Last night, Hollywood’s Whisky a Go-Go was full to the brim with fans that had shown up to party and support the heavy bands on the bill. Scheduled to follow Void FX, and then warm up for Primer 55, and Dope – SubstAnce D arrived and all eyes were locked on to the stage. Not surprisingly, the band brought the eager crowd to their feet, and then to their knees within a minute into their first song; creating a tornado-sized pit that filled the air of the club with raw intensity.
Todd Chaisson (vocals, bass) shocked the returning fans with a complete image transformation, displaying a new mohawk-style and black war paint that ‘erased’ the right side of his face. Michael Parnin (vocals, guitar) and T. on drums and backing vocals followed suit with their own versions of the ‘blackout’ make up. All three were sporting their signature gas-station/jail jumpsuits. Even their crew had their own adaptation of the jumpsuits in light blue with the band name stenciled in spray paint on the back of each one.
Armed with their respective weapons and ready for battle, the band took the stage while a sample of a distress alarm blared through the sound system. The performance was primal and aggressive. SubstAnce D had returned in full force and in excellent form.
Todd has a firm grip on how to work a crowd into a frenzy, and he would become more and more animated with each round of chaos from the pit. Michael’s presence is always cool and sexy, yet throttled with energy and T. pounds out the mosh-pit beats with ease and skill. Several songs were performed from the ‘Addictions‘ CD, including ‘My Life’ and ‘California’. Rumor has it that several new tracks are on the way. If you haven’t already got ‘Addictions’ in your CD library – drop what you’re doing and get it NOW!
The set was far too short; as they always seem to be when I see this band live. The band left behind a lasting impression, however. Todd and Michael dropped their guitars and had picked up a set of drumsticks, assisting T. in a blazing drum solo, but it wasn’t over yet. The crew returned to the stage, bringing with them their own drums, and bashed their way through a tribal drum beat along with the members of SubstAnce D, ending a set that tore the roof off. SubstAnce D was easily the best performance of the night, and represented exactly what heavy music should be; a full-scale sonic assault on the senses.
Lesa Pence