones such as ‘Panasonic Youth’, ‘Farewell, Mona Lisa’ and ‘Gold Teeth On A Bum’ get the pit rocking, occasionally spilling back as far as the second pillar. Those that are familiar with the venue will appreciate that’s a pretty good distance from the stage.
Whilst we stood slightly further away to really take everything in we feel totally taken aback by what we are experiencing. The Dillinger Escape Plan are so hypnotising to watch, treating the stage like hyperactive children at a playground whilst remaining unbelievably tight, intense, and, most importantly, bloody loud. We can’t help but produce a rather sinister smirk when this registers in our fake-blood-covered heads. There’s a reason why these guys are one of the most influential extreme bands on this planet and it seems like they have absolutely no intention of letting up anytime soon.
Returning to the stage for their much-anticipated encore they begin their cover of Aphex Twin’s ‘Come To Daddy’. The fact that the original tune was written using electronic hardware and software to create the most disturbing noises imaginable says a lot about how talented The Dillinger Escape Plan are as musicians.
They end the night on fan-favourite ‘43% Burnt’, ripping the drum kit apart and battering it over every inch of the stage. We’d like to end this review with some thought-provoking lyrics to help summarise the night: “Everything’s fine, spit on yourself, you’re so beautiful”. Make of that what you will. Happy Hallowe’en Brighton.
Concorde2, Thursday 31st October 2013
Words by Chris Biggs
Photos by Will Barnes
