Just witnessed your best live gig?.. send us a review!

THUNDERBIRD 13
Purple Turtle, Camden, London 25 August 2010

It was absolutely chucking it down with rain tonight and it would've been easy to just stay indoors and lay on the sofa and watch the Spurs give a good whipping to the Young Boys of Switzerland in the Europa Cup on the box.

Luckily I was meeting photographer Buckers in the Worlds End pub which is dead opposite Camden Tube station, so just a quick dash across the road and I was home and dry.  Obviously we had time to sink a pint whilst waiting for the rain to stop and to catch the first half of the footie.

With no sign of the rain letting up, we dashed back across to the tube station just to travel one stop to Mornington Crescent in the vain hope of staying dry.  In the one minute walk to the Purple Turtle we got a good soaking and at times like this, I did ask myself why I ever got involved in reviewing gigs.  The answer to that self asked question would soon be answered because there was an abundance of talent on offer this evening.

I only caught the last two songs from the set of Grimhilde, a London based female fronted progressive heavy metal band.  The male musicians sounded like Iron Maiden at times. The vocals of Amy Morgan seemed a little out of place but she was pleasing to the eye and I really need to catch them a second time before I pass verdict, and yes I do want seconds.

I was here tonight to check out Thunderbird 13 who have recently released 'The House Of Sin' album to some critical acclaim.  The three piece impressed me immediately with their kick-ass rock 'n roll.  Thunderbird 13 are certainly no puppets and no one was pulling their strings tonight.

They sound like Zodiac Mindwarp mixed with White Zombie with riffs that make you want to put your foot down on full throttle.  The tall singer/guitarist Goffzilla has a voice similar to Alice Cooper on the rocky numbers but sounded like Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins on the slower 'Zombie Queen', a song in which the female bass player is named after, with Prof. Skullington keeping the beat at the back.  The band are strong visually too, playing along to TV monitors showing clips of destruction and scary monsters.

'Love Junky', 'Speed Queen' and 'House Of Sin' were highlights of the set.  However tonight was to be the last gig for the Zombie Queen as the queen is now dead and has left the band and I hope the band find a replacement soon as they have many gigs lined up across the country.  Check them out because Thunderbird 13 are go.

Kill The Machine were topping bill and are formed from the ashes of New England  (A band who later changed their name to N.E.U.K to avoid confusion with the American pomp AOR band of the same name).  It may have been almost twenty years since I've seen these faces but but the band have got angrier and tighter in those wilderness years.

Original New England guys Ian Winters on drums, Dave Cooke on guitar, Diesel on vocals are completed by new boy Marcus Cella on bass. Cooke can still deliver the hard hitting riveting riffs.  Diesel is a larger than life character similar to Simon Hall of Beholder, and doesn't mind showing of his tattooed beer belly.  (that sounds more like Buckers...(ed))

Angry metal played the Soulfly way, 'Intravenous' drips with blood and the last song 'Control' has a kind of Skindred rap about it that makes you want to jump for it.  The band are raging against the machine, it's time to rise and Kill The Machine.

Review by Mark Taylor

Photos by Noel Buckley