womb supporting minny pops at gullivers
Lets get the bad news out of the way upfront.
Womb played first. This doesn't usually work to their advantage. They need people warmed up, dancing, feeling a community, and not standing around being cool.
The second support act - Rats on Rafts - aren't my kind of thing at all. That means I'm in no position to criticise - and judging by audience reaction they play exactly the kind of tut some people like to bounce to. So that's fine if it's out of my earshot.
Womb had just about started when I came upstairs and got to the front of a disappointingly static audience. I mean not even gently swaying, bobbing or nodding their heads. Like they'd been fucking nailed to the floor - Here we are now, entertain us. I danced as much as I felt able - but I'm only recently back so a little more inhibited than I'll be in a few days.
The sound was great, perhaps not as exciting as the last couple of gigs I saw before I left for China, but much more cohesive and unified.
The vocals were strong and gave a slightly disturbing human texture to the sound. I felt their power diminished later on - but I'll come to that. The drums rumbled, bolstered by the basses, the guitar cut shards across the top, and providing more sparks as well as harshly resonating low-end was the keyboard.
Overall the sound was physical - turning through your guts and genitals, through your arms and head. The sound quality was pretty good and if they'd had anything like the volume Earth or Sunn 0))) had at Islington Mill a couple of years ago the statues down the front would have had no fucking choice but to dance.
Heavy heavy heavy in a good way.
It worked at a fast tempo, it worked at an incredibly slow tempo, it worked with the drums hammering and skipping, it worked beatless, it worked structured, and it worked with abstract fragments glancing off each other and dancing between feedback.
My only criticism is the vocals. Stephanie is great, and Lou forms a good contrast with her - usually taking the lead with phrases, words and noises. But after a while for me it got a bit samey. I would have liked more variety and dynamism. More range, more interplay and deliberate contrast, as well as moments when the voices were together.
I think this will come with practice. Vocal improvisation is tough and they are doing a good job. But I think there's a way to go still.
It was fabulous to see Womb again and I fucking loved the set. I think the last couple of gigs I saw September/October last year were better, or more exciting for me, but they were still way better than most bands you'll see.
And again - heavy, physical, growling through you, transcendent.
I'll say this again - catch Womb live if you have the chance - it's a truly special experience.
Rats on Rafts were fine if you like kit-built kiddie Lego pop-punk-indie with a slight ska tinge. It's not something I'd ever subject myself to, so I'm not the critic you need. Nothing personal though - they seem like nice, affable, friendly people from the little I saw. Check them out, you may love the sound - and even if you don't you haven't lost anything.
So to Minny Pops. I danced is basically all you need to know. I mean yeah, I was right in the moshpit for Drunk in Hell on Friday, and then spent the rest of the night dancing at Bollox, but tonight I was BACK!
Not just going through the motions, but dancing with every part of me. Legs, arms, hips, torso, the whole fucking body.
And why? Because Minny Pops made me dance that's why. It's a simple formula - sparse beats and noises through the laptop and synth, bass, guitar texture over the top, and vocals that have that simultaneous detached and personal quality that's the hallmark of a lot of the best post-punk.
Perhaps it's a manifestation of a contradiction in the bands - a sense that music is incredibly important - fundamental even - but that there's something inherently absurd in the traditional model of band, performance and audience. A desire to both alienate and connect.
That seems like the kind of trick you can only pull off if you actually embody those contradictions - and it's why bands who try to emulate that sound will never get it right.
I danced, Womb danced, a handful of others danced - ecstatically. Even one of the rather too many photographers down the front danced. A little.
Apparently it was Minny Pops first visit to the UK in 31 years. Too long. They're amazing. Go track them down online now. Go see them live if you get the chance. And don't give me any shit about no UK gigs - they're Dutch, it's not far to go.
A brilliant night - the second in a row. Loving it.
Womb played first. This doesn't usually work to their advantage. They need people warmed up, dancing, feeling a community, and not standing around being cool.
The second support act - Rats on Rafts - aren't my kind of thing at all. That means I'm in no position to criticise - and judging by audience reaction they play exactly the kind of tut some people like to bounce to. So that's fine if it's out of my earshot.
Womb had just about started when I came upstairs and got to the front of a disappointingly static audience. I mean not even gently swaying, bobbing or nodding their heads. Like they'd been fucking nailed to the floor - Here we are now, entertain us. I danced as much as I felt able - but I'm only recently back so a little more inhibited than I'll be in a few days.
The sound was great, perhaps not as exciting as the last couple of gigs I saw before I left for China, but much more cohesive and unified.
The vocals were strong and gave a slightly disturbing human texture to the sound. I felt their power diminished later on - but I'll come to that. The drums rumbled, bolstered by the basses, the guitar cut shards across the top, and providing more sparks as well as harshly resonating low-end was the keyboard.
Overall the sound was physical - turning through your guts and genitals, through your arms and head. The sound quality was pretty good and if they'd had anything like the volume Earth or Sunn 0))) had at Islington Mill a couple of years ago the statues down the front would have had no fucking choice but to dance.
Heavy heavy heavy in a good way.
It worked at a fast tempo, it worked at an incredibly slow tempo, it worked with the drums hammering and skipping, it worked beatless, it worked structured, and it worked with abstract fragments glancing off each other and dancing between feedback.
My only criticism is the vocals. Stephanie is great, and Lou forms a good contrast with her - usually taking the lead with phrases, words and noises. But after a while for me it got a bit samey. I would have liked more variety and dynamism. More range, more interplay and deliberate contrast, as well as moments when the voices were together.
I think this will come with practice. Vocal improvisation is tough and they are doing a good job. But I think there's a way to go still.
It was fabulous to see Womb again and I fucking loved the set. I think the last couple of gigs I saw September/October last year were better, or more exciting for me, but they were still way better than most bands you'll see.
And again - heavy, physical, growling through you, transcendent.
I'll say this again - catch Womb live if you have the chance - it's a truly special experience.
Rats on Rafts were fine if you like kit-built kiddie Lego pop-punk-indie with a slight ska tinge. It's not something I'd ever subject myself to, so I'm not the critic you need. Nothing personal though - they seem like nice, affable, friendly people from the little I saw. Check them out, you may love the sound - and even if you don't you haven't lost anything.
So to Minny Pops. I danced is basically all you need to know. I mean yeah, I was right in the moshpit for Drunk in Hell on Friday, and then spent the rest of the night dancing at Bollox, but tonight I was BACK!
Not just going through the motions, but dancing with every part of me. Legs, arms, hips, torso, the whole fucking body.
And why? Because Minny Pops made me dance that's why. It's a simple formula - sparse beats and noises through the laptop and synth, bass, guitar texture over the top, and vocals that have that simultaneous detached and personal quality that's the hallmark of a lot of the best post-punk.
Perhaps it's a manifestation of a contradiction in the bands - a sense that music is incredibly important - fundamental even - but that there's something inherently absurd in the traditional model of band, performance and audience. A desire to both alienate and connect.
That seems like the kind of trick you can only pull off if you actually embody those contradictions - and it's why bands who try to emulate that sound will never get it right.
I danced, Womb danced, a handful of others danced - ecstatically. Even one of the rather too many photographers down the front danced. A little.
Apparently it was Minny Pops first visit to the UK in 31 years. Too long. They're amazing. Go track them down online now. Go see them live if you get the chance. And don't give me any shit about no UK gigs - they're Dutch, it's not far to go.
A brilliant night - the second in a row. Loving it.
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