On Wednesday October 12th, Act of Defiance & Hatchet hit The Rebel Lounge in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a one off date which they headlined, as they were apart of a string of shows with Hell Yeah and Killswitch Engage. The show had a few eager fans mostly a older generation crowd ready for a good time on a week day.
The show was opened by our local talent Chemicals of Democracy. The guys did a great pumping up the crowd. Their style of music fit well with the small line up and was a good time. Up next we had Hatchet, from the Bay Area where the birth place of thrash began. Although the guys might look very young they have that old thrash spirit. Julz Ramos definitely has some killer vocals. During their set guitarist Clayton Cagle jumped down among the crowd and shredded to all the fans. He was very energetic and happy to be around the people. They guys had a short set but shook things up and woke up the crowd proving you can have fun on a Wednesday night.
Finally Act of Defiance was up next. This being the first time seeing the guys live I didn’t know what to expect. Although the venue was small and it wasn’t a packed house the guys still gave their all. They played songs off their debut album “Birth and the Burial” and did an amazing job. The crowd interaction from Chris Broderick & Henry Derek was awesome. They really appreciated every fan that was up there having a good time with them. From fist bumps to happy faces the guys really connected with the crowd. This was the last show the guys played with Hatchet and as always the last show of the tour is very special to the bands.
The guys decided to cover “Seek and Destroy” a classic Metallica that everyone knows and loves. Some of the guys from Hatchet joined them on stage to sing and just rock out. It was a special bonding moment for all the guys as they got to enjoy one last time together. The crowd sang along and it was a good time for all. After a few more songs they closed the show and stayed after to meet and greet fans. It’s always nice to see the humbleness still exists in the industry.
The show was short but sweet. Both Hatchet and Act of Defiance did an amazing job and were there to make all their fans happy. Everyone that night had a great time.