Job for a Cowboy / Behemoth / Gojira / Beneath the Massacre - Millvale, PA - 11/09/07

Job for a Cowboy / Behemoth / Gojira / Beneath the Massacre
Mr. Small’s Funhouse – Millvale, PA – November 9, 2007
By Jason Jordan

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Millvale is a suburb of Pittsburgh, and interestingly enough, Mr. Small’s used to be a church, which Nergal (Behemoth) addressed later in the night. When I arrived, however, it didn’t seem like this quaint, sleepy little town was hosting the Radio Rebellion Tour until I gained entry to the venue after standing in line for several minutes.

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Unfortunately, they must’ve started promptly, because by the time I got in at 7:20 PM, Prosthetic’s Beneath the Massacre were finishing up their set, so I only caught one song before they exited the stage. The Canadians were quite stationary and reserved for their closing number, but considering the technicality of releases like Evidence of Inequity and Mechanics of Dysfunction, precision is required in order to successfully pull off live renditions of said material. From there I made my way to the rear of the place. The merch booths offered numerous choices in shirts, hoodies, albums, etc., but the alcohol restrictions made drinking more of a hassle than not, so I abstained. The small, bar area was roped off with a security guard manning the entrance to ensure that only 21+ attendees made it in, and that no alcoholic beverages made it out. Needless to say, the bar was absolutely packed during the set changes, and still busy during the actual sets.

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Next on the bill were France’s Gojira – the other Prosthetic band – who played an exceptional set, which consisted of ‘Ocean Planet,’ ‘Backbone,’ ‘The Heaviest Matter of the Universe,’ ‘To Sirius,’ and others from their latest effort From Mars to Sirius. Like the studio recordings, Gojira are massive and thundering in a live setting, and as a result, they won the crowd over easily with their unique, crushing brand of metal. During their portion of the evening, I noticed that the balcony lights were projecting the logos of corporate sponsors Converse and Hurley on the adjacent walls, which I found funny, along with the Manhunt 2 posters outside. Plus, the Radio Rebellion Tour had its own merch table – separated from the individual band booths, in fact – and that made me wonder who’d be getting that cash.

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Then Poland’s Behemoth played to much enthusiasm and crowd participation. It was my first time seeing this Century Media signing, and the amount of work they put into the show truly impressed me. Not only were there theatrical elements like a backdrop, props, costumes, and a few atmospheric interludes, but frontman Nergal knew how to work the audience via the spoken word, showmanship, and wow-worthy musicianship. Though they played ‘Rome 64 C.E.,’ ‘Prometherion’ (The Apostasy), ‘Sculpting the Throne ov Seth,’ ‘Conquer All,’ ‘Slaves Shall Serve’ (Demigod), and ‘As Above So Below’ (Zos Kia Cultus), it was perhaps the locale that spurred them to include selections such as ‘Christians to the Lions’ (Thelema.6) and ‘Christgrinding Avenue’ (The Apostasy). In observation of the fact that Mr. Small’s was a former church, Nergal remarked that the ex-owners wouldn’t like it that Behemoth were playing, and shouted “Fuck your savior!” before launching into one of the irreverent songs above. Besides the songs themselves, other highlights were Inferno’s mini-drum solo, the band’s synchronized blood spitting, and their overall verve, which further strengthened their memorable, hour-long performance. After they left the stage, their merch booth was swamped, and it reaffirmed where and precisely how these groups make money.

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Following Behemoth’s monstrous set, I chatted with Pennsylvania native Brandon Strader (In Staid Grace, Rainwound) for a few minutes, bought a Gojira hoodie, and then took off at an early 9:45 PM for many reasons. Basing my views of Job for a Cowboy on their underwhelming full-length Genesis, I didn’t feel like tolerating another set change in a smoke-laden arena, especially because I was so hungry and thirsty. At any rate, I believe I departed on a high note since every band eclipsed the one that played prior. If you have a chance to see this tour, please do.

Official Radio Rebellion Tour Website
Official Beneath the Massacre Website
Official Gojira Website
Official Behemoth Website
Official Job for a Cowboy Website
Official Prosthetic Records Website
Official Century Media Records Website
Official Metal Blade Records Website
Official Mr. Small’s Funhouse Website

 

It was. I did my best to remember the Gojira set list, but I'm not sure it's entirely correct. I found a post on another forum that said a recent show's set was:

Ocean Planet
Backbone
Remembrance
Clone
Flying Whales
Heaviest Matter of the Universe

Still, they may be switching it up every other date, or however. If anyone from the Pittsburgh show can vouch for a set list, I'd appreciate it. I don't have Terra Incognita or The Link yet, though, so I obviously didn't recognize those songs.