Party On A Saturday Night
On a Saturday night in Glasgow came 2 bands in Tragedy and Nanowar Of Steel that believe in metal and having a laugh. There has been a good number of bands through the years that have combined music and comedy, some have worked better than others. Most don’t tend to last too long due to either being a one-trick pony or failing in one of the most important parts of the job, being able to deliver the music onstage to a very high standard.
Fans of metal on the whole seem to have no issue at laughing at themselves and the scene, often dressing up at festivals and running around sites or venues with plastic swords like children. Being that this was a weekend night meant folks would definitely be up to party. The venue is also a nightclub so there was a curfew and so an early-ish start being that it was only a 2 band bill.
Dancing And Singing
Headliners Tragedy came onto the stage and hit us right away with what was more or less 3 belters in a row. Songs that many of us grew up with and for others songs they have heard at weddings, birthdays and parties. From the song the band are named after “Tragedy” through Irene Cara‘s”Fame” and into Pointer Sisters‘ “I’m So Excited” they had the audience dancing and singing along. The band of course have rearranged the songs into a rock and metal style, but one thing is proved, a good song can work in any style.
Confession time, I hated disco at the time. It annoyed me that radio only played disco and pop and never rock music. Now I realise that the songs were actually pretty good, I just needed them done in a different style more of my choosing! I was impressed by the vocals, plenty of variety and adaptability along with the range on offer even just over the first 3 songs. Between Disco Mountain Man and Mo’Royce it seemed they had it all covered. Bassist Andy is quite a sight and looks like he should be in a black metal band with his black eye/cheek make-up. Imposing character (he is also rather tall) who through the night added some extra colour to the vocals with even some growling.
Surprising Duets
It is after those that I first noticed the stage idiot “Lance” who runs amok doing daft stuff to entertain the band and audience whilst taking some abuse from the band. He brings a towel at times either mopping the sweat off band members faces or passing them drinks. Before “Grease” he got some of what looked like milk spat back at him (Mo’Royce said it was sperm…). During “Summer Nights” Mo did the Travolta lines and DMM did a very creditable job of doing Olivia Newton John (vocally readers, keep it clean). All the while Lance ran between the 2 singers either holding up a face mask for the guys or pom poms for the girls side as the duet continued. All very silly but with songs this good and being delivered on point it works.
The band did a quick opinion poll on favourite eatery/pub with the choices being Toby Carvery or Wetherspoons and they looked surprised at the amount of booing of the latter (there are many good reasons to do so).
The Mask(s)
The show continued with the band playing both disco and musical theatre numbers on the whole but also incorporating songs like “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond which had Lance running around in a scary mask and cape “touching hands” with the audience and the crowd belting back with the “so good, so good” lines. I did laugh when Lance took his mask off and there was another underneath. In fact, he did that twice as he had 3 masks on. Abba were also covered on “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)“.
Tunes And Lyrics
They do sometimes merge metal riffs or songs into the songs they are playing from those genres, for instance having Slayer‘s “Reign In Blood” in “It’s Raining Men” and something by Black Sabbath during “You Should Be Dancing” and “You’re The One That I Want“. I didn’t note which Sabbath riffs but if memory serves me they did play a touch of the band’s signature tune. During “Reign” the band even had a circle pit going onstage.
The band even treated us to a “knock knock” joke as an intro. It was suitably awful 😂. The encore was a mucking about “Smoke On The Water” followed by “YMCA” which most joined in with and a final flurry of the band saying “thank you” over and over again pointing at folks in the crowd whilst a metal riff was played.
Opener Brings The Bar Through
First up were Italian parody metal outfit Nanowar Of Steel. The band are known for their superb videos and the way they can hide songs within songs along with changing language at any point so that folks all over the world can enjoy the humour. I admit I was keen to see how they would do live so when they approached the stage from the side of the audience (there is a ramp leading to the stage, there is no backstage as such in the venue) I made my way forward. It was strange as I looked around and thought it was quiet and not that busy. After a couple of riffs I looked around and it was busy. I forgot that folks hang around the back bar out of sight. Folks moved in pretty damned quickly I can tell you.
