File report: 03/18/2003:NewYork: 4am: EDN review.

Greetings readers...
Sterling Grey here.
I'm on the plane to NewYork from Hartsfield in Atlanta, GA.
I've been making my band review run in the states before returning to London. One word: WOW!
I saw my good fellows, El Diablo Ninos in Augusta, GA. Are you looking to ROCK LIVE in a serious way??
Complete with a ingenious, spine-tingling, "non-flammable", pyro/light show and AWESOME energy onstage, the band blew me away....

The date is March 14, the place The Club Continuum in Augusta Ga.. Quite an unusual club. Lots of metal sculptures and such lying about. Nothing here to get burnt by the bands pyros but that is of no consequence since the tragedy in Rhode Island. The crowd seems abuzz with anticipation. I arrived just as the opening band Origin was finishing an impressive set. The p.a. begins to pump out some nondescript music as the road crew for both bands clear away Origin's stage gear. It is about ten minutes before the house and stage lights go down and the haunting piano of Mike Oldfield's Theme from the Exorcist begins to float from the p.a signaling that El Diablo Ninos are moments away. Fog begins to drift across the stage and then suddenly the band, who moments ago were no where in sight, are onstage launching into the beginning chords of Black Sabbath's War Pigs. Diablo and McKinney are just dark silhouettes as the blinders pierce the fog. Brand is perched atop the riser behind his massive kit keeping time. Just as Sabbath would go to the first cut in the War Pigs El Diablo Ninos rocket into Communion as Glisson, the front man, leaps onto stage, fist stabbing the air as if fighting off spectral demons and ghosts. The band weaves a spell with their music that soon has the audience pumping their fists in the air also. Fifteen songs and two encores later I find myself sitting with the band discussing some new stage motif coupled with new special effects. I feel drained as though I was onstage with them. The music is simply exhilarating and mesmerizing. but alas. . . .Time to order up a round of ale! -cheers!

Sterling Grey