Concerts Reviews
Browse:
Live Act(s): A Place to Bury Strangers (@)
Event Date: 20 March 2008
Type of Event: Small Club Concert
Venue: Johnny Brenda\'s (@)
Rated:



Event Date: 20 March 2008
Type of Event: Small Club Concert
Venue: Johnny Brenda\'s (@)
Rated:






May 21 2007
Live Act(s): OBSCURE FEST III (@)
Event Date: 19 May 2007
Type of Event: Small Club Concert
Venue: Rising South
Promoter/Organizer: Obscure Night
Rated:



Event Date: 19 May 2007
Type of Event: Small Club Concert
Venue: Rising South
Promoter/Organizer: Obscure Night
Rated:





Dances are opened by REALGAR, a Neapolitan duo: Claudia Florio (ex-singer of LUPERCALIA) and Roberto Marino (played guitar for some time with ARGINE) give life to a mix of neoclassic and electronic atmospheres, an intense sound that enchants all the listeners. On the electronic beats Roberto Marino plays keyboard and flute, while Claudia sings with a deep and powerful voice. References to QNTAL and DEAD CAN DANCE are obliged, but the band knows hot to make their music original, and I must admit that Claudia sings even better than in her previous appearances: more spontaneous, the singing fuse in a better way with music and she seems to be more involved, really giving her best. REALGAR play the songs from their demo, quite interesting (in particular I like "Finis"), and a new unreleased song that follows the direction of the previous tracks but emphasizing the electronic aspect, and I found it really wonderful. I’ll wait for their debut CD, I hope they’ll release soon because it’s a great quality ensemble.
After a little time to resolve technical issues, on stage come the Neapolitan TOTENWAGEN. This is a strange band for this happening, because they don’t seem to be "obscure" and make a strong contrast after the ethereal duo that has just played. The band, with an album released in these months, is made by members of THE SPERMS, and it’s a crazy ensemble that plays an harsh rock’n’roll with strong MOTORHEAD references, but you can find also various influences from RAMONES to LYDIA LUNCH. Distorted bass, drums and keyboards (no guitar) support a rough voice singing in German, Neapolitan and English. Aggressive, provocative, intense, they make the public shake and dance. "Che donna 666" (joking with the Italian language) is the most vulgar of their songs and is a confirmation that their Deutsch-Neapolitanische Rock 'n' Roll has the power to break into pieces the walls of this club.
NASTRO is a new band from Rome which got some attention for having supported the American group BLACK ICE. At first they shock a bit with their strange aesthetics, something reminds me of the 80 white rap bands like BEASTIE BOYS, but when they start playing they shock even more because of their very particular musical proposal. Really crazy, they play something like No-Wave or Art Rock, but trying to definite their style it’s absolutely hard. Very good music, a fanatical vocal approach and really well playing musicians, that is what emerges of this uncommon band. In the last song they reach their top, with the singer using a floor tom as timpano, while the guitarist gives his guitar to the public to play, even though the effects used are so heavy that anything you do on the instrument results in a square and rich noise. The only thing that makes me sad is that NASTRO hasn’t released any demo until now I could buy!
SCARLET AND THE SPOOKY SPIDERS come from Livorno, Italy. They’re a deathrock-horrorpunk band and as the other bands in this genre their aesthetics is particular and cured in details. The singer is like TIAMAT’s Johan Edlund in his LUCYFIRE experience: dressed up to nine with a cowboy hat. Their music is the right style to put the public on fire: rough and "in your face", they have energy and a powerful approach, with simple riffs and dirty melodies. Songs are really involving even though I don’t remember a single song after having listened, and they maybe seem too similar the one to the other. Anyway, the public appreciates a lot because they surely deserve to be listened, and I obviously bought their MCD "Pop Up Your Eyes and... Thrill!".
RICCARDO PRENCIPE’S CORDE OBLIQUE is another Neapolitan band dedited to neoclassic music with strong ethnic influences. They are on stage with a new singer and a different drummer and the result is very good. I thought that the decision of placing them after a deathrock band would have resulted as a flop, but I was completely wrong: even though they play acoustically, the powerful drumming and the rhythmical and energetic music makes them appreciated and the public is numerous and enjoys a lot. The presence on stage of Luigi Rubino (piano) and Edo Notarloberti (violin), both members of ASHRAM (Edo also in ARGINE and many other bands) adds a wonderful ensemble to the guitar of Riccardo Prencipe (ex-LUPERCALIA), who plays like a Spanish Flamenco, vigorous and always passionate.
The Slovak THE LAST DAYS OF JESUS are the last band of the bill. They come with a crazy attitude, in particular the singer acts as a madman in accordance to the music, that is a deathrock-psychobilly with influences from SIEKIERA to RAMONES to ALIEN SEX FIEND (for many reasons I’d ideally compare them to this last, for the disturbing and out of lines attitude). Their exhibition is really what we need to end this wonderful night, and they drain all the energy left in our veins. They make also a bis, the cover of RAMONES "Pet Semetery", more aggressive than the original. A great exhibition that is the cheese on the cake for a wonderful night, placing Naples as one of the most important cities in Italy (together with Milan and Rome) for the obscure/dark scene. I’m already looking forward the next edition, and if you live in Southern Italy or you’re going to be here next year, don’t forget to come and you’ll be satisfied.
May 13 2007
Live Act(s): No Luck Club (@)
Event Date: 8 May 2007
Type of Event: Small Club Concert
Venue: Fat Baby
Promoter/Organizer: Expansion Team records
Rated:



