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I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think an Anthrax reunion was the best idea. But when I heard the band was headlining a local show and were going to play Among the Living in it's entirety, I threw my opinions out the window and decided to go to the show. I got 4 presale tickets which would include a 3:30pm soundcheck. Being the metal geek that I am, I also coughed up $100 for the VIP package which included a 1-year fan club membership, 2 exclusive t-shirts, a beer kolder, guitar picks, Judge Dredd poster, drumsticks, sticker, membership card and a chance to be 1 of 15 people to get a meet and greet with the band. I got on the meet and greet list and everyone on the list was allowed to bring a friend to the meet and greet.
I created the following flyers for the meet and greet, hoping to get a laugh from the band:
(The pdf requires Acrobat 7 to display properly)
The night before the show I received an email from Anthrax's fan club people stating the soundcheck was moved to 4:45pm. We arrive at The Pound in San Francisco around 4:15pm. The Pound is a small venue (capacity 500 people) right on the water in an industrial area called India Basin. I didn't see any Indians nor Basins. At 4:45 the club owner and Anthrax's security people told us the band was 2 hours late, had just arrived and was going to their hotels to take a shower. The soundcheck would be in about an hour or so. We weren't happy but the people in charge were very cordial and apologetic. We were given special red tickets. Not a problem, we were hungry so we left and grabbed some pizza.
We returned an hour later and were told there wasn't going to be a soundcheck. About 15 minutes later all red ticketholders were taken to the ouside patio of the club for the meet and greet. So I'm wondering why there's more than 15 people; each of the supposed 15 was allowed to bring a guest, but to me it appeard to be more than 30 people. It appears that almost everyone in line for the show is being allowed in.
My wife was very excited to meet Scott Ian and I wanted to ask the band a lot of questions. Everyone except wee Danny Spitz is sitting at a table. Frank Bello was sitting closest to the front of the line and seemed really happy and excited. My wife asked to take a picture with him, he says SURE...then Scott Ian says NO. Then tells security to keep the line moving, no pictures with the band. I was incredibly pissed. Talk about buzzkill. I give the flyer to Frank and he's confused at first then is laughing his ass off. He asks for one for himself to read on the tour bus. He signs mine, passes it to Scott. Scott takes it, looks pissed and confused, then says "what the fuck...?" Silence. Then laughter. He asks where these were 3 months ago because they could have used them as posters. Charlie and Joey ask for one, Frank is asking me if I really created and wrote it myself. Charlie and Joey are laughing their asses off. Joey points out that Spitz looks like he doesn't belong. "Exactly!" I say and they keep laughing. I give them all copies to keep and security is telling us to keep it moving.
So now we're back outside. About 15 minutes later they bring all the VIP people in again (8 of us) and we're given our t-shirts, poster, picks, and sticker. No drumsticks. We're led back outside again. My wife is really pissed at this point and everyone seems really disappointed. I ask the security guy about the promised meet and greet, because this was more like a "get 2 things signed and leave". He says he's not sure, that since everything is running late, they're making it up as they go along. Again, he was very cordial and wasn't being a dick.
So around 7pm the red ticket holders area again brought to the patio area. We hear the usual "doom doom" of the bass drum inside, a few guitar licks. This continues for over an hour. I'm baffled as to why we're getting "special" treatment. This is not our promised souncheck. We can buy drinks. We can freeze our asses off. Amazing. I ask the guy at the merchandise table if we are getting a real meet and greet and that if "Anthony" (they guy we were told would take us to meet the band) would be here. He says Anthony is gone, that he was the guy that let us in earlier and that as far as he knows there wouldn't be another meet and greet. Lovely.
So a little after 8pm we're let in the club. It's a small place with a capacity of about 500 people. 2 opening bands play...eh...not my thing. Some mosh pits start (great...fat sweaty people rubbing against me) and I just want Anthrax to play. I'm not happy at this point and I'm trying to get past it all and be able to enjoy the show.
