Live Review: Combichrist - O2 Institute, Birmingham
10th August 2022
Support: Priest, Mimi Barks
Words & Photos: Damain John
As much as I want to break the age-old trope of talking about the traffic or weather before getting into a gig, I am so glad to be out the heat and into the cool smokey O2 Institute as the UK enters another heatwave. I must admit it, ten minutes before our first act and the room is filling up nicely which is a pleasant surprise considering Slipknot's Pulse of the Maggots festival is happening just a five minute walk away. A testament to the tenacity of the industrial crowd if anything, personally I'm just happy to be out of the sun and eager to check out the first act this evening; Mimi Barks.
Pulse of the Maggots may be going full force a mere stones throw away but I'm certain they can feel the bass emanating from the stage right now. Mimi Barks doesn't waste any time stomping across the stage to the bass heavy beats engulfed in a thick fog. Joined only by a drummer, songs have a habit to blend into one another and can often lack a little variation but the energy increases as her drummer jumps to the front to provide a little more life. Trading places for the penultimate song, Mimi Barks jumps behind the kit, turns out she's not just a killer vocalist, she's got a pretty good double kick too and it's so great to finally get that little variation ending on a high to show us Mimi Barks aren't just a one trick pony.
Entering to the echoes of an eerie piano ringing throughout the venue, fully clad in spiked leather jackets and PVC masks Priest make their way onto the stage. I'm immediately struck by Mercury’s’ smooth vocal style which compliments Mimi Barks harsher rasp when she joins Priest for 'Blacklisted'. There's a real eighties synth vibe to their music but it never feels dated at all even when the keytar makes an appearance. The higher tempo beats start to get everyone going as there's a lot more noticeable movement rippling its way through the crowd, the heavy bass is still as persistent as ever but there are enough atmospheric breaks which change the dynamics enough to stop us losing focus. You can't be full on all the time and Priest understand this. Taking a well deserved bow and humbly thanking the audience to end their set, we now wait for our headliners Combichrist.
I last caught Combichrist live what feels like a lifetime ago back on the mainstage at Bloodstock Festival 2018, I have very fond memories of the show they put on that sunny afternoon so I have really high expectations for this evening. There's an immediate uplift in energy as Combichrist make their way from the shadows fronted by the Goliath that is Andy LaPlegua. What a difference having a few extra members makes, no disrespect to the previous acts but in comparison Combichrist are audibly so much heavier and alive thanks to the addition of live guitars.
The extra members add a much needed visual component too, giving us something else to focus on as every member is always doing something different, there's never a single focal point. That is till Andy starts riling up the Brummie crowd prompting them to force their fists into the air. Sonically Combichrist still have the same industrial foundations but they're not scared of experimenting with that sound and creating something truly unique; a sound which is entirely their own.
All photo credits: Damian John Photography
