Dillinger Escape Plan, Mean Fiddler, London
Today proves to be a strange day, a day of extremes. I spend the vast majority of the 14th December in the Islington Academy at the MoonSka Europe Christmas party before nipping across town to see the frankly elephantine Dillinger Escape Plan at the Mean Fiddler. Some bands were good, some were bad, some were surprising, and one was Hypo Psycho. Here…we…go.
I arrived at the Academy to see a huge queue due to the fact that doors were delayed by two hours, meaning that I missed the opening band Dumpster Pop. I was in time for CHAIRMEN OF THE BORED, who will always be bracketed at ‘that bloke from Hollyoaks’s band’ whether or not they’re good. The fact is that they’re not all that band. It’s clear that they’re an inexperienced band, and the horrendous sound does not help their poppy brand of punk rock, but they’re by no means the car wreck that I was expecting. True, they’re derivative at times but the fact that they don’t have any discerning features handicaps them. On the rare occasions that they do try innovating or taking risks it pays dividends, and even though they’re not all that good tonight, they’re not crap (4).
Before I review this next band, I feel it is right to make a disclaimer. I did not watch them from any kind of moral standpoint, from any ‘punk elitist high ground’ or as some kind of snob. I watched them just as I would watch any other band that I’d never previously seen or heard before – with curiosity and without hyperbole. Now that’s all said and done I can truthfully say that HYPO ‘fucking’ PSYCHO are by far the most horrendous band I have ever seen. Even if you wade through the contrived image, the ToniandGuyxcore haircuts, the poses and the expensively alternative clothes the fact remains that H’f’P are atrocious. I genuinely felt sick watching them – yes, they’re fairly tight but so are straitjackets and they aint fun. The singer cannot hold a note, and the anodyne, watered down saccharine shit that spews forth from them is an insult not just to MoonSka Europe, not just to ska punk music as a whole, not just to the people listening to it, but to music as a whole. Something about them is awfully sinister, like they’re just raping ska to sell the image, but the music is horrendous too. They have no redeeming features and John Solabeat summed it up best by saying “They shatter my ears, that’s how shit they are.” Unimaginative, repetitive, dull and boring are nicely complimented by ghastly, annoying, predictable and offensive. And I hope they paid the ZBB lads a lot because they looked like they were having as much fun as a spider having its legs ripped off. Please don’t think I’m exaggerating – they’re worse than Busted because at least Busted don’t pretend to be anything other than what they are, and they have a vague control of melody. They receive (0) and they’re lucky to get that much. Insulting.
Who was the unlucky band that had to follow up that powerhouse performance? Who had to step from the shadows and try and wrest for themselves some kind of glory after the epoch-making display we’ve just seen? SONIC BOOM SIX, of course. The Mancunian quintet stepped up to the plate and within half a beat had immediately banished all memories of that car crash of a band. This is the first time I’ve seen them and I was most impressed – Barney and Laila bounce energetically around the expansive stage as Ben shares vocal duties with Laila, swapping razor-sharp verses with ease and confidence. They play live just like they sound on record: enthusiastically competent and vitally innovative. Mixing a bit of ragga with some bhangra and ska while subtitling all their music with a strongly melodic, yet consistently heavy punk sound they whipped the crowd into a frenzy even though they were playing to a room full of people who might not have been exposed to such a destruction of traditional genre boundaries. The most pleasing aspect was the fact that SB6 looked comfortable on the large stage and on the evidence of this excellent performance they could soon have the opportunity to get used to it. 2004: Year Of The Boom? Perhaps. (9)
GRAVELTRAP have always had a bit of a rough time of it here on Punktastic. The Savage (geddit?) review of Concrete and Udder Chaos was well documented and last time I saw them they were disappointingly flat. But on the strength of this performance I’m going to have to rescind the harsh words I conveyed them in to Ob1 Punknews at the HHN Bash, because they displayed a maturity and strength that I wasn’t expecting. Mixing fast melodies with a deeper sound than I’d previously heard, Graveltrap have come on in leaps and bounds and considering how confident and funny they appear on stage, they could find themselves with a more prominent profile in the months to come. Ripping through their set of punk rock songs with a workmanlike quality, the added layers of sound gave another level of complexity and technicality that remained in keeping with the generally upbeat nature of the Graveltrap sound (7).
