On a Saturday Adrenaline Mob stopped in Bochum to play at Matrix, Downspirit were the support act and so I expected quite a few music lovers to show up. Okay, not everybody will know Downspirit, but Adrenaline Mob can be called a super group - even if they don't like to be labeled that way.
A little past 8 PM the intro called the attention of the people and Downspirit entered the stage to kick off with Hellyeah. The new album Bulletproof? should come out later this month, so would they play some new songs? Right after the opener they presented more new songs! I know the bands are always hot to play the new stuff and perhaps guitarist Cederic Dupont and his mates thought most people won't know us anyway, so let's play the new stuff. Singer Steffen Lauth did a good job to entertain the people and during the show he gave away several cowboy hats and shirts. Their bluesy hard rock is mixed with a heavy groove and some modern riffing. Quite catchy and so easy to hook up people who aren't familiar with the band and so songs like Greed and The Wish got great feedback. The guys had a hell lot of fun on stage and I can only hope that they will soon be back on the road!
After the change over the four guys entered the stage to party! Everybody in the band is well known.... Mike Portnoy, ex-Dream Theater drummer, bassist John Moyer (Disturbed), guitarist Mike Orlando and Symphony X singer Russell Allen. The awesome foursome have only an EP and one full-length album out, all songs from the EP - only the cover version is missing - made it onto Omertà, so one could expect them to play all songs of the album... They kicked off with Psychosane and Feelin' Me - and right from the start the house was on fire! Some bands look like a unit on stage, here you saw four individuals who seems to come from different scenes, but who played together like a well-oiled machine and enjoyed every second of the party. After 4 songs they slowed down a bit for Indifferent. After Freight Train - another highlight - and Believe Me they got joined by Floor Jansen (ex-After Forever). On the CD Halestorm's Lzzy Hale was doing the female part of Duran Duran's Come Undone, live Floor took over - at least in Bochum. The next song was introduced by Russell Allen: "This one is from our heart to year ears!" and the ballade All On The Line followed. Time is flying, if you have fun - and everybody was having fun. They sped up for Hit The Wall and Undaunted - and it was over! Way too soon, and so the guys returned for more. Well first Mike Orlando came back for a solo and when the others joined him they headed into the Badlands cover High Wire. Time for The Mob Rules! This was no surprise as they covered this Black Sabbath tune on the EP, but when they continued with War Pigs the fans were even more loudly singing along. It really seems that everybody way joining in and when the band finally left the stage everybody was smiling. And that's the way it should be!
My resume... A great evening full of music! No doubt that Adrenaline Mob will come back after such a great tour and I wouldn't complain, if they ask Downspirit to open for them again.