Doyle @ Club Red

I may never know if I’ll get the opportunity to see the Misfits live. Though I’ll happily take the next best thing available. Doyle shook the stage at Club Red in Mesa on Friday. The crowd was loud, the music was louder, and all my bones ache for no reason other than regretting a good time. My only regret was arriving a little late. Yet, it was a night I’d do all over again.

As I entered the venue, I caught the end of Neuron Spectre. I’m interested to see more of him and what he can do. I witnessed enough to know he’s a Synthwave artist. Yet, I’d loathe to pass any judgement without really seeing what a musician can do. With that in mind, I’d like to leave it as that I want to see more. I’m intrigued by the presence he has on stage. It leaves me curious as to what all comes with it.

Next to the stage was Casket Snatch. Now these guys were pretty mellow but know how to bring it. I found myself easily nodding along. Every so often I found myself indulging some headbanging at full force. Upon going back to listen to their music, I found that I greatly enjoy the song “Fuck All Night.” Yet, when I started looking around for their online presence, I discovered that their Facebook page was far more up to date than their website. Nonetheless, I highly recommend checking them out. I was happy to get one of their setlists and have it signed by the whole band.

Moving along, In Memory Of followed shortly after. Instantly, I was hit hard and fast with a wave of energy and a welcome dose of rock. During their set, they mentioned that they had a collection of Misfit covers in their repertoire but were not performing them out of respect for Doyle. This just means I’ll have to see them again to witness how good these covers might be. What’s better is they are recording a new album in a few months and is planned for release later this year.

When Ikonoklast took the stage, I was completely hooked. Opening with a cover of “Irresponsible Hate Anthem” by Marilyn Manson set the tone for the rest of their set. It was loud. It was energetic. The space they had to work with was smaller than they probably would have liked. Watching the lead vocals work the stage without tripping was interesting to say the least. Yet, when he finally went down, it wasn’t because he snagged on cords or equipment. After helicoptering his hair, braided with chains, dizziness overtook him and introduced him to the floor and one of the symbols. Despite this stumble, they kept pushing on and never let the energy dip below eleven.

Then came a last-minute addition to the set, Dead Girls Corp. from Hollywood, CA. The first band from out of state carried a fair amount of energy. Yet, for me, something felt off about them. It struck me similar to watching a video with the audio only a few milliseconds out of sync. Yet, as I tried to keep up with them, I could not put my finger on what could have been missing. I will have to just assume it was the change in momentum from the previous band that threw me off. I went from being ready for a pit to wanting to recline and have a drink. I’m not sure if that is entirely a bad thing.

Now for some Davey Suicide. I’ve seen these guys a few times before and they never disappoint. Their energy is phenomenal and they give a presence that cannot be ignored. Watching their drummer, Drayven Davidson is always an intense spectacle that only heightens the overall performance of the band. I’m also frequently impressed by Davey’s swift costume changes that help enhance the visual nature of their performance. Needless to say, the boys of Davey Suicide are amazing, always a pleasure to chat with, and a performance that must be seen live. Listening to them recorded is good but it never scratches the itch the same way they do when live on stage. Davey Suicide will potentially return to Arizona later this year.

Finally, the main event. I had never listened to Doyle before this show. As I eluded to earlier, I’m certainly a fan of the Misfits. Seeing the opportunity to catch a glimpse of even a fraction of that glory was all too tempting. There are few words to describe seeing Doyle live. The crowd was wild. There was a plethora of love songs. We danced to every one of them as we wanted to. Positioned at the edge of the stage, it was humbling when Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein stood over me and slammed his guitar. Everything came together for a worthwhile night of loud music and amazing people.

By the time it was all over, my ears were ringing and my head felt like it was vibrating. Yet, I still felt like I had the drive to do it all over again. I look forward to seeing any of these bands again. As for Doyle, I’ll be listening to their latest album while I recover.