Event:	Mustasch: Scandinavia Tour 2012
Written by:	Ivor
Published:	15.04.2012
Galleries:	Mustasch - Rock Café, Tallinn, Estonia, 08.04.2012 by Ivor (21)

Do you trust a whole bunch of random people around you when they say a band is unbelievably awesome live? That the last time they gave a show in these parts - and how could you be so ignorant as not to be present at that gig - they totally kicked ass? Well?! Do you? I don't know about you, but I kind of don't. Which is not to say that the whole thing doesn't make me curious about it.



Thing is, usually in such cases the band in question ends up being the epitome of cheesiness; take whatever genre you like. The more towards conventional heavy metal, the cheesier it gets. While Mustasch isn't exactly holes and no cheese kind of heavy, to be honest, they don't have much of a substance to them either. Fun to spin a couple of times, fun to go out to and have a couple of beers to it, fun to watch while it lasts. But as an ever-lasting memory of something special?

Nevertheless, Mustasch surprised me in some good ways. First of all, it being a Sunday night, the venue was unexpectedly pretty full, unexpectedly to me that is. The rest were on to something, I think. I tell you, the buzz of a kick-ass performance at Rabarock Festival last year seems to have drawn all those people out to the gig, and then some more. The crowd was loving it, jumping and singing along, and everybody seemed to know the new album, which the band delivered in full from start to finish in track order. Anyway, it's always nice to see an audience going along with the band rather than numbly brick-walling the whole performance.





Secondly, which I think is rather a great achievement, they had a fine sound. Loud, yes, but well balanced. A feat not many manage to accomplish at our venues. I don't know whether they had their own sound technician with them, or if it was one of the locals, but props either way. Turns out good sound is possible after all. For once it was great to be at a gig where you can hear everything clearly, the way it's supposed to be, without trying to wade through the swamp of aural mess.

Thirdly, the band had their shit together. Even though the start of the entertainment was pushed back half an hour because, as the organizer said, the band were too hungover, they still put on a good show; although, admittedly, they were stalling every once in a while. But you might as well write it off as an interaction with the audience. However, good light, good sound, and overall great stage presence made the band seem larger than the venue. If Metallica had their shit together like this, I bet they'd make at least half of the metal world happy. In this regard, I can see why people hold Mustasch in high esteem.





Set list (Sounds Like Hell, Looks Like Heaven)
1. Speed Metal
2. The Challenger
3. It's Never Too Late
4. Cold Heart Mother Son
5. Morning Star
6. Dead Again
7. Your Father Must Be Proud Of You
8. Destroyed By Destruction
9. I Don't Hate You
10. Northern Link
Encore
11. Deep In The Woods (Mustasch)
12. Down In Black (Above All)
13. Heresy Blasphemy (Mustasch)
14. Mine (Mustasch)
15. Bring Me Everyone (Latest Version Of The Truth)
16. Black City (Rat Safari)
17. I Hunt Alone (Above All)
18. Double Nature (Latest Version Of The Truth)





So, in theory, going by what I wrote above, it's supposed to be a good gig, right? Well, yes and no. If you stack your brain on the shelf, are in for a beer or six and are looking for a band to accompany the primary activity - this is by all means a fine choice. If it's good music you seek... All right, if I stop being harsh towards the band, I can say it's a fine non-intrusive past time but it still remains an overall hollow shell of a musical experience. I'll take a good psychedelic stoner band for an out of mind experience any day over it, thank you very much.

One more thing. Thoroughly wiping your balls with a towel and tossing it in the crowd... yeah... gross.