Tin Omen + Begodden Mist
The Giffard Arms, Wolverhampton
31st October 2003
By Philip Whitehouse.
Since it began inviting bands in to display their wares earlier in the year, the Giffard Arms has played host to several exciting bands - but possibly none more so promising than dark industrial metallers, Tin Omen. Making an appropriate Hallowe'en return to the venue, armed with fresh material from their soon-to-be released new EP, the venue is pumped up and waiting to see what fresh magic the trio can conjure this time.
Before that though, the crowd are warmed up by London goth/rock band Begodden Mist. Initially coming across like a combination of 'Alternative 4'-era Anathema and 'Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son'-era Iron Maiden, they soon settle into a set that combines melodic metal riffage with slow, acoustic, almost doom-like passages. Add into the mix a keyboard player who seems determined to bring his Doors influences into the fray at all costs, and the result was a punchy, entertaining, but sadly rather languid and workmanlike performance.
Not that it mattered much - the venue is rammed to the gills with the Tin Omen faithful, all of whom probably wouldn't have batted an exquisitely-mascara'd eyelid if Begodden Mist had spontaneously combusted onstage, as long as it meant Tin Omen got on stage quicker. I, personally, was a bit worried, though. The first thing that happened to me on entering the venue was the singer of Tin Omen, Kelly, letting me know that I'd lost weight. Far from encouraging me to a pie-eating binge, this innocent observation gave rise to fears that perhaps I was too close to this band to review them objectively...
...then they started to play, and it immediately hit me that this is precisely the reason that Tin Omen are so successful. As they ran through their older material (every word of Forbidden being sung right back at them by the audience, like a crowd of Iron Maiden fanatics hearing 'Run To The Hills') and saw their newer material received rapturously (a bit of an added Euro-trance element here, I noticed, and gratifyingly more up-tempo than their earlier, more brooding tracks), it dawned that the personal connection I feel with the band is shared by anyone that hears their music - their grooves don't just embed themselves in your mind, they stick in the soul too. Minor fluffs like the accidental... errr... 'reinterpretation' of the first lines to NIN's 'Closer' are instantly forgiven and forgotten, mainly due to the endearingly amused look of embarassment Kelly favoured the crowd with immediately afterwards.
Sadly, technical difficulties marred the set from time to time - Bryon's guitar was rather low in the mix initially, as were the vocals, but all credit must go to Tin Omen's sound engineer Stan for sorting out these niggles rapidly and effectively.
Overall, another stunning set from an exceptional band. Can't wait to see them headlining arenas.
