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doomedandstoned · 5 years

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PSYCHO LAS VEGAS IV

~Festival Review~

Words by Roman Tamayo | Photos by Sally Townsend | Films by Arturo Gallegos

Psycho Las Vegas is a unique experience: more than 70 bands play for 4 days in 4 stages. This is not a regular festival; it represents the triumph of the underground scene that loves heavy, slow, and psychedelic riffs. We are living in the golden era for this kind of music: bands like Electric Wizard or High on Fire playing in a big arena, the dream has come true. This festival is opening the doors on the American continent for new bands, while consolidating the old ones -- they will probably be the next legends like Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. I flew in from Mexico City for Psycho this year and hope that in the near future the festival will turn its eyes to the thriving Latin America scene.

PSYCHO SWIM

The first day of the festival, I had the chance to see bands like Primitive Man, Danava, Lucifer, and Corrosion of Conformity playing on a stage overlooking a big pool, affectionately nicknamed the "slosh pit." For such a setting, the sound was amazing, the atmosphere unique; it was the start of a big party that would continue non-stop for the next three days. You could see fans from different parts of the United States and other countries like México, Argentina, France, Canada, and so forth. The cultural exchange and the vibe of friendship were amazing.

Primitive Man

I don't have words enough to describe how loud and heavy these guys are live. I think the correct way to describe it is: a massive wall of sound melting your face. In my opinion, Primitive Man emerged as one of the heaviest bands of the festival.

Lucifer

Lucifer was one of the most anticipated bands of the event. The line to access the stage was long, with people waiting upwards of 20 minutes to get access. As for the show, I think they stole the night. Nicke Andersson and Johanna Sadonis have an incredible band. You can feel the fuzzy vibe of the ‘70s all over their songs, carried out by musicians who are quite skilled for the job.

Corrosion of Conformity

Kirk Windstein from Crowbar introduced Corrosion of Conformity in the final show of the night and the entire crowd started to party. The sound was amazing, you can see why they are living legends. They played a lot of classic songs like "Albatross," "Clean my Wounds," "Broken Man," along with plenty of surprises beneath the starlit sky.

DAY ONE

Arthur Brown

It's Friday and Psycho Las Vegas has officially begun! I saw the God of Hellfire himself, Arthur Brown, to open things up on the main stage -- a big arena with an amazing sound. The living legend was back once again to offer us one of the most magical shows of the entire festival. The godfather of the shock rock let us know that there is no age restriction to being a rocker. The mix of clothes, musicians, vibe, passion, and love were the perfect combination, and the audience warmly recognized Arthur Brown for his many years of music.

Graveyard

After Arthur Brown, it was Graveyard's turn to wow us. The arena was full for this show. The Swedish stoner-blues outfit played an incredible set with songs from all of their albums: "The Siren," "Hisingen Blues," "Please Don't," "Goliath," etc. The sound was impeccable. With wider exposure like this, these guys could very well be recognized as the next Led Zeppelin.

Godspeed You Black Emperor!

After the break, I saw Montreal experimentalists, Godspeed You Black Emperor! Without doubt, one of the most impressive acts of Psycho -- more than music, it was a breathtaking experience. The visuals coupled with the sound had me in a trance for the duration of the performance by these eight musicians. One of our favorite shows.

Yob

Next, I arrived at the Beach Stage for Yob. I was very excited about this show, but unfortunately the audio from this venue was horrible during all three days. The mixing console was next to the stage and the audio engineers did not have a clue of how the sound was outside. Yob played an incredible show, nonetheless. During the last song, Colin from Amenra sang with Mike. What a great collaboration to witness!

High on Fire

After YOB, I ran to see High on Fire on the main stage, but it was the same story -- the sound was terrible. That, however, didn't stop the crowd from getting into the spirit of the songs, and they formed big circles for the mosh pit. The new drummer suffered a little bit during some of the numbers, though Matt and Jeff tried their best to coordinate with him. Certainly not the best show from the band, I’m afraid.

Fu Manchu

On the other hand, Fu Manchu radiated with pure energy. The sound was a little better than it was for Yob's set and the Cali legends did their best to offer us a killer show even with these conditions. Fu played a lot of classic songs: "King of the Road," "Saturn III," "California Crossing," "Evil Eye," and "Laserbl'ast!" One of my favorite bands of the festival and, in my opinion, deserving of a better stage.

Electric Wizard

Finally, I arrived to Electric Wizard. Tons of people tried to access to the main stage, it was crazy. Thankfully, the sound was beautiful. EW is heavy and loud, so imagine this sound in a big arena: massive waves of sonic force crashing against your face. The new bassist Haz (ex-Hawkwind) gives a new sense of heaviness, you can feel the difference he contributes. The band looked so happy playing songs like "Return the Trip," "See You In Hell," "Black Mass," etc. An unforgettable sonic encounter to be in the first rows for.

DAY TWO

Old Man Gloom

During my second day, I spent a lot of time at the main stage. The first band that opened the stage was Old Man Gloom, one of the best acts of the festival. After the loss of Caleb, Aaron Turner and the other guys continued the project. The sound was pure and direct -- you could feel your chest vibrating with every riff. Seeing Aaron Turner play made you want to move your head like a crazy.

