On Wednesday, November 13, I returned to The Chapel in San Francisco, California, for an exciting event featuring The March Violets, who were supported by Die So Fluid. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation.
Die So Fluid, a power trio from Omaha, Nebraska, and Los Angeles, California, kicked off the evening and set the tone for a gothic tour. This American touring group included two members who were originally from England. They began their set with “Bitterness by Discipline,” delivering an energetic performance right from the start. As they continued, they kept the crowd engaged with strong songs like “Kiss the Floor,” “Hallowe’en,” and the popular “Suck Me Dry.” When they launched into “Mercury,” the energy in the room soared, maintaining that momentum with “Existential Baby.” Clearly in their groove, they headed toward their final song, “Spawn of Dysfunction,” which brought the house down. However, the excitement didn’t end there.
Die So Fluid
Niki Skistimas – Drums, backing vocals
Ralf Dietel – Guitar
Vena B Hava – Bass, vocals
Setlist:
1). Bitterness by Discipline
2). Dispute
3). Kiss the Floor
4). Happy Hallowe’en
5). Suck Me Dry
6). Mercury
7). Existential Baby
8). Spawn of Dysfunction
When The March Violets took the stage, the crowd went wild. Hailing from Leeds, England, The March Violets lived up to their reputation on this, their first performance in San Francisco in nine years. Everyone was excited to be there.
Starting with “Crow Baby,” they had the audience rocking from the very first notes. Next up was “Radiant Boys” from their 1983 compilation LP, Natural History. With such a strong start, it was clear they were on their way to delivering an incredible set.
The band then moved on to “Made Glorious,” which they dedicated to the opening band and to the crowd, celebrating our collective glory. They played the song beautifully, with a gentle intensity. Following that was “Hammer the Last Nail,” which was performed to perfection. This song was dedicated to all the narcissistic, homophobic folks out there, and they delivered it with passion.
“Walk into the Sun” came next, followed by “Grooving in Green,” which lit up the venue with vibrant green lights as they rocked the tune. They continued with “1 2 I Love You,” “Crocodile Tears,” and “Strangehead,” all of which were fantastic additions to the set.
Before launching into “Heading into Fire,” Rosie Garland commented on our shared weirdness, encouraging us all to embrace it, as we could make the world a little weirder simply by being ourselves. It was a wonderful sentiment. Before the next song, she introduced the band, and then they began “This Way Out,” the last song of the main set. They rocked it in their unique style, but that wasn’t the end of the show.
They returned to the stage and treated us to two minutes of pure energy — because when you’re 17, that’s what you do. As they launched into the final song, “Snake Dance,” they played it with ferocity, leaving the stage to roaring applause and cheers from an enthusiastic crowd.
The March Violets
Rosie Garland – Vocals
Tom Ashton – Guitar
Mat Thorpe – Bass, vocals
Setlist:
1). Crow Baby
2). Radiant Boys
3). Made Glorious
4). Hammer the Last Nail
5). Walk Into the Sun
6). Grooving in Green
7). 1 2 I Love You
8). Crocodile Teeth
9). Strangehead
10). Heading for the Fire
11). This Way Out
Encore
12). Fodder
13). Snake Dance
Follow Die So Fluid on social media
Follow The March Violets on social media
Photographer of about 10 years, I have been shooting concerts for about 8 of those years. I started to get serious about concert photography about 6 or 7 years ago and now try to shoot as many as I can. I shoot mostly rock but, have done some country and big band stuff. I love music and since I am nowhere close to being a musician, this is a way I can be a small part of what, in the words of Henry Rollins, “gets me through the highs, the lows and everything in between”.
