Despite the difficulties of Tom's voice giving out for the show, Slayer performed a great set on Friday night. An awesome set-list comprising of both old and new, the band clearly adapted to their circumstances and made sure the energy of the performance compensated for the limited vocals. It was great to see a few die-hard fans given the unbelievable opportunity to get up on stage and sing with the band - they rose to the challenge admirably and their enthusiasm was contagious.

The pit was rather subdued for a usual Slayer gig, but comic relief was provided by the brave souls who ran up on stage and were promptly dragged or kicked off by security. The night ended with South/Angel/Reign and a subdued goodbye from the band.

To those who haven't seen Slayer live before, this may not have been the best introduction to their intensity and ability. However, for all the haters who were slagging off the band after the gig, give me a break. Of course the band played loud - they're SLAYER! - and of course it would have been nice to hear Tom sing more, but how many bands could have pulled off such a good gig under similar circumstances? In fact, how many bands would have just pulled the pin and cancelled the gig? For the rest of us who had a great night - horns up, and bring on World Painted Blood!