womb supporting electrelane review
Oh come on Academy! What the fuck you playing at?
Yesterday Electrelane played Academy 3 with Halo Halo and Womb supporting. This is all good stuff. Kind of a small venue for Electrelane maybe - but not a problem.
I was maybe fifth or sixth through the doors by which time Womb had already started. I mean wait up, what?
Anyway gripe aside two things tripped me on my rush from bar to front. First coming in my ears* something that didn't sound much like Womb usually do. More electronic, more *whisper it* sophisticated and controlled. And second coming in my eyes** a crowded stage - fourteen musicians there. The most I've seen - and what a fantastic noise.
I'd been a little bit worried because previous big occasion gigs the band kind of stuttered. But this time a festival over the weekend and prior to that rehearsal space for a fortnight meant the group were focussed more on music and each other. It showed.
They growled. They howled. They churned. They wailed. They thundered. They pounded - loose rhythms, jumping rhythms, heavy heavy beats. They made alien sounds you couldn't tell where they came from. They sang. They made small sounds. They made a beautiful racket. It was fucking magnificent.
They jumped off stage and hammered the kettle drum they'd brought. Some of them danced. They shifted places partway through - moving some of the band less comfortable being at the front right to the front. The band seemed happy and relaxed - and the sound was really good. All the textures of the music were audible - which isn't always a given.
And it balanced right between freedom and control. A little too much one way would've fallen formless - a little too much the other would've drained the fun. They danced right along the tightrope like it was wide as a street.
The best Womb gig yet? Maybe. I don't know - I don't keep a score of this shit. But you know what, yes. Yes it was.
Not enough of it though. 20, 25 minutes. The last sounds ebbing and rising ebbing and rising - musicians dropping out one by one - and then nothing. Not enough. And the band starting when even the people who wanted to see them weren't there yet.
But no matter - if you didn't get dragged along when you heard the noise you need to see a cardiologist. Or maybe an audiologist. If you didn't want to dance you might need to check your legs are still there. If it didn't make you happy - well you know we got a pill for that. If you didn't feel you were part of a special ritual you should check your ticket - you were somewhere else at a different gig.
So yeah, amazing stuff. Once again. Next gig's sometime soon - end of the month/start of August I think. I know they play just across the road from me at St Margaret's. Get there. Come on.
*Oh yes, very funny. What are you, 12?
**Yeah, yeah - we already did that.
Review stuff on Halo Halo and Electrelane to follow.
Yesterday Electrelane played Academy 3 with Halo Halo and Womb supporting. This is all good stuff. Kind of a small venue for Electrelane maybe - but not a problem.
I was maybe fifth or sixth through the doors by which time Womb had already started. I mean wait up, what?
Anyway gripe aside two things tripped me on my rush from bar to front. First coming in my ears* something that didn't sound much like Womb usually do. More electronic, more *whisper it* sophisticated and controlled. And second coming in my eyes** a crowded stage - fourteen musicians there. The most I've seen - and what a fantastic noise.
I'd been a little bit worried because previous big occasion gigs the band kind of stuttered. But this time a festival over the weekend and prior to that rehearsal space for a fortnight meant the group were focussed more on music and each other. It showed.
They growled. They howled. They churned. They wailed. They thundered. They pounded - loose rhythms, jumping rhythms, heavy heavy beats. They made alien sounds you couldn't tell where they came from. They sang. They made small sounds. They made a beautiful racket. It was fucking magnificent.
They jumped off stage and hammered the kettle drum they'd brought. Some of them danced. They shifted places partway through - moving some of the band less comfortable being at the front right to the front. The band seemed happy and relaxed - and the sound was really good. All the textures of the music were audible - which isn't always a given.
And it balanced right between freedom and control. A little too much one way would've fallen formless - a little too much the other would've drained the fun. They danced right along the tightrope like it was wide as a street.
The best Womb gig yet? Maybe. I don't know - I don't keep a score of this shit. But you know what, yes. Yes it was.
Not enough of it though. 20, 25 minutes. The last sounds ebbing and rising ebbing and rising - musicians dropping out one by one - and then nothing. Not enough. And the band starting when even the people who wanted to see them weren't there yet.
But no matter - if you didn't get dragged along when you heard the noise you need to see a cardiologist. Or maybe an audiologist. If you didn't want to dance you might need to check your legs are still there. If it didn't make you happy - well you know we got a pill for that. If you didn't feel you were part of a special ritual you should check your ticket - you were somewhere else at a different gig.
So yeah, amazing stuff. Once again. Next gig's sometime soon - end of the month/start of August I think. I know they play just across the road from me at St Margaret's. Get there. Come on.
*Oh yes, very funny. What are you, 12?
**Yeah, yeah - we already did that.
Review stuff on Halo Halo and Electrelane to follow.
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