Failure came onto the scene in 1992 with their first release Comfort in the summer of 92 for Slash records. When Failure went into the studio for their second album Magnified I their drummer decided to leave the band and in came Kellii Scott. This was around the time the band started to see success and Tool took them out on tour – even Adam Jones would come out on stage with them to play “Macaque.” Then in 1996 their 3rd album Fantastic Planet was released. This was a huge turning point for Failure. This album was a staple for anyone in the mid nineties that was into alternative or metal, as it broke barriers and molds. The band disbanded in 1997 due to differences in the band. They would reunite in 2013 with their first show back at the famous El Rey Theater in Los Angeles in 2014.
It’s that time of year in Phoenix, AZ where the heat keeps rising and when Failure released the time slots I saw that V.I.P ticket holders had to be at the venue at 4:30, when it was at least 102 outside. That’s straight up dedication and while I’m pretty sure everything was set up inside, you can tell how strong the fan base is for this band. There was no supporting act for this tour as Failure was showing a 30 min documentary about the rise and fall of the band and the resurrection that occurred. To be honest, I arrived a couple minutes late so I missed the introduction. It’s a deep dive into the band’s long running tenure with appearances from Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams, Tool’s frontman Maynard Keenan, Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe, Butch Vig of Garbage, Troy Sanders of Mastodon, Troy Van Leeuwen of Queens of the Stone Age, and actors Jason Schwartzman and Margaret Cho.
It was just around 9 pm when Failure took the stage and the crowd at the Crescent Ballroom was ecstatic. This was the first time I saw an under 21 section at the Crescent which speaks volumes about Failure and the impact they’ve made with their music. I started listening to them in 98 or 99, a couple years after Fantastic Planet was released. There are a couple of bands that really defined my life and made a huge impact, so being able to cover this show was a huge honor. Opening the set with “Submarines” was a powerful decision and set the tone for the rest of the night. Hearing this song on record is one thing, but hearing it live completely blew me away. That opening riff is downright headbanging material. As I was making my way through the crowd to get pictures, I had to stop multiple times to be completely consumed by their live sound and sing along to songs like “Salt Wound,” “Frogs,” “Counterfeit Sky,” and of course “Stuck on You.” Whenever I did stop you could see the smiles on everyone’s faces and how entranced they were watching Failure slay away on stage. Their music touches on so many areas and it’s an understatement saying their sound/ live show is beautiful, passionate, a mind trip, and definitely a heart pounding experience.
There was one moment where it sounded like the whole night was about to come to an end. Failure was already a couple songs deep and as soon they started a song there was this loud pop and no sound was coming out of the speakers. The whole club was about to be flooded with tears. Luckily it didn’t last long and they were back at it. The whole set list consisted of multiple songs from every album. The precision in this band is far beyond most bands I’ve seen live. It was definitely hard to try and take photos while they were playing. If you’ve never Kellii Scott on the drums then you’re in for a treat. He is an absolute beast and doesn’t hold back when hitting his set. Every song they played you could feel his hits and the love he has for this band and their songs. Ken Andrews and Greg Edwards all share bass, guitar, and vocal duties. It was absolutely electric and amazing to see them change instruments all while sharing vocal duties. Ken was on stage smiling away and having a blast. Greg looked like he was completely in the mode with pinpoint accuracy on the instruments. Their vocals couldn’t have sounded any better and after all these years they’re still on point. You don’t want to miss this tour as Failure is back on top doing what they do best, making you feel ways that only they can make you feel. This is some nostalgic, warm, heart pounding alternative rock.
