Midi Ghetto Tour – Denver 2010


LEFT SPINE DOWN

Left Spine Down is a cyberpunk band from Vancouver B.C. Canada that Fabryka Industrial Rock Magazine has been following & adamantly promoting for over a year. They have 3 album releases to their credit entitled Smartbomb (EP), Fighting For Voltage (LP) and Voltage 2.3: Remixed and Revisited (LP). The band is fronted by Kaine D3l4y whom I had the fortune to do a video interview with before he went onstage.

Left Spine Down hit the stage like a nuclear fucking assault. I found myself caught in a quickly growing crowd across the dance floor in what was just moments before a spotty filled room at best.
Grinding guitars and pulsating electronica laid the foundation for Kaine to work his witchcraft every second he dominated the microphone. It didn't take very long before five crazed motherfuckers began skipping in circles and slam dancing as Kaine towered over them with one foot on the monitor. The story took a twist as the energy seeped it's way into the rest of the band. Jeremy Inkel began thrashing his keyboards while running circles around them in a fashion that merely antagonized the violence.

The chordal chaos of Matt Girvan delivered one crushing blow after another as Galen Waling perpetrated a punishing performance amid a choreographed backdrop of psychedelia. I swore I heard a loud crack from the pit as some guy came flying across the floor smashing face first into the monitor, crippling over, holding his chest and gasping for breath. Another guy came creeping out of the pit, asking the other if he was alright. Just at that time Kaine stepped back up on the monitor with a fucking megaphone screaming his ass off. The guy that slammed into the monitor just a split second before told his friend “I think I broke my fucking ribs”. Then he looked up at Kaine for a second, scoped him out and looked back to his friend and said “Is that dudes fucking hair for real?”. Overall the set sounded very tight and aggressive.

Left Spine Down proved themselves to be an extremely professional powerhouse dedicated to delivering their talents on the precipice of the razors edge. If you're looking to vent your frustrations while being guaranteed a fucking wicked time, then take some advice, addict to dope fiend, L.S.D. is the drug that delivers.


I had the pleasure of an in depth interview with Jeremy Inkel just moments after Left Spine Down finished their set. I had no idea that Jeremy recently worked on seven tracks for Front Line Assembly on the Artificial Solider album until a week after this interview or I would have asked more questions. The batteries died on my video camera, so we conducted the interview the old fashioned way... Pen and notepad journalism. Here is a transcript of the interview:

Tempest: What stop on the tour had the biggest crowd so far?
Jeremy Inkel: New York City.

Tempest: What is the most successful strategy to being an artist in the industrial music scene?
Jeremy: You have to just experiment and push the boundaries of your craft.

Tempest: What do you think of Lady Gaga?
Jeremy: Music doesn't center around a disco stick.

Tempest: Where do you find the most shocking audience response?
Jeremy: Usually in rare and nameless places. There are less distractions in small cities.

Tempest: If you could sum up your career to this moment, what would it mean?
Jeremy: Trust, risk and faith in others.

Tempest: What interest are most beneficial or detrimental to a touring artist?
Jeremy: No dope. You have to keep a professional head on your shoulders and find professional adaptations to your surroundings.

Tempest: What do you think of the state of today’s music industry?
Jeremy: Bitching and complaining. Things are not the same. The situation is different and the past is necrotic.

Tempest: If you could say one thing to the world, in a nutshell, what would it be?
Jeremy: Let go of preconceptions and categorizations.

Tempest: What do you think of the United States since the tour started?
Jeremy: People want to be free. Americans are searching for something other than a hatred for nature.

Tempest: What is destroying the modern music industry?
Jeremy: Bad business models. You need executive strategies that are working with technology to develop new applications and new systems.

Tempest: What is the biggest obstacle an artist faces?
Jeremy: An inability for artist to keep control considering industry standards. Artist need a level of security to diversify.

Tempest: Any closing words of wisdom?
Jeremy: Don't spend time adapting to growing trends on a physical level and start writing some good songs.