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Caretaker / Monkey Boy / The Oedipus - London, Upstairs at the Garage Saturday 12th August 2000 Oedipus - hmmm. Something not quite right here. It's like - they manage to be together but they're not. Sometimes when they change tempo, they have done 'the guitar phrase is this long', and the drummer has worked out a part, then no one listens to him. Remember guys - your drummer is your heartbeat! Oh, and mumbling into the mike between songs is a kind of ineffectual technique. Apart from that, early (70's as opposed to nu) metal collides with prog rock of the same era. Monkey Boy - a bass line bass, a lead bass, drums, and vocals. They have listened to some of the shambling bands of the mid 80's, it sounds like the vocalist has listened to crass sometime, but they have a sense of humour and sometimes those basses get funky too! They dedicate a song to Rothko (of 3 basses and no drummer) '40 Years To Park A Car', sing a song about fishing - and we all have a real good time. Attempts by the band to wind each other up in the silent parts of the set fail - in fact I notice that the silent parts are silent - no chattering in the audience. They announce that after 5 years they are selling out - and they introduce a guitar (Jon Meade from Rothko/Geiger Counter) - in fact it sounds very strange having got used to what they do, and I have to readjust again when he's gone. They finish the set with 'Planet Paul Pope'. These guys are really good. Caretaker - Whoa! Something has happened since I saw them last - they have got even more majestic! Their opening song, sounds like the final song in some other bands set - they are going for it. It's a really tight amazing sound; okay a bit loud - especially the vocals. I have to retreat to the back and some people here are putting their fingers in their ears. I make a brief excursion to the front for one song - really good. Possibly the only thing that lets them down - sometimes, especially when Harry first starts to sing, the vocals don't sound too good. It is very very hot in here - I assume that's why some of the audience in the front row are sitting down. Some of the fans get going for the last song but generally there isn't much movement, not even during 'Rangefinding', which I guess most people here must've heard. I wonder if they are just stunned into submission by this almost awesome aural assault or merely wilting in the heat. Excellent. After their sets I told Paul of Monkey Boy that they were really good, and Chris of Caretaker that I thought they were good - these were understatements. For some insane reason I felt the need to try and communicate how excellent you were - then failed. Forgive me. And the clear winner of Caretaker vs Monkey Boy? Why the audience of course! Sapphire

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