The Next Big Thing #79
Since the last installment, the big happening for me has been that I did a lightning raid on Stockholm. I hummed, hawed and hummed some more but then thought fuck it. The way gas prices are going, in a wee while I won't be able to go anywhere.
Plus the opportunity to see THE NOMADS and SAKERT! plus I AM DROID's live debut - in one evening - was quite a carrot to have dangled. The NOMADS show was in a park in Solna, the suburb where it all started. The great Hans Ostlund still lives in that part of the city and tonight on their "home" turf, the band provided an abject lesson in rock'n'roll supremecy. As you know, I can bang on about how important this combo is for hours. I even talked to a guy at the airport on the way home that said he'd check them out in light of their being responsible for THE HELLACOPTERS. The campaign never ends and never shall. A lot of old faces and family was present and it was a privilege to be there aamong them. When I was there, the possibility of the festival appearance with Roky Erickson was being talked about but wasn't confirmed. The nod finally happened just about a week before it was to take place. So if you go to youtube you can see how great it turned out. Whoever had the foresight to put it together should get a special commendation.
And hopefully, this might mean that further shows are a possibility. Keep those fingers and everything else crossed. It seems like a good conduit to have a band in Europe that are up to the task.
The outdoor show was organised by a collective by the name of Black Sheep and is an annual event that encourages music in the area. Next up was the debut public performance of I AM DROID.
So did they deliver? Do they meet the mighty criteria that their album suggests?? Could they??? Well of course, I'm not sure that I've ever seen an outright first show by a band before. Probably not. The sound of the PA was unfeasibly good for outdoors as THE NOMADS had just proven. So from there, some good old fashioned imbibing of alcohol in the park. Reminded me of going to see SLADE and the SLEAZE band in the Cally park here circa 1971. Good vibes, stellar company.
It was loud and very clear, something that isn't always in evidence. The Droid don't trade in your average rock bluster, there's some very specific sonic alchemy at play here. My suspicions that Konie is a genius are confirmed and Peder and Frederick complete the blueprint. Jens "Ubi" Lagergren should need no introduction being a member of at least three other combo's you may have heard of. Namely - HELLO SAFERIDE, THUNDER EXPRESS and THE NAGZ. I also saw the second show the evening after that at Debaser Medis, part of the where The Action Is "weekend". Nice joint, pretty swanky and the room was great.
Their set was delivered in no uncertain terms. Bristling with an intensity that was like AHA if they'd been imagined by Trent Reznor. I'm convinced that their racket will be reverberating through enormodomes before too long. Small venues with little in the way of blast zones need not apply. The visceral nature of what they do came across more directly than it had in the park the previous day. Playing at night with some strategic lighting suits the heights that the material scales. IAD is a full-on rock monolith in waiting. Check out their "I Are Debut" album and see how you go. You can hear it on their myspace.
Next thing I recall is looking at my watch and it's nearly 10. Time to head for Debaser and SÄKERT! warm-up for Hultsfred. I'd kind of given up on seeing this in a small venue but the gods smiled on me and gave me another chance. My excitement was palpable, even in the event of extreme tiredness. It was an utter trip meet the Razzia's, Martina and Daniel Ledinsky run the enterprise that brought and continue to bring us the music of Annika Norlin. I'm not entirely sure we're worthy.
The set started way later than anticipated, part of a club night called "Falling And Laughing". The irony of this isn't completely lost on me as I've never seen the fascination of the Postcard Records phenomenon. Anyway, I digress, time lost all consequence when the curtain opened. The audience was 110% in from the start and sang every song like this was their last night on the planet. It was fairly overwhelming to be among it and there was more than a handful of times when I found that I had something in one or both of my eyes. By "Alt somm är ditt", I was completely overcome with emulsion. Of course you know that Annika is incapable of putting a foot wrong but the band is just so damned together. No ordinary combo in any way shape or form. Their interpretations of these fine, fine songs, sung in a language I have very little command of suggest that I'm only getting a fraction of the overall effect. I'm in trouble if Nenne gets those translations together. My plan to get SÄKERT! To Glasgow for Celtic Connections starts here and now. World music fused with traditional folk and pop values doesn't come any more potent than this.
I guess I was grinning like a fool when I went back to the bar. Don't think I've been in greater need of a drink in living memory. It was a perfect end to as fun a day as it's probably legal to have. I felt like I'd had as good a time as Kim (of M&K) has when she plays. Off the flippin' richter scale.
Have Matt & Kim been to Germany? I don't think I've done a column since they were here? Anyway, Glasgow debut was fated to happen on the same night as the European Cup football debacle. As you know this means less than absolutely zero to me. The stage time was pushed back to 11pm and the two detonated pretty much bang on schedule. What you can hear on the web or wherever is purely an approximation of the atomic energy that these two youngsters generate.
