Post by markwj on Jan 28, 2008 12:59:24 GMT
Dalek, Destructo Swarmbots, Monster Killed By Laser, Action Beat, Everybody Is Going To Die
Brudenel Club, Leeds
20/1/08
It would take something special to motivate me to zoom cross country on a dismal Sunday evening, especially when I have an audience with The Notorious C.I.D. (Mr. Brunstrum) all the way down in mid Wales the next day, but Dalek are special. I’d only been commenting recently on the relative lack of opportunities to see some quality alternative hiphop amongst all the metal and punk when the American duo of the eponymous rapper and his sound man Octopus reappear on these shores. Having seen immense shows twice before in Glasgow and Lancaster I was more than happy to trek to it. They were apparently feeling a bit let down by their agent in having just a handful of UK dates at the end of a European jaunt but the consolation was that at least they were in the Brudenel which is definitely becoming one of my favourite venues.
So after an interlude at the all purpose takeaway down the road, where we debated hair length, I got into the place about 10 minutes before things started up. After recent scares I’d taken the precaution of getting a ticket saved on a paying guestlist, a miniscule £6 for the 5 bands and cheap beer to boot, but it wasn’t too busy in their initially so wondered if that had been worthwhile. Went to blag Octupus on the merchandise stall, complaining about only having XL shirts that would fit me twice over and also checking the build quality on their badges, having lost 2 previously. Also followed the tshirt trail talking to Nomeansno and Godflesh fans who obviously are wonderful people.
Local bands given the opportunity for the first support slots, the stage was crammed full for Everybody Is Going To Die (nicely ambiguous name), largely because they had 3 drummers, which I couldn’t recall ever seeing before. They collectively battered out massive rhythms underpinning 3 instrumental guitars that touched upon the raw inde experimentalism of the likes of Sonic Youth but personally I thought they underachieved in largely all playing the same thing. I’d rather have seen more dynamics in building this up, and when you think about the logistics involved with just one kit, 3 is madness, but they seemed to enjoy the experience.
Then what do you know, like buses or dictatorial political leaders, you wait 30 plus years for one 3 drummer band and 2 come along at once! Is this the new thing? Action Beat also upped to 4 guitars and a bass, still with no vocals, so there were many similarities in how they came across. They did seem to have a bit more invention especially crucially in distinguishing between drum patterns, and a pleasing sonic howl running through some of their stuff like the more up tempo Mercury Rev, and their closing track especially had a very hypnotic rhythm. Still, to me, the effort of having 3 drummers still didn’t seem to balance against what extra they brought beyond what 1 might similarly have achieved.
Monster… were a more conventionally manned band, but not necessarily so in their sound. What came across was a distorted stoner/psychedelia, son of Sabbath riffs driven along with again a rawness in structure washed over with plentiful noise. A fair portion of this came from the frontman with a little table top soundmixer warping things up, he almost went as far as vocalising but it was a bit hard to tell. He’d pop a mini-mike IN his mouth on occasion and provide some effected yelps and growls, different for sure, and that was the residing memory of their set
Destructo Swarmbots had been a support to Dalek a few years back when I saw them but this time I wasn’t as struck with the impact they’d had then. The intense avalanche of hugely effect processed and relentlessly thrashed guitar chords this time came as a more ethereal waves of noise, but somewhat muted and distant compared to the brain drilling it had been previously. Indeed the more piercing tones came from the new addition of a keyboardist (seated alongside) but there was a bit of randomness to his efforts too that didn’t leave much of an impression.
As before though, they didn’t over overextend the duration of this exercise in this fashion as after about 20minutes Octopus emerged to join them, and with no warning dropped the most devastating bomb in terms of beats I’d heard in a long while, bring a massive ear to ear grin to my face. The sound was absolutely huge and now the Swarmbots efforts clicked into the mix perfectly, their waves undulating through the mass of other layers, rolling and grinding bass tones and beats. I’d been tipped off about this collaboration through having a chat with yer main man Dalek earlier and he was next in line to complete the picture, stepping up to deliver his dark and intelligent flow. He’s a somewhat brooding figure reflecting the seriousness of his lyrics, whether they be philosophising about the nature of the words he speaks (Dalek has a little umschlauss over the a that gives it the pronunciation more like Dialect, the latest album is called “Abandoned language”) or making the connection to the ills of the modern world that communication or lack of it is integral to. With so much to say in his lyrics there’s not much between song chat, apart from “come on leeds, I know you’ve seen a brown skinned man before”. The vast bulk of the audience are not black as usual, suggesting the draw may be more to do with the innovation and experimentalism in the genre that they bring (they are on Mike Patton’s eclectic Ipecac label, they’ve also collaborated with Faust, Techno Animal, and are frequent remixers) rather than an appeal of their true hiphop core that is somewhat removed from the pallid R’n’b that has replaced it in mass affection. There’s not even much in the way of breaks to even take a breather, there may be pauses before a new insistent steamroller of a beat kicks in but the wall of sound pushes on. Even within these relentless waves there’s still a discernable upsurge to tsunami level for a climatic ending, as then one by one they gradually leave and drop out the layers until it’s just the distant guitar once more. Huge applause from one of the busiest nights I’d seen at the club so far and well worth the travelling effort as usual.
