Kudos To Crucifracture, Waiting For Vega

So last night marked the return of KilkennyMusic.com to Cleere’s theatre in Kilkenny following a five month break (due in large part to the start of the One Take Sessions last year). But to say we came back with a bang is a bit of an understatement!

First to the stage last night were metal outfit Crucifracture who put on a seriously heavy set to start things off, kicking the setlist off with ‘Fist Your Bitch’. Some name for a song but it keeps in line with the heavy and dark nature the band carry. Now down to a three-piece with Red on lead vocals, the lads rocked out for the guts of about 35 minute but it took just the first two or three songs for calls to turn it down from the main bar!

Turn it down? What now? Guess they missed having us in there

A guest appearance by Itchy Trigger Finger’s Jimmy Trigger (J/Bat, T-Rigger, T-Rock, Tigger, check the podcast and I think you’ll understand!) bridged the gap between Crucifracture and Waiting For Vega who got to the stage around 11:20 or so. The band are strangers to Kilkenny but for former Clergy-man Gary ‘The Main Event’ on the bass.

A new band, actually their first gig, and tip of the hit to them it was a quality performance. Heavy influences of Incubus and A Perfect Circle in there, the lads played around a half hour set and in between songs managed to pull a birthday cake and 21 kisses for one ‘Hannah’ who had traveled from Dublin for the gig (along with a small army of Waiting For Vega friends). Seemingly “21 lads can have a go on Hannah”… pure madness and a first for KKM. Solid performance, pretty tight and but for one or two hiccups prior to the start of the set it all went well.

Word of warning - if these lads are playing near you, keep well clear of the stage or anything that can hold a man’s bodyweight by the last song. They said they had a surprise in store for the end of the show, and originally wanted to wrap the lighting bars in toilet paper and set them on fire before we stepped in but in true rock star fashion the kit was part trashed and the Lizard guitarist jumped atop the bass bins, hoisted himself onto one of the lighting rails, shimmied to the middle of the venue and hung from his ankles for the last song.

An absolute mad night of music and a fantastic way to kick off the live calendar again. Up next month we’ve got The Re-offenderz and Original Lineup which possibly won’t be as crazy, antics-wise, but is certainly set to be a cracking gig.

As for me, I’m off for breakfast to try recover from last night! Kudos to everyone who turned up, for a band that haven’t played Kilkenny before they certainly had a good crowd! Many thanks also to David Sla and the lads in Crucifracture who stepped in at the last minute for the support. You’ll catch them next weekend in Paris Texas before making an all ages appearance in ID mid-March and finally supporting Slave Zero later in the month, once again in Cleeres.

Hopefully last night will have given them an indication as to what they’re in for!