Event Date: 8 May 2007
Type of Event: Small Club Concert
Venue: Fat Baby
Promoter/Organizer: Expansion Team records
Rated:





image not
available
anymore
available
anymore
No Luck Club is three asian dudes, two of which spin records that they manipulate and get creative with live and in real time (and by that I mean that they take it way beyond simple crossfading and scratching) while the third guy produces original (or sampled) sounds using two laptops and two usb keyboard controllers). While the underlaying beats might be of hip hop and funk heritage, the overall attitude towards real time live experimentation and sound manipulation is one that many of our readers are well acquainted with and would certainly highly appreciate if they got a chance to check out No Luck Club on a stage.
I saw them at their record release party at Fat Baby's in NYC. The record marks the first Expansion Records release, a new label that was born as a branch of the library music and sound designing company Expansion Team. I was thoroughly impressed and (yes, I admit) I was shaking my ass on occasion too. The show was great and I suggest you try to catch them live too... In the meantime check out their beautiful and creative horizontally laid out website at the link above!
May 13 2007
Live Act(s): CLAIR OBSCUR
Event Date: 12 May 2007
Type of Event: Small Club Concert
Venue: Iroko Club
Rated:



Event Date: 12 May 2007
Type of Event: Small Club Concert
Venue: Iroko Club
Rated:






May 08 2007
Live Act(s): The Young Gods
Event Date: 4 May 2007
Type of Event: Small Club Concert
Venue: The Swiss Institute Contemporary Art (@)
Rated:



Event Date: 4 May 2007
Type of Event: Small Club Concert
Venue: The Swiss Institute Contemporary Art (@)
Rated:






While some of the songs were based on their original music such as Charlotte and Stay With Us, others were completely reinterpreted such as Our House and Kurt Weil's Speak Low. Some of the highlights of the set included an extended version of Gardez Les Esprits, a very emotional rendition of She Rains, and a vivacious cover of Richie Haven's Freedom. What was most impressive about The Young God's set was that making the switch from electric (or electronic in their case) to acoustic did not take away from any of the songs' energy. This was most prevalent in their powerful performance of Longue Route, which is one of their more heavier industrial-thrash metal tracks. As Korn's MTV Unplugged demonstrates, it is extremely difficult for a hard rock/heavy metal band to play acoustically and actual sound serious, yet The Young Gods, a band that has a good ten years on Korn pulled it off with a great deal of ease. All in all, twenty years into their career and The Young Gods are still rethinking their music and pushing the limits of what everyone expects from them, which is probably why they remain fresh and innovative while the majority of their peers have become cheap parodies of their former selves.