By Chaos, Freelance WriterAT LAST Saturday's 'Statik', held at the Chelsea Hotel, on Chelsea Avenue, St. Andrew, the band billed as LM29 announced the change of their band's name to Collective Headrush.
According to lead singer Neil, the original rationale behind the name 'LM29' was too ridiculous, and unprintable to boot. No explanation was offered for the new name either not that it mattered. The newly named band did a five-song set, all covers, with rock band System of a Down coming in for special treatment, since two of their songs were performed.
The band took to the stage after 1 a.m., despite an advertised 12:30 a.m. start. The sparse crowd on hand did not seem to mind as the band, consisting of Neil on lead vocals, Paul Chang on lead guitar, Jason Wharton on bass, Craig Lee or 'Flea' on drums and Craig Fox on rhythm guitar, started off with System of a Down's Toxicity.
This may not have been the wisest choice, since Neil's seemingly rage-induced vocals, though strong, were unable on the night to follow the intricate stylings that System of a Down's lead singer uses to make their songs so fantastic. On the other hand, the other band members definitely knew what they were doing, even if they need to rehearse more as a band in order to make their sounds blend.
Shinobi vs the Dragon Ninja followed, a song originally done by the Lost Prophets and Godsmack's Awake followed. The latter much more fitted Neil's voice, and he did a decent, and loud, job in the band's rendition. Lee on drums was a marvel for the entire night, as he played with frantic energy and almost impeccable skill on the skins. Paul Chang, a gentleman of Chinese extraction, was excellent on lead guitar, delivering the requisite riffs to send the crowd, which never stopped dancing, wild.
The Machinehead's Breathe In, Breathe Out followed and then it was time for the next System of A Down song, Aerials. Jason Wharton was a gem on bass and Craig Fox did his job competently on rhythm guitar. Chang and Wharton, as aforementioned, were really good. A good singing voice is not generally a pre-requisite in a decent rock band, unless of course they are covering a song like Aerials where complex vocals can be a problem for the unwise. Consecutive Headrush rocked the crowd, but Neil needs some practice if he is to capture the not-so-subtle nuances in songs such as this.
Consecutive Headrush ended by giving a teaser for the next live Statik showing, which is scheduled for the last Saturday of every month. With Paul Chang's continuous encouragement to get down to business, the band performed a 20-second clip of Deadsy's Gremacy Park, to the screams and whistles of the people on hand.
Speaking to The Gleaner after their stint on-stage, Chang said "We're just a group of people with common interests, enjoying ourselves and that's what matters," adding that the band had not had the time to rehearse together on a regular basis.
The rock band Downstairs and new rap group Hydroponics also performed on the night.
