October
29/10/02
As Angular As a Very Sharp Pointy Thing
Just like that other great Albini produced band McLusky, Giddy Motors were very yelly producing enough vocals to make the other 2 bands mute.
It didn't matter much. Noxagt made an impression from their line up alone. Viola taking the place of the more conventional 'band' instruments. If anyone had told me that the instrument could have been played in such a way, I wouldn't have given up playing it.
Nought still blow me away, every time I watch them. If you watch James Sedwards, he is so relaxed while producing these amazing melodies. While not being the most active band to watch, they are still fascinating to observe, so much so that you forget you are being surrounded by this room full of noise. It's only when they stop that you realise what's just been going on.
Gig Count: 86
28/10/02
Down Underground
Back in the Cellar again. In another one of those bills that just seem to fall together, it featured 3 very different acts. Big Al was acoustic, and sounded quite bluesy, but at other times a bit worryingly like David Gray.
Zoppo were great. A bit like early day Seafood, lots of guitars and melody, they're one to watch again just to get your mind round it all (while sounding quite straightforward at times).
Then as another contrast, Eeebleee with their not-quite-dance-but-not-quite-normal-guitar-band thing. The best thing about them is that while being experimental with their set up and what they are trying to achive in terms of style, they still manage to make the melody one of the most important things, instead of hiding it behind some new electronic gizmo.
Gig Count: 85
26/10/02
More Posing
So Truck/Juggernaut party part II. After the excesses of last weekend I really didn't know what to expect. 65daysofstatic are improving with repeated viewing. While performing electronic music, they inject as much energy into their performance as a guitar/rock band would.
The highlight of the line up tonight was going to be Lapsus Linguae, but due to van troubles (again! - we should really raise money for them to get a better van), Smilex took their place at short notice. Lee tried his best Lapsus impression, but they seemed dwarfed by the stage, and lacked that cosiness that they usually use so well.
The last few months have been pretty dramatic for Meanwhile, Back in Communist Russia, what with the departure of 2 of their members, and the whole band moving away from Oxford. They too lack the intensity that they once had, and it just seems if the band are now on autopilot.
But I've forgotten how good The Rock of Travolta are. Tonight, all in white instead of their usual black, they proved why they are one of the best live acts around. Never taking themselves seriously, but challenging themselves, the new material has started to fit into the rest of the set. I just hope they won't ever take themselves too seriously.
Gig Count: 84 |  |
 | 20/10/02
R.I.P. The Young Knives
So the current trend for album launches in Oxford at the moment, is that of getting your friends to cover your own songs (see also the Goldrush album launch from September), So Mac opened the wake, by performing a couple of Young Knives songs, but still making them end up sounding like Mac songs, followed by a monologue from Emily Disco, trying to sound like Sarah from Black Box Recorder, and then Dave Eeebleee singing about death.
But, unsurprisingly, The Young Knives came back to life, although covered in cobwebs, and dressed like it was their funeral (well it was really...). Having just been resurrected from the dead didn't stop them from performing a great show, probably the best since the first time I saw them back in January. It's strange to think that their album ...are Dead, is only their debut album, since all the material is so familiar. The most refreshing thing about them is that while all the other bands are trying to sound like some other band from the past, there's not really a band you could compare theYoung Knives to, and yet they are not too difficult for anyone to understand. They have also managed to maintain the careful balance between comedy and professionalism, by actually not caring that much what everyone else thought, and carrying on on their own tangent. Long live the Young Knives!
Gig Count: 83 |
19/10/02
Don't Bring Me Down
I can't be arsed to write another review.. so here's one I've submitted for something else (not that it'll be published anyway)
This year has been the highest profile year for Truck Records yet, the label who also run the local festival and many other events in Oxford. So in celebration of this, and the release of their founder's band's - Goldrush - debut album, this gig showcased what makes Truck so great.
Opening was KTB, a young female singer, whose inspiration comes from other singers like Kathryn Williams and Ella Fitzgerald. With her humourous lyrics and jazzy style, she's turning into Truck's hidden gem, just waiting to be discovered by everyone else.
Black Nielson should also be heard by everyone. Often compared to Grandaddy, their songs are just perfect three minute pop songs (well pop in the Beach Boys sense of the word).
After a pretty predictable couple of bands, Fonda 500 brought some fun and madness to the evening. Without their vocalist Simon, the band would be nothing, but he led the way, human beatboxing through the set, and acting like King Kong on top of his keyboards. They were certainly the band who brought the most grins to the evening.
Goldrush played a pretty good set, their recorded material really doesn't show them at their best. Live, without the fancy production, the songs really shine through. Although they were in the middle of a month long tour, the tiredness didn't show, and they performed just like the true pros they are.
Gig Count: 82
15/10/02
Brighton's not all dance y'know
Just like there's a difference between the pop of Kylie, and the identikit pop of the current Pop Idol/Rivals/Stars/Puppets, there's proper punk like Cat On Form, compared to the so-called-punk of Bowling For Soup, Blink 182 and even Green Day. Punk originally was about attitude and to a certain extent politics, so while you can't imagine those pop/punk bands yelling about the issue of the day, that's something that Cat on Form will do. The attitude just comes across in the form of all the energy that the band throw into their set, how Steve and Dan pretty much throw themselves all over the stage. And the best thing about them is that they come across as really believing in what they do.
It was a bit more difficult to decide whether British Sea Power were taking themselves seriously or not. Well the stage set would suggest that they don't, with stuffed birds onstage and antlers over the drum kit, and strange sound effects in between the songs. Even their merchandise guy was wearing a tin hat. There was drama, just like 70s era Bowie. But with the band looking serious, never cracking even a smile throughout, it seemed that they did take themselves seriously. Or maybe it's all just a very fine act, bringing a new dimension of humanity to that age old act of stony cool.
Gig Count: 81
14/10/02
A bit of a damp party
So Trailerpark is 2, and we celebrate by putting on a night that's a bit strange, verging on the alt-country side of things, that it's not very famous for.
Last time we saw Endless City Lights there was a full band, but now it's only Matt, playing some of that twee indieish songs.
Then came the fantastic Broken Family Band. Although they do play country, they don't take themselves that seriously, but yet they don't lay on the humour too heavily, so that you can't take them seriously.
Sterling Roswell was a bit of a disappointment. He played an acoustic set, with some bluesy bits, but it just didn't any level above a bit average.
Gig Count: 80
06/10/02
Punk Rock/Pop.. Oh I don't care anymore...
So on the day John Otway finally had his 2nd hit, we may have found his successor. Just in the same way that Otway is very physical in his performance, Lee Smilex is everywhere, often all at the same time. There is a current trend for over the top rck bands, and Smilex is as close as Oxford will get for making a contribution. No other local band has proved to be as entertaining.
While Smilex provides the fun, Dustball have the melodies. Finally taking a break after a year of endless gigging, all that practice shows, as they are tighter than all the spandax on The Darkness. Even though James says he's ill, it doesn't show. It's quite amusing to watch a whole new bunch of 14 year olds falling for the band, just like when the band first started. Some things just never change.
Playing even more angular punk were Jetplane Landing. At times they sounded like Hundred Reasons, but in the melodic moments they could almost pass for their former touring partners, Seafood.
Gig Count: 79
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