November 11th 2018 – O2 Guildhall, Southampton
Supported by: Turbowolf
You will see a lot of my gigs reported at 25th anniversary tours, 30th anniversary tours…..it’s a bit much that they are turning into 40th anniversary tours!!
How long should you go on watching a band live is the ultimate dilema of an ageing teenager at heart.
Part of you says, well I’m still going to gigs, so if they are still wanting to play, I should carry on seeing them, but does there come a time you should say, “thank you, the memories are great” and walk away with a smile.
Now, I did do it with The Pogues and I guess I was ready for disappointment tonight. After all these boys scared the shit out of me the first time I saw Killing Joke back in 85. I hadn’t seen them live since 2003 at Northampton Roadmenders, where they had been superb.
Fuck that, they were immense tonight…..they don’t scare me much anymore, but I reckon Jaz could still scare me in the right (or wrong) environment!! lol.
Once this site is complete you will see which bands I have stuck with for the longest, I guess it is only a handful live, but if they can still cut it and you still enjoy it…..go for it!!
O2 guildhall, Southampton was a new venue for me, in central Southampton, really easy to get to.
I was pretty surprised to see a carpet on the floor, but was something different for a Killing Joke concert! There would be a mainly old duffers crowd tonight, so a bit of softness underfoot would help all our backs!
Turbowolf
I’ve seen these guys a few time and really love their music, and yet, I’ve never actually got around to buying their albums….that is my bad! so, I don’t really get to sing along as I keep failing to pay attention!!
I get mesmerised every time by the onstage antics of Chris Georgiadis (vocals and synthesisers). He is incredible and has a knack of involving the audience….even if they don’t want to be involved….tonight was a case is point.
How to describe the music of Turbowolf? They are a rock band founded in Bristol. The style is eclectic, guitar and keyboard led rock, I though I would read Wikipedia to see how they describe the band….I’m not the only one struggling..!!
The media have so far struggled to categorise the band’s music, partly due to their diverse influences. However, their sound contains elements of rock & roll, psychedelia, heavy metal, punk rock and electronica.
Wikipedia – October 2020
So, that is actually a fair description…..The band is:
- Chris Georgiadis (vocals and synthesisers)
- Andy Ghosh (guitar)
- Lianna Lee Davies (bass guitar)
- Blake Davies (drums).
I’ve seen them at Reading Festival and Teddy Rocks before now and love the whole show, music and behaviour!
Chris got a very, very muted response at the start from the mainly 40-50 somethings in the audience!! I noted a few kids immediately loving it, but it took a couple of songs until Chril, a little bit perplexed, started to goad the audience to join in and with a bit of keyboard stopping for the crowd to go “oi,oi,oi” he eventually made a break through and feet were at least tapping until full movement broke out….pretty impressive for a warm up act.
Turbwolf made a fantastic impression in the end and the mix of sounds went down well.
Set List
- Cheap Magic
- Ancient Snake
- Solid Gold
- Very Bad
- Domino
- A Rose for the Crows
- Rabbit’s Foot
- The Big Cut
Killing Joke
Lead singe, Jaz Coleman, is part angry demonstrator, part tyrant, part philospher and part scales of justice preacher. He gives a sermon that covers all the farces and hypocrisies of life.
The band is hard edge, with thumping soundtracks which delve into violent, often brutal music and yet still keep a melodic undertone to the sound. Add the powerful lyrics and song making and it is a potent combination.
Jaz Coleman and Paul Ferguson 
Youth 
Killing Joke 
A carpet in a venue is not normal! 
Set List 
A Wardance….. 
Jaz conducting his masses 
Youth 
Geordie Walker 
Jaz and Youth
Line up was the original line up: Jaz Coleman (Vocals), Geordie Walker (Guitar), Youth (Bass) and Paul Ferguson (Drums)
Only Jaz and Geordie has been ever present, so it was great they were all back together.
One by one, the boys walk on stage to atmospheric music, building all the time to the crescendo where Jaz turns to his people and launches into “Unspeakable” (from Absolute Dissent album). Immediately the power and rage of Geordie’s guitar playing is obvious, back by Ferguson’s drums and Youth’s tuneful bass. Jaz is theatrical whilst preaching
Absolute Dissent album was released in 2010 and massive return to form of Killing Joke, second track of the night was “European Superstate” is a bit more melodic with almost a dance edge (for KJ!).
After the very strange “Autonomous Zone”, we hit my informative era of Killing Joke with “Eighties”, “Requiem” and “Bloodsports and somewhere in there the equally strong “New Cold War”.
Killing Joke have always been strangely easy to dance to. There is an element of tribalism to their music and when you mix that with the strong messages, the crowd gets dragged along by the circus master!
I don’t think I’d heard “Labyrinth” live before, but it was so strong and raw. Jaz was shouting with his gravelly voice and yet it sounded so rousing and tuneful, ultimate rock sound.
The main set finished with “The Wait” and “Pssyche”, it was the first break of the night at this point! The music had seen so powerful and AT YOU all night, it had been brutal…..and although most of us oldies didn’t partake in mosh pits anymore, it was good to see a new hardcore youth section enjoying the mosh joys.
The encore was a fabulous triple bill of “Love Like Blood”, “Wardance”, “Pandemonium”.
Even after 40 years, the venom was still there, Jaz was a little bit more light hearted and the band really looked to be enjoying each others company which was great to see again.
With Killing Joke, you get a tribal gathering and nothing more so that Paul’s drums leading the tribal dance. Geordie comes in with a wicked and evil guitar line that Jaz feeds off. It’s strange, but if you can find your way into their music, you can’t help but dance to the darkest of tunes……love it!
The gatherers, felt informed, cleansed and went back to their own private wars. The congregation will meet again soon!
Set List
- Unspeakable
- European Super State
- Autonomous Zone
- Eighties
- New Cold War
- Requiem
- Bloodsport
- Follow the Leaders
- Butcher
- Loose Cannon
- Labyrinth
- Corporate Elect
- Asteroid
- The Wait
- Pssyche
- Encore: Love Like Blood, Wardance, Pandemonium
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