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We only got there as the second band (who will remain nameless) started up. Absolute pants! The guitarist was just playing all the parts from his one Dinosaur Jr album… but badly. I would have thought that the calibre of the support bands for the main act could have been better than this. On to the main reason we are all here. Melt Banana take to the stage with all the usual wailing and screeching from the guitar of Agata, wearing his trademark smog mask. By the time the second number kicks in Yasuko the singer is barking at the crowd, wearing a very fetching dress indeed. The crowd are literally standing next to the band, such is the smallness of the four inch high stage, which makes a nice change from seeing them at a sold out Garage back in London. After a couple of songs, the band take on a somewhat hypnotic quality, and the vocals become just another instrument, as the front middle section of the audience are jumping up and down, causing tables behind to be toppled, and drinks to be scattered, such is the tiny size of the space in front of the stage itself. The few crowd surfers had difficulty in not hurting themselves on the ceiling, which was pretty funny. Its only after seeing them at such a small place you realise how powerful this band really are. Gone, it seems, are the really short songs, but I have a feeling that many of them were joined together for this tour, as some seemed to go on for as long as ten minutes, which easily be a whole album in melt Banana land. Part way through the set Yasuko in her very broken English asked the crowd how far it was to Salt Lake City, then offered anyone who gave them their name a guest list pass if they turned up tomorrow - bless. My only regret - not having a camera again - doh! skippy |