Brudenel Club, Leeds
20/1/08
It would take something special to motivate me to zoom cross country on a dismal Sunday evening, especially when I have an audience with The Notorious C.I.D. (Mr. Brunstrum) all the way down in mid Wales the next day, but Dalek are special. I’d only been commenting recently on the relative lack of opportunities to see some quality alternative hiphop amongst all the metal and punk when the American duo of the eponymous rapper and his sound man Octopus reappear on these shores. Having seen immense shows twice before in Glasgow and Lancaster I was more than happy to trek to it. They were apparently feeling a bit let down by their agent in having just a handful of UK dates at the end of a European jaunt but the consolation was that at least they were in the Brudenel which is definitely becoming one of my favourite venues.
So after an interlude at the all purpose takeaway down the road, where we debated hair length, I got into the place about 10 minutes before things started up. After recent scares I’d taken the precaution of getting a ticket saved on a paying guestlist, a miniscule £6 for the 5 bands and cheap beer to boot, but it wasn’t too busy in their initially so wondered if that had been worthwhile. Went to blag Octupus on the merchandise stall, complaining about only having XL shirts that would fit me twice over and also checking the build quality on their badges, having lost 2 previously. Also followed the tshirt trail talking to Nomeansno and Godflesh fans who obviously are wonderful people.
Local bands given the opportunity for the first support slots, the stage was crammed full for Everybody Is Going To Die (nicely ambiguous name), largely because they had 3 drummers, which I couldn’t recall ever seeing before. They collectively battered out massive rhythms underpinning 3 instrumental guitars that touched upon the raw inde experimentalism of the likes of Sonic Youth but personally I thought they underachieved in largely all playing the same thing. I’d rather have seen more dynamics in building this up, and when you think about the logistics involved with just one kit, 3 is madness, but they seemed to enjoy the experience.
Then what do you know, like buses or dictatorial political leaders, you wait 30 plus years for one 3 drummer band and 2 come along at once! Is this the new thing? Action Beat also upped to 4 guitars and a bass, still with no vocals, so there were many similarities in how they came across. They did seem to have a bit more invention especially crucially in distinguishing between drum patterns, and a pleasing sonic howl running through some of their stuff like the more up tempo Mercury Rev, and their closing track especially had a very hypnotic rhythm. Still, to me, the effort of having 3 drummers still didn’t seem to balance against what extra they brought beyond what 1 might similarly have achieved.
Monster… were a more conventionally manned band, but not necessarily so in their sound. What came across was a distorted stoner/psychedelia, son of Sabbath riffs driven along with again a rawness in structure washed over with plentiful noise. A fair portion of this came from the frontman with a little table top soundmixer warping things up, he almost went as far as vocalising but it was a bit hard to tell. He’d pop a mini-mike IN his mouth on occasion and provide some effected yelps and growls, different for sure, and that was the residing memory of their set
Destructo Swarmbots had been a support to Dalek a few years back when I saw them but this time I wasn’t as struck with the impact they’d had then. The intense avalanche of hugely effect processed and relentlessly thrashed guitar chords this time came as a more ethereal waves of noise, but somewhat muted and distant compared to the brain drilling it had been previously. Indeed the more piercing tones came from the new addition of a keyboardist (seated alongside) but there was a bit of randomness to his efforts too that didn’t leave much of an impression.
As before though, they didn’t over overextend the duration of this exercise in this fashion as after about 20minutes Octopus emerged to join them, and with no warning dropped the most devastating bomb in terms of beats I’d heard in a long while, bring a massive ear to ear grin to my face. The sound was absolutely huge and now the Swarmbots efforts clicked into the mix perfectly, their waves undulating through the mass of other layers, rolling and grinding bass tones and beats. I’d been tipped off about this collaboration through having a chat with yer main man Dalek earlier and he was next in line to complete the picture, stepping up to deliver his dark and intelligent flow. He’s a somewhat brooding figure reflecting the seriousness of his lyrics, whether they be philosophising about the nature of the words he speaks (Dalek has a little umschlauss over the a that gives it the pronunciation more like Dialect, the latest album is called “Abandoned language”) or making the connection to the ills of the modern world that communication or lack of it is integral to. With so much to say in his lyrics there’s not much between song chat, apart from “come on leeds, I know you’ve seen a brown skinned man before”. The vast bulk of the audience are not black as usual, suggesting the draw may be more to do with the innovation and experimentalism in the genre that they bring (they are on Mike Patton’s eclectic Ipecac label, they’ve also collaborated with Faust, Techno Animal, and are frequent remixers) rather than an appeal of their true hiphop core that is somewhat removed from the pallid R’n’b that has replaced it in mass affection. There’s not even much in the way of breaks to even take a breather, there may be pauses before a new insistent steamroller of a beat kicks in but the wall of sound pushes on. Even within these relentless waves there’s still a discernable upsurge to tsunami level for a climatic ending, as then one by one they gradually leave and drop out the layers until it’s just the distant guitar once more. Huge applause from one of the busiest nights I’d seen at the club so far and well worth the travelling effort as usual.