Cougar Microbes

Hot on the heels of playing the festival circuit, The Dub Pistols crew descended on Dingwalls, in Camden on a wet and windy Tuesday night. Neither the mid week slot nor the weather did anything to dampen the mood however and the band lived up to their now legendary reputation for live performance and delivered a set which had the crowd roaring and jumping!

The band, famous for their collaborations with the good and the great of the music scene, Rodney P, Terry Hall, Gregory Issacs and Lindy Layton, have been touring with their new album ‘Rum ‘n’ Coke’ in recent months showcasing their unique brand of skank. Drawing on influences of punk, ska and reggae, The Dub Pistols are a dub, dance, reggae, hip hop, outfit who are rightly regarded as genre-defying.

They played a set which took in tracks from both old and new albums including, the sun-soaked delights of “Ganja“, the seminal “Westway” and atmospheric “You’ll never find“, as well as current new single “I’m In Love” with sublime vocal pairing from Rodney P and Lindy Layton set against a big beat. Bruising baselines mixed with horns and guitar to create a mashed up sound personified at one point by front man Barry Ashworth, colliding with the floor during a particularly energetic dance move!

The Dub Pistols never fail to deliver and this gig lived up to all expectations. A band that are recognised for their spectacular live events, the energy and excitement they incite was in evidence on Tuesday.

Mine’s a Rum and Coke!

TRACK:

The Dub Pistols – I’m In Love (Foamo Remix)

A couple of months back I saw underground masters Cursive at the wonderfully intimate Dingwalls in Camden. Living in London means I am fortunate to have access to live performances by some of the finest bands in the world and this show was no exception.

Front man Tim Kasher and co’s latest recorded offering ‘Mama I’m Swollen’ got me pretty excited at the time of release and lived up to expectations in the long run possibly surpassing the dizzy heights of their previous releases. I was intrigued to hear what live incarnation their new tracks would take. Every time I’ve seen this outfit I have been so consistently blown away that expectations were justifiably high. Needless to say the band delivered.

Kasher climbs across railings and stumbles from speakers, delivering every syllable with such conviction that he literally dictates the beholder’s emotional state, dragging them from laughter, to near tears and ultimately satisfied smugness.  new drummer Cully Symington adds fresh dynamics with metronomic precision. Here are one of those rare bands whose live performances are even more impressive than their masterful recorded work.

In my drunken state I slurred something about Cursive shows being “a religious experience for the Atheist”. To phrase it slightly more soberly, these guys are true masters of their art and incredibly clever fellows too.

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This post written by the mighty Kenny

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MP3′s:

Cursive – Sierra