At 10pm or so a tech is on stage with Danny's guitar. He keeps pointing to his ear monitor, gesturing that he can't hear anything. This continues for close to an HOUR. The crowd is getting pissed. People are booing and flipping the bird. My wife says, "back in 1985 they didn't have those fancy ear things, right? Aren't they METAL enough to play without them?" I'm also wondering...the band was late. We met them around 6pm. It's almost 11pm. There's no and I mean NO excuse for not taking 15 mintues to meet with 8 people and their guests. I don't want to hear excuses. We were promised something, it didn't happen. And now we've been on our feet since 8pm, not a chair in site.
Finally around 11pm the band takes the stage and launches into Among the Living. I gotta say...they were amazing. The crowd sang every single word of the song, so loudly that the entire band was almost drowned out. Frank Bello is completely insane on stage. I couldn't really see Dan Spitz. Joe Belladonna amazed me. The last few times I saw him, his voice wasn't holding up well. He was singing really well and having a great time up there. Dan's solos weren't spot on and his rig was humming loudly at times. He seemed to drop in and out of the mix. Charlie is an amazing drummer. He looks so relaxed up there while the drums are getting pummelled. Scott and Joe took turns between songs to talk to the crowd. Scott mentioned that they'd probably never play the next few songs live again and launched into One World. He confirmed that ADI/Horror of it All was written about Cliff Burton. Joey mentioned that this was the smallest venue on the tour. What I didn't enjoy was Imitation of Life. They played the slow intro part...then launched into...you guessed it...Got the Time. They didn't finish Imitation. Next was Antisocial. I have an idea. Throw in Run to the Hills, Running Free, and Enter Sandman while you're at it. Bring the Noise and Be All, End All closed the set.
After the show my wife said "they are soooo lucky they played a good set and sounded great". I would have to agree. I'm still not happy about the situation and from what I've been reading on the fan club message board, the lack of soundcheck and the meet and greet that's not a meet and greet has been common on this tour.
I commend the band's/venue's security people for being cordial to us. I commend the band for a stellar performance. It felt like being at a club in the 80's, watching a band that you know is going to become bigger than life, and that this is the last time you'll be so close to them. Shame on the band for not doing a real meet and greet or at least not publicly acknowledging that things didn't run right or smoothly.
Here's the shots from the "meet and greet"
I created the following flyers for the meet and greet, hoping to get a laugh from the band:
(The pdf requires Acrobat 7 to display properly)
The night before the show I received an email from Anthrax's fan club people stating the soundcheck was moved to 4:45pm. We arrive at The Pound in San Francisco around 4:15pm. The Pound is a small venue (capacity 500 people) right on the water in an industrial area called India Basin. I didn't see any Indians nor Basins. At 4:45 the club owner and Anthrax's security people told us the band was 2 hours late, had just arrived and was going to their hotels to take a shower. The soundcheck would be in about an hour or so. We weren't happy but the people in charge were very cordial and apologetic. We were given special red tickets. Not a problem, we were hungry so we left and grabbed some pizza.
We returned an hour later and were told there wasn't going to be a soundcheck. About 15 minutes later all red ticketholders were taken to the ouside patio of the club for the meet and greet. So I'm wondering why there's more than 15 people; each of the supposed 15 was allowed to bring a guest, but to me it appeard to be more than 30 people. It appears that almost everyone in line for the show is being allowed in.
My wife was very excited to meet Scott Ian and I wanted to ask the band a lot of questions. Everyone except wee Danny Spitz is sitting at a table. Frank Bello was sitting closest to the front of the line and seemed really happy and excited. My wife asked to take a picture with him, he says SURE...then Scott Ian says NO. Then tells security to keep the line moving, no pictures with the band. I was incredibly pissed. Talk about buzzkill. I give the flyer to Frank and he's confused at first then is laughing his ass off. He asks for one for himself to read on the tour bus. He signs mine, passes it to Scott. Scott takes it, looks pissed and confused, then says "what the fuck...?" Silence. Then laughter. He asks where these were 3 months ago because they could have used them as posters. Charlie and Joey ask for one, Frank is asking me if I really created and wrote it myself. Charlie and Joey are laughing their asses off. Joey points out that Spitz looks like he doesn't belong. "Exactly!" I say and they keep laughing. I give them all copies to keep and security is telling us to keep it moving.
