The 90ies were strongly represented the first day of Copenhell this year, stronger possibly than ever before. Life Of Agony had kicked our teeth in opening the festivals big stage area, and just prior to Suicidal Tendencies we had lent our eyes and ears to Body Count.
Sure, two of these bands began their career in the 80ies, but you have to admit that it wasn’t until the very end of that decade, and more in the early to mid-part of the 90ies that they found most popularity.

“S! T! S! T! S! T!”
- Nico Santora (guitar)

Out of the trio, Suicidal Tendencies had the roughest start. It wasn’t because of the bands energy, because that was completely on top. As the musicians took the stage, they were already trying to fire the crowd up with the well-known initials chant, and when the music started, Mike Muir entered the stage as though he had been shot out of a cannon, and through the entire concert he was constantly on the move, almost manically rushing over the stage or moving to the music, also trying his very best to connect with the audience.
Maybe it was the suddenness of it and the constant pedal to the metal speed of the show that made it go straight over my head, I’m not sure, but for the best of the bands efforts, they didn’t really click at first.

They had a lot of fun though, and the performance was filled with surprises. Take for instance the time drummer Eric Moore rushed out on the stage and announced the coming song, War Inside My Head, and as he rushed back to his drums, he intentionally knocked over every single microphone stand on his way!
It was at this time that things began to loosen up a bit for me as well, and the following circle pit in Subliminal really got the crowd into it as well. Then of course came the classic Possessed To Skate, where Muir invited everyone to join the band on stage. People were a bit hesitant at first, but when two or three took the chance and went up there, and were helped up by the security, people seemed to realize that it was really ok, and then came the flood! The stage was within a minute or so filled to the brim; so filled in fact that the musicians themselves had a hard time finding room to play! It was a good move though, as everyone had a blast!
Later, when people were back on the ground again, Muir called for a wall of death, but this didn’t end well because the eager Copenhell audience couldn’t agree for one second on when to start it – chaos ensued, but I suppose that was acceptable as well, that is after what wall of deaths’ always end up in.
To reprise a favourite, the crowd was once more invited to the stage closer to the end of the show, and this time people were quicker to respond. This time though, at least Santora was quicker still, and left his place for a safer spot out at the side of the stage, sending in a stagehand to protect his effect board while the mayhem lasted.

Suicidal Tendencies might have had the roughest start of the trio, but damn - they pulled it together and created a party towards the middle of the show, and ended in pure mayhem, in a good way! Heck, they even had enough pull to have the entire Body Count crew watching them from the side of the stage.

Setlist:

You Can’t Bring Me Down
I Shot The Devil
Freedumb
War Inside My Head
Subliminal
Possessed To Skate
I Saw Your Mommy
Cyco Vision
How Will I Laugh Tomorrow
Pledge Your Allegiance
Memories Of Tomorrow