Destroy Everything - Sunday, April 15th

Kiev, Ukraine

I woke up, well actually, I didn’t fucking sleep…so I got up, and the techs and I headed to the club to set everything up. The room was HUGE! It would hold at least 8,000 people. The club was next to a gigantic stadum where the Scorpions once played to 100,000 people. Wow. I didn’t think anybody but Hasselhoff could pull those kinds of numbers in Europe.

Gamma Ray was onstage setting all their gear up. Anytime a band is running smoke at 10 am, it’s a bit much. Who is Gamma Ray, you ask? Gamma Ray features ex members of Helloween! Needless to say, they sucked. I helped Wayne set all his stuff up, because he was the only tech at this point of the tour. After that, we went to the back room, drank some Coke Light, and I took a nap on some rock hard chairs.

By the time Hatebreed took the stage, 2000 people had shown up. The room still looked a bit empty but the kids who were there definitely went crazy. There was at least 100 armed military police officers wearing red berets and aqua camo. Yes, the same camo Jean Claude Van Damme wore in Street Fighter: The movie! Oh wait, that movie was terrible, but at least it was better than Double Dragon: The Movie. Anytime kids would fall over the barricade, I say fall because there was no one on the other side to catch them, the armored security would beat them with nightsticks and throw them outside. It was definitely a tad sketchy, but "when in the Ukraine..."

The room was split down the middle with a T-Barricade. These became popular at larger events after a bunch of people died at a Limp Bizkit show from overcrowding. It’s hard to believe a Limp Bizkit show would be overcrowded, but throughout history people have consistently demonstrated a taste for all things terrible. How great is that “Break Stuff” song, though? “It’s just one of those days where you don’t want to wake up, everybody sucks, blah blah, and you want to justify ripping someone’s head off.” Genius. Wayne was in a cover band called, Bent, after he quit Hatebreed, and they played that and other assorted Ozzfest classics of the late 90’s.

Because of the T-Barricade, there were 2 simultaneous pits going at all times. It definitely looked pretty cool from the stage. The band played an hour and 20 minute set with a lot of songs they haven’t played for a while.

Most people in attendance couldn’t even believe that Hatebreed was playing. A majority of “promoters” over there will advertise that certain bands are coming, sell hundreds of pre-sale tickets, and then have the show never happen. For a band to even show up and play in Kiev, was a great feat for the promoters and fans.

After the show, we immediately went back to the hotel, because we had to get up at 3:30 a.m. to catch a plane to Dublin, Ireland.

Playlist:

Bad Religion – No Control

Glassjaw – E.Y.E.W.T.K.A.S. / Worship And Tribute

50 Cent – Get Rich Or Die Trying

Earth Crisis – Destroy The Machines / Firestorm Demo