macca7174's Last.fm Journal

Of Montreal - Koko. 16 October, 2008

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:57:55 +0000

Thu 16 Oct – of Montreal, Eugene McGuinness

First off, I want to express my disgust at the venue itself, Koko. The building itself is beautiful, and maintains an intimacy that some venues lose, but the running of it was incredibly frustrating.
A tin of beer was £3.60, and was still warm and flat, and barely filled half the disposable pint tumbler it was served in.

Now to the music. The remaining support band, Eugene McGuinness (the other band pulled out because the singer had pneumonia), were sub-Kooks indie, and didn't really compliment the originality of the headliners. In fact they were boring. In between the band's sets, the in house DJ was more interested in showing off how eclectic his record collection was than trying to embrace the mood of the audience.

So it was with great relief that of Montreal took to the stage, carrying on Alice Cooper's philosophy that the performer must entertain the audience. A motley collection of be-costumed dancers paraded the stage throughout the show, involving tigers fighting birds, Kevin Barnes being stripped and doused in red paint, as if being prepared for a human sacrifice by bald, silver-headed cultists.

The set involved two half hour segments of uninterrupted music, with not even intervals to check the setlist, although most of the songs were from the as-yet-unreleased Skeletal Lamping, and thus were unfamiliar to most of the crowd (myself included). The crowd was fully into the gig though, as evidenced by the mosh-lite pits forming during Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse
Very little dialogue was entered into by the band, but when it was, the guitarist tongue-in-cheek admitted to wanking off to the image of own sister. It's these little moments that made the gig so unique (for me anyway).

The encore was a triumph as well, finishing off with a surprise inclusion (although I personally was in on the secret, having read this) of Smells Like Teen Spirit. That went down a storm and rounded off one of the best gigs I have ever been to. I'm just pissed off I forgot to bring my camera.

Death Cab for Cutie, Brixton Academy, July 17, 2008 - review

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:19:14 +0000

Thu 17 Jul – Death Cab for Cutie, Styrofoam

This is the first time I've really been disappointed by a gig I was looking forward, but it was not fault of the band, or the sound guys, or the bouncers, or any of the usual let-downers - it was the despicably static crowd that attended the event. No doubt, I later attributed, down to the fact that I felt like one of the older people there - by a good six to eight years. I'm 22.

The band were actually brilliant, with a newly de-specled Ben Gibbard sporting a new Jack White-a-like haircut, and jumping around manically, frantically trying to inject some energy into the crowd - to little avail.

The set-list couldn't be faulted either, with them playing songs from throughout their career, and I was expecting when the newer ones kicked in, the crowd might consider moving a little, so I could sneak a few rows forward toward the front. Dream on, James.

The only song that elicited a response from the crowd that suggested they weren't all mannequins, or the Children of the Damned, was, understandably, I Will Follow You Into The Dark. While Ben played the song faultlessly, the crowd sang along in full flow, and it actually felt more like I was in a public gathering enjoying Death Cab's music, not a wake.

The band did express an appreciation for the crowd, but I feel it was more out of manners, than a genuine expression of gratitude. Or maybe they were appreciative of a crowd that did take the effort to listen intently - in which case, my jumping and singing was completely out of place, and unwelcome. Or all their gigs are like this, which I would find soul destroying as a band member.

Yndi Halda and Olufur Arnulds at the Barbican - review

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:46:47 +0000

Fri 20 Jun – Ólafur Arnalds @ Barbican Hall with Yndi Halda

So now Yndi have played what is unquestionably the biggest gig of their career so far - which is surely about to kick into gear given that all five members are now able to commit themselves to being in the same place at the same time for most of the foreseeable future. Even though their were the support act, they showed an ambition that suggests that that is not a role they will be reveling in for long.

Of the new song, it was a departure of sorts, but not one that could be immediately mistaken for anyone but Yndi, and James has now upped his instrumental repotoire to include the piano. The song was not titled, and was only one of two songs not lifted from their debut album, Enjoy Eternal Bliss, which may be considered a disappointment, given that James has stated on record that they are looking to expand their music from that era, which was written when they were "children".

