Midnight @ Poor Kids Mansion 2-24-24
Articles by "Backyard Show"
Midnight the One-Man-Band of an Act Brings the Fun to Los Angeles with Backyard Gig!
Thrash metal, speed metal, heavy metal act Midnight, formed back in 2003 by Athenar, when he was in another band called Boulder, as a solo side project. He had only wanted to release EPs, splits, singles, doing so for the first several years, eight to be precise of the band’s formation. Athenar has also been known to perform as a “one man band” act, performing other shows with midnight mistresses and creating other projects like Whitespade. Whom I had seen just last year as this Metal Merchant Market, whose performance was quite good.
But nevertheless, Midnight has an all new album due out soon enough titled “Hellish Expectations” for this year 2024, and with this show, this one happening tonight in Los Angeles, California would be the band’s first live performance for this year, according to Athenar himself tonight. This show being a “backyard show”, taking place at someone’s household, a mansion in Lincoln Heights, California out at the Poor Kids Mansion! This spot having various other back yard performances taken place over time, but tonight’s show had tickets selling out quickly online, with more tickets luckily available at the door! So it was sold out but not completely so, which had people hurrying to the front gates, aligned to get inside.
After doors had opened at 6PM, a mass began to form, where the stage was set up at the lower lot, to other people standing near the entrance, where a few booths were set-up with numerous merchandise of bands, t-shirts, posters, CDs, vinyls, cassette tapes, pins, patches, and more! Grabbing some items, then heading down to the lower section, catching some of the openers; such as Lurking Terror, Nekrofilth, and Midnight closing out the night. The crowd had grown throughout the evening, arriving a bit later than expected though, the crowd was welcoming, and downright happy to be there. Food and merchandise was available as previously mentioned. With the last of the openers wrapping up Midnight would arrive on the stage a little after 10:30PM.
MIDNIGHT PHOTOS:
Performing for the next hour, ending a little after 11:30PM, the band threw together such a performance it was flawless. The mosh pit was never ending, with stage divers and crowd surfers being about the same as well. Midnight performing with such angst and energy, everyone moving and not were into the performance. The band themselves were into it, interacting with the crowd, fists raised high, enjoying the crowd’s energy ever flowing. The songs performed were fast, heavy, and gave off such a fun time, that it made for a night of cold air, with a hot mass that kept all there cool and collected.
All in all though, Midnight is an actively well made band, with a one person running it all behind the scenes, but come to performance tactics, he makes it all work out for him, and the band whose time spent on the stage well worth it. Surely a backyard show such as this one, will be one not to be forgotten, because the merchandise was sold out in the long run of it, making that an even better reasoning to rejoice in attendance.
Ghoul and Hirax Team Up for a Backyard Easter Weekend Party in LA
Who would of thought that turning 35 would be so worth it! For one, turning actually 35 occurred on my birthday last year on September 3rd 2022, and that would be where I experience my first backyard concert! Not only having the headliner’s that night Hirax sing my “Happy Birthday” but having getting another chance at seeing them again in the next year! Hirax would partake in another backyard concert for yet another special occasion this being a holiday known to many as Easter!
Put on by the Poor Kids Mansion, Hirax would be joined by SMD, Cancer Christ and Ghoul headlining this night. Happening Easter weekend, not Easter Sunday, but that Saturday April 8, 2022 out in Lincoln Heights, CA. Opening would be SMD, a hardcore punk rock band, whose presents would slowly be grabbing at the audience forming ever so slowly. The Poor Kids Mansion being at a dead end street, near the end of the block, concert goers alike dressed in black, would be heading inside, down the walk way, browsing the various vendors with drinks, snacks, and numerous merchandise.
But SMD got things going off, with even a kid and his father joining in on the mosh pit activities, as the pit was barely kicking things off. The crowd was really into the opening performance, keeping watch as they brought a warm welcome to the atmosphere that would unfold this evening. SMD getting the crowd there excited for the rest of that night’s acts.
SMD PHOTOS:
Next up would be Cancer Christ another hardcore punk rock band, whose performance was quite interesting…. When they got up on the stage, their introduction played, as each of the band members came out dressed out in their “get-up” of attire, with the singer being dressed as a priest of sorts, but drenched in blood almost with his priest attire. The crowd then was forming more so, with the mosh pit activity building up more and more, with the band’s members and performers getting involved shooting confetti bombs, with another performer spraying the crowd with blood and other fluids. Also the band’s whole set was turned off briefly due to someone flipping off the switch. But it was surely another one of those bands whose performance kept you in aw.
Cancer Christ Setlist:
1. God Hates Cops
2. God Made Me Do It
3. Satan's Bitch
4. Baptized in Piss and Shit
5. Gulliotine
Next up would be thrash metal go getters Hirax! They had the crowd now rather large, really excited with joy and adrenaline. The mosh pit was picking up even more so than the last bands. Circular motion keeping pace, with others banging their heads, really keeping the momentum in check. The band themselves, kept that energy flowing, interacting with the crowd as cheers and shouts echoed throughout. During their own set, caused it to be turned off by another wise guy but that didn’t prevent the band from stopping, once back on, the band went full force into the remainder of their set! All there rose their fists and metal horns high into the air, keeping the night alive and well.
Hirax Setlist:
1. The Plague
2. Blind Faith
3. Warlords Command
4. Hellion Rising
5. Destroy
6. Baptized by Fire
7. Faster Than Death
8. Black Smoke
9. Lightning Thunder
10. Hate, Fear and Power
11. Hostile Territory
12. Criminal Punishment
13. Mouth Sewn Shut
14. Broken Neck
15. El diabol negro
16. Bombs of Death
Lastly would be headliner’s Ghoul. Whose performance was very interesting. They are another thrash metal act, whose stage presents was half thrash and half theatrical. At the start of their set, they had a mini skit played out, with characters who had arrived at a haunted house or a hotel and were going to win big bucks, if staying the night. That's when the band came on and chopped off their head’s somewhat, causing their heads to squirt out blood upon the crowd literally! The mosh pit exploding into chaos, as it was pushing every which way possible, having people rushed to the front of the platform of the stage’s set-up. Just so they could take in the bloody goodness! As the set moved onward, more skits would be played, with lots more spraying occurring with not just blood but other coloring’s such as yellow and blue’s too. The crowd really taking it all in, soaking it up each and every time one of the characters would bring out the guns for the fun!
Ghoul Setlist:
1. Off With Their Heads
2. Dungeon Bastards
3. Humans Till Deth
4. Word Is Law
5. Inner Sanctum
6. Splatterthrash
7. Maniaxe
8. Naxi Smasher
9. Tomb After Tomb
10. As Your Casket Closes
11. Graveyard Mosh
12. Gutbucket Blues
13. Victim in Pain (Agonstic Front Cover Song)
Wrapping up the band’s performance though would be nothing other than fireworks! Since it was an outdoors backyard show, who would have thought that Ghoul would pack the shock and sparkle with fireworks! Shooting off several into the darkened night sky, that made all there feel amazed. Overall though, it was a night of performances from bands that all there would know and some would be first to experience. The headliners this night being shall we say just different or unique?