Somehow, despite lethal temperatures and the accompanying snow storm, Detroit managed to be another good show. As mentioned earlier we had to organize the merchandise ourselves, and there were very few people when the doors opened so it was assumed by all that the evening would prove a fiasco. At the last minute we were informed that the opening band was not to play and suddenly we were expected to go on before we had applied paint or even changed into our stage gear. We managed to assemble a stripped down but suitable visage and took the stage to a somewhat small but very eager audience. I felt we played well and the set was fluid and dynamic. Sometimes going in with low expectations removes the urgency in a way that allows a freeness to shine through. We need to continue in cultivating this sensibility regardless of the size or prestige of the show in question. It can only serve us well. By the time Belphegor hit the stage the room had filled, which was great for the shows overall success though it is also one of the downsides for us in that we have to go on early even if the crowd capacity has not yet been met. Immolation was, as always, simply amazing and they once again played songs from every album with mastery. If you haven't realized it by now Immolation is my all time favorite band, and if you find my fervent admiration of them to be tiresome then you are out of luck.
As the night went on we were approached by more and more people who wanted autographs and photos and complained about how the road conditions made them miss our set. It was a shame to think that we could have been playing to a bigger audience but it was still good to know that we were anticipated. We also signed the torsos of two attractive girls with an oversized black magic marker. Incantations were scrawled across their chests, arms, and backs, and it looked pretty arcane when we were done.
The I-Rock has quite a bit of history attached to it, judging by all the rock and metal memorabilia on the walls, many of which are signed by the respective artists. The club owner honored us by requesting an artifact of ours to add to the gallery and we obliged with a battered cymbal that was personally destroyed by The Carcass. Another first for the cabal, and a fitting tribute to a tumultuous but ultimately triumphant night.
