Orange Goblin took to the stage in Opium, Dublin on Friday 4th October for the first night of their Irish/Uk tour. Their most recent album ‘Science, Not Fiction’ has been out since July and the band are currently touring to promote it with support from Conan.
This is yet another gig by DME/MCD Promotions where they have brought a legendary metal band to our shores, and we should all be grateful that they did.
Arriving at the venue (which was embarrassingly my first time shooting there…I know) I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was pretty much the perfect venue for this kind of gig.
The stage was at one end, slightly off centre, and in front of it was a long venue that allowed everyone to have a full view of the stage. A balcony also surrounded the stage for those interested in the drum/pedal board setup or who just wanted to observe the crowd from afar (something I should have done after having a pint of Guinness ‘accidentally’ thrown at me haha).
When Conan came to the stage, the Liverpool 3 piece started their set, filling the entire venue with their signature and very well known brand of sludge metal. These guys have been going since about 2006 and in my opinion could (and should…*cough DME…cough*) come back for their own headline gig. The stage was suitably dark and moody and singer Jon Davis stayed elusively in the shadows, his haunting voice being projected into the abyss over the sound of a guitar that seemed to be too heavy to just be from one person, and the bass/drums of Ryley and King driving it all and holding the sound together like detuned glue. For a moment I forgot they were just the support band.
When Orange Goblin took the stage, the gig became a whole different animal…
Hoare, Turner and Armstrong took their positions and they all of a sudden Ben Ward took the stage, and he seemed about 7ft tall.
His presence immediately took over, and you could tell that he was a genuinely nice guy who seemed to be enjoying being there as much as he probably did when the band first started, back in 1995.
They began the set with ‘Cemetery Rats’, and afterwards Ward addressed the audience, telling them how great it was to be back and starting their tour here, before making sure everyone knew the objective was to enjoy the gig…and that they did.
Almost before he even said it a large circle of people formed just in front of the gig, and as soon as the band started ‘(Not) Rocket Science’, the whole front of the crowd went apeshit. I guess it was an apt song to play, because there was no confusion as to what the crowd were supposed to do, and do it they did.
The energy from the band on stage was infectious, with Ward moving from one side of the stage to the other in what seemed to be a single stride, Joe Hoare blasting out his riffs and lead from the guitar effortlessly while also interacting with the crowd, and Harry Armstrong bounding between the mic and drumkit while spinning his hair like a blonde propeller. Chris Turner sat on his high rise behind his kit, effortlessly driving the whole situation like a just serviced diesel engine.
While these guys had the energy and presence of a band who had just started touring. You could tell by the music they had been doing this for a long time, and they loved it.
They went through their extensive back catalogue throughout the set, ranging from the latest album to their first EP, and you could tell by how passionate the crowd were that they knew every song, no matter how old/obscure it was.
Some bands (if they even last 30 years) can appear to be jaded or going through the motions at that point, treating it more like a job or business and just getting the set done, but not Orange Goblin. These guys know what they are doing, and you can tell they still love it, and that was extremely refreshing to see.
It was my first time seeing them live, but I hope it won’t be my last.
The rest of their UK tour is definitely worth checking out. Just remember, if you’re up the front, wear a raincoat.
Conan photos:
Orange Goblin photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Cemetary Rats
(Not) Rocket Science
Saruman’s Wish
Hot Magic, Red Planet
Rage Of Angels
Heavy Lies the Crown
The Fury of a Patient Man
The Filthy & the Few
Snail Hook
The Devil’s Whip
Whiskey Leech
The Fire at the Centre of the Earth Is Mine
Ascend the Negative
Encore
Quincy the Pigboy
Scorpionica
Red Tide Rising
Words & photos – David McEneanery @experimentzero