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shermaramaI wandered into my local on Friday night, having spent the day setting about some sash windows and being deserving of a pint or three. There were some bands on, including the technically awfully-named Cziltang Brone until you factor in that they're German and that that's a Larry Niven reference. They were competent and sludge-tastic metallic rock but somehow missing a little inspiration, for me.
But then this, this, this heaviest of blues that made my flatmate the Marrillion fan
suddenly decide he could get used to stoner rock, this was in my local pub. The
pain is that I fear they won't get far with it but everyone who's ever had
the faintest affection for Clutch and Fu Manchu must fall and worship it.
Eight and nine minute songs, meandering epics messing around with time and
interweaving themes but done so shockingly tight and with such unnerving poise
from the drums, even with only the shadow of their live efficacy on this demo,
that they feel like no more than five.
I'd have been stood there with me gob hanging open if I'd had any time to
between the uncontrollable dancing. There are things that can be done with a
snare that my feet cannot fail to chase after. They even had a proper flying-saucer ride, inseparably connected to my hips in such circumstances.
It's four days later and hey, this is only the second time I've listened to
this demo today, I may be recovering from the worst of the stupid babbling phase.
In other news I have seen a lot of other bands recently and none of them were anywhere near as good. Hey, that saves a lot of reviewing effort.. but in short they were:
(Friday, Son Of Nothing, Ruskin)
Eight Ball - promising jumpy metal band with a guitarist producing disproportionate amounts of racket for his apparently minimal effort. Shame about the singer, who was bad bad bad.
Stoftype - Awful, awful name but a far more promising band. Shame about the singer, but in this case shame he was recovering from a cold and couldn't do more than six songs' worth of weird noises, tuneful shouting, two-microphone box-abuse and general malarkey. Probably the band with the most ideas I've seen of late.
(us) - man, that went badly - technical hitches with guitars and stuff and it kept throwing stuff off, me in particular, but despite the panic everyone apparently kept up a convincing impression of knowing what we were doing and some even thought it was a good gig. You can't complain, as the song says.
(Saturday, punk wossname, the Hob)
Combat Shock - the loud shouty fabulous singer has fascinatingly dainty ankles and feet. For fun, no-nonsense, straight ahead punk you can't get much better, though, and the bassist being Anal Beard's merely confirms the fine pedigree.
Flatpig - Flatpig! Complete with mystery singer, revolving rhythm section and taped-on glasses! And also complete with tremendously full metal guitar sound bouncing off madcap drums and even more shouty goodness. Top banana.
Since the last band on made so little of an impression that we had to look up their name on a website two days later, I shall mention them no more.
(Sunday, Emergenza, Pressure Point)
The Fray - indie rockers, girl up front doing all the best things that Louise Wener or Chrissie Hynde could ask for, a bass player on backing vocals with an uncommon accurate voice, but the drummer needs a few more years and a lot more fried breakfasts. Promising and nothing to fault directly but not yet.
Slavan - bunch of music school students who have been clearly brushing up on their poncing in order to be the next Darkness, whilst only having the over-slick sound and toothless rhythm section to be the next Bon Jovi. And a singer with a very good voice but under a Manc hairdo and unwise frill-front shirt he just needed the Union Jack y-fronts to be Austin Powers. I wonder where they'll all be in five years' time when they've got over aiming for fake?
Dead Empire - being Dead Empire, as professionally as always, and I probably know the songs too well to make clear observations by now. Too busy being fascinated by Ed holding a tiny woodchip of a guitar instead of the bass that looks more natural on someone his size.
A Citizen Above Suspicion - well, if you're from Burgess Hill I suppose you might consider this innovative.
Transmission - "All it'd need for my evening to be complete," says Wayne, "would be if the next band sounded like Oasis." And lo! some watchful spirit provided. The singer looked like he was going to deck someone on the way out. The headline slot should surely have been a plum but by then all the certified partisans of the other bands had buggered off and those left weren't much moved by an indifferent guitar band with an indifferent voice and nothing discernable to say with it. Three out of five bands went through and Transmission were not one of them.
