On The Road With Baroness

A month and a half after my last encounter with heavy metal enigma Baroness at Scion Rock Fest in Atlanta, I find myself on the other side of the Atlantic (in Antwerp, Belgium if you want to get specific about it) at the band's first show of their headlining tour in Europe. While the Savannah, Georgia-based four-piece played their epic riffs alongside High On Fire, Neurosis, Converge and Mastodon in February, Baroness is riding solo for the next couple of weeks. Recently listed as one of Spin magazine's Top Five Metal Bands You Should Know, I am fairly sure this is something I don't want to miss out on.

Arriving in Antwerp, I nearly forgot how sketchy this city gets until I'm harassed by Jesus freaks and other weird dudes, but I get to the club in time and with both hands intact. (Supposedly the city's name comes from an old tale of a giant who demanded a toll from anyone crossing the river near where he lived. If the traveler refused to pay up, the giant would cut off one of his/her hands and throw (= 'werpen' in Dutch) it into the river. True story, but I digress.) A couple hundred Belgian longhairs have gathered at club Trix on this Thursday night to see what has gained nothing less of a cult following since the release of the 2004 debut EP First. On stage the band's trademark heavy riffs, intense vocals and thundering percussion all come together creating a haunting and more powerful vision than what a recording could ever capture. I am impressed. Also adding to the band's mystique is its iconic artwork by frontman John Baizley, whose detailed visual creativity extends to album covers of Kylesa, Darkest Hour, Cursed, Vitamin X and Torche. Needless to say the limited silk screened prints made for this tour (thanks to Richard at merchandise.nl) are one of a kind. After the show we hang out on the club's roof for a while but later we take it outside where some of us end up at a Eurotrash-looking joint while others crash out at the hotel to rest before tomorrow's trip to the UK.

http://img.suicidegirls.com/media/members/1/50/191501/208941/3388744.jpg

The next morning I am voted a-okay which means I get to stay, and by the afternoon we step foot into Birmingham, hometown of Napalm Death, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath. UK shows tend to get pretty wild so I'm stoked to be back on British grounds again unexpectedly. However, in true British fashion it's raining and I can't find a pair of decent jeans to save my life, so I am confined to now wet spandex leggings for another day. Anyway, by ten p.m. Hare & Hounds is packed with a rare mix of metal heads, bearded stoners, crust punks and a handful of scene kids, and Baroness sound even louder and more colossal than the night before, which makes for a most excellent second gig. Shout-outs to SuicideGirl Joseph and her guy for showing up and hanging out with us until closing time.

You haven't really been to England if you haven't had a full English breakfast, so team Baroness meet up with some friends for baked beans on toast, fried eggs, sausages and the likes before hitting the road again the next day. In the van I get my virtual ass kicked (Summer has obviously played GoldenEye 007 before), as I suck big time at first-person shooter video games (I'm more of a RPG kinda girl if you must know). Also, who knew John Baizley is the best air drummer in the universe!? In Sheffield we are greeted by our friend Slomo who is promoting tonight's show, and while the dudes soundcheck and do what they've got to do I head into town in search of a change of wardrobe. When I return the band has acquired four animal masks that are nearly as frightening as they are hilarious. Peter's penguin face still gives me the creeps. As showtime rolls around the fog machine is in overdrive (hello Spinal Tap), actually making the animal-headed grand entrée even more surreal! The tone is set for tonight judging by the confusion and intrigue among the crowd, even (or especially?) when halfway through the intro Baroness unmask themselves and their intricate performance unfolds. By now I am convinced that we are dealing with the next best thing in music. Stoked on tonight's gig, most of us stick around at the Corporation for the gothic/metal afterparty which ends up in one ridiculous blur with middle-aged air guitar heroes, scantily clad horror shows and getting completely lost in town at 4 a.m. What city are we in again!?

http://img.suicidegirls.com/media/members/1/50/191501/208941/3388745.jpg

Waking up to a surprisingly minimal hangover (gotta love being twenty-two) and dreary weather we head down south to Bristol, where Baroness are set to play tonight. While my last memory of this place involves Daughters and a haunted police station, I'm not having it with any apparitions today, so I crash out at the hotel for a couple of hours before meeting up with Nikhita and Joseph who both happen to be in town tonight. The Croft is tiny as hell which definitely contributes to this being the wildest and probably loudest show of the UK leg of this tour. Taking in account the past couple of days, this is pretty unbelievable. The new songs that will be recorded on the follow-up to their Red Album later this year especially get a great response from the sweaty masses tonight. This is also where I discover my love for pear cider, and am very happy about the prospect of sleeping in the next day. (The two are clearly related.)

Being one of my favorite cities, I'm very excited to be back in the capital of England the next day. I always feel like London is a couple of steps ahead of everyone else in Europe when it comes to music, and I have no doubts in my mind that the Underworld will reflect this tonight. My thoughts are confirmed when I spy more than a few High On Fire, Torche, and Kylesa shirts wandering around in Camden Town (the St. Mark's Place of London) before the show. Supported by local bands Latitudes and Manatees, I have never heard Baroness sound better, which is also why it's a good idea to bring an awesome sound guy like Jason. After an hour and a half of progressive sludge stoner doom (try saying that five times hella fast) the party is definitely on at St. Christopher's Inn (note to self: don't drink cocktails with names like 'gas chamber'), and while they may be out of sight after tonight, they certainly won't be out of mind.

http://img.suicidegirls.com/media/albums/2/34/13342/655124.jpg

web address: http://suicidegirls.com/news/all/23680/On-The-Road-With-Baroness/