Cancerslug, Cryptid Culture & Swift Knuckle Solution @ Conduit April 3, 2025 Concert Review
April 3, 2025
I’ve been a major Cancerslug fan for over 20 years and I was always disappointed that I never got to see them live. Now, I’ve seen them live twice in the past couple of years. I wouldn’t be upset if this trend continues. Please keep coming to this cesspool that is Florida!
Joining me for this depravity was my brother and we went into the show blind, not knowing who the opening acts were. We didn’t really care who they were - we were there for the Slug! Fortunately, Cryptid Culture (formerly Casket Culture) was performing and we were ecstatic! They had opened for Blitzkid when we saw them back in November of 2022 and I became a fan immediately! They were (are) a fantastic horror rock group who are a lot of fun and put on a really good show. A lot of that is due to front man Josh Doyle’s stage presence. They played some of their older material along with some new songs that has me excited for a forthcoming Cryptid Culture release. I was fortunate enough to talk to Josh before and after the show and he’s a hell of a nice guy. The best part is that the band are from the same city I live in, so I am definitely going to be eating well when they play locally.
The second opener, Swift Knuckle Solution, I have also seen before. I can’t recall if it was for Blitzkid or the first time I saw Cancerslug though. Hmm. Anyway, I’m indifferent to the band. They’re good, I find myself thinking of Motorhead when they play, but there’s just something that doesn’t click with me. Their bassist is solid. He’s got a Marky Ramone thing going on which is cool. He was also wearing a Ramones shirt, so maybe he gets that a lot. My brother picked up their ‘Dead Palms’ EP the last time we saw them, but after listening to it twice, I haven’t gone back to it. Again, it’s good, but the disconnect between the band and I is unmistakable.
Capping off the evening was the notorious, vile, despicable, Cancerslug. The interesting thing about this tour is that it was almost cancelled due to some unexpected events that would prevent some of the band from playing; however, Alex didn’t want to cancel it so close to the tour starting. That being the case, he was able to reign in Luke Wright on drums, who performs with him in Doyle and bassist Matthew Saint who played on the ‘Beating a Dead Whore’ album. Both were phenomenal replacements, especially Luke, who absolutely killed it. I also have a tremendous amount of respect for them as Alex said they only had two days to learn all the songs for the tour. You’d never know they had such a short time based on their performances. I do have to point out that I have yet to see Cassie on bass as there was a replacement for her the last time I saw them, too.
The setlist was great (as it was last time), but the problem is that a lot of my favorites don’t make the cut, because, according to Alex, the band has over 800 songs, so the odds are definitely not in my favor haha! “Dick Solid”, “Die on the Battlefield”, “My Black Angel” and “Nora” blasphemed through the speakers and I was loving every second. A song that they only recently started to play live is “I Hate Your Kids” and it really got the crowd going, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something that becomes a staple on tour.
After the show was over I was fortunate enough to meet Alex and Luke. Luke was packing up his kit and I went over and told him how great I thought he was and thanked him for coming out and being a part of the tour. We talked for a bit and he was incredibly kind and humble. Hopefully I’ll get to see him perform again. I saw Alex over at the merch table and started talking to him and I told him how much I appreciated his music and hard work and dedication over the years and that he is one of my favorite musicians. He was kind enough to take a photo with me and is one of my favorite concert memories. I can’t wait to see them again!
~TJ