Type O Negative

Type O Negative Show Review

Jagermeister Tour

By Barbara Fara

President/CEO MusicIncider.com

“It should have been me that got the bullet in the head instead of Dimebag Darryl Abbott.”  – Peter Steele. He did this as he put his finger to his head and pulled the trigger like he was blowing his brains out.

I was very happy to find out that I had the chance to cover the mighty Peter Steele and Type O Negative, along with his fellow band mates Johnny Kelly on drums, Kenny Hickey on guitar and Josh Silver on keyboards. In the past 25-30 years that Type O have been together, they have been through hell and back and stick together no matter what. I was totally amazed that night with the performance that Type O gave us. Peter looked beautiful with his Catholic priest uniform and maroon shirt with a white collar. He has been waiting for this. He is finally on a label that will not hold him back, SPV.

The first band I will make a quick comment on is 3 Inches of Blood – they were refreshing and invigorating – but the minute that Peter Steele and Type O hit the stage, the crowd went nuts and stole the show to the point that once Type O got off stage, half the crowd left and did not stay for Hatebreed. The difference between the last time I covered Type O and this time was that Peter was totally honest. That’s what you get for coming from New York. New Yorkers are honest and do not cover up their feelings. It’s about time that Peter was allowed to open his mouth again. Peter, if you check out our photos, played his bass with a Jagermeister bottle for over half the show. Type O did a lot of their old school stuff from the 80’s. They did cover their hit single September Sun from Dead Again, no wonder why Johnny Hickey, who is also the singer for Sevenfold, did the back up vocals for Peter. They complimented each other beautifully. Johnny Kelly on drums is a master. You cannot compare his drumming to anyone. No wonder why Glen Danzig took him out on the road on his last tour. Mr. Hickey also plays guitar for Danzig on occasion. A lot of people would think that this would be the very last show that Peter Steele would play with Type O Negative and I am here to tell you all that that is bullshit. They are here to stay. Fuck all the bullshit about them breaking up or retiring, they are in their prime.

The lighting was beautiful. I loved his microphone stand shaped like a preacher’s pulpit while the stand itself was a casket. Peter has been known to be dark, the band has been known to be dark, hard, and mean – and yet they are all New York gentlemen. But they won’t take any shit. If you treat them with respect, they will give it right back to you. The show itself with Type O Negative lasted about 45 minutes to an hour. You cannot ask for a better show. The band was well prepared for this show. Musically they were all together and in sync. I, being the only photographer there next to one other, was able to cover the whole show photo-wise. The problem is that, people should not be walking up to Type O’s buses telling them they have an interview when they don’t. This is the one thing I worry about; we don’t need another Dimebag disaster on our hands; security needs to be tighter for all bands. I really believe the crowd did not expect Peter to look the way he did, which was beautiful. I did. Why? The tour was a long tour, a hard tour, and tiring. As Peter said, if he could just play in Brooklyn, NY he would. I know he loves the road, but he is also a New Yorker. If you get a chance to catch Type O Negative, and when they go back on the road, don’t make the mistake of missing their show. There is nothing like a Type O Negative show, you never know what to expect; they are full of fucked up surprises. MusicIncider is happy to see Type O back on the road and back in the studio where they belong. When you get four Brooklyn boys, you can’t hold them down.

What got me was as the end of the show he started playing a song called Highway To Heaven for Dimebag. I was asked to leave the pit for the last song, which I understood, as he wanted to make the moment special. I would tell you to pick up the CD, Dead Again, and I would check them out in person. Going to see Type O Negative for me is like Steven Tyler in Aerosmith. A weird comparison, but it’s honest. The way Aerosmith puts on a show in their own form, Type O Negative does the same. And we must never forget that. They are one of the founding fathers of Punk/Metal and they deserve all the respect in the world. My question is this: is Dead Again going to be up for a Grammy this year? When is Type O Negative going to be nominated to be put into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? If I do not see Type O Negative on the Grammy list, I will make sure that I will add in my submission for Type O Negative, Anew Revolution, and Otep, all three bands deserve respect.