Evil Scarecrow w/Eradikator, and STN – LIVE
Evil Scarecrow w/Eradikator, and STN – LIVE
Real Time Live, Marsden Street, Chesterfield
07/09/2024
Review by Mare Grills
“A lovely venue with proper people.”
This very special gig is a Charity Fundraiser for Russ Russell, the all round amazing man who is the Producer of the long awaited next Evil Scarecrow album; delayed due to his battle with cancer (no, I’m not giving it a Capital letter, because it doesn’t always win).
STN
Opening the event was STN, a rather surprised Punk band (they didn’t think anyone would arrive early enough to see them) who I enjoyed immensely. As Tich told us, the name is derived from Shaun (bass), Tich (vocals and guitar) and Neil (Drums) – simples .
They gave a frankly shy crowd a great set of loud, fast, jumping around stuff that we (I mean they) should have been jumping around to.
It’s always a hard ask to open a gig when the main attraction is Evil Scarecrow, and these guys did it beautifully, hard, fast and if I wasn’t saving it for Hurricanado, I would have pogo’d (google it children). Finishing with a banging Sex Pistols cover, they made me very happy.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057650930079
Eradikator
The second band to grace the stage was Eradikator. As I had to go and do some phone stuff and grab a word with Tich from STN, my trusty male festival child #1, Adam Robinson from Saur, has provided this review:-
“Jealousy, I’m told, is an ugly emotion, so I will try my very hardest not to let it spill over too far as I list all the ways I’m so very envious of Eradikator. First impressions count, and as these gents take to the stage, I notice they have the whole variety of glorious locks that many of the women in my life would kill for! Second of all, they play fast, real damned fast, flawless precision riffage of the highest degree, pure old school Thrash to my ears, reminiscent of ‘Kill ‘Em All’, and third, they’re opening for perhaps my favourite band, the All Powerful, Evil Scarecrow; but if they felt the same awe that I would have done, it certainly didn’t show. They engaged with the crowd with confidence and even taunted us a bit with their final number, wondering if we wanted it fast or faster! Definitely check them out, but be prepared to have a sore neck by the end.”
https://www.facebook.com/eradikatoruk
Evil Scarecrow
Top fan alert! I’ve only seen this band in excess of 40 times so there is no way that this review is going to be unbiased – HOWEVER – please consider that I have paid to see this band in excess of 40 times so they are, in my view, eggstremely entertaining.
Based in Nottingham, this terribly serious band has managed to elevate Metal to the best fun you can have at a gig. “Their performances are such a feast of both music and theatrics, it’s like going to a whole festival in one show”, (Kathy Bunting, my responsible adult).
As a band, they are musically extremely talented and tight, and winners of the HRH Metal Maniacs award, with Kraven Morrdeth lifting the HRH Badass Bass Guitarist award in the same year (2019). I was so proud I could have cried. Dr Rabid Hell, the frontman, is genius at getting the audience completely immersed in the experience of being at an Evil Scarecrow gig – trust me, you don’t just go to watch. Ringmaster Monty Blitzfist is amazing on the drums and I do love double bass drums . Count Gravediga is the newest (2020) addition to the line-up, (although he has been with the band for years as their amazingly talented ‘props’ guy) and it’s just like he’s always been here with brilliant musicianship and stage presence – I must admit, the body popping is pretty awesome too.
They opened the set with the stentorious ‘Nuclear Fallout Machine Sentience’, full of doom and foreboding to slide into the very serious ‘Robototron’ a complete turnaround in pace and tone – full audience participation required. I just wonder what it looks like from the stage. It was a delightful ‘Birthday girl’ who had the honour of wielding the chopsticks for the next song ‘Master of the Dojo’……and if you have no idea what I’m talking about, I strongly suggest that you get yourself to the next ES gig pronto.
As a ‘lives close to’ Swindon girl, I always enjoy ‘Space Dementia’ because let’s face it, nobody ever mentions Swindon ever (if they can help it), except for Evil Scarecrow. I absolutely love the drums on this one, and the silliness, with references to Red Dwarf, makes me smile. I was on the rail, so I can’t tell you if there was a zero gravity mosh pit but there very often is
From the new, yet to be finished album, ‘Release the Krakhen’ is just genius, funny, entertaining, and the sight of my niece getting bopped on the head by a giant inflatable tentacle made my eyes wee. Again, the almost operatic musical chorus introduces a huge amount of drama and then …… buy a ticket and come see
As it happens, although I’d saved myself for ‘Hurricando’, I dipped out of all the excitement, got another glass of red wine, but hurtled back in again for the ‘Ballad of Brother Pain’, a beautiful, get your phone torches out song. (Four days after the release of their album ‘Antartarctica’ they played The Marble Factory in Bristol and were amazed that the majority of the audience already knew the words).
The Grande Finale, ‘Crabulon’, is a long time crowd pleaser and if you don’t want to join in, you’re at the wrong gig (as I gently explained to a guy who looked a bit bemused at the idea of scuttling). This song, when listened to on the platforms will never have the impact or sheer joy of being involved in its performance live.
Dave Mustaine was duly thanked for all his appearances at ES gigs, aka the beautiful Jen who doubles as well, virtually everyone – except the giants, she can’t do giants, although, if she put her mind to it, she can do anything.
Yet again, I came away from seeing Evil Scarecrow with a massive smile on my face and counting the days until I can ‘fan girl’ all over again (counting the days until The Asylum in Birmingham).
https://www.facebook.com/Evil.Scarecrow
This performance however was for a very special purpose and we were all privileged to have been at this very intimate venue to support Russ.
All things Scarecrow can be found by following this link, https://linktr.ee/evilscarecrow including access to the justgiving page should you feel so inclined.
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