So now we're back outside. About 15 minutes later they bring all the VIP people in again (8 of us) and we're given our t-shirts, poster, picks, and sticker. No drumsticks. We're led back outside again. My wife is really pissed at this point and everyone seems really disappointed. I ask the security guy about the promised meet and greet, because this was more like a "get 2 things signed and leave". He says he's not sure, that since everything is running late, they're making it up as they go along. Again, he was very cordial and wasn't being a dick.
So around 7pm the red ticket holders area again brought to the patio area. We hear the usual "doom doom" of the bass drum inside, a few guitar licks. This continues for over an hour. I'm baffled as to why we're getting "special" treatment. This is not our promised souncheck. We can buy drinks. We can freeze our asses off. Amazing. I ask the guy at the merchandise table if we are getting a real meet and greet and that if "Anthony" (they guy we were told would take us to meet the band) would be here. He says Anthony is gone, that he was the guy that let us in earlier and that as far as he knows there wouldn't be another meet and greet. Lovely.
So a little after 8pm we're let in the club. It's a small place with a capacity of about 500 people. 2 opening bands play...eh...not my thing. Some mosh pits start (great...fat sweaty people rubbing against me) and I just want Anthrax to play. I'm not happy at this point and I'm trying to get past it all and be able to enjoy the show.
At 10pm or so a tech is on stage with Danny's guitar. He keeps pointing to his ear monitor, gesturing that he can't hear anything. This continues for close to an HOUR. The crowd is getting pissed. People are booing and flipping the bird. My wife says, "back in 1985 they didn't have those fancy ear things, right? Aren't they METAL enough to play without them?" I'm also wondering...the band was late. We met them around 6pm. It's almost 11pm. There's no and I mean NO excuse for not taking 15 mintues to meet with 8 people and their guests. I don't want to hear excuses. We were promised something, it didn't happen. And now we've been on our feet since 8pm, not a chair in site.
Finally around 11pm the band takes the stage and launches into Among the Living. I gotta say...they were amazing. The crowd sang every single word of the song, so loudly that the entire band was almost drowned out. Frank Bello is completely insane on stage. I couldn't really see Dan Spitz. Joe Belladonna amazed me. The last few times I saw him, his voice wasn't holding up well. He was singing really well and having a great time up there. Dan's solos weren't spot on and his rig was humming loudly at times. He seemed to drop in and out of the mix. Charlie is an amazing drummer. He looks so relaxed up there while the drums are getting pummelled. Scott and Joe took turns between songs to talk to the crowd. Scott mentioned that they'd probably never play the next few songs live again and launched into One World. He confirmed that ADI/Horror of it All was written about Cliff Burton. Joey mentioned that this was the smallest venue on the tour. What I didn't enjoy was Imitation of Life. They played the slow intro part...then launched into...you guessed it...Got the Time. They didn't finish Imitation. Next was Antisocial. I have an idea. Throw in Run to the Hills, Running Free, and Enter Sandman while you're at it. Bring the Noise and Be All, End All closed the set.
After the show my wife said "they are soooo lucky they played a good set and sounded great". I would have to agree. I'm still not happy about the situation and from what I've been reading on the fan club message board, the lack of soundcheck and the meet and greet that's not a meet and greet has been common on this tour.
I commend the band's/venue's security people for being cordial to us. I commend the band for a stellar performance. It felt like being at a club in the 80's, watching a band that you know is going to become bigger than life, and that this is the last time you'll be so close to them. Shame on the band for not doing a real meet and greet or at least not publicly acknowledging that things didn't run right or smoothly.
Here's the shots from the "meet and greet"
