Review
by MattReview
by Matt
I
was originally going to go to see what the Infinity Chimps, John`s new band
which he formed after leaving Gorky`s Zygotic Mynci was like. When I found out
that the main act was none other than Brassy I was ecstatic - could life get
much better than this? This would also be my first experience of Clwb Ifor Bach
a club/live venue which promotes the Welsh language and puts on some of the
best gigs in Cardiff and South Wales for that matter.
On arriving at the venue one of those oh so hilarious delayed recognition's took place when we walked straight past John Lawrence. I`ve no idea what he thought at this strange person staring at him but by the time it stuck me that it was actually him and not a lookalike who happened to walk past the venue where the "real" John Lawrenece was playing it was too late for me to say hello! We then went inside (which opens at 9:30 PM so no early night for us - unlike the reviewers for NME and Melody Maker who only reported on the 2 support groups with no mention of the main act, Brassy. Your mom doesn`t let you stay out late then!), got our membership cards and walked up the stairs to the actual venue itself.
From
the moment Sgt. Rock came on stage you knew things would be slightly different.
The DJ stood behind a pulpit decorated with a huge poster of Elvis and a mini
mirror ball. The other members of the band included someone with a large foam
circle mask with the Sgt Rock logo on it and who entertained us with his funky
dance moves for the later songs but spent most of the set sat at the side of
the stage nodding to the music. The other member who was bare chested and wore
one of those silly wrestling masks and also didn`t do much during the gig except
for some funny poses. They played dance music no to dissimilar to BRA or Fatboy
but a lot better. Their performance was the best thing as they made you laugh
with all the costumes and stuff. Best moment was when the solitary mike which
stood unused for ages. The person in the wrestling mask strolled over and took
the mike. What would he say? What he did say took the whole room by surprise
and made everyone smile - you wouldn`t think that f**** hell would be funny
but at that moment in time it fitted in perfectly.
Next up was the Infinity Chimps. I had already heard one of his tracks and caught his performance on I Dot (complete with Viking hat) so I knew that it would be as far away from Gorky`s as is possible. John played one his own with the help of an Atari ST on sequencing duties, keyboard and peddle steel guitar (the only conventional instrument). The music is a moody, atmospheric, instrumental landscape. It was hard to tell how many songs were played as they merged into each other but at one obvious break in the song the audience who were captivated throughout took the chance to applaud which John acknowledged. It was a shame that his music didn`t fit being played live, John`s input was small - playing peddle guitar, keyboards and knob twiddling and when he was not doing that he was smoking spliffs and nodding hypnotically to the music. If a few things were added it would make for a more entertaining live show.
After
a short break Brassy came on the stage with Muffin dressed in shorts, vest and
knee length socks! The audience was bombarded with a mix of hiphop and punk
which was begging to be danced to. Some of the audience responded but quite
a few didn`t which was a shame. The drummer does a fantastic job of juggling
DJ and drum duties and the bass brings us bubble gum chewing fuelled backing
vocals. They can seem a bit scary at times but this is due to them having a
massive stage presence and putting so much into their songs. Makes a change
from bands who get up and go through the motions with no emotion. (Hey rhyming
sentences, whatever next?). The set consisted of their singles Work It Out,
I Can't Wait, Good Times and some B-sides like Secrets + many more. After it
finished I couldn`t believe how late it was, I had been up 22 hours that day
but at this moment I didn`t feel it at all and I wanted more!! This was a truly
amazing gig and I enjoyed it so much and danced to I dropped... sort of....
I didn`t get in full flow as not everyone was getting in on the fun. The support
acts were interesting but it was Brassy who set everything off. I had hoped
to see them again, a little nearer to home in Birmingham but fate as it always
does, got it the way but I did have the comfort that it wouldn`t be as long
before I would see them again.
Review
by Ceri
It
was all very bizarre - right from the start when I walked past John Lawrence
without giving him so much as a second glance. But I should be describing the
bands.
I liked Sgt Rock - they played some decent big-beat dub type music which would have passed the time of day normally. Luckily they combined it with an excellent stage show that I found ridiculously amusing. The sight of a chap with an overall and a large orange circle on his head doing some funky dancing cheered me up no end. The music wasn't really up to scratch though - it was a show rather than a performance.
So the big question was - how far away had John Lawrence moved from the plot? Had he just misplaced his marbles down the back of the settee or were they in fact with his distantly related aunt who was emigrating to Tuvalu, having packed them by mistake? Well anyone who considers a live show consists of watching someone manipulate a computer has to be at least slightly removed from their rocker. And who subsequently plays a series of weird, but melodious noises which you can't really dance to, but turn your brain into a large pile of mush, gives rise to calls for men in white coats to be called at the earliest opportunity. However I believe I misjudge him. I was seriously freaked out by this show, but having listened to the album a lot I have concluded that the man is in fact a musical genius and should be applauded. So he did know what he was doing after all. I've cancelled the frontal lobotomy - though his live show needs definite work
Onto
Brassy and it was a relief to see some instruments about to used and a band
who were willing to entertain and party. Shame they insisted on everyone else
doing it in an annoying way. They were excellent however playing a superbly
up set, with an interesting dance/rock type blend and excellent choruses. They
certainly brought some comparative sanity to the night, even with the lead singer's
outfit. I can't really describe the relief in seeing a splendid normal band.
A great band to watch who seem destined for greater things than a Monday night
in Clwb Ifor Bach.