And the beat goes on.
Having done my best Roger Bannister impression by making the Old Hall Street dash to Wolstenholme Square in less than five minutes – despite making a donkey’s dick out of the most direct route (thanks Revo) – we’re positioned once again in the upper reaches of The Kazimier for a band I saw less than six months ago. It was as awesome and as brutal as last time – for a more thorough insight go here.
But in the meantime, here’s what we learnt from last night’s 45 minute pitstop:
i) Not since Prince, has the microphone been used in such an explicit manner, as John Famiglietti thrusts, grinds and rakes his seven incher down amps and kickdrums in a housequaking and altogether sexual fervour.
ii) They premier a ‘slow’ number just before the finale (which may or may not be called USA Boys) which contrasts everything before it by including of all things – a chorus – while being immediate and almost pop. Pop in the way Sunn O)))‘s Monoliths & Dimensions was.
iii) Benjamin Jared Miller looks to have shed some weight. My advice to the Weight Watchers brigade out there. Scrap the diet, become a world-beating drummer.
iv) Only tall, slightly effeminate Brookylners can get away with wearing outrageously awful tie dye tees that look like they’ve been made by the cast of Rainbow during wet playtime.
v) We Are Water is still HEALTH’s finest weapon in their arsenal. An exercise in controlled mania which is equal part juddering mechanical thunder tempered by ghostly whispered haunts. Incredibly primal, yet beautiful and fragile.
vi) Working late shifts is pants. Not only did we miss Liverpool’s alt-darlings Bagheera (according to our snoop ‘HEALTH loved ’em), but we also missed Balloons‘ final gig as they split to look after their GAZILLION other projects they’re involved in.
Sad times: no more TV Station-inspired apparel and no more frenetic keyboard clashing with vocal gymnastics. Balloons do indeed go POP! Hope they went out on a high, etc…
