Dismember Live at Substation '08

Yeah yeah. I’ve heard the same old story on repeat so many times I can hear the analog echo trailing behind it. Many think that this tiny island is just nothing but rules and restrictions. But with a punk attitude, I prefer the opposite perspective. Without rules and restrictions, then there’s nothing to fight against.
This is the beauty I see in aggressive music. Amidst the ‘No Smoking’ and ‘No Littering’ signs, hell rose over. Instead of sacrificing virgins and lusting for the imperial blood, Dismember treated the evening with no-bull Swedish death metal.

YOU WANT IT.

YOU GOT IT.

I don’t really listen to Dismember. I won’t try to bluff my way through either. But I’m starved for great old skool rock ‘n roll, substation-style, just like back in the late 90s. And hell yeah! It was like a trip down memory lane. The usual black attired gorillas loitering on the roadside, with the usual cans in plastic bags and ever-lingering smoke filling the air just 1 feet above everyone’s head.


When doors finally opened, Ah boy’s sidekick appeared as usual right at the back of the venue. Lounging comfortably behind his trusty Mackie setup. Now’s the time to choose the phrase that best describe this particular screenshot.

‘Can’t teach an old dog new tricks’
‘A leopard can’t change its spots’
‘ROCK NEVER DIE’

Dismember came on and did their jazz. But I was thrown off by the fact that I wasn’t blown away. Not my hair (or what’s left of it). Not my ears. No nothing. I came with the expectations to be deafened by huge wall of trash rhythms, pounding double speed drums and screeching guitars that kills pigeons. But all I got was just pretty dry drums and vocals. The FOH speakers looked like just 1 ‘Nexo PS15’ on each side, and they are really overworked, so much so that they are choking.


I guess the higher the expectations you have, the harder you’ll fall. Maybe I didn’t get any drinks before going for the gig. They would have butchered me alive after a few beers in my blood. But I enjoyed their stage performance nonetheless. One of the guitarist was using an Ibanez Prestige series. Yeah baby yeah.