30th May 2017
Kentish Town Forum, London
Skinny Puppy
Facebook page – Skinny Puppy Oficial
Support: – Ventenner
Facebook Page – Ventenner Official
”Skinny Puppy were on form this evening sharing songs of protest, tracks that question, music that pisses off and provokes a reaction, unlike at a One Direction gig where the only reaction you’d get from me is of moving quite swiftly towards the exit!! The Kentish Town Forum was quite full, not as full as when I saw Rob Zombie as there was space at the back you could still walk through but a good crowd none the less. This would be the first time I have seen Skinny Puppy since they played the same venue around 2005. Nivek Ogre came onstage wearing a hypodermic needle suit, an allusion to his past addiction that needed attention due to the needles coming out or bending.
There was a triangular display showing projections behind Nivek which complimented the stream of consciousness matter of fact abrasive vocal delivery that was filtered through a vocoder. I always found this vocal delivery sinister and at times disturbing but always fascinating! It’s like listening to someone being garroted whilst they are suspended inside a rusty drainpipe dripping with rancid water. I can almost taste the rusting metal and the cold foulness of the water!! The sound mix was excellent and I found myself shoulder bopping throughout the set as if trying to create some more room for myself inside the aforementioned drainpipe !! Standout tracks that go my shoulders bopping were ”Fascist Jock Itch”, ”DogShit”, ”VX Gas Attack”, ”Worlock” and ”The Choke”.
The sound was strong and the vocals did not disappoint in any shape or manner, this was a fully rounded set!!
It is a shame that I found the Ventenner set disappointing!! In my humble opinion, the sound mix was terrible, there was no sound separation and the bass sounded too loud. I stood stage left, then right and finally centre but the sound still sounded awful!! I think Ventenner are a good band, think NIN/Numan and the new album ”InVidia” is really good from what I have heard so far!! Track one is a screamer!!! I have seen them before at The Hope & Anchor in Islington and the sound there was a darn sight better!! maybe on this occasion the mix was slapdash so as to not upstage Skinny Puppy????”
