Event Combichrist • Julien-K
City Pomona
State California
Venue Glass House
Date June 16, 2009
Before the makeup goes on and the blood spills, there is relative calm at The Glass House in Pomona. For a few hardcore Combichrist fans, this is where the night begins.
On their latest North American tour, Combichrist have opened their tour lives to a few lucky fans to experience a full VIP package. The benefits include a meet and greet with the band, a special sound check performance, and backstage access to the after party, and maybe, if you ask nicely, they will go to some shady bar with you before the show and take shots. And because Combichrist + MishMash = Love we were there to document the whole thing.
By the time most rock stars roll out of bed in the afternoon, we are there, waiting with the Golden Ticket holders to be ushered into the chocolate factory…OF DOOM! The tatted up Willy Wonka sans purple velvet, AKA Joe Letz, drummer of Combichrist, leads us into the eerily empty Glass House, where equipment is scattered throughout and Combichrist’s team is readying the stage for an epic night. We weave our way through Julien-K’s guitars and keyboards to a safe place away from the chaos from which to watch.
(A hilarious continuation of the Willy Wonka theme could continue here, including references to Oompa Loompa’s and comparing one VIP to Veruca Salt, but that little boat has sailed so we move on)
The VIPs are given everything promised including a 3-song set and an autograph and picture session. In addition to the normal VIP perks, the Pomona guests are given a special treat as a live audience for Joe’s interview with Ryan and Amir from Julien-K for MishMash TV. At this point the mere fans are lined up and start filing in, drawing to a close the special VIP experience.
After 5 hours of having full access to The Glass House and all of the bands, it is a little disappointing hanging out with the fans as the evening begins. For the first two bands (Dismantled and Aesthetic Perfection) I take in the wonderfully diverse crowd, each member in their own little world. They writhe and dance as the heavy industrial sounds bombard the venue. As interesting as the music is, I begin to consider doing a whole photo story on the crowd and their elaborate fashion choices. At least 30 kids are wearing some sort of mask, from black surgical masks to full blown gas masks, like a twisted Goth medical conference. The ladies are dressed to kill, with fishnets and leather and all sorts of short skirts (cheers to the girl in the skirt with lights). The guys are equally impressive with their abundance of leather and caked on makeup. The people of Pomona hold nothing back, and they are rewarded with an equally impressive display on stage.
Julien-K is the next to hit the stage and I watch from the back. While not so far removed from the electro pop of Orgy, Julien-K definitely takes the sound to a darker and grittier place. The poppiness is veiled beneath layers of electro-industrial keyboards and guitars and Ryan’s raw vocals. On their recently released album, Death to Analog, commercial potential is evident, but their brutal live show keeps them away from an MTV Awards Show performance. All the better for the diehard Combichrist fans in the audience.
The performance runs smoothly, blasting through the new album with raw energy. With the combined musical experience between Amir and Ryan alone, the band knows how to perform, and the crowd responds enthusiastically.
All of the fishnet and facemasks in the crowd are really waiting for the Combichrist performance, and shortly after Julien-K depart, Combichrist comes out in all its TBM glory. The Combichrist that the VIPs witnessed in sound check is replaced with writhing snarling animal. With his signature face paint and wild eyes, Andy LaPlegua paces the stage, blood dripping from his head, growling out his lyrics as the crowd screams along. While Andy writes and records the music behind Combichrist, his live band adds an exciting element.
Newcomer Trevor Friedrich mans percussion with endless energy and enthusiasm, breaking his drums with such frequency that the drum tech spends as much time trying to tape them back together as he spends beating the crap out of them. Z_marr swings his predator dreads behind the keyboard setup as he provides the driving industrial backdrop for Andy’s crazed lyrics.
Joe Letz on drums gives a performance that is nothing short of incredible. With his theatrical appearance combined with his nuanced playing, Joe is one of the most entertaining drummers I have ever seen. At times coaxing and caressing his drums with such precision and care, he explodes into a wrathful demon, screaming and abusing his pets. Add to that the pink unicorn he has taped above his drums, and the entire experience is surreal. Keep your head low and your ears open, you never know when a floor tom will come screaming at you.
After a blistering set that included over an hour of Combichrist’s finest, it was time to separate the VIPs from the rest for more fun. Unfortunately, Pomona can’t handle the rock and roll lifestyle and the VIPs were made to leave shortly after the show ended. Everybody got one last sweaty hug and photo with the band and were on their way. The only thought keeping me awake on my 2.5 hour drive home was that the band was also still awake, partying, and they had done a lot more work than me.
Check out the fulls sets of Combichrist and Julien-K photos.
- By CHAD ELDER
- Photos © M’LOU ELKINS, CHAD ELDER
Tags: combichrist, glass house, julien-k
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