What we saw onstage was the musicians, drummer Uinona Raider, bassist Gattopanceri666, and guitarist MohammedAbdulplaying a riff, each time it seemed over the singers both Potowotominimak and Mr. Baffowould run on to be told to get off as the band hadn’t finished the opening. Yes, an old joke but one that set the tone for the whole evening. Opening with “Sober” from the latest album (“Dislike To False Metal“) got the crowd going right away. A pirate metal song about NOT drinking alcohol but extolling the virtues of “ginger tea” and “pineapple juice” at points (both are call-and-respond parts in the song which the audience knew right away).
Scottish Folks Singing Italian
The band went back a bit to 2018 for “Call Of Cthulhu” where singer Potowotominimak came on in a mask of the creature carrying a massive old-style mobile phone which was used as a guitar at points (anyone ever dance around their bedrooms as kids with a tennis raquet? Or was it only me😂?). The crowd were again quick to join in especially on the “la la las“. In fact, he dressed up a couple of times. The most elaborate being in the song “Il Cacciatore Della Notte” where he was dressed as a barn owl. The introduction was quite fun with the band suggesting Glasgow is alright, but Rome is much better. Cue boos from the audience along with laughs and cheers. Hearing a Scottish audience attempting to speak Italian was hilarious as some of us barely speak English (according to some!)
Watching the crowd’s arms in air and using their hands as wings to fly back to Rome (not too much flapping or we would “end up in Naples“) was a sight to behold. Even better was the dancing. Nanowar expressed their dislike of walls of death. They are Italian and like love and romance. Both singers explained what we were to do in the crowd as well as illustrating the “Wall Of Love“. Warming up facing each other they stomped in position to (I think) “Damage Inc“. When the music dropped they ran at each other and the band went into “Careless Whisper” by George Michael. It was great to see the audience, or large parts of it hugging and dancing, waltzing away to the music. Shout out to Potowotominimakfor his attempts at ballet!
Terrific Voices
From “Pasadena 1994” with its battle metal riffage and ridiculously catchy chorus to “Norwegian Reggaeton” and its reggaeton vibe (along with the excellent use of “Zombie” by The Cranberries) into “Disco Metal” with its ahem… disco music, they jumped from style to style with great aplomb. Even little things like the over-the-top cheesy grin from Mohammed whilst playing the Guns N Roses style solo to match how the solo sounds shows dedication to the cause.
These guys may have just been the openers on the night but they left the audience wanting more. (Spoke to a few folks who wished they could have had a longer time) Not only due to how much fun they are but because they delivered the music and both vocalists sounded terrific throughout no matter the style (or even if they were covering someone else’s vocals like on “Pasadena“). Hopefully, the guys can get back over here and do a full set next time.
Want FUN? Catch These Bands LIVE
I don’t think anyone left without a smile on their face. Everybody seemed suitably entertained. We danced, we sang, we punched the air, clapped our hands and hell even bloody waltzed! Yes, there was lots of silliness and bad jokes but the fact was the music was excellent and played well, the vocals were strong and both bands can deliver. The songs, whether it be the covers or the originals, were of good enough quality to stand on their own and that for me is what matters. Anyone who wants a fun night, a time to leave problems at the door and just have FUN you can’t really go wrong with either of these artists. Together is even more fun. I am still grinning and singing as I type up this review. I call that a success!
CGCM also have interviewed both bands and those chats will be posted shortly here at CGCM. Just to say a huge thank you to all the people who arranged the interviews and the listings and photo pass. Both the PR people and the bands’ managers were terrific and also a thanks personally to Sinclair MacKenzie for taking photographs through the day and night.
Tragedy: Official Website // Official Facebook
Nanowar Of Steel: Official Website // Official Facebook
Check out my other reviews and articles here. Tom.
