We get to The Castle at 8:37. As we are buying our tickets I spot the schedule for the bands which says that Destruction is due on stage at 8:40 and play for an hour. Is this perfect timing or what? We walk in - first time at The Castle - and everything is painted black. The ceiling is menacingly low, the stage is to the left, in a niche, raised a couple of feet, yet the ceiling is still on the same level as the rest of the place. I have visions of tall headbangers hitting their heads on the thing... The crew is already testing mics and instruments - one guy plays some Slayer riffs and the small crowd shows its appreciation.

Destruction takes the stage about 10 minutes late. There is a problem - no bass. Well, there is bass, but we cannot hear it. The band rocks! But that's very hard to see, hear, or feel because there are sound problems AND lighting problems - there are spotlights on the puny stage pointing into the audience, but the ones that should be pointed at the band are pointing at the backs of the audience. I think "How weird!" and decide it's probably the band's request - you know how it is with rock stars - gotta have those strange demands. The set they play is tons of fun and I would have an even better time if I can see the band and hear the music as it is intended to be heard. My knowledge of Destruction is sparse at best but some of the songs they play are Nailed To the Cross (great audience response), Bullets from Hell, Bestial Invasion (another crowd pleaser), and the closer is Sentence of Death.

After Destruction wraps up the crowd disperses - everyone goes off smoking, hunting for change for the vending machines (the only source of drinks at the all-ages venue), stuff...

The set change is quick and Kreator takes the stage with a great rendition of Violent Revolution, which is hampered by sound problems. Tsk, tsk, tsk... Same deal with the lights - nothing on the band. The audience is somewhat anemic. Both in size and behaviour. The band continues with a set spanning their career. Mille is a madman! Awesome! Every time he lifts his guitar in the air, though, he comes awfully close to hitting the damn ceiling. They play a few more songs and Mille brings out a video camera - "We are recording a live DVD on this tour and we want all of you to be in it!" That sure gets the people going! Suddenly there is a great "Kreator! Kreator! Kreator!" cheer as Mille slowly moves the camera up and down and left and right to capture the moment. Then they play some more. Then Mille asks: "Are you this quiet because it is an all-ages show?" As I said - the crowd was anemic most of the night. This gets them going again, though. Some of the highlights - All of the Same Blood, Extreme Aggression, Pleasure To Kill, closing with Under the Guillotine.

After a brief walk offstage, the Kreator boys return for an encore. Mille spots a little kid in the audience and asks him onstage to present the encore. The kid's name turns out to be Kevin and he has no idea what the song title is despite the fact that we have screamed a few times already "It's time... to raise... the flag of... HATE!!!!" so Mille whispers it (through the mic, so we all hear) in his ear and little Kevin dutifully recites it back to us. Yeeee-haaaa!

That was it. I had a really miserable time in that Castle. The bands did great under the circumstances but I'd love to see them again in a better place.

Special thanks go to my brother who, if it were up to him, would have left after Destruction (because of the place, not because of the bands) but sucked it up and stuck with me till the end!