Prelude: Those, who walk thru life with open eyes and ears or just read the biggest metal yellow press know that ex-Cradle Of Filth drummer Adrian Erlandsson nowadays supports his goddess-wife Morrigan Hel, of course behind the skins again. This new unit is called NEMHAIN, a dark and dirty rock’n’roll powerhouse, which sees its first anniversary this month. But before it’s time to party NEMHAIN added a handful of shows in Holland and one of these I wanted to attend…
Surprisingly I got aware that NEMHAIN are going to support MUNICIPAL WASTE and ELECTRIC EEL SHOCK, who came over the pond to party at Wacken Open Air. Hehehe… what a great package ;)

:: pics ::

The Club: the Innocent – Home Of Hardcore (what cute name) is located downtown Hengelo and isn’t any bigger than your living room back home. I’d say it’s sold out with 70 people attending. However, across from the club a Coffee shop offers likable tobaccos, so that every third person had a joint in the corner of its mouths. Well, the rest didn’t need any anymore… ;)
Ok, Dutch people are known for being reserved at shows… just to mention that. It actually doesn’t wonder with all the drift smog wafting…well… actually…

:. NEMHAIN ~ got properly shaken last days when both guitarists, Cherry Forever and Mr. Dick, left the band for some reasons. Fortunately they got quickly replaced by Samara und Steve Lee. Latter one is just a 23 years old hottie and I guess, it’s not that easy between all these thoroughbred women (Morrigan Hel (vox), Da Witch (bass) and new-entry Samara)… ;) Apropos… these ladies didn’t have any room on stage to develop themselves. The stage was as close as their corsages, while Mr. Lee had to watch the entrance door that was close to bash is head every now and then. Around 50 people took a look at this 6-track-set, reserved as already mentioned. That might be due to the fact that NEMHAIN aren’t that known yet and I guess these girls don’t look like that kind of party a Municipal Waste fan expects. Since the stage didn’t leave much room for movements the show stayed quite static. To be honest it didn’t rock out that much. Tho, I’d liked what I got to see and hear and I think on a bigger stage at a punk’n’rock’n’roll show this gang rocks the hell out of the house. Tonight NEMHAIN performed a brand new song – Hate – for the very first time (if I got it right). After 25 minutes the show was over and the band vanished into the backstage room.
Setlist: Ashes, Ana, Heroin Child, Hate, Speed Queen, Die Die My Darling (Misfits Cover)

Outside lovely sunshine welcomed the dudes and dudettes with almost summer-like temperatures (damn, isn’t it already August?). The little yard was filled with around 150 people and I was wondering if they all wanted to be in…

:. ELECTRIC EEL SHOCK ~ were already fooling around prior their show and had a lot of fun posing and making faces while changing the backline. The Japanese trio, Americans by choice, is waiting to get off the grid with their brand new album Transworld Ultra Rock set to be released on October 1st. Tonight the guys wanted to make our mouths watering with new songs. EEL kicked off doomy with Ozzy’s Iron Man, its main riff seems to be the band’s mantra, since they repeated this one every now and then, just faster. The Innocent was suddenly crowded and all attendees wildly moshin’. Likewise the protagonists on stage did, who significantly had more space to move. That Japanese are loony is known, that they do everything more extreme as the common European or American I could already experience with Terror Squad. Same thing here of course ;) Guitarist and singer Aki Morimoto was biting his instrument, while bassist Kazuto Maekawa climbed the speakers in wild wrenches (hey, it was a living room-like club with a low ceiling). Also drummer Tomoharu Ito was diligently climbing, on his drum kit. In between they made Hengelo to a German town, what didn’t went down well, but made it good again with adulations on the great crowd and adopted those in passing. The guys didn’t tell that much since their English language isn’t the best. Well, there was no need for, the show did it ;) EEL truly rocked down da house. Yeah, that was fun!

Now I was the time that everybody wanted to get in. All of them! I stayed inside to have a good place for some photos. Not that it was too much fun taking them with the three lights overhead… Anyway, it was worth a try… and that’s all I should get…

:. MUNICIPAL WASTE ~ have already caused some furor with its heavy crossover a lá D.R.I., Nuclear Assault, Toxic and Gangreen, especially with their sophomore The Art Of Partying. No, I think it’s more applicable to say that they have established kind of a cult in a twinkling of an eye. However, 4-stringer Land Phil looked like he was just beamed over from the 80’s, appearing with stretch jeans, sneakers and kutte. Singer Tony Foresta came up with two oversized beer-horns. A quick line-check and then... as if someone had moved a lever... the crowd completely freaked out! Literally! Before opening track Sweet Attack (har har) has found its end (and you know, MUNICIPAL WASTE songs aren’t that long running...) I was already thrown several times over the stage or was lying in front of it, of course affectionately picked up again, and damaged all possible body parts. And I wasn’t the only one ;) Luckily no one got seriously injured. Perfectly suiting to Terror Shark a shark-surfboard was thrown into the crowd. And I tell ya, people surfed. Really. On that board above the heads of the 150 peeps! Hardly to believe but it’s true ;) Diving? That was yesterday! Today people surf! Sweat was flowing like water, creating lakes everywhere and MUNICIPAL WASTE even topped that! They called on the crowd to start circle pits and later even a wall of death, dutifully followed by everyone ;) The only thing I tried was to stay alive, with my cam... Successful with the cam, not with my body... Then it was time for the beer horns and Beer Pressure. The smaller one got stuck in a lady’s throat; the monster horn was up for a boy. With Kill The Prick a short statement against George W. followed and Blood Divine got abused for a new speed record, played three times in a row. Yep! One hour passed and the spook was over and the blood dried. The Richmond, Virginia-based freaks got called back for one encore to ultimately finish the show. Sweat stood centimeters high in the bass drum, flowed down the walls and left everybody soppy.
Setlist: Intro/Sweet Attack, Headbanger Face Rip, Terror Shark, Thrashing Of The Christ/Thrashin’s My Business, Drunk As Shit/Waste ‘Em All, The Inebriator, Unleash The Bastards, Sadistic Magician, Kill The Prick, Blood Drive/Accelerated Vision, Beer Pressure, Mind Eraser // Bang Over

Upshot: This was indeed a sweaty evening, and a surprising one. Never tell me again that Dutch people are reserved at shows! Generally thinking I guess that the organizers didn’t expect such throng. Otherwise they probably would have upgraded the venue to the close Metropool. Anyway, this show was sick, freaky, grandiose, the way it has to be. And now I need to care for my wounds… ;)

And for the insiders: Yes, I made it to Hengelo and back :P As I said, no room for escapades this time. And my car obeys. This time. But thanks tons for your… um… nice e-mails and SMS ;)

story & pics © Dajana