A Vulgar Display of PANTERA - Livestream
Pictured: Joey Gonzalez, Phil Anselmo + Mike DeLeon - PHIL ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS
Photo courtesy of A Vulgar Display of PANTERA Livestream
PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS + KING PARROT
Livestream Event – April 9th 2021
Written by: Tom Wilson - Sense Music Media
“Gosh guys, we just know it’s been so tough for everyone out there, so I just want to send a message of fucking love,” says bassist Wayne Slattery between tracks. “We hope that if you had COVID that you don’t have COVID anymore, and if you lost your taste, that you got your taste back … But I guess, if you’re listening to us, you definitely haven’t got your taste back, so get fucked.”
Pictured: Ari White, Todd Hansen, Matt Young, Wayne Slattery + Andrew ‘Squiz’ Squires - KING PARROT
So far, so KING PARROT. Ugly music played with a sense of humour, the boys unleash Disgrace Yourself from inside Danger Tone Studios. The camera places us right in the center of the action – any closer, and we’d be in vocalist Matthew Young’s armpit – and the sound mix is immense. Need No Savior is heavy enough to crush your skull, and Todd Hansen’s drumming is ferocious, particularly during The Stench of Hardcore Pub Trash. Ari White and Andrew Squiz Squires are absolutely deadly guitarists, and they are both on fine form today, combining sick riffs with some absolutely glorious power stances. A storming rendition of Bozo brings their performance to a close. If there was anything to complain about, it’s that their set seems criminally short for such a good band. All hail KING PARROT. Send Ari beer.
Pictured: Matt Young, Wayne Slattery + Ari White - KING PARROT
Technical issues are just a part of life when it comes to live performance. When you then livestream that event around the globe, even more can go wrong, and unfortunately it does right off the bat for PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS. There is no audio at all for the first half of Suicide Note Part One, and the mix is jarringly inconsistent for the first two songs. Fortunately, it doesn’t go unnoticed, and Phil aborts A New Level early and has the band do it over. Tonight, near enough will not be good enough, and once all the gremlins are chased out of the mixing board, what follows is an absolutely stunning tribute to PANTERA. Mouth for War and Becoming sound amazing – Mike DeLeon and Stephen Taylor nailing the skill and soul of Dime’s playing. Performing barefoot, Henry Rollins-style, with his ever-present scowl and chewing gum, Phil is an imposing figure, and his vocals are on point tonight.
Pictured: Phil Anselmo - PHILLIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS
A proper tribute to PANTERA would be about three hours long – there are that many great tracks – but tonight’s set is hard to fault, and even packs some surprises (including a pleasing amount of tracks from cult favourite The Great Southern Trendkill). One such track is War Nerve, introduced as Dimebag’s favourite cut from that album. Famous for its ranting breaks where Phil takes aim at the music media – capped off with a vitriolic “fuck you all” – its performance tonight highlights the massive change in perspective for the man himself. Where 1996 Phil was telling music rags to fuck off, 2021 Phil offers an olive branch in a divided world. “We need to learn to be kind to each other, everybody. Show up with love, and be smart, but until then, fuck you all!”
Pictured: Mike DeLeon - PHILLIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS
Much like Domination, which became heavily truncated during live performances to focus on its utterly crushing breakdown, some other classics are aired tonight in sample form. The hideous, squealing stomp of Suicide Note Part Two sounds downright evil, and the hard-edged groove of Goddamn Electric is tough as nails. And, of course, Domination itself – an irresistible mosh pit call to arms – is utterly crushing tonight.
Pictured: Joey Gonzalez - PHILLIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS
Returning for the encore, Mike DeLeon straps on the 12-string acoustic, and Phil announces that they are re-doing the opening of the show to compensate for the earlier difficulty. The dark country of Suicide Note Part One is sublime – Phil joined by his EN MINOR bandmate Calvin Dover to perform one of the few PANTERA tracks you can play around your nanna. After a seething Hellbound, Phil invites a young boy named Roman up from the audience, and together they plough through the seminal Walk.
Pictured: Stephen Taylor + Mike DeLeon - PHILLIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS
When Phil bellows “The trend is dead!” – introducing set closer (Reprise) Sandblasted Skin – he’s as right as he ever was. The world that saw PANTERA turn into globe-trotting metal superstars no longer exists. Neither does PANTERA itself. Thankfully, though, the music endures, and performances like tonight serve as both bittersweet tributes to this most peerless band, and a fantastic way for people like myself to get to witness an older, wiser Phil Anselmo absolutely tear shit up, fronting a phenomenally talented group of musicians. THE ILLEGALS have been working on their follow up to Choosing Mental Illness as a Virtue, so it won’t be long before we hear from the boys again.
