Melvins had already achieved cult status before some of their fans were even born. Still, the ‘Godfathers of Grunge‘ continue releasing albums and touring prolifically putting many of today’s artist to shame.
The band are currently winding down their European date and are due to play the final show of this tour at Bristol‘s sweet Thekla venue on the 4th of November for what should be an explosive night
Personally, I have a good bond with the venue having played a couple of shows there in my “rockstar” days. Back then I remember crashing on these cute little leather corner sofas whilst the rest of the band where loading the gear. To date some of the best sleep I’ve ever had before the rest of the band dumped a bucket full of water on me!
Presumably the lovable sofas are now gone and there will be no dumping of water this time. Still, it will certainly be great to see Buzz Osborne and co gracing this intimate venue and tearing it’s roof off.
As part of their NEVER HIDE campaign Ray-Ban have been involved in all sorts of cool events this year including a massive water gun fight at SXSW, a sweet Iphone app as well as continued support for Northern Irish stalwarts Two Door Cinema Club on their current tour.
We are teaming up with the legendary eyewear company to give away some Two Door Cinema Club t-shirts from the band as well as a Ray-Ban NEVER HIDE frame (as shown in the video) to a lucky Cougar Microbes reader.
To enter the competition is answer the following question:
Which item would you NEVER HIDE at a live concert?
Winners will be picked at random on the 1st of June. Submit your question via the comments below, our facebookpage or by tweeting directly to @cougarmicrobes.
Having recently reviewing Matt & Kim‘s latest “grown-up” offering ‘Sidewalks‘ we jumped at the chance to catch them live when they rocked up in london in March. It feels sometimes like the Brooklyn combo’s greatest strength, their energy and exuberance, can see them ignored by “real” music fans. But on the night I was pleased to see the duo had not matured completely.
The thing about The Garage is that even when it is (supposedly) sold out there is a lot of breathing space round the sides which suits me just fine. There is a notable high presence of chequered shirts and skinny jeans which I imagine makes this crowd not too dissimilar from the ones M&K usually entertain back home. Significantly, and to their credit, this is also the portion of the audience who are the most rabid when the headliners hit the stage. Tonight this excitable and youthful segment of the audience MADE this show.
This electricity clearly gets the band buoyed from the get go and very quickly they were throwing themselves into every number like their lives depend on it. Kim Schifino is an authentic ball of energy; her limbs flailing all over the place and a smile permanently etched on her face. Matt Johnson takes the role of the twitchy master of ceremonies speaking 100 words a minute with his nervous excitement visible and contagious.
Dropping bits and bombs from their entire discography means the band’s progress from 2006′s ‘Matt & Kim‘ to last year’s ‘Sidewalks‘ is easy to pinpoint. So whilst their repertoire mixes effortlessly its seems the newer numbers are more satisfying to play and perform. Of the many well recieved songs ‘Cameras‘ seems to win the biggest appreciation showcasing our cocksure heroes doing what they do best and loving it.
I have a feeling that tonight may not have necessarily won any new fans over. After all this type of cathartic mass sing along experience is not as fun if you are not screaming along to every word or in the case of the duo at this point sweating and dancing in the front row.
For those who knew what they were in for Matt & Kim gave 110% and a delivered a textbook performance. Catch them on their extensive US road trip in June, you won’t regret it.
Back in the summer of 2009 I caught Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros storm through their first London performance in the intimate surroundings of The Lexington in North London. Their debut album ‘Up From Below’ was already a regular fixture on my ipod and would deservedly end up as this sites number one album of the year. That night it was immediately obvious to me and the 100 or so people in attendance that we were witnessing something very very special and, dare I say it, spiritual.
In the time since the multi-membered musical cult have played shows across the planet charming and seducing new audiences along the way. Their name has been steadily rising as the music press and blogs began to pay attention helped in no small amount, I’m sure, by the mass appeal of standout track ‘Home‘. My immediate fear when I found out about these upcoming London performances was that some of the intimacy I had observed back in August would be lost on a larger audience.
The counter argument of course is that that that their heightened success has given the band the freedom to further their creative ideas. Ideas like playing 5 consecutive nights at The Old Vic Tunnels for example….
As far as London goes I haven’t experienced many venues as concealed as this one. It took us a good twenty minutes to find despite it only being 5 minutes from Waterloo. On any other day this may have resembled one of the many graffiti blanketed passages in the area but a throng of people outside as well as a massive Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros mural were kind of a giveaway.
Walking into the venue we were presented with a carnivalesque mood with performers and art installations all around. After being frisked by some alien cops (and being rewarded with sweets for it) we wandered around the venue stumbling across one crazy happening after the next. In between massive moon and sun effigies and wandering characters we witnessed a Mardi Gras style funeral whilst avoiding the overpriced beer in the Texan Tavern. The band were not due on stage for another hour but arguably we were already starting to get value for our money.
All of these side shows would have counted for little if the music had not been up to scratch and that was soon put to the test. With the introductory sounds of ‘Janglin’, the band’s de facto anthem, playing over the PA the 10 or so members began zigzagging their way right through the audience to reach the front. With an outbreak of smiles hitting both the stage and the audience the band burst into their first number and I was reminded of what made me fall in love with The Magnetic Zeros to begin with.
