Last Monday, March 14th I returned to the Moho Live in Manchester to see Ill Nino for the first time in almost 10 years. It was a gig steeped in flashbacks of good times.
I got to the venue just in time for the doors to open and after the initial panic of getting passed the secs with my camera, the first port of call was the bar *priorities* before finding a good spot near the front.

There were three bands playing all of a Latino descent. first band was an excellent Italian combo called Mellowtoy who play old school nu-metal with the added attraction of two singers.

Set was: Intro
The Antagonist
Highway To Fall
Killer
Shit Shit Shit
Bodywork
Under Destruction
This Is Fire
Second band of the night was Breed 77, a band of which it must be 8 or 9 years since I last saw them at a live venue but still looking fresh and new as ever.

They played a blistering set of old and new favourites including the Cranberries cover Zombie
and La Ultima Hora

During the set I noticed the drummer was wearing a T shirt of a famous London rock pub called The Intrepid Fox and as I was watching the band play I realised he looked like the guy who served me there last time I was in. I asked him at the end of the night if it was and to my surprise it was! I’m thinking wow small world or what!

Finally it was time for the main attraction and the reason why I made the journey into Manchester, Ill Nino. This is the band,who I saw as support for Machine Head back in December 2001, are the sole reason I have dreadlocks because one of them who gave my wife a kiss on the cheek had dreadlocks and she thought he looked “sexy” From then on I had to have my own. Sorry to digress but it was a very important memory for me.
Right from the off the band were out to take no prisoners and I could feel the full force of a mosh pit crushing me to the barrier. Undeterred I sang words I knew and headbanged as much as I could. Christian Machado was on top form, his presence commanded the stage and had the fans in the palm of his hands.

During the set a guy next to me kept trying to read the setlist to see what was coming up next. Christian picked up tthe list and ripped it up, saying now you can’t read it and I have to guess what we play next. The set was blisteringly fast and before I knew it the night was over but they played some old favourites of mine including God Save Us, How Can I Live and Bleed Like You.

Set was as follows:
Intro
Resurrection
Still Hates Me
This Is War
God Save Us
When It Cuts
God Is For The Dead
I am Loco
Te Amo
Bleed Like You
Alibi
Corason (sic) Of Mind
Lifeless Life
What Comes Around
How Can I Live
Liar

You can view photos of the gig here
Mellowtoy
Breed 77
Ill Nino