Page 54 - Black Velvet Issue 95

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SEETHER / LTNT / SONS OF TEXAS – BIRMINGHAM O2 INSTITUTE, 18.10.17
It’s a dark and dreary evening when Seether
saunter into the city of Birmingham; a couple of days
after Storm Ophelia had battered Northern Ireland.
For the most part it’s relatively calm (albeit drizzling)
in Birmingham. Or at least it is until Sons Of Texas
bring their own musical hurricane to the O2 Institute
stage. Fronted by Mark Morales, the Texas-based
band kick up a storm with their bluesy Southern
rock. Songs such as ‘Beneath The Riverbed’ are as
muscly as frontman Mark, who frequently crouches
on a monitor at the front of the stage, packed with
strong chords that could lift the whole crowd with
one scoop. “It’s good to be back here in Black Sab-
bath territory,” he says. The band, who are influ-
enced by Pantera, pay their respects by covering the
sludgy ‘I’m Broken’, akin to heavy metal thunder.
LTNT (Lieutenant) supported Seether on their
2015 UK/European tour, back when Seether were
on their ‘Isolate And Medicate’ run. Getting along
with other bands on tour can help keep things com-
fortable and pleasant, so here LTNT are again to
warm up the crowd. Although coming on stage in
dresses your granny might wear seems to irk one
particular male audience member up in the balcony,
who shouts down that they should put jeans on.
Then out comes a man in a bunny costume onto the
stage, sticking his middle fingers up at said audience
member. The bunny prances around, gyrating close
to each member of LTNT before wandering off. LTNT
are a lot mellower than Sons Of Texas – instead,
think 90s alternative grunge with hints of stoner and
Brit rock sprayed in.
It’s been quite an extensive European tour, this
one. The ‘Poison The Parish’ tour started in Norway
on September 15th and now, over a month later,
Seether end this leg of their tour in Birmingham,
England. Lighting is kept low – it goes with the
band’s sensitive subject matter, and emphasizes div-
ing into the music rather than watching each mem-
ber. Vocalist Shaun Morgan also stands on stage
right, taking the spotlight (if there had’ve been one
– but there aren’t!) off himself a little more. Consid-
ering the band’s extensive catalogue of work, it’s
rather a shame there are only 14 songs in the set,
which could make for an ‘over before you know it’
night had the songs not been so deep and fulfilling
individually. The band, which includes Dale Stewart
on bass, John Humphrey on drums, and now Clint
Lowery of Sevendust on second guitar, only play
three songs from latest album ‘Poison The Parish’,
the rest of the set features singles such as ‘Country
Song’, which receives a welcome cheer and claps,
the stunning ‘Rise Above This’, and the savage
‘Fake It’. The melancholy ‘Fine Again’ touches your
soul, while Dale sits on a chair to play guitar in the
bleak ‘Broken’. Seether wrap their set up with fan
favourite ‘Remedy’, which sees Shaun head off the
stage part way through the song, and into the audi-
ence, making the song the highlight of the set. The
support bands, Sons Of Texas and LTNT, join
Seether on stage – along with Pepe the frog, a man
in a green costume, and the bunny we’d seen ear-
lier. There’s a random line or two of Twisted Sister’s
‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ added in for good meas-
ure, with Shaun telling the crowd “You made up for
how shitty Glasgow was last night.”
Seether show that they do everything of their own
accord. They play a set they want, with lighting as
dark as they want. They speak to the audience only
when they want (which is not often). And like the
video of ‘Betray and Degrade’, there are also no fake
smiles just to please others. Seether please them-
selves – and by doing that, and being real in turn,
that’s when they really please their fans.
YYYY
Shari Black Velvet
Shaun Morgan (Seether) Photo By Shari Black Velvet

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