This was a flashback to 1980: Me and me love recently moved house and we moved out of the city into green suburbia, actually back to where i grew up. And thus this show at the Markhalle was a copy of my adventures back then – taking the S-Bahn down to Hauptbahnhof and then the short walk over to the Markthalle to see great bands.
Because of SOIA the best wife of all was part of the expedition, so it was not only down memory lane but also … hand in hand.
Kick off at the Markthalle was rather early and for those attending a day job tough. And surprisingly it was 4 bands rather than 3 – when i arrived Additional Time (from down south-west in Germany) just finished their early early set. No clue how they sounded but they had to play a rather emtpy Markthalle way before 20:00.
Next on Cancer Bats, playing towards an only slightly bigger audience. I guess it was the night driven to Antwerpen that followed the Hamburg show that force all timing to the rather early side (and made all sets rather crisp – not to say “short”).
Some have them down as Sludge Metal and others point to Metalcore, i frankly don’t care about the cupboard they are put into. I just have to admit that i don’t dig their sound. So it was chatting outside and some drinks.
Once Comeback Kid from sunny Winnipeg (that’s Manitoba, Canada) took the stage the space in front of the stage and the rest of the Markthalle was well filled (but sure not sold out). And they took the audience by storm as much as i did like them (even in this rather big setting).
Comeback Kid (Markthalle, Hamburg, 06.11.2019)
They got the audience moving and had a number of fans singing along to every song. I am not too detailed into their output but i take it they played a variation of old and new songs. I guess if i would see them in the coziness of the Hafenklang i would dig them even more. The set was short but crisp and little did i know that it would set precedent for the headliner.
Sick Of It All took the headlining slot with all grandeur of a headline – dark stage, intro music and … bang, they stormed into Injustice System (as far as i recall, as i am late in writing up the show). The audience went full throttle in the pit and i saw many smiling faces (and people singing along) in the wide auditorium of the Markthalle.
Sick Of It All (Markthalle, Hamburg, 06.11.2019)
Lou gave as ever the commandeering front man, Pete jumped and twirled around with loads of killer chords, Craig with his double strap for the bass driving the rhythm and Armand doing what he does best: Hardcore drumming with a precision that is rarely matched.
I loved every minute, me love loved every minute and me mates (actually fewer than normally) also did dig it. When chatting prior to the show i tried to reconcile how many time i did see them, i arrived at about 20something times (single-handedly beating the best wife of all with “only” 7 times).
Best moment was Lou singing a song in the audience and the pit doing a circle pit swirling around him – first time i saw such a stunt (specifically a stunt with a microphone on a cord).
Sick Of It All (Markthalle, Hamburg, 06.11.2019)
SOIA took the stage at 22:04 and … gave us a coitus interruptus at 22:50. When they left the stage we thought it was for the encore but nope, they did not come back. When Lou came stage side to shake some hands i think i picked up he was quoting vocal problems, it may also just be the setting of the upcoming overnight drive to Belgium. Whatever it was, it was a little disappointment on an otherwise near perfect set.
I do hope SOIA return soonest in a sole setting and give us some extra time. We want it. We need it. We love it – no matter what!
#thereaintnuthinbetterthanlivemusic!