The band effortlessly reeled off big tracks like ‘Up From Below’, ‘Carries On’ and a spooky rendition of ‘Desert Song’ inducing mass sing-alongs at every possible occasion. Their sound has seemingly evolved after constantly tourign so that these songs appear to be much bigger and much more of a collective effort in comparison to the recorded versions.
This impression of cohesion and harmony was reinforced by a succession of band members lining up to play “their” songs. This gave us a chance to hear a new song fronted by cool as ice guitarist Christian as well as a sweet Simon & Garfunkel like number titled ‘Every Part Of You’ by excitable pianist Aaron. The highlight of course was hearing the amazing Jade Castrinos deliver a spine chilling rendition of ‘Fire & Water’ which was previously released only on their ‘Itunes Sessions’ EP. With so many talented musicians and vocalists on stage every song culminates in an explosion of melody and energy.
No Edward Sharpe review would be complete without a mention of frontman Alex Ebert. Even in those moments when he is not directly involved in the singing you feel you can’t take your eyes off of him. The shamanistic singer guided his band mates and the crowd throughout the night creating a very real connection. Spending a good portion of the set in the middle of the dance floor he is, as ever, the charismatic cult leader shepherding his followers along the path to ultimate enlightenment.
A brilliant rendition of ’40 Day Dream’ peaks and soars but by this point you got the feeling that half the crowd were waiting for one thing in particular. Of course they wouldn’t be disappointed as the familiar guitar and whistle intro of ‘Home’ eliciting a huge cheer. I fear that this may someday become the band’s equivalent to Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ but for now they still manage to play it with gusto. Compared to the last time I saw them there was noticeably less interaction between the protagonists Alex and Jade as they sung they parts. As a result the song took on a spiritual significance rather than a romantic one but was not worse off for it.
With the glorious notes of ‘Om Nashi Me’ ringing around the venue this would have been a fitting conclusion to a brilliant night but The Magnetic Zeros had more yet more surprises in store. After inviting the audience to a serving of milk and cookies (yes, really!) on the way out they continue continue playing for an extra hour or so just outside the venue surrounded by hundreds of new and old adoring fans.
It would have be sufficient to just show up and play a few songs but once again it feels like I have subscribed to a complete audio-visual experience. It’s precisely this willingness to always go the extra mile that makes this crazy talented bunch a true delight to witness live.
More than anything I get the feeling that Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are having fun doing what they are doing and most of all having fun being together. Perhaps that is the secret to their magic.
With ArcadeFire fresh from two incredible London live perforamcnes and ‘The Suburbs‘ on constant repeat on the Cougar stereo they couldn’t be left out of this set of Weekend Videos.
Here is a video from 2005 of the band performing their anthem ‘Wake Up‘ with none other than DavidBowie. You know you’ve made it when a legend performs your song with you.
My adoration for the Pixies, and in particular their ‘Doolittle’ album, is well documented on this site. Round about this time last year I was fortunate enough to catch the legendary band play Brixton Academy for a series of sold out 20th anniversary shows for that album.
Frank Black and co. are determined to continue the celebrations and are offering a free 4 track live EP.
If you missed those shows here is a chance to share in a bit of the magic.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club burst onto the scene in 2000 with ‘B.R.M.C.‘, a rollicking, reverb-drenched, fuzz laden album of face punch rock. “Love Burns” from that LP still has the capacity to send chills down my forearms. Their follow up LP, “Take Them On, On Your Own” offered more of the same power that could steam-roll you flat if you weren’t bothering to pay attention, but offered little departure from ‘B.R.M.C.’ and fell flat for me.
And then along came ‘Howl‘, an album that if I hadn’t seen them perform live, I wouldn’t believe it was even the same band. How a band can go from the Jesus and Mary Chain to some back country gospel and blues in 2 years I will never know. It’s unabashed departure from their first two LP’s is so drastic that I’m very skeptical they could really mean any of it… an inside joke where they laugh a little on the inside when they coo “I will walk with Jesus, till I can’t go any more.” But that album is shit hot, inside joke or not.
‘Baby 81‘ offered a return to their original sound, but unfortunately the old sound resulted in an album of forgettable haze and noise, an average 90s throw-back album in modern day 2007. Enter ‘Live‘, a 2 DVD set with a bonus live CD. The CD covers three 2007 sold out shows in Berlin, Dublin and Glasgow and is basically just a random selection from the DVD, which is the real draw here (and which has been getting some solid reviews). Now, my idea of a solid live album is one that captures something that a studio version cannot: energy, showmanship, and a continuous stream of songs exactly as they appeared in concert, with the misplaced distortion, the occasional amplifier feedback, the short jokes between songs, the screams from the crowd, even the annoying chatter in the background.
But why an accomplished act, whose live shows happen to be their lifeblood, resort to a mixed bag of tunes from three different nights – three nights of varying emotion and vigor, of different weather, of different lunches, of different bus rides and fans – I will never know. A random assortment of songs with no intensity is the last attribute that should be attached to the term “live”. The songs that make up this album offer no heart and very few tracks should be repeated multiple times. If I want to hear the real BRMC, I’ll go back to the original studio cuts or to another live show.
My ideal BRMC album includes their trademark distorted melodies, with a heavy dose of their “Howl” inspired folk. Word on the street is that we’re going to get that from their March release ‘Beat the Devil’s Tattoo‘. I’m looking forward to the new album and hoping to forget ‘Live‘.
A couple of months back I saw underground mastersCursive 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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