Live Performances
Two songs taken from the album ("Mandatory Suicide" and "South of Heaven") have become near constant fixtures in the band's live setlist, notching up appearances on the following: the live DVDs Live Intrusion, War at the Warfield, Still Reigning, Soundtrack to the Apocalypse's deluxe edition's bonus live disc, and the live double album Decade of Aggression. Lombardo guested with Finnish cellist group Apocalyptica on a live medley of the two tracks at 1998's Headbanger's Heaven festival in the Netherlands. Adrien Begrand of PopMatters described "South of Heaven" as "an unorthodox set opener in theory", noting "the song went over like a megaton bomb detonating the place: dozens of inverted crosses projected behind the high drum riser, the sinewy opening notes kicked in, followed by an overture of bass, cymbal crashes, and tom fills, leading up to the slowly building crescendo" in a concert review. Lombardo remembers listening to a live rendition of "South of Heaven" and thinking "‘Man! There's just so much groove in that song.’ To my kids I was saying, ‘Listen to that! Listen to how groovy that is!’ And it's heavy." A rare live version of the track featured on the JÄGERMUSIC Rarities 2004 promotional CD, given away to attendees at the Spring 2004 Jägermeister Music Tour. A live rendition of "South of Heaven" was also included on a bonus DVD which came with the group's 2007 re-release of ninth studio album Christ Illusion, shot in Vancouver, British Columbia during 2006's Unholy Alliance tour.
"Behind the Crooked Cross" is rarely played live as Hanneman hates the track, though King has always wanted to play it "because it's got a cool intro" despite it not being his favorite song. King said "that's fine" when speaking of the situation, noting "there are songs that he wants to play that I always shoot down." "Ghosts of War" isn't King's favorite song either, which he attests "everybody always wants to hear" performed live. He confessed; "I like the ending, you know, I like the big heavy part and I always say, ‘Let's put the heavy ending at the end of "Chemical Warfare" and just do the last half.’ But I could never make that fly."
Slayer has toyed with the idea of creating a live set mixed with selections from the album and 1990's Seasons in the Abyss, though Hanneman has said it's something which hasn't been "seriously considered." Metal Maniacs asked Slayer in a 2006 interview whether they would consider playing South of Heaven in the footsteps of the Still Reigning tour, to which Araya replied, "It's becoming a trendy thing now. I don't know. We have some really cool albums, but I don't think we'll ever do that again." King was equally unsure, commenting, "Probably not. And I just don't like enough songs off South of Heaven."
Read more about this topic: South Of Heaven
Famous quotes containing the words live and/or performances:
“She is very clever.
She is old, old, old, she must live another year, and she knows it.
While in their fingerjoint cells the new virgins
Dream of a duel they will win inevitably,”
—Sylvia Plath (1932–1963)
“At one of the later performances you asked why they called it a “miracle,”
Since nothing ever happened. That, of course, was the miracle
But you wanted to know why so much action took on so much life
And still managed to remain itself, aloof, smiling and courteous.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)