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First
on stage tonight are local Leeds band The Tennessee Traincrash who
seem to be following in the footsteps of The White Stripes by leaving
their bass player standing in the dole queue. By having two guitarists
(a boy and a girl wow) and Meg White on a bad hair day looking like
a cross between Monster from the Muppets and Ewok from Star Wars
on drums.
But
they sound like a southerm fried garage rock band with elements
of Blondie and Yeah Yeah Yeahs scuzz punk rock thrown in. There's
one song with both guitarists on vocals which sounds like a punked
up version of The Moldy Peaches, crossed with Interpol if that possible.
The
guitarist looks like he's just awoken from a very drunken haze in
a ditch with a guitar stuck in his hand. Even though there's only
about 20 people in the crowd, although they add nothing new with
their garage rock they do play good and rocking set and seem comfortable
on stage.
There
was a band on inbetween but I can't remember what they are called,
and they were a bit rubbish.
Bloc
Party
Bloc Party first met and formed in 1998, formerly known as Union,
a group of four, angry and young funky art school punk rockers from
east London. As it says on their website, Bloc Party are adding
something rather special and brilliant to the culture and the world
themselves.
They
manage to mix and meld 'art school' and '‘hard core riffology'into
on funky and danceable whole. They're a band that claims to have
'no lists, no manifestos, no nothing'. But to make music and have
their own take on what it means to be in a band. However they aim
to make a sound and mark on the music scene of uniquely of their
own.
On
stage tonight are Bloc Party, who although sound like a possible
tribute band to Blazin’ Squad, are far from it. They're a lo-fi
punk-funk band with stabbing riffs which are very fast and are very
dangerous.
With
Kele Okereke's call to arms and marching vocals, which sound a little
like a cross between Ian Curtis, Paul Weller, and Madness particularly
on the ass-shaking debut single She's Hearing Voices. His
vocals also sound like Luke from The Rapture, quite high pitched
at times and also fast and furious.
They
play a mean scattershot art punk funk sound that takesin everything
from drum'n'bass to hardcore, to white noise, to a speeded up version
of Franz Ferdinard. Albeit with a Graham Coxon style lo-fi sound
which is also very very fast, almost going to extreme noise, it
certainley rips open your ear drums.
They
don't so much have tunes. It's more like the riffs and chords and
drum beat which come out of their instruments which somehow manage
to meld together it's a thrill to watch. With everything fighting
for space on the speakers and coming out as a raging and ragged
wholesome whole, with some nagging vocals.
The
only downside is that they don't have any memorable tunes as such,
which will happen over time. But they have more ideas within one
song than other bands do in one career. With incendiary songs and
a cool attitude they are forcing you to listen to them.
Ben
Bradford
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