Upon setting foot into the Knitting Factory, my cohorts and I were caught in a stranglehold of sound.

Angus Khan had ascended the stage. At first sight, they looked like a joke. All older men, one sporting an army helmet, another who was obviously influenced by Jimmy Page, and a lead singer decked from head to toe in dark brown leather and a mane down to his shoulders. But, appearances aside, they can definitely put on a show. The performance was marked by lewd comments, spitting on stage, and bubbles. Yes, I said bubbles.

Their sound paralleled Iron Maiden, Motorhead, and AC/DC; from which they forged an up-tempo, hard-hitting, good old-fashioned, classic rock show. Their on-stage antics were entertaining and reminiscent of rock/metal bands of a more glorious age. The lead singer flailed the mic stand around and braced himself against it with a scream so forceful that you would have thought he was Axl Rose himself (although at one point in the show he pulled out a harmonica and started wailing on it like it was nobody’s business…let me see Axl Rose do that). Although lyrically quite cheesy, it was a delightful type of cheesy, which careened the audience’s attention more so towards their heavy guitar riffs and intense drumming. During their song “Big Balls”, they threw out two dark purple beach balls (ironic?) into the crowd, and for “Machine Gun Funk”, the lead guitarist pulled out an electric guitar that was literally a machine gun (no lie, check out the pictures). Overall, they played an excellent set, one that left my ears ringing when I alit from the venue for a quick smoke.

The following act, Warship, was quite possibly the best set of the night. Warship is the most recent project of former From Autumn to Ashes members, and they have definitely taken their initial genre to a completely different level. Their guitarist was more than talented and had a number of face-melting riffs up his sleeve. The drummer, who was eclectic in style (he actually ripped one of his drums in half on stage out of frustration), was also their lead singer/screamer. Although the guitarist was stoically silent, the drummer and bass player exuded an odd humility on-stage, they were comedic and endearing, putting out a message that they were just happy to be there. Their lethal output of sound was intriguing and drew me in with each introductory riff.

And finally, we come to Goblin Cock. Awkward name, I know, and everyone at the venue was commenting on it all night, but they put on an engaging performance of drone metal. Their vestments? Grim Reaper robes (I told you it was interesting), creating an eerie atmosphere for the audience that was further enunciated by strobe lights, creeping fog, and strategically placed plastic skulls (that were often picked up and paraded around by the band). I left the Knitting Factory with throbbing ears, but a good heavy rock show was well worth the agony

Angus Khan: website | myspace
Warship: myspace
Goblin Cock: website | myspace

Photos by: Tatum Hengel

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Noise Pop Industries has announced the dates of the West Coast’s premiere independent celebration of music, film and art – Noise Pop 2009. The 17th annual Noise Pop Festival will take place February 24 through March 1, 2009 at venues throughout San Francisco. Early artist confirmations include New Pornographers front man A.C. Newman, No Age, Pinback side project Goblin Cock, Dear And The Headlights, the Bay Area debut of Clues and a very special performance by Antony and the Johnsons at Davies Symphony Hall. More confirmations will be announced very shortly.

The Noise Pop Film Festival continues its mission of focusing on films that embrace and reflect independent music and culture. Early announcements include Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison examining the most important day in the career of an American icon, and Agile Mobile Hostile: A Year with Andre Williams, which follows the charismatic hit songwriter (he has recorded with Berry Gordy, Ike Turner, Stevie Wonder and Jon Spencer to name a few) and his struggle with his creative vision and his addictions. Many Noise Pop Film Festival screenings will include Q&A discussions with the filmmakers.

WolfgangsVault.com returns as a presenting sponsor of the 2009 Festival showcasing emerging artists. Wolfgang’s Vault is the home for the past, present and future of live music including The Bill Graham Archives, Daytrotter Sessions, King Biscuit, selections from Noise Pop 2007 and 2008 and more, all available for free streaming online and by iPhone. Wolfgang’s Vault will offer exclusive Noise Pop 2009 concerts as free streams and free downloads of the bands destined to become household names.

Noise Pop Festival badges, which provide entry to all Noise Pop Festival events will be available to purchase starting at 10:00 AM on December 10, 2008. Festival badges are exclusively available from a dedicated Noise Pop 2009 Festival website (www.noisepop.com/2009) launching on December 3, 2008.

Noise Pop: website

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