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I'd just like to mention one of the other bands that were on the bill, British Sea Power. Now, this lot have to be the worst excuse for a band I have ever come across; I would like to blame their wretchedness on the flush of youth, but that would be doing some fine young bands a mighty disservice, after three minutes I wanted to kill the singer, after ten, I wanted to kill the whole band, and after twenty, I wanted to kill myself. Terrible, lame, rubbish. They'll go far I'm sure. You read it here first. Next up was Richard Thomas and Hairy Butter, three guys in suits, and looked a bit like Kraftwerk or something. Richard said "hello" then all hell proceeded to break loose: one guy (Olivier, I think) was producing the hardest sounds imaginable from a set of turntables, even standing on his decks at one stage, while throwing stuff all over the place, Richard looked calm at first, but was becoming more agitated while playing trumpet, melodica, whistles, and other odd wind instruments and working in sounds from his Powerbook and seemed to be sampling himself while he was playing and churning it back out, the other guy swallowed some small microphones and was doing god knows what to produce unimaginable sounds, harder than any guitar/bass/drums bands, (honestly) and then he was hit by something in the face. Next thing, he was rushed to hospital (with a severe face injury I was later told), but that didn't stop Richard and Olivier, the sound got harder still, Richard himself was cut very badly during the performance, blood splashing everywhere from his injured hand. After about twenty minutes it was over, Richard leaving the stage playing a duck call whistle as he left the stage. One of the oddest but most exhilarating shows I've ever witnessed - and I've seen a lot of stuff. The audience went absolutely berserk at the end, considering they'd just stood open mouthed the whole show. "But what did it sound like" you say. Fucking amazing is the answer. Some of the hardest sounds I've ever heard, but orchestrated, everything in sync, blasts of noise, beats and at times sublime melodies, combined with extreme violence, and incredible commitment to their music. This was rock'n'roll but not as we know it. I wish that most bands would play this hard, this uninhibited, but alas. I also have no time for the proliferation of "laptop jockeys" like VVM, Antenna Farm and any other Fat Cat "band" you care to mention, but Mr Thomas and the Hairy Butter guys gave every ounce of everything they had. And how many times can you say that after watching a band?
A quite unbelievably memorable night. Arthur |