Off With Their Heads/The Slow Death

Live in Miami (2014)

Mark Little

Recently, South Florida punx received the not-so-good news that Churchill's Pub was being sold within the next few months. Local promoters have been told to stop booking shows past a certain date, and a glimpse at the venue's website shows the effects. It's only fitting that, on what appears to be the end of their touring, that Off With Their Heads would bring their show to the 30-year-old venue one last time.

On February 28, Early doors and set times (for Churchill's, at least) ensured a sparse crowds that slowly grew as the local opening bands played. Knife Fight, The Clockouts, and Fat Judge each played energetic sets full of in-jokes with friends and audience members. By the time Fat Judge was finished, the venue had filled up considerably, and it was time for the touring bands to take the stage.

Just after 11 PM, after a brief setup time, The Slow Death was upon the South Florida crowd for the first time. Opening with "Trouble Blues", The Slow Death powered through an 12-song set, leaning mostly on selections from 2011's Born Ugly Got Worse. Singer/Guitarist Jesse Thorson proved himself a frontman not to be messed with, casually dismissing a particularly loud heckler with "I don't know what you're saying, and I could give a shit." By the time they closed out with "Phantom Limbs", The Slow Death had earned a number of new fans.

The Slow Death setlist:

Trouble Blues
Song 1 Side A
A Little Less Ugly
I Need a Drink
Ticks of the Clock
Fuck You Nighthawk
Sleepin' Somewhere Else
Opposite of Jessie's Girl
Raise Your Head Up
Hang Up the Phone
Dirty Jokes
Phantom Limbs

It was after midnight when Off With Their Heads took the stage, and it was worth the wait. Vocalist/Guitarist Ryan Young stepped to the microphone with a simple "It's great to be back with you crazy people at Churchill's" and it was On. Opening with "Jackie Lee", Young and Co. visited most of OWTH's catalog, playing around 20 songs with hardly a break. The posted signs stating that "Stage diving and crowd surfing is strictly prohibited and any occurrence will cause the gig to be halted" were ignored by patrons and staff alike, with a couple fans scaling the center column to the ceiling during "Don't Make Me Go" (ironically, climbing over the aforementioned sign).

Just after 1am, fans began to stream out into the cool Florida night, hoarse from screaming and chilled from the air hitting their sweaty clothes and bodies. The graffiti scrawled in the men's bathroom summed up the evening perfectly, and could have been written to the members of Off With Their Heads.

It read: "Dear Churchill's, Please Don't Go."

Off With Their Heads' Setlist:

Jackie Lee
Nightlife
Focus on Your Own Family
Until The Day
Come Find Me
I will Follow You
Altar Boy
Don't Make Me Go
Janie
Fuck This, I'm Out
Seek Advice Elsewhere
Self-Checkout
Drive
Die Today
Stolen Away
Spare Time
Always Alone
Shirts
Their Own Medicine
Trying To Breathe
Go On Git now
Theme Song