Aight so I ended up going to Monolith and saw DOOM! Here's a detailed and personal account of the show (which was fucking dope by the way!).Photos: (Click to enlarge) [Courtesy of Metromix Denver]
I decided to go early to get a good spot and found one right up front and waited for quite a while with people chanting the occasional DOOM, DOOM, DOOM!! After which seemed like forever Ben Grimm and surprisingly Jneiro Jarel (from Shape Of Broad Minds) hit the stage, thank god because I knew right away it would be the real Doom. The stage crew had previously set up 2 Technics and a mixer and I thought to myself that was kind of weird since Doom hasn't had a DJ since the MM FOOD tour but thought it was a good sign after all the controversy of him using his own MPC with supposed prerecorded vocals on it. But sure enough Jneiro and Ben brought out some of their own equipment damn it!! One piece was a transmitter for wireless mics and I immediately thought "here we go, he's gonna fucking lip sync again". It took quite a while for Jneiro and the soundmen to get the wireless mics set up and sound checked. We were all starting to get anxious waiting for so long that Jneiro eased the crowd with an acapella and a statement that it would be worth the wait and the show was going to be something special. He also announced for the first time a possible collaboration between him, DOOM and some other DJ (I couldn't catch the name), he also said to put it on YouTube haha. Finally after being at least 15 minutes late (and having only a 45 minute set) Doom says something from behind the stage like "ya'll ready for the Villain?".
DOOM comes out with a 100% chrome mask decked out with ruby stones on the 3rd eye and studded all around the head band! I happen to know a friend of Doom's who had told me just days before the show that Doom had recently bought a custom made chrome mask for a lot of money. Anyway so as the first song comes on (Hoe Cakes) and as I hear the first line "I got this girl, and she wants me to duke her" the music and Doom's vocals get kind of quiet and of course I think it sounds like he's lip syncing but immediately both come right back to normal and in fact even louder. All of a sudden I couldn't tell if he was lip syncing or not because he sounds almost too good but I was right up front so I could at least tell he was moving his mouth exactly with the words. The next song was Rhymes Like Dimes and I've heard him do this song like 5 times live and he sounded much better than I've ever heard before so of course I'm thinking he's totally lip syncing. I was very aware to listen for any words said to the crowd in between songs and there were several to convince me this was the real deal. After careful observation and a few more tracks in I came to the conclusion that this was a different DOOM in front of me. Not an imposter DOOM but a man who had changed his live performance from a more interactive, funny, sometimes slightly drunk one to a clear headed, focused, and in control one. Gone were the crowd interactions, missed or wrong lyrics, hand on the belly mannerisms, beer drinking, and slightly strained vocals. But instead we were treated to Doom almost in a trance, eyes closed half of the time, drinking water, spitting his rhymes in a concise, fluid, laid back familiar monotone way that we've come to love. About half way through the set I finally felt I could let go and enjoy the show. Boy was I given a rewarding and special performance, Jneiro Jarel was right and I was excited, almost giddy with joy. The Villain is back! MADVILLAIN LIVE IN LOS ANGELES
NOVEMBER 21, 2009.
- Subroc, The Hip Hop Hendrix
