June 2, 2000

London Camden Underworld

Stoner rock. It's a scene, of course, and a club. All you need to join is a love of loud guitars and a desire to get down and greasy...

Stoner rock. It's a scene, of course, and a club. All you need to join is a love of loud guitars and a desire to get down and greasy.

For the dedicated stoner disciple, it's Goatsnake who are the real draw tonight. California's gnarliest and least glossy masters of the movement have left the hero-worshipping Sabbath vibes of last year's 'Dog Days' mini-LP behind and gone full-on heavy Valium doom metal. It suits them. Baldy singer Pete Stahl (ex-Scream and Wool, and soon to feature on the new Queens Of The Stone Age long player) lets up on the dungeon-master shouting only to ask for more beer. Good attitude.

London's Orange Goblin, on the other hand, have come to us via a time warp. The year is 1982, the venue is Donington and the band playing is Saxon. You can be sure that glamour-boy drummer (and occasional male model) Chris Turner didn't buy his Eye Hate God T-shirt in Top Shop. 'Quincy The Pigboy' and 'Scorpionica' have debts to Hawkwind and Maiden, but the Goblin are bringing it all back home. Brit stoner ringleader singer Ben Ward gets the crowd screaming by declaring that, "The home of heavy metal is Britain!" in between embarrassing technical hitches. Apparently in Europe they play to thousands at biker rallies. Surely we can find room for them on Sunday afternoon at Reading?

Mock the tattoos and hairdos all you want. But tonight proves that low-down dirty electric music can still be the heaviest Friday night in town.