However, the songs that we are all familiar with were all there, and it may have been a bit of a tightrope walk to proceed without them. Dash and Blast was the opener, and was the surprise of the night, with a chorus of vocalists taking to the stage (clumsily if one was being particularly harsh), to chant the closing coda's da-da "barks" (as the band has facetiously referred to them).

There was a full on light show choreographed with the music, illustrating the aforementioned ambition, and James (standing at my side of the stage) was on full form, jumping around, posing like a true hair metal guitar hero of the eighties, albeit with more musical integrity.

Olufar Arnalds was the headliner, and to be honest, was disappointing. His piano playing accompanied by the string quartet was intriguing and produced some undeniably beautiful music, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was a one trick pony. Only the coda of one song branched out to include a considerably distinctive section during his whole set. If he can expand his sound more, it would be more palatable sitting through one hour plus of it.

Yndi Halda
Ólafur Arnalds

2008 Antifolk Winter Festival

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:39:53 +0000

2008 Antifolk Winter Festival Stuart James Simon Breed The Sways David Cronenberg's Wife Thee Assassins The Bobby McGee's Suzy Almond
I arrived just in time to see the tail end of Suzy Almond's performance, but I was encouraged by what I heard. She has a good voice, and articulates everyday life nicely.

Next up was a young guy, Stuart James, who had to rush off to go to a birthday party, apparently. His style was very rhythmic spoken word - I hesitate to use the word rap, but that's basically what it was - played over an acoustic guitar hook. Unfortunately, I was having difficulty hearing most of the words, but I think he was discussing political issues. The formula grew a bit thin after a few songs, but the guy has forged his own sound, and with a bit of development, he could definately be one to look out for.

Immediately taking over the stage was The Bobby McGee's, decorating the mic stand in fluffy things, and toilet signs, and planting their plethora of instruments in the very limited space. Their first act was to start recklessly hurling lollipops and toy soldiers into the gleeing audience, and party bangers, which they instructed to the patrons to save for the end.

The first thing that struck me since the last time I seen them is a lineup change. Gone was the cellist (which adds a lot of depth to certain songs), replaced by a saxophone player. I'm not sure if this was just a temporary arrangement, because the band often does gigs with differing lineups, including just Jimmy solo.

Another major difference was the makeup was ditched in favour of matching maroon suits (Victorian sailors? My fashion history is hazy). (OK - this was the first thing that struck, but I wanted to appear as if I'm only interested in the music, not the cheesy gimmicks).

Jimmy opened the show with a micro puppet show - a small rabbit teddy quoting the lyrics to Jar Jar Binks. The songs were hilarious of course, and meticulously delivered, despite a few false starts by the new saxophonist when she was handed the melodica.

The noticeable crowd-swelling on the floor suggested they were one of the more anticipated bands (they were who I was there to see), and if work commitments didn't summons them back to Brighton, I'm sure they would have fitted in well towards the top of the bill.

Next up was a duo who were making their debut performance - Thee Assassins. They have an image of a Dickensian lawyer (the late 19th century seems to be well represented). I'm not sure how well they fitted in to the gig, but they acknowledged their appreciation at being hosted for the first time.

David Cronenberg's Wife personally encouraged me to stick around to hear Simon Breed - and I have to say, I was most impressed. He has a very bluesy voice, and writes some great tunes. I intend to keep tabs on on him in the future.

Unfortunately, time caught up with me, so the last band I saw was The Sways. They take a lot of influence from Dufus it would seem, keeping it on the lighter side. They are definately more marketable than Dufus (and I don't mean that in a derogatory way to either party), and will also be on my watchlist for the foreseeable future.

I had been slightly miffed when I saw the lineup as I walked in, because I had only heard of the Bobby's, but as is often the case with these, I was introduced to some new artists I'll keep tabs on to see how they progress. The first Antifolk fest I went to (Spring 06) had a large selection of CDs at the front door of all the artists - a feature that was notable by its absence on Saturday. The individuals did invite you to ask them if you wanted a CD, but I missed a few of the ones I wanted. Thank God for Last.fm and its new Full Song features, eh?

