by Radhika Takru.
Black Cab performed their first major show in eons at the Northcote Social Club on Friday with the aim of promoting their new single Rescue. The Queen's Head and Wellyn were responsible for the provision of moral support. However, waving a handkerchief at a friend leaving the city/country/hemisphere forever meant I was slightly delayed and missed the first act. Apologies go out to The Queen's Head (who probably started on time, actually - there's something commendable).
So the show started for me with Wellyn. Check that - they'd like to be renamed Zenlyn and the Cardigans - so they announced before starting their set. An oral declaration, naturally, so it is quite possible that my interpretation of their new name's orthography is entirely wrong. I'm suspicious of them, though. Initially I was mesmerised. Guitars swooped and swirled steadily and allowed vocals to float and sink within them. It was lovely - spellbinding even. Then they morphed into grunge - I swear I heard crisp Grohl-drums in there. THEN they morphed into nearly-acoustic balladry. You know, the sort with meaningful lyrics that you actually have to pay attention to. I am all for not conforming to a specific genre and not being a slave to pigeonholes. However, I now have no basis on which to classify them. What kind of music do
A little drinks break before Black Cab came on. I got myself a Supersonic (think Oasis) and awaited their onstage arrival with bated breath. Well, ginny breath, anyway.
It must be my innate involuntary tendency to favour the underdog (or non-headline act), because I was a little bit disappointed by Black Cab. Instead of the experimentally exotic sounds I was expecting, the band dished out looping 80s synths. Never-ending sound spirals may be tedious to some but if you dig that sort of thing, it's not difficult to allow yourself to get lost in them. However, the krautrock-influence was a definite let-down. Everyone's into the 80s revivalism these days, why must Black Cab hop onto that bandwagon? Thankfully they avoided the "indie-electro" sound that seems to be dominating the airwaves at the moment and leaned more towards coolly detached Kraftwerkism.
They're veterans, though. We all know it and it shows. I couldn't explain the degree of comfort in better terms than the voice that hovered somewhere behind me that remarked 'I've never seen a drummer play with his eyes closed'.
6 comments:
How can you be "let-down" by Krautrock influnces while being thankful for the "detached Kraftwerkism"? What's any of this got to do "80s revivalsim"? I'm confused. I really enjoyed the gig and thought these guys were quite entertaining.
Because I was expecting something else. There's too much 80s floating around these days and what I'd heard of Black Cab was completely different. To put it in a cliche 'I preferred their earlier stuff' (... because their newer stuff doesn't sound that new.)
They were good, they were pros, but I expected more. I could be wrong, I could've psyched myself up too much for it, or I could have been too 'whoa'-ed by Wellyn. But it was a bit of an anticlimax for me, yea
Um - I was at this gig and it rocked HARD. Wall of sound - hardly synth stuff. Nice and intense like so few bands today. Will see 'em again.
Glad you enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to checking them out at Hold Hands @ The Tote on Sunday. I really like what I've heard of their stuff.
There seems to be some good differences of opinion between readers and the reviewer. Props to healthy debate and lively dialogue :)
-Beth (Editor)
I demand 'OMG you're so right OMG' comments on my Psuche review. Just for balance, u no.
Um - did you actually stay for more than one song?? This review simply makes no sense - they did some synths in a little intro thing but it was guitars all the way after that.
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