NOT MY GOD: FAREWELL TOUR with guests SNAKES OF RUSSIA / DEATH LOVES VERONICA / CLOCKWORK ECHO

NOT MY GOD FAREWELL TOUR

DIVE BAR, LAS VEGAS

NOT MY GOD announced a Farewell Tour after the release of the electro/industrial duo’s third album Obverses, from earlier this year, and Las Vegas made the cut. The show included Clockwork Echo, Death Loves Veronica and Snakes of Rusiia, and it was a hell of a night, literally.

I have been to a lot of shows at the Dive Bar but this one was a SHIT SHOW. No fault of the bands, who did their best to deal with a bad situation. The original promoter of the show decided to get out of the business so the show was canceled, then it was back on, apparently picked up by the venue. Doors were advertised at 6:30, but we waited 3 hours for the first act, all the while the newest sound guy seemed to have trouble getting the acts dialed in. We're not talking about a full band set up but mainly laptops and keyboards. Tim Skold of Not My God was getting frustrated as we could see and eventually gave up. But the show must go on... eventually.

Industrial duo CLOCKWORK ECHO opened the show, I caught these guys the last time they played at the Dive Bar opening up for Psyclon Nine and I really liked them. But sound issues, and an unresponsive crowd due to a late start made this a tough night for the act. Singer Gabriel Ryan tried his best to engage the crowd, going out onto the floor with the crowd, keyboardist Kari Gallo was solid like the last time, but a short set, and challenges with club sound made me feel bad for these guys, they gave it their best and put on a solid set.

DEATH LOVES VERONICA is a solo project by award winning writer, producer Veronica Stich, an interesting act that was experimental, dark and very moody. I liked her performance very much. The crowd was more responsive to Veronica and her stage show, just wish there were more people there to witness her live performance, she is a great one woman act.

SNAKES OF RUSSIA - again, shit show, we were not sure if it was sound issues or his laptop crashed, but just under 5 minutes into his set all the sound went out and he gathered up all his equipment and stormed out of the building. It has to be so frustrating to have this happen on opening night of the tour, travel all this way and you are not able to perform.

We waited with anticipa-a-a-a-ation (we are nearing Halloween after all) to see what Tim Skold and Nero Bellum were going to bring us after the popcorn eating so far. I am happy to say their set was everything I expected and more. I caught Tim earlier this year as the guitarist for Frontline Assembly and Nero Bellum here with his band Psyclon Nine, andI was very excited to see this industrial collaboration NOT MY GOD. The band's setup had Tim on the left side of the stage and Nero on the right, both dressed in black suits and some of the best face paint I've seen. Good stuff.

Their sound is very slow, dark and moody, with Tim’s soft whispery voice and Nero's delicate synth sound making this a dream collaboration. During the band's set, fans who had VIP upgrades lined up near the merch table, were given black robes and pieces of paper and one by one went up onstage, and Tim performed some type of ritual blessing and marking each of their foreheads with a black substance. One of the coolest things I have ever seen a band do with their fans. Highlights were songs "Sowing Discord", "Dead", and the closer, "Fiction". I loved NOT MY GOD's sound and the great vivid live performace and showmanship, and I really hope this is not the end. Not My God more than made up for the mess the opening bands had to endure.

NOT MY GOD photos; Harold Mountain / JustAFanPhotos