A Place To Bury Strangers

Great show!!!! I was standing right in front of the band between Oliver Ackermann the guitarist and Dion Lunadon the bassist at the edge of center stage - no one separated me from the band!!!! Perfect spot!!!! APTBS stepped their show up a lot knowing the kind of artsy crowd they'd have - the show was at The Broad. Their shows have always had a performance art edge to them and they have taken this direction more and more with time and tonight they turned it up a really, really big notch. They delivered all the smoke, lights and feedback in the world and then some. Some moments you really wondered if you were going to get hit by flying guitar debris as they smashed them into the ground!!!! They made music with so many different things it was crazy. They went into the middle of the crowd and played unconventional music there. When the lead guitarist jumped off stage he used my shoulder and my friend's shoulder to get down. When he waded through the crowd and got back up on to the stage he squeezed my shoulders - that was really cool. Made me feel he may have recognized me from other shows (I've been to so many) or simply that he really appreciates fans!!!! They even played a harp or something that resembled it. At the end of the show they played crowd favorites. I've seen these guys multiple times and they never get boring. However, you could barely hear the vocals. At the end of the show some crazy kid jumped awkwardly onto the stage to try and steal one of the smashed guitars. The roadie wasn't having it!!!! Never a dull moment!!!!

Some rules for a show by A Place to Bury Strangers: wear black and look moody; sunglasses indoors are encouraged; earplugs are recommended; come prepared for a guitar noise assault; get ready to leave as a fan. Oliver Ackermann’s APTBS have gone on many of their own headlining tours since the release of their self-titled debut album in 2007, but to get an idea of the band’s sound you could do worse than compare it to a mix of two bands they’ve supported on cross-country jaunts: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Nine Inch Nails. Yes, that basically makes them Jesus and Mary Chain, and that’s the sound of the band you hear onstage. Switching between live and programmed drums that assault the senses, Ackermann creates walls of noise on his guitar that threaten to destroy your hearing and the venue’s PA. He swings his guitar around like it’s a lethal weapon, dredging up as much feedback as is humanly possible meaning the standout tracks like ‘To Fix the Gash in Your Head’ become even more aggressive and huge than they sound on record. Add to that a light show that should come with a health warning, then a show by APTBS is an attack on all the senses. In all honesty, the records APTBS have released really don’t do justice to their live show; it leaves you reeling from its intensity and all you’ll want to do is go home, stick on the record, turn your stereo up to eleven and play havoc with your room’s dimmer switch. It’s as close as you’re gonna get.

You haven’t seen a rock show until you’ve witness A Place to Bury Strangers. Once dubbed New York City’s ‘loudest rock band,’ this band plugs in and will literally blow your ears off. Composed of Oliver Ackerman, Dion Lunadon and Robi Gonzalez, they went through a number of lineup changes before releasing their first album. However with ingenuity and determination, they rocked their way to a record deal and dropped three albums, including 2012’s ‘Worship.’
Watching them is not only a sonic but also a visual experience. Lighting is a big part of their show, mainly because you’re essentially standing in the dark for a good amount of the gig. But of course, they can’t stay that way the whole time (or can they?). Without being too spacey, A Place to Bury Strangers have a white strobe light in addition to other lighting systems, which adds another dimension. And for someone who photographs concerts, it’s probably one of the most exciting and frustrating thing to deal with. But once you get the tempo of the light right, their set up will produce some of the more interesting shots you’ll grab of a band.
A Place to Bury Strangers aren’t just loud. They clearly have a set plan when it comes to their playing. The chaotic and heavy beating of the drums add a dubby effect to the shoegaze riffs on the guitars. Just make sure you don’t stand too close to the speaker. Otherwise you might not hear anything else for the next couple of days.

Perfect timing!! The entire day was set for an amazing event!! You know a little bit of rain makes for a memorable experience and the ambiance was parallel with the events that transpired to cap the evening.SOUND!!NOISE!!MUSIC!!Pure intensity!! From the explosive opening act 'Mattox' who drowned us in blissful distortion and lead us into our second act 'Creepoid' who ripped us out of our seats and got us moving in preparation for the MONSTER act that would be 'A Place to Bury Strangers!!' Oh we were all buried alright!! Buried under the intensifying bass riffs of Dion Lunadon and enthralled by the enigmatic guitar melodies of Oliver Ackermann. Every single person that was in attendance were on their feet hypnotized in their awe-inspiring performance. Everybody left that night somewhat changed. It was so much more than just another gig. It was a revelation in music, and we were all saved!! I give this act two 'thumbs' UP!!UP!! And would look forward to seeing them perform again!! Next chance:

Tuesday 31 March 2015
A Place to Bury Strangers and September Girls- The Workman's Club, Dublin, Ireland

i've seen APTBS a few times and their self declared musical style of "sonic annihilation" is well deserved. like jesus and the mary chain playing MBV records with chainsaws. new album has got more melodic in places and what was frankly a bit of an epic thrash fest turned into a somewhat surprising almost nu-wave thrash style gig as the band waded (pre-planned?) into the back of the crowd, set up their drums and kit and then proceeded to "dancify" their latest album while surrounded by fans who were shocked and stunned to see the band from this angle but also delivering such sounds (meanwhile helpful fans played around with the strobe lighting as they saw fit to give a new age rave feel to the end of the night). not sure i've seen so many stunned people at the end of a gig, no one could quite believe what they had just experienced. if this is what all of their future gigs are going to be like then just "wow" and if they aren't well for those of you not there you missed quite the event.

Thrilling!
One of the best bands performing live. They started with great intensity and carried on throughout the whole gig with this urge to make good noise and loud. The light set and smoke helped building the perfect atmosphere to their very exquisite sound.
Oh... and that performance in the middle of the crowd made all of us standing there in that moment feel really fortunate to be able to presence that.
Outstanding ovation to A Place to Bury Strangers!

10/10

They only played around 6 songs at the Casbah in San Diego and their rhythm was off. The couple next to me left in the middle of the set and when it was over I heard a group of people say that their new album is boring. I have to agree with that statement. If you want to hear AP2BS heavy hits, then listen to one of their older albums then, because their new stuff is just that- boring. It's not the same without Dion.

APTBS never disappoints. Skull crushing grind and feverish melodies lost within a laser lit foggy ambience is what draws the liked minded crowds of progressive post punk sounds.loved the show and in my opinion, wearing some form of hearing protection doesn't take away from the experience they present.

better than nirvana. wear shoes you like to look at and ear plugs. don't be that guy - the guy who tries to mosh. fog, lasers, and strobes. all that noise blows a fuse in an old building. after the show start making plans to see them again.

Outstanding light and sound! Strongly recommended! Great songs. Bought the rest of their CDs to complete my collection. Gasa Gasa venue was small but added to the atmosphere. I wish they toured more often and more cities.