Local stoner rock fans once again gather at The Globe to witness the culminating chapter of an unofficial three-part trilogy of gigs. Following NOLA sludge titans Crowbar in late March, May began with Weedeater and, three days later, it’s the turn of crossover kings turned metal gods Corrosion Of Conformity. With his Down bandmate Kirk Windstein having turned in a gig of the year performance last month on the same stage, will COC frontman Pepper Keenan be up to the challenge?
Another jam-packed crowd is standing by to see, as COC mainstays Woody Weatherman and Mike Dean, along with Keenan, take to the stage to Paranoid Opioid, an energetic opener that serves its purpose well in getting the crowd moving. Then it’s back to 1994 with Shake Like You – a deep cut from their Deliverance album, indicating that tonight’s setlist will be anything but predictable. The set, as it turns out, is largely culled from Deliverance, Wiseblood and America’s Volume Dealer – sadly ignoring 2018’s No Cross No Crown entirely, though based on speaking to Keenan recently, this could be a deliberate ploy by the band who may just want to re-establish themselves with UK audiences again, after the pandemic disrupted their touring plans.
Seven Days allow a little reprieve from the pit action, letting Keenan stretch his Ronnie Van Zant-style vocals. Stonebreaker, from 2005’s In The Arms Of God, gets a well-received outing, and once again the luscious southern-style vocals from Pepper are front and centre on 13 Angels – but it’s the chunky riffs of Vote With A Bullet that get the crowd jumping once more before the band take a brief respite.
COC resurface to a baying audience with Born Again For The Last Time, and spare a thought for bassist supreme Mike Dean whose ferocious playing style must surely have ground his fingers down to stumps by now… but, sadly for his aching digits, there’s still two classics in Albatross and Clean My Wounds to finish up with, the latter allowing one last chance to dance for those so inclined. If Corrosion Of Conformity were looking to re-establish themselves with UK audiences, then as far as south Wales is concerned, they can consider it mission accomplished.
Corrosion Of Conformity, The Globe, Cardiff, Thurs 4 May
words CHRIS ANDREWS photos BETHAN MILLER
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