It’s bands like ZEN BASEBALLBAT that continue to reaffirm my faith in the enduring qualities of ska music, even though it continues to be battered at every available opportunity. The fact that ZBB have the combined age of probably the entire audience only increases their attraction as they concentrate not on image or genre, but on having a damn good time onstage and creating some uniquely danceable music. I was sceptical as to the response they’d get from a sometimes apathetic London crowd, but the fact that their brand of Northern Soul flavoured ska made almost the entire room bounce around for half an hour is a testament to their abilities, both in terms of writing catchy songs and their performance. ZBB can make even the most gritty of subject matter sound attractive with their quirkily individual identity that sets them aside from most bands currently doing the rounds, and playing to an audience that most probably did not come specifically for them they showed that they’re still at the height of their abilities. Excellent fun (7).
I’ve genuinely loved SOLABEAT ALLIANCE for a couple of years now, and it’s more than a little indulgent to reflect on how they’ve grown and progressed as a band. With this prominent performance concentrating mainly on newer material like the soon-to-be-classic ‘All Or Nothing’ or the horn-laden ‘Blindside’ they yet again displayed their talents as a band more diverse than in previous incarnations. However much I love their old stuff, like the fantastically upbeat opener ‘Tongue Tied’, this show proves they’re not just a punk band with some horns – the reggae singalong ‘Dusk Till Dawn’ sitting comfortably with the manic ‘Supersonic’ for example. Tim’s a fantastic frontman, displaying a charisma and enthusiasm for his music that is more than matched by the kinetic shape-throwing of John, Rick and Jeremy’s brass section, and when you factor in Paul’s talent for creating funky guitar riffs, Oli’s innovative drumming and new lad Dan’s bass handiwork you have an impressively organic band. Nothing sounds contrived tonight, and they’re as tight as any other time I’ve seen them. It’s just a shame that SBA’s set got cut short because they hold the crowd in their seven palms and are an explosively good live band (9).
Time to hoot-foot it over to Tottenham Court Road in time to hear…King Prawn on the warm up tape? For the beautifully extreme DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN? Hey, as far as I’m concerned, it’s all good. I can understand fully why people hate DEP – they’re seemingly random, swerving from teeth-shatteringly heavy to terrifyingly ambient in a beat, but tonight they play with a visceral quality that is astonishingly impressive. Perhaps it’s because I’m stuck behind many tall people but the random flashes of vocalist Greg Puciato diving headfirst into the crowd, or watching the guitarists and bassist throw themselves around onstage while still retaining a frankly incredible tightness is exciting in a way that Hypo Psycho could never contemplate. Yes, I’ve seen tight bands before, but never, ever have I seen a band this close-up throw in such complex time changes and crazy ideas at each other while being perfectly in sync – and I’m serious, they do not miss a single beat.
I can’t describe them, because there’s too much. It sounds ridiculous talking about an extreme meal band who throw in stupidly fast jazz scales or hardcore breakdowns at apparent will, and with the sheer majesty of songs like ‘When Good Dogs Do Bad Things’ and the astounding ‘Mullet Burden’ there is nothing left to do except stand and appreciate the display of brilliance. ‘43% Burnt’ is especially brutal, while the straight cover of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Like I Love You’ fits perfectly simply because it’s so off the wall. The fact that they closed with my favourite track ‘The Running Board’ served only to underline the power of this band – that’s what it is, raw power manifesting itself in talent and a desire to impress and confuse at the same time. As ever, DEP are preaching to their church because it’s doubtful that those who saw them and hated them during their SOAD support slots and at Reading ’01 will have turned up – the crowd roars their approval at everything Puciato says and it’s obvious that this is a gathering of the devoted. But the fact that DEP inspire as much hatred as they do admiration speaks volumes – the simple fact that they inspire is surely proof enough that they’re on the right track (9).
Thanks to Jon and Lol for sorting the Moon gig, and to Lisa and Nita for the Dillinger Escape Plan one. Sorry to all that I couldn’t stay for longer/come earlier – and to everyone I met at the Moon gig, cheers for being friendly. Especially Robb Whitmore!
Ben
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