So, Jecano are playing in Kingston a week on Sunday...
But then this, this, this heaviest of blues that made my flatmate the Marrillion fan
suddenly decide he could get used to stoner rock, this was in my local pub. The
pain is that I fear they won't get far with it but everyone who's ever had
the faintest affection for Clutch and Fu Manchu must fall and worship it.
Eight and nine minute songs, meandering epics messing around with time and
interweaving themes but done so shockingly tight and with such unnerving poise
from the drums, even with only the shadow of their live efficacy on this demo,
that they feel like no more than five.
I'd have been stood there with me gob hanging open if I'd had any time to
between the uncontrollable dancing. There are things that can be done with a
snare that my feet cannot fail to chase after. They even had a proper flying-saucer ride, inseparably connected to my hips in such circumstances.
It's four days later and hey, this is only the second time I've listened to
this demo today, I may be recovering from the worst of the stupid babbling phase.
In other news I have seen a lot of other bands recently and none of them were anywhere near as good. Hey, that saves a lot of reviewing effort.. but in short they were:
(Friday, Son Of Nothing, Ruskin)
Eight Ball - promising jumpy metal band with a guitarist producing disproportionate amounts of racket for his apparently minimal effort. Shame about the singer, who was bad bad bad.
Stoftype - Awful, awful name but a far more promising band. Shame about the singer, but in this case shame he was recovering from a cold and couldn't do more than six songs' worth of weird noises, tuneful shouting, two-microphone box-abuse and general malarkey. Probably the band with the most ideas I've seen of late.
(us) - man, that went badly - technical hitches with guitars and stuff and it kept throwing stuff off, me in particular, but despite the panic everyone apparently kept up a convincing impression of knowing what we were doing and some even thought it was a good gig. You can't complain, as the song says.
(Saturday, punk wossname, the Hob)
Combat Shock - the loud shouty fabulous singer has fascinatingly dainty ankles and feet. For fun, no-nonsense, straight ahead punk you can't get much better, though, and the bassist being Anal Beard's merely confirms the fine pedigree.
Flatpig - Flatpig! Complete with mystery singer, revolving rhythm section and taped-on glasses! And also complete with tremendously full metal guitar sound bouncing off madcap drums and even more shouty goodness. Top banana.
Since the last band on made so little of an impression that we had to look up their name on a website two days later, I shall mention them no more.
(Sunday, Emergenza, Pressure Point)
The Fray - indie rockers, girl up front doing all the best things that Louise Wener or Chrissie Hynde could ask for, a bass player on backing vocals with an uncommon accurate voice, but the drummer needs a few more years and a lot more fried breakfasts. Promising and nothing to fault directly but not yet.
Slavan - bunch of music school students who have been clearly brushing up on their poncing in order to be the next Darkness, whilst only having the over-slick sound and toothless rhythm section to be the next Bon Jovi. And a singer with a very good voice but under a Manc hairdo and unwise frill-front shirt he just needed the Union Jack y-fronts to be Austin Powers. I wonder where they'll all be in five years' time when they've got over aiming for fake?
Dead Empire - being Dead Empire, as professionally as always, and I probably know the songs too well to make clear observations by now. Too busy being fascinated by Ed holding a tiny woodchip of a guitar instead of the bass that looks more natural on someone his size.
A Citizen Above Suspicion - well, if you're from Burgess Hill I suppose you might consider this innovative.
Transmission - "All it'd need for my evening to be complete," says Wayne, "would be if the next band sounded like Oasis." And lo! some watchful spirit provided. The singer looked like he was going to deck someone on the way out. The headline slot should surely have been a plum but by then all the certified partisans of the other bands had buggered off and those left weren't much moved by an indifferent guitar band with an indifferent voice and nothing discernable to say with it. Three out of five bands went through and Transmission were not one of them.
So, Jecano are playing in Kingston a week on Sunday...
