Disturbed playing the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood on May 19, 2000.
Fight Or Flight, the band featuring Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren, are back at Pov's 65 in Spring Lake Park tonight as direct support to Filter, so this seems like a good time to unearth some old Disturbed photos.
Disturbed was first brought to my attention when I received a promo copy of their debut album, The Sickness, in January 2000 a couple of months before its release in March. I immediately loved the album, so I was disappointed when I heard (from a band that played with them that I won't name) that they fell flat live at a showcase gig at the Troubadour in West Hollywood in January or February of that year. Disturbed dropped off the Danzig/Six Feet Under tour before I would have had the chance to see them at the Sun Theatre in Anaheim in May.
An early promo copy of The Sickness.
I did see Disturbed, however, at a secret System Of A Down gig at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood alongside The Deadlights and Crease on May 19, 2000. Everything I had heard about Disturbed's live show was indeed true. Vocalist David Draiman, although he sounds great on the album, just couldn't cut it live. I snapped these pictures, but didn't watch the entire set since Amorphis, Moonspell, and The Kovenant were playing down the block at the Whisky. I caught Disturbed again a couple nights later in San Diego, where I was able to arrange a photoshoot with the band, and those pictures will be coming in Part 2.