Triumph of Death

Triumph of Death is a tribute to Hellhammer with Tom Warrior on front -- one of the most anticipated acts of the festival. The legendary Warrior played classic songs in a new way, like "The Third of the Storms," "Massacra," "Visions of Mortality," and "Triumph of Death," -- all amazing songs. The band was brimming with enthusiasm by the end of the show.

Sumac

Sumac is one of the heaviest bands of our time. Unfortunately, the sound of the Beach Stage was abysmal. The band, however, put on an incredible performance. To see Aaron Turner play twice in the same day was simply legendary. I hope next time the festival are able to troubleshoot the nuances of outdoor acoustics and put Sumac and Yob on a proper stage.

Clutch

Clutch was a lively, unforgettable experience, the legends playing a killer show. Neil Fallon is one of the top frontman these days -- he makes you want to jump, sing, hoot, and holler. One of the best moments of the gig was when we heard "Supergrass" and "Willie Nelson" -- what a great surprise. Clutch also played standards like "Earth Rocker," "X-ray Vision," and "Firebirds."

Misfits

After Clutch, the arena was packed to the gills for the Misfits. These icons of the underground put an unforgettable set, even with the technical problems experienced by Doyle. The crowd was crazy -- I saw four circle pits emerge from the beginning and they never let up. Glenn's voice continues to be one of the best in the industry. The band played some classics: "Where Eagles Dare," "Die Die My Darling," "Hybrid Moments," "Halloween," and "Hollywood Babylon," to name a few.

Full of Hell

I visited the House of Blues following this, where Full of Hell was on fire. I was particularly shocked by the drummer, one of the craziest and fastest in the biz. Hardcore, punk, noise and power violence -- Full of Hell is an experience-and-a-half. You can feel the hate in mere moments of these absorbing songs.

The Obsessed

The last band of the night was The Obsessed, and the place was understandably full for Wino. The sound was nice and balance; the crowd was crazy. Wino appeared and played some songs like "Soden Jackal" and "The Way She Fly." It's probably just my point of view, but Wino did not look excited about the show, though perhaps he always looks this stern. Whatever the case, it was great to see this giant of doom. A great way to close the Day Two.

DAY THREE

Weedeater

The last day came all too soon, but sadly all good things need to come to an end. However, some great things did take place throughout the day, like the marriage of Matt Pike (congrats). On Sunday we saw Weedeater. They are like an urban legend, where I'm from. Dixie Dave appeared on the stage and the crowd went nuts. The sound again was not the best and the guitar player suffered some troubles with his amp toward the end of the show. Such are the perils of change, Psycho having ventured out of their three-year home of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino this year to embrace a series of new venues on the Vegas Strip.

Mogwai

Mogwai is another affair entirely. Their music makes you feel a lot of things at the same time, like happiness, hope, and sorrow. The ambience was perfect for this performance. I don't have words to describe the sensation.

Dead Meadow

I moved on to see Dead Meadow and they were a trip. The light show by Mad Alchemy gave the place a unique ambience. The band played a special set for the people of Psycho Las Vegas, Jason having worked very close with the festival organizers to plan every detail from the get-go.

Uncle Acid and the deadbeats

From there, I ran to see Uncle Acid and the deadbeats and was an amazing show. Even if, God forbid, you don't like the band, their live performance is undeniable: the visuals, the energy, and the sonority make everything moving and memorable. They played songs like "13 Candles," "Waiting For blood," "Mind Crawler" and, of course, "I’ll Cut You Down."

Truckfighters

From there I ran over to the Beach Stage to see Truckfighters. It was the same story as with Yob or Sumac, the sound engineers still hadn't figured out their shit. Nonetheless, The crowd was happy and supportive. Truckfighters offered an incredible show with the new drummer, Toro. Two words: pure energy! The band played Gravity X and that was a joy to hear live, as this is one of the great contemporary stoner rock albums.

Power Trip

I spent some time watching Integrity, a lesser known band to me, then moved back to the Beach Stage for Power Trip, the modern heroes of thrash and crossover metal. The area was packed and when the band appeared on stage, the biggest mosh pit in the pool erupted. The guards tried to stop it, but it was in vain. This was surely one of the most iconic moments of the festival: the slosh pit. What energy; what a band -- long live these guys.

Twin Temple

Twin Temple was a great surprise. Imagine a black mass in middle of House of Blues with a band that combines rock 'n' roll, country, and garage rock. To see Twin Temple is a very unique experience, like the satanic version of Amy Whinehouse. I loved how all the crowd joined in the chorus: “SATAN, SATAN, SATAN!”

Amenra

The last band of my weekend was Amenra. I don't have enough words to completely describe the experience. The heaviest and loudest riffs, sadness, pain, and anger all wrapped up in one moment. That's Amenra, and it was a truly spiritual experience. Also, the visuals offered us a lovely trip. Amenra deserve to play the main stage when they come back to Psycho, as they are the rising legends of the scene.

Despite a few technical glitches here and there, Psycho Las Vegas was amazing. All in all, it's the best party for the scene, with a ton of bands, nice people, and smooth-running logistics. I hope that the organizers of Psycho start checking out bands from Latin America to join next year's roster, for the scene here is really blowing up. Thank you to the festival organizers, Liz Ciavarella-Brenner, and the team who run the press table for making my first US festival rad!

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