RACKET FROM THE PIT: February 2010
Backbone, our roving reporter, gives us his opinion on the gigs he’s been to over the last few months…
Back in November, Oregon punks, BLACK ELK, created a sound that could have moved mountains or scared mammoths due, in no small part, to a guitarist whose job appeared to be to make people cry through deep volume alone (White Rabbit, Plymouth, 17 Nov). The singer, meanwhile, took his cue from The Jesus Lizard, resulting in a band who know that heavy sounds best when tempered with horny. Manchester’s HAMMERS were equally dark and muscular but with more reliance on Fall Of Efrafa-esque slabs of hardcore, as gargantuan vocalist/bassist, Daniel, belched out the mightiest of roars.
Within one year THE SKINTS have gone from being an awesome to an essential band, and it’s patently easy to see why (White Rabbit, Plymouth, 20 Nov). Unlike pretty much every other British reggae-meets-punk band since 1981, the London quartet completely understand what makes roots music sound so vital; they have a magical way with a melody, and their potent, political punk rock undercurrent is genuine and forthright. Hugeness beckons. Ska revivalists, DIRTY REVOLUTION, were a good pairing, taking their cue from Two Tone and splicing it with rough and ready guitar chops. Less convincing were SHARKS – a ludicrously over-studied band of poseurs who seem to be labouring under the woeful misapprehension that they’ve inherited The Clash’s mantle.
The arrival of ex-Fugazi bassist JOE LALLY and his DC entourage of scruffy post-punks may have caused a reverential murmur but, sadly, it was all a bit Emperor’s New Clothes (White Rabbit, Plymouth, 24 Nov). Without the inventive brilliance of Mackaye and Picciotto, the trio’s jazz-clotted meanderings were all too willfully abstruse and a little dull; Lally’s deadpan voice adding very little to the self-indulgent stew. Shame. Meanwhile, somebody had clearly yanked acoustic reggae firebrand, BABAR LUCK’s beard a few times tonight as he was on untypically fierce form. With a maniacal glint in his eye, the likes of ‘Fire Come Rain’ sounded raw and militant.
Ahead of their German dates with Hot Water Music, Worcester’s favourite post-hardcore sons, TRIBUTE TO NOTHING, played a convincing warm-up show on quasi-home turf (White Rabbit, Plymouth, 26 Nov). Despite a few tech glitches, the quartet powered through their tungsten-tough, impassioned rock, kicking up a shitstorm of melodic righteousness. As they zoomed off to catch a plane to Dortmund, Plymouth’s erstwhile rockers, ORCA, were left to bring up the rear with trademark earnestness.
Our weekend Cornish jaunt with BANGERS was great fun, especially the Penzance matinee show (Studio, 6 Dec); although openers, THE DANGERMEN, were a cringeworthy covers band too far. More impressive was electro-soul diva, KAT MARSH, who used her high heel-clad feet as much as her voice, stepping on a dizzying array of pedals to create a one-woman-band that drew from the twin pop peaks of Prince and
Beyonce. Bangers were on amazing form every night – their Dagnasty-meets-Latterman anthems touching the parts that so many of their punk rock peers fail to reach. While the first two Kernow shows (Camborne 4 Dec, Falmouth 5 Dec), also saw local punkster trio, AS WE SINK, make like Propagandhi with some nice harmonic touches amongst the thrasharama.
Somewhere between all that backslapping and smug solipsism you’d think someone from THEM CROOKED VULTURES might have taken the time to pen a decent tune or two (Plymouth Pavilions, 10 Dec). The sprawling ‘Elephants’ came close to prime QOTSA fare but you got the impression that this jam band would struggle to transcend the pub circuit if it wasn’t for all that blind hero-worship. Featuring QOTSA’s Troy Van Leeuwen, SWEETHEAD were another example of a band that allow their personnel pedigree to get in the way of a good tune. Even swaggering, glam-vamp singer, Serrina Sims, couldn’t save them from the slavering jaws of fashion-rock mediocrity.
It’s not every day you see legendary melodic punks, DILLINGER 4, in the UK, less so in the South West. As soon as bassist/vocalist, Patrick Costello – the veritable Jack Black of punk rock – got to work with his onstage shtick, you just knew that greatness was imminent (Exeter Cavern, 11 Dec). Or, perhaps, not. The Minneapolis quartet have made some of the most enjoyable punk rock records of the past 15 years but a patchy sound rendered the energizing likes of ‘Whiskeycokenoice’ less than overwhelming. Before them, London garage-punks, THE SHITTY LIMITS, wasted no time spurting out short, volatile globs of rudimentary yet stylish rock’n’roll. While local Britpunk heroes, ANNALISE, made a welcome yet somewhat poker-faced return to the Cavern floorboards.
We had the pleasure of sharing a stage with CHRIS WOLLARD & THE SHIP THIEVES and DRAG THE RIVER (Croft, Bristol, 15 Dec). Wollard’s Southern country-rock combo harnessed the barnstorming twang of Uncle Tupelo with hints of The Draft. But, over at the other end of the country spectrum, Drag The River’s stark, whisky-soaked, Lucero-esque confessions stole the show – the duo’s weathered harmonies and understated guitars deployed to brilliant, if repetitive, effect. Oh, and happy New Year. See-ya bye.
Backbone (johnsycash@yahoo.co.uk)