Kim pounds those drums like a being possessed and Matt sings something like Emo Phillips channelling Mark Mothersbaugh. His keyboard oscillates in time and space with frequencies that even put a grin on my mug. The fun that these two have playing is practically immoral and most definitely infectious.
They don't do encores either you get the heart, soul and kitchen sink in the actual performance. It's tiring to witness because the energy levels never drop below tilt. Even when they claim to take it down a notch.
The Edinburgh Film Festival has also been and gone. Taking place in June instead of August this year, I have to say that I didn't really see anything that's going to set any heather on fire. Best thing was an Ornette Coleman documentary made in 1985 and shown as part of a retrospective. I support the event and maybe I just made some bad choices this year but I was decidedly underwhelmed. Best film I've seen in recent times is a short black and white piece called "His Last Request". I see that the Sarah Silverman film "Jesus Is Magic" is getting a UK release finally. How could they not have brought her over. I would imagine that the column inches may have been considerably increased. Anyway they didn't but I hope that maybe she'll do her stand-up here one day. That girl has a dirty, dirty mouth.
THE HOODOO GURUS made their way North after their appearance at Glastonbury for a show in Edinburgh. Given the wealth of material that they can choose from, a Gurus set is never going to be long enough. Tonight there was a curfew that you get in these venues where the gig is a precursor to the disco. Although I'm pretty sure there couldn't have been anything on a Tuesday night? You can see from that what was played and it was great to be in the company of so many people who knew the songs.
When all is said and done they have a whole caboodle that should have swept the world. Tonight they let us have it with some of 'em at full tilt volume. They closed the night with a PERSIAN RUGS song (I think it was "Be a woman"?) and the perennial "Like wow wipeout".
Did you get your hit of SUZY & LOS QUATTROS'"Stick With It" yet? Those helpful Soundflatters can help you with that and have the CD and vinyl available now.
It's been a busy few weeks hereabouts and things are kind of creaking under the weight of having to deal with rocketing gas prices. It's the same everyplace, right? I don't know what you folks are being chiselled for but it's well over a fiver a gallon here now. Our economies are all fucked and supposed governments are powerless. What happens in the US come November will probably tip it all over the edge, but that self same month, those BOONARAAAS are headed back for London so if it means getting there by horse and carriage then that's just what I'll do.
Time to catch up on some recently released items you might care to track down in one form or another ... GLASVEGAS "Geraldine" (Columbia) starts like the opening of a Simpsons episode and soon hits a timeless pop stride. The drum sound is exquisite and it's a great song. As mentioned before, being sung in James Allens' brogue adds a whole 'nother dimension. As the Spector torch goes, this is pretty much spine-chilling the way that "Cheree" is. How in the name of Rev/Vega did that happen? I've been keeping this mob at arms length, being that they're championed by Alan McGee and that their audience largely consists of louts in the O*sis mould but this is as good a single as has been put out by anybody in recent times. Talking of matters SUICIDE, the very Rev. Alan Vega turned 60 last month and a series of 10" records is scheduled for issue of the coming months. These include Bruce Springsteen's extraordinary version of "Dream baby dream".
Finally got a copy of THE NAGZ "Wrong Direction" (Radio Obligato). Thanks to Ms Mona and you need to do likewise. A fine slab of Swedish powerpop that combines elements of THE SHIVVERS with some sleek SLADE overtones. The concept itself is fairly attractive but when you hear 'em pull it off, then that's a major result. I believe their next release will include a cover of "Frantic romantic". Start queuing now but not before you send some dosh to the people at RO for a copy of this. They have a myspace so it requires very little effort.
I always feel odd about including tips here because there are a zillion reviews coming up later in the mag. Sometimes I feel like reviews are kind of a waste of time these days. After all, all you really need to do is follow a couple of links and you can generally hear something for yourself. This is a good thing because then you're not going in cold on the say so of somebody you think you might be able to trust. Then again, there are people who have no taste at all and give something a bad review that you just know you'll love. This bombardment is sometimes difficult to get a beat on. Information comes in thick and fast. If you're looking for a radio station to tune into as you cruise the internet then try out North Fork Sound. Just type that into your browser and follow the road signs. There you'll find a wealth of very groovy sounds. Of all persuasions.
And on the blog front, check out So Many Records, So Little Time. Which more or less sums sum where, I'm sure, most of us are at. Both of these archives are served up my lifelong members of what makes all this tick. They have the technology to share their years in the trenches directly with those of us that need a regular hit of music that has been somewhat under the radar until now.
So I'll close with the news that THE DICTATORS are headed for Spain in October and HELLO SAFERIDE 2 will be nipping out into the world on September 24th. The Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby extravaganza will be coming your way on the Stiff Records imprint also.
On heavy rotation around these parts right now is Adiam Dymott's "Memory Loss". Something I seem to be able to relate to with every passing day. Go to myspace and listen to it immediately and be reacquainted with why you became a music addict in the first place.
As always, I can be reached via tnbt.co.uk.
I know you're out there. Someplace.
Lindsay Hutton
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