Our thoughts: Ralph's Diner (Worcester MA)

June 19, 2008

w/ Eternal Embrace, Mornalir, Forever’s Fallen Grace

Runtt states time and time again (and the rest of us completely agree) that we do not fit in with the scene we normally play in. The fact is there is no other progressive/gothic rock band in Maine, and we usually stick out like a sore thumb on a bill. That actually may be a good thing, since it makes everyone notice us, but it would also be nice to find a band we have something in common with, musically speaking. So, when Chris who books Metal Thursdays at Ralph’s Diner asked us to join a bill of goth/doom metal, we of course said yes. One of the bands was Eternal Embrace, who are old friends of mine (I filled in on bass in and old band of theirs).

I had never been to Ralph’s, which turned out to be a creepy looking old building in a broken down parking lot with an old railroad car diner attached – hence the name. Bands played upstairs on a nicely shaped stage with a decent PA. My nephew Matt and his wife Stacey came to the show, and Michele’s cousin Eric and his wife Erin were in attendance, so we had a few folks in our corner. Forever’s Fallen Grace have been around for a while and opened, playing their tunes with a not terribly serious air that gave the impression they are fun guys. They closed with “Come to the Sabbath” by my favorite band, Mercyful Fate. Mornalir came all the way from CT without a bass player, and were very much in the female goth/metal vein, so much so that i suspect they learned to play from listening to those records. Good riffs, great voice on the singer, but they need to develop their own identity. Their pretty young, though, so I can’t say I’m surprised.

We played either second or third (I can’t recall which) and had the most people watching us. It still wasn’t a great turnout. Chris the promoter admitted it was a slow night, and they rely on a regular crowd, who had been absent of late (he suspected the bad economy had a lot to do with it, and I agree, as the same thing is happening in Portland.)

Eternal Embrace closed – all 8 members crammed onto that stage. Beforehand I was a little hesitant about them, as they employ the “beauty and the beast vocals” schtick, and truth be told, I hate growling singers. Their male singer, however, did it with such charisma and restraint i was totally won over – he ruled! The rest of them would get cranked up into a great gloomy din, using their huge amount of band members to good effect, a quality that does not really come through on their cd. They’re really a band to be witnessed live. You just don’t get the right effect if you’re not there in person.

The drive back to Maine was long, and as I was dropping the trailer off at UHaul at 5 am (they don’t open til 7 but you can still drop stuff off behind their building) the release on their trailer hitch locked up and we could not get it detached. Of course, we have no tools,and no one is open that early. 1-800-uhaul was no help, so i had to call AAA to bring me some tools. The AAA guy was very cool and we had the thing off in 30 seconds. Fucking UHaul.