The mighty Mouse at Royal Albert Hall - 23 May 2007

Thu, 24 May 2007 11:31:14 +0000

Wed 23 May – Modest Mouse, Billy Childish

I didn't turn up to the venue until 20:30, so I missed the support act, who I had kind of wanted to see because I was trying to figure out why his name was so vaguely familiar. (I have subsequently discovered it was probably because he was the most notable figure in Tracey Emin's tent).

Any way, it did mean I was free to worm my way into a decent spot on the floor - right in front of Johnny Marr, as it turned out. And the band fashionably kept the crowd waiting for about fifteen minutes before storming with Paper Thin Walls as the opener.

A lot has been made of the sound quality -or lack thereof for a rock band to be playing in the RAH. I assumed the vocals were inaudible to me because of the fact I was right underneath Johnny Marr's speakers, but even when Isaac spoke between songs I could barely make out a word he said. Again, I assumed that's because he was too close to the mic, but surely someone of his experience doesn't make a schoolboy like that. The few things I did hear was him asking the guys at the top at the back (where, incidentally, a couple of my friends were sitting) if they could see/hear (?), and a rebuttal of the thought of playing Freebird (I take it that's becoming a running gag now). The crowd around me were shouting to have the vocals turned up, and they would have been within earshot of the band, and I think they did try to address it onstage, but there's only a limit with what you can do with amp levels.

The venue itself was pretty grandiose, but even as we were walking from the Tube station, we were thinking that alternative bands wouldn't exactly be queuing for a spot at that venue. There were posters for Simply Red's comeback. The sandwich bar had been converted into a criminally overpriced bar - £2.90 for a 285ml bottle of Carling, which was the cheapest drink by a long way. Then you weren't allowed to take them into any of the seating areas.
The first thing that struck me when I got to the floor was the fact that the security was barley visible (I actually didn't even know there was any until near the end). The crowd were really well-behaved as far as crowds go, with only one major incident during the encore. I couldn't see what happened, but Isaac stepped in, and he was still visibly angry when he was leaving the stage. My friends from the back said they thought he was trying to help a fan who was being manhandled by security.

Most of the set list was made up of We Were Dead..., and Good News... songs, but they did hold up the earlier stuff as well (just happened that it wasn't the songs I was hoping for, but they aren't my trained monkeys, so I'll live).

The band were so tight, especially the TWO drummers. At some points they were even sharing the same drumkit.
Johnny was made the star of the show by the photogs in front of the barrier. For about ten minutes at the start there was about five fixed solely on him, and none even on Isaac. Isaac went crazy during Doin the Cockroach, and started screaming into his guitar's pickup - which must have worked because I could hear him almost as well as with his mic.

The floor beneath me was trembling under the weight of synchronised jumping during Float On, and the crowd was in good spirits throughout. Before the band came on, the seated crowd managed to get a Mexican Wave going.

The band played a good hour and a half set, and you could see they up for the event, but the sound quality did ruin it for a lot of people (some even left early, according to their reviews. For me, it was the first time I had seen the Mouse, and was prejudiced to enjoy it no matter what and that served me well. Good Show.

For Dang!! - Arcade Fire, Brixton Academy, 14th March 2007.

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 01:15:07 +0000

Wed 14 Mar – The Arcade Fire, Patrick Wolf

The Fire were amazing tonight... and made sure everyone knew how much they appreciated playing at the Brixton Academy (their cherry broke as artists - my cherry broke as audience - not a bad start to be fair).

Some guy in a white T-Shirt annoyed the fuck out of a loada people near me during Tunnels, but he quickly pissed off.

Most of the set was taken up with Neon Bible material - which is to be expected, since they probably thought this gig was necessary to promote the album - those naive foos!!!

Patrick Wolf - who I had heard of in passing on The Hits or some other penile wank was supporting, and he was actually fantastic!! much better than I was expecting. Take a New-Ro voice and add some 'Fire-lite rhythm, and it's pretty close to his sound.

Overall - a pretty narley experience.

Arcade Fire