Steve Shalaty Immolation/Vader Tour Blog – Day 11, 12
Day 11 – Day off:
Nothing to report. Did not practice. Shame, shame
Day 12 – Seattle, Washington:
We load into the El Corazon and tune up the kit before soundcheck. I have fond memories from past visits to this club. My first tour with Immolation. Hell, my first tour ever, we stopped here on a 90 something degree day in August of 2003. The humidity was stifling and the moisture was dripping off the ceiling in the club. It was one of those sets where you felt completely purged afterward.
I can't wait to play after a day off so I hurry upstairs with my pad to loosen up before soundcheck. Soundcheck feels nice for once. The kicks feel smooth. And even though we set up the kit the same every night, it feels like I'm sitting up higher today. Sometimes the tilt of the riser or even the stage itself can create this feeling. Whatever the cause, I like it and make note of this to myself. I spend the day eating and practicing quite a bit. All the time trying to beat up my left hand. Paul bought a new practice pad today so he joins me for some drills and rudiment practice. This is one of the best parts of touring. Getting to jam with other drummers is so cool for me. I come from a background of playing percussion in school where we always played together as a section, a gang of drummers. We used to write cadences and small songs of only percussion. This sort of communal practice always brings that back for me.
My hunger is starting to rage so I round up the boys and we head to a burrito place down the block. After I make a pig of myself we…. walk…. back, uggh. Time to relax and check out the local talent. We've got 2 opening bands tonight and I'm excited because Seattle usually delivers. Usually. Well it's time to put Pathology's mean green kit on stage. We have to extract it from a sea of drum equipment that is walled off in front of the auxilliary bar. Dave has half a dozen reinforcement clamps on all his cymbal stand clusters and with his massive Paistes mounted they can be a lot to handle. Everybody pitches in though and he's ready to go in no time.
Dave slams his way through Pathology's set without a hitch. James verbally molests the crowd and makes friends as only he can do. Vile and charming at the same time.
Everyone attacks Dave's set like army ants and one drum set dissolves and streams away as another materializes. Everybody on the tour is developing impressive efficiency and speed in changing equipment between sets. We are now a unit. Haha.
Lecherous Nocturne lash at the crowd without mercy and with calculated rage they bolt through song after song. They dedicate "Just War Theory" to their former drummer who is in the crowd tonight. He nods along with approval as Alex shows his proficiency in the athletic style of drumming that the former skinsman helped create. Great set. So pissed.
After we rotate the kits I go upstairs to play along with Ken's parts in Abigail Williams. Paul is already there furiously flailing his new practice pad. His single strokes are getting seriously fast. I am going to have to step it up if I plan on hanging with this kid the rest of the tour. I asked Paul about his skank beats earlier today. He plays a variation that is a little strange to me. Both the hands share the off beat and only the kick hits on the down beat. He told me that this was how Doc, Vader's original and legendary drummer, used to play it. Paul says the whole idea is to accent the off beat. I tell him he's crazy and laugh because there's no way I could play it like that.
It's time for Vader to take their turn punishing the Seattle crowd. The fans are thrilled and Paul and the boys make sure everybody gets their fill of Polands finest. I see that Paul is pushing the blast tempos just about every night. Little by little into the stratosphere.
Paul and I trade cymbals and snare drums and he relinquishes the driver's seat with a handshake and a smile. Everything feels and sounds great. I can't wait to dig in. "The Purge" goes well. "Majesty" follows suit. "Once Ordained" is fast and tight with slightly elevated tempos but a swinging groove. I'm pushing tempos ever so slightly across the board tonight and it seems to energize the band a bit. Even one of my least favorites "Hate's Plague", comes out decent and "Nailed to Gold" is the best we've played it all tour. It's so nice to get off the kit somewhat satisfied with my performance for a change. I keep waiting for a safe to fall on me the rest of the night. I tell Paul that we should definitely try to play tomorrow (another day off) and keep the momentum going. One more show to go before San Fran!
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