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Never having caught Aereogramme live in the UK for some weird reason, it was strange that my first experience would be in the USA, but it was well worth the wait. They do the normal quiet/loud playing that most bands in this loose genre do, but they do it quite spectacularly – it’s more beautiful quiet/fucking loud my ears are bleeding please stop the ceilings falling in! Part way through the set Craig B. (vox/guitar) complains he’s out of breath due to the altitude here. “Doesn’t work for an unfit asthmatic.” There was quite a bit of audience interaction tonight, and they came over as very good-humoured and gracious. Even the when the conversation turned to dissing The Vines who were playing just down the road, the crowd were on Aereogrammes side. This is a band of extremes and contradictions. The relatively easy listening of 'Zionist Timing', is a song that could easily fit into any radio play-list; well the first half of it anyway, as part way through all hell breaks loose, the players are all over the stage screaming and torturing the poor instruments – this would have most radio listeners looking for the off switch by now, but I’m loving it. They have a great ability to turn calm and beautiful into total mayhem in a way that Mogwai can only dream of. Something else to remember… the scariest looking player in a band is always the most approachable. Campbell McNeill is a huge bear of a man, who throws his bass around like a matchstick, I bumped into him outside the venue and had a nice chat about music and common friends in Glasgow. Aereogramme - an overlooked band by me in the past, but now one that I’ll keep closer tabs on for sure. skippy |