Though he's probably better known for working with the likes of Yellow Swans, Wolf Eyes and Merzbow, it's interesting to hear
John Wiese's disarming sounds on their own, freed from the full-on noise of his collaborators. He hovers over a range of unsettling images for the first half of the set, punctuating his layered frequencies with the smashing of glass and the shaking of prison doors. It's intense without being overbearing, and quite uncomfortable to hear in a live setting. The attention to detail is the really impressive thing, with Wiese often bringing motifs back into the mix as he heads towards a wild and clamorous finish, pulsing and rattling through laptop-generated waves. Sian Alice Group are something of a break from a harsher opening slot, and they play gorgeous, edgy pop with subtly forceful instrumentation and just a hint of darkness. Sian Ahern isn't a naturally possessing stage presence, but her voice is strong and she has no problem holding the higher notes. They play a dreamy collection of songs that gets a good reception, with some interesting riffs and drum patterns, but it's only at the end where the instrumental finish verges on post-rock that they really impress.
Liars are visibly comfortable playing live, giving a well-balanced set that, more than half a year down the line, doesn't focus too much on their
recent album Sisterworld. Playing with two extra musicians they are now five, and make enough of a racket to justify it. They start with It Fit When I Was A Kid, one of the singles from Drum's Not Dead, which sets the bar high with its low-key pounding and almost-spoken vocals. They handle its stark outro brilliantly, showing the sensitivity they are capable of. It's in direct contrast to this when they play Loose Nuts on the Veladrome, with its spiky, jagged guitars and unashamedly punk delivery. If anything it gets an even better response just because singer Angus Andrew can throw himself about on stage, the audience soon following suit.
The songs played tonight seem to fall into these two camps. The first is one of tribal drums,
ghostly vocals and humming, chiming guitars, drawn largely from Drum's Not Dead. The other is an unhinged, twisted noise rock that creeps towards anthemic, taking reference points from every stage in their colourful back catalogue. Angus seems comfortable with anything, jumping around with the frenetic crowd during a raucous version of Scarecrows on a Killer Slant, but showing a gentle touch for The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack. For an album that's had a slightly mixed reception, it's amazing how well the songs from Sisterworld slot into the set, though Liars could make even the most average music sound exciting live.
During the encore the band play as a three piece again, returning to the stage one by one. An extended version of the eerie and actually quite alarming Be Quiet Mt. Heart Attack! is followed by Broken Witch, the epic opener from They Were Wrong So We Drowned that is equal parts punk and no wave. These are the highlights of the concert, but that's not to criticise the touring musicians – it's just that Liars' music relies on energy and creativity as much as instrumental complexity. Luckily we get all three tonight.
No comments:
Post a Comment