I’m such a horrible person, me… rather than spending my 9th Wedding Anniversary at home with my lovely wife, or indeed even taking her out on the town (as it were), I’m off on my own down to Brizzle to catch former black balloon comic Goth troupe turned early 80’s dark rockist and Krautrock/ baggy disciples The Horrors! After flying under my radar for so long, thanks to that “Munsters” style initial sighting back in 2007 (gig 723), they’d impressed last time out (gig 837), opening my 2012 gig year with some absorbing rock tomfoolery. I confess the new album “Luminous” hasn’t made much of an impression on me, being no great departure from the previous effort “Skying” and a little more devoid of memorable tuneage, but I wasn’t going to let that little detail stop me from checking their 2014 incarnation out!
Hit
the road at ¼ to 7, driving swiftly down the M4 but then hitting
horrendous slow traffic trying to get into Bristol. Apparently they’ve
made a permanent speed limit change to the end of the M32
– from 60 to 40. Ridiculous! I therefore took half an hour from
junction to car park (bah!) and arrived, a little frustrated, but still
in time to check out openers Telegram. Good thing too, as they impressed
mightily with some brash blasts of dark, expansive,
amphetamine-fast punky power and swagger. I took time warming to the
vocalist’s slightly reedy voice and
very Welsh singing accent, but everything else was good, with the
Doors-like driving groove and soaring chorus of “Aeons” a mid-set
highlight. Some rather clever and selective plagiarists here; odd riffs
or choral hooks sounded naggingly familiar, but
I couldn’t quite place them! “This last one’s for the ghost of the
balcony,” announced the vocalist for their last number, “Folly”, a
suitably dry-ice enshrouded and dark spooky number to end a damn fine
set, which recalled Marion and My Vitriol.
A
word about the balcony here; it was shut tonight, with plenty of space
on the floor around my usual stage-left spot, even as the witching hour
approached. A surprisingly low Bristol turnout for
The Horrors tonight, methinks… nevertheless, the band took the darkened
stage at 9, easing into pounding, loose-limbed opener “Chasing
Shadows”, the lead-off track from their current album. Vocalist Faris
Badwan, the Goblin King of gig 837, appeared last,
leather-clad and angular, throwing expressive shapes from the outset
like a young Julian Cope, along to his band’s predominantly bass and
synth led music. Third number, the oldie “Who Can Say”, was a more
potent, strident Jesus And Mary Chain sonic groove,
otherwise the set veered from libidinous and freeform baggy
slightly-delic dance, to more driving metronomic Stereolab-esque
Krautrock, with Faris’ vocals drifting hazily over the top, like a cloud
of evaporated meringue, and the backlit laser and dry ice
combining to create a compelling visual spectacle. Clearly preferring
mood, texture and atmosphere to song structure, The Horrors tonight
weaved a musical spell; music to bliss out and sway along to, like a
pastoral acid trip or half remembered dream, so I
duly closed my eyes and swayed along!
“Endless
Blue”, with its’ abrupt mid-song tempo change, was a highlight, with
the pink backlit spotlights, mixed with the smoke, giving the entirely
appropriate, out-of-focus, impression of staring
at 3D without the 3D glasses on! The staccato synth and dramatic
riffery of “Mirrors Image” segued into the synth powered, Tubeway
Army-esque “Still Life” which was the set highlight, smoothly building
to a roaring crescendo, like an aircraft revving to take
off. “I See You” then closed out a set which was never less than
absorbing and thoroughly enjoyable, and at times tremendous.
“Thanks
for being such a great crowd,” announced the otherwise taciturn Faris,
before final number, the lengthy, sprawling “Moving Further Away”, which
recalled the European synth travelogues of
early 70’s Kraftwerk, before again building to a stretched crescendo of
noise, smoke and light, with Faris directing operations through the
haze. A splendid way to end a 1 ½ hour performance which for me,
cemented The Horrors growing reputation as purveyors
of intriguing sonic mood and atmosphere. Grabbed a set-list, then
chatted with Telegram’s back rows at the merch stand on my way out,
getting my previously grabbed Telegram set-list signed and being pleased
to discover that their guitarist had actually heard
of Marion! A startlingly swift drive home, feeling less horrible about
seeing 2 fine performances from Telegram and The Horrors!
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