2nd December, 1999 - The Charlotte, Leicester.

Breaking News: New Album "Buy Now, Saved Later" and 2000 Tour.

What a night to look forward to, a band I have long wanted to see and the opening gig of a new tour.  I have played their debut album 'Available In All Colours' more times than I can remember over the last 18 months, a stunning album it is too.  On the tickets the support band was supposed to be Skindred, but on the night they were replaced by two other bands.  Opening early (10 minutes into their set before I arrived), was 'Jnr Loaded',

(?) a young band that I had not come across before, they were getting everyone warmed up.  A quick break to the bar and then was the surprise of the evening, the second band 'earthtone 9'.   What a storming set they played and what an intense band they are.  Wow, they blew me away.

The crowd were now good and ready, waiting with impatience for the band they were all here to see, 'One Minute Silence'.  I looked around at the heaving masses about me, I can't remember seeing so many people at the Charlotte before and they were wired, and so was I!  The

mosh pit was formed and beginning to throng, the door at the side of the stage opened and out came the band to huge roars, things were gonna get a little lively!

This was their first show for quite a time after a stint in the studio during September and October and since 'Yap' had his onstage collapse, the boys were primed and ready to go.  Looking good and fresh, armed with their new guitarist 'Massy' they immediately took control.

Yap: "You guys are gonna be real nice to each other, yeh?  I don't think so some how!"  "This is our first show in about three months and were psyched up, yeh?."

Then straight into a new song and the place exploded.  There was no let-up as they followed with 'South Central' and the crowd were now at one with the band, taking over from Yap chanting "I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die...".  The mosh pit looked a pretty dangerous place to be at this moment in time!

Yap: "Man, I love heavy music"

The band kept tight, pumped out immense energy and at all times kept everyone involved.  There was no doubt about it, this gig was for us and they were gonna give their all, but wanted you also to give your all.   And that is exactly what happened, massive enjoyment and thick heavy grooves!   The songs kept coming, 'For Want Of A Better World' and 'Remain Calm' smashed their way out the speaker stacks.  Then there was the continuous rants from Yap between songs.

Yap: "This morning we got a phone call. Anyone going to see 'Machine Head' in Nottingham?"
Crowd: (cheer) Yehhhh!!
Yap: "Guess who's supporting them?"
Crowd: (cheer) Yehhhh!!  (solitary voice in the crowd) Boyzone.

Yap: "Boyzone!  Who the fucks shouting for Boyzone?  Who the fuck was it?"
(At this point Glen kicks off the Bass line to Queen's Under Pressure).
Crowd: (cheer) Yehhhh!!
Glen: "Yo yo yo yo yo! This is a Queen song! If you recognise that then fuck off and bang your face on the wall..."

Crowd: (cheers mixed in with laughter) Yehhhh!!
(One of the crowd appears on stage standing next to Yap, Glen starts taking to him)
Yap: "Man, you better be getting of the stage pretty quick, or I'm gonna throw you off....." (distracted by the crowd) "Vanilla Ice?  Who thought it was a Vanilla Ice song?"
Glen: (pointing to the stage intruder) "Hey, this is James and he's a pussy!"
Yap: "The Vanilla Ice song, so you wanna hear it?"
(Again Glen kicks off the Bass line taking the piss.  Ed starts an accompanying drum beat).
Crowd: (cheers and laughs) Yehhhh!!
(James, still loitering on stage, goes for Glens mike and starts rapping the words to the song.  The band continue, Ed really getting into it, improvising like crazy, hitting everything he can.  James continues with confidence and doing a fine job)
Crowd: (repeated cheer) Ice, Ice Baby!!
Yap: "Okay, give it up" (for James)

Glen: "Yo yo yo yo yo! I'm taking back what I said.   James is fucking good!  James is now in the band...."
(James leaves the stage, jumping back into the crowd)
Yap: "Anyway, we're playing a lot of this shit to you guys from the second album we're gonna release early next year...."

Crowd: (voice shouts) Dedicate it to us!!!
Yap: "....and it's dedicated to you! (points to mosh pit). This is 'The Fish Are Out Of Water'  It's a good bobbing up and down song."

Another new song.  The evening was made up of a nice mix of slamming favourites from their first album and new stuff from their forthcoming album, scheduled for release in April, 2000.  These are the first songs written with their new guitarist

'Massey' and they are muted by 'Yap' to be a little more dynamic than their first.  It has the working title of 'Sixteen Stone Pig'.  All the new songs sounded fucking excellent, I don't think anyone will be disappointed and I cannot wait to get me hands on it!!!!!

'A Waste Of Things To Come' was next up, the Bass ripping into the song, so aggressively powerful.   Again the crowd ecstatically chanting "Put up, our get up, get out! Ya gotta put up, or get up, get out!" without prompt but with instant encouragement by Yap and Glen.  The song ends and another chance for seditious tirade from Yap, this man has some very strong feelings.

Yap: "Let me just say quickly...  Live and let live and each to their own and all that kinda stuff.  On this next album we've addressed quite a bit about religion.  I was brought up as a catholic and I hate all that shit.  And if your into that shit, that's cool,

but I ain't.  But, erm, a lot of people come to me and say 'Hey you keep covering the Christian church and....are you gonna talk about the other religions?'  The thing is that I don't really know that much about it, but I started to read "The Qur'an"....  No, not Kerrang!, "The Qur'an" recently.  The Muslim religion, and I have got to be careful how I say this in case I offend anybody but, big pile of shit too! Okay!"  (Crowd cheer)  "Keep away from all religions, they ain't got shit to offer you, okay!"  (Crowd cheer)  

"And, you don't have to listen to me either, listen to your own hearts only, okay!   I don't know what the fuck is going on either, but I follow my own heart and if my heart says it's wrong it's wrong, and if it says it's right it's right.  And no book can tell you that, so fuck them all.  And Hey, next time I am going to find out about Buddhism, and I guarantee that's a pile of shit too.  And when I do find out, I'll fuckin let you know!"  (Crowd cheer)  "And if we ever reach a bigger platform and I have a bigger fuckin voice, I will let the world know religion is shit.  And if some fuckin fundamentalist fuck wants to come and top me over it, that would just prove I'm right, okay!  Because it's meant to be about fuckin peace and love and they all want to fuckin kill, so fuck them!!!"  (Crowd cheer)

And you know, it's hard not to agree with him!

'The Roof Of The World' was another of the new songs played tonight.  With a heavy guitar intro, Ed's drums joining-in, then it

drops like lead into a storming angry groove, fuckin massive man.

This gig was Intense and exciting.  Solid chunky down tuned rhythms, heavy hard drums, insistent rapping vocals.  It was personal, always involving the crowd with everyone part of the party, and of course some serious moshing.  I can't recall a crowd as large at the Charlotte as tonight and this is definitely the best gig I have seen here (indeed the best I have seen anywhere for a long, long time).  If ever there was a band that deserve the support from their fans, this

is the band!!  They are there for you, they care about you and it really does show.  An excellent gig where they gave their all and more.  I look forward to the chance of catching them again live and guys if your reading this, please send us a copy of your new album.....please!

Rigsby.

Note:  All live pictures of the band are the property of Rigsby and may only be used with prior permission.

One Minute Silence are:

Vocals - Brian 'Yap' Barry
Drums - Eddie Stratton
Bass -   Glen Diani
Guitar - Massy Fiocco

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