Home

Reviewed by
Maggot

Visit


Visit


Last Edit/Update
29 March, 1998

Page Layout
Kim Alexander

Cycon Festival

Performing Artists

16 Volt, Alien Faktor
Oneroid Psychosis,
Scar Tissue,
Xorcist

Phantasy Club
Lakewood, Ohio, USA
Easter Sunday, 1997

          16 Volt ruled the evening despite being the opening band. They ROCK!!! I am buying all their stuff when I get some money.

[On the Vendors at the show...]

          Any kind of bondage/sado masachism gear that you could imagine. Whips, chains, gags, full body suits, corsets that will shrink your waist to 16"!!!!  All the vendors were extremely nice and very informative. They also had a few vendors with jewelry and amulets, potions and herbs --   everything a witch could want.  There were also catalog, video and magazine vendors. You could get a subscription to I.N. [Industrial Nation Magazine] for $10 and get a free cd thrown in. I got the Chicago '88 show of [Skinny] Puppy for a mere $15.00.
          16 Volt opened the show to a pretty decent size crowd for it being a Sunday (Easter Sunday for that matter!). The show started right on time at 9:00. I got to the front of the stage right before it began (thank god!). Kind of unbelievable but the guy that got me in (there was a guest list mix-up) was the lead singer for 16 Volt (Eric). What a nice guy. 16 Volt got on the bill late and hence, wasn't supposed to have a guest list. He argued with them briefly and they let me in, camera and all. Anyway, they started off with Dreams and went right into Breed. It was about this time that I noticed that their guitarist was a friend of mine. Krayge from the now defunct Virus 23. He was also in ChemLab for a tour. He said this is his permanant home from now on. They play for the enjoyment of playing.  The rest of the set was as lively and precise as the beginning. They went into Head of Stone and proceeded to play Skin, Perfectly Fake, Andigo, Swarm, Cloth Like Gauze, Cut Collector, Stitched and finally, Motorskill.  Eric thanked the crowd continually after each song and even noticed the two guys standing next to me that knew every word to every song. Kinda nice that he gave them the high sign...
          Their drummer, Steve Watkins, is also the song-writer and vocalist of Scar Tissue. I really enjoyed this band as well. Once again, I didn't hear any music by them [before] this concert. Phil Caldwell is the other half of Scar Tissue and let me tell you, this guy is quite inventive when it comes to playing a guitar. He used many objects as a pick including a vibrator and a toy ambulance with working lights and siren! Steve also has many "devices", as he called them. :) These two, with an as yet unnamed keyboardist, played some great music which started off with an introduction and went into Powerclone. The rest of the set progressed with Our Disease, Recline, Cascade, Stance, Choking on Fate, Membrane and ended with Asthmatic. If you don't know their sound, I would describe it as something dancey yet, not your run of the mill pop [crap].
          The next band to go on was Alien Faktor. These guys were quite different from the first two bands. Their music is along the same lines with maybe a smidge more guitar in some songs but the vocals are in-your-face attitude. I enjoyed the music immensely but the crowd turned to the bar and the clothing vendors. I think this was because of the harshness of Alien Faktor's vocals.  They started with Zombie March and Somewhere In The Dark. Then went on to Ego Death, Carrier, Kill Me, Tradition of Violence, Afterbirth, Ants Sheep Drunks and Whores, and ended with Dysphoria. This isn't the kind of music I listen to normally. For some reason though, I couldn't help but like it. The music itself was GREAT!  The lights they ran were the best of all the bands and the vocals... well... like I said, not my style but it worked very well for some reason.

          Oneroid Psychosis   came on last [however] I didn't even stick around to take any pictures.  I had to get up at 6 [am] to go to work [the next day].

[Editor's Note: Maggot declined comment on Xorcist, however I heard Xorcist was quite good and I was not very happy I missed this show due to snow in Michigan.]

Visit