I've been knocked out pretty much all week. Days and days pass me by in bite size chunks; i look through a hole in the wall every morning i wake up, and see two hours in a 24 hour time span. Two hours spent numb after i've dragged my self around, kicking and screaming for so long that i can't even remember why anymore. And at those times of rare animation, it's pretty ridiculous to chew right when you've bitten off a little more than you can physically handle.
This week was different, because this time i was kicking for a different reason- the undeniable pleasure of great live music will always exist, no matter how dead you feel sometimes. I had travelled to Leeds on the Thursday for a mesmerising evening with Grizzly Bear. They came up and had a little taste, a little feel, and looked up at you with their big Grizzly Bear eyes and there was something special there (this is also what the camera crew on BBC's "Life" had said about the giant squid they were filming, i admit it, i plagiarised). ..
Under the blue and green light canopy, and the mock fire flies trapped in glass jars around them flickering their little wings, Veckatimest took on a whole new meaning for me. Ready, Able was astonishingly lovely, my favourite on that album. Cheerleader soared around the ceiling like birds in formation. The echoey vocals on Knife sounded like Romantic yetty calls up to the balcony where i was stood, and not for a second was i deterred by the ridiculous amounts of people that were rammed into Leeds Met Students Union (it's been a while since i've been to a gig this 'big'), and a good few of them were illuminated around the face with mobile elements (Boo).
As if this wasn't enough, the very noisy, very snazzy, very Sai's top 09 list of albums Japandroids were down in Nottingham supporting A Place To Bury Strangers at Bodega Social. After a rather depressing Friday of catching up on 2 weeks of lecture notes, i was almost too depressed to leave my room, but the very thought of missing Japandroids was a little painful- so i paid 8 quid just to see them support, since i'm not really a fan of APTBS.
Unfortunately, the two-piece only managed a 20 minute set, since they arrived late because their van broke down, but those 20 minutes were spit fire. Brian King the guitarist has a ridiculous amount of raucous energy about him; his enviably skinny guy frame in straight cut dark blue jeans jittered around on stage like a nervous cat. He says in his charming canadian slur that they used to think they were the loudest band ever until they toured with APTBS, and then they felt like a couple of girlies...."like your jeans" scoffed a punter, ZIINNNNGGG. Brian was not happy, and gave us all permission to spit on the guy- he was clearly some fat, rigid ugly person jealous that he wasn't sporting such a physique to prance on stage holding a guitar somewhat convincingly.
The Social crowds are always too cool for their own good (as my friend aptly mentioned after the gig), and remained relatively static despite the hysterical dance-worthy numbers in Hearts Sweats, Rockers East Vancouver, Young Hearts Spark Fire & Boys Are Leaving Town. I wasn't ashamed. I paid 8 quid for this god dammit and i'm gonna have a hip shake.
Got a drink while APTBS were on, went up for the last song. Strobe lighting gave me a fit. Loud. It's fucking loud up here. My ears, they're gone.
Light. all i could see was the fucking light- and this is why they cut Japandroids short???! Whatever. I bought their fucking t-shirt.
So anyway, i see drowned in sound did a ridiculously fucked up review of the Post-Nothing record.....no, it is not about suburban numbness, or blank interactions, or the modern Western malaise of personal and social detatchment. It's just not.
Seriously!?! APTBS @ the Social, last time round, was one of the best (read, most extreme, evil, exhilarating) things I ever saw live. That mental overdose of strobe lighting, unhealthy volume, everything, was phenomenal.
ReplyDeleteMind, there was no question of being there to see the support band then (although plenty of other people were, it was Mint Ive and a big local crowd came along for them - obviously if any of them even stayed for the first APTBS track, which I doubt, no-one would have noticed as they headed for the doors). I can see why that would throw things out of whack. Japandroids could probably do a great show of their own in Notts, and it's hard to book a reasonable band that'd be 'in keeping' with APTBS, because they're insane.
Granted, you need earplugs, but listening to an APTBS album and seeing them live are two totally different things, in a really good way.
i wasn't wearing any ear plugs, unfortunately......i could just about manage. i really should invest in a pair.
ReplyDeleteI guess APTBS would have been better if they actually played some songs..... the whole fuzz and strobe was getting ridiculous, seemed to do it for a couple of people, its not like the social were having a who can make your ears bleed most profusely competition....
Can't say i didn't enjoy some if it though, i think i was in a trance at that point anyway. I should go through their albums properly but can never be arsed- recommend some tracks?
And yes, Japandroids could easily do a fucking amazing gig all on their own. Hopefully they'll be down next year; the Chameleon would be the perfect venue for their stuff.
I'm just on their self-titled album but -
ReplyDeleteI love "Don't Think Lover" because it's really astonishingly twee at its core, like a Black Tambourine song but with a violent crunching recourse. "Another Step Away" also sounds a bit like A Sunny Day In Glasgow made louder. "To Fix The Gash In Your Head" and "I Know I'll See You" are both very good Joy Division imitations (but not disaffected enough).
Just generally, their tracks are good shoegaze because there are these big dumb swathes of noise that define them, and obviously dominate live when they get to set the volume, just like My Bloody Valentine really. However, if you pay attention to "The Falling Sun" you can detect that in fact their biggest influence is clearly cult doombience band ...All The Empires Of The World.
I know you asked for tracks, and not a review, but... whatever. Feel blessed.