The Basement may be a slightly inconveniently shaped venue with an odd layout and a stage that’s neither raised nor big enough to accommodate more than an average drum kit, but they consistently put on some great live lineups with bargain basement (pun intended) entry charges. Tonight is no exception, and judging by the fact that the place is pretty full on a night when you’d expect all but the most hardcore gig-goer to be sitting in a beer garden our out by the riverside, I’m not alone in noting the quality. But then, with four bands for a fiver, including Spokes, you really can’t got far wrong.
I had given Brown paper Aeroplane a quick listen on their MySpace page beforehand, and while they listed amongst their influences a number of bands I like (Oceansize, The Cure, Portishead, Explosions in the Sky), and showed potential, they did, ultimately sound rather like a band in need of rehearsal. Judging by tonight’s performance – complete with trippy light show – they’ve been rehearsing, and hard. They’re clearly a product of their influences, and while not all of the sections of all of the songs flow exactly perfectly, when they hit their stride they really can rock. It will be interesting to see how they evolve over the coming months.
Mexican Kids at Home aren’t actually Mexican, and while youthful, aren’t exactly kids either, but their upbeat world music fusion is perfect for a night when it’s still over 20 degrees C outside. They’re a lot of fun, and very good at what they do, and even if it’s not my usual cup of tea, their summery musical cocktail hits the spot in the here and now.
From the moment Collisions and Consequences play their first few bars, one thing is glaringly obvious. They’re not nearly as good as they think they are. Don’t get me wrong, I admire a band that’s confident. But it’s essential to have the skill – and, perhaps most importantly, the songs – to substantiate that confidence. C&C aren’t entirely lacking in competence. In fact, the drummer is a real powerhouse, delivering some really expressive and imaginative rhythms. The rest of the band, alas, are simply mediocre, the songs lack anything that grabs the attention and, frankly, the singer’s vocals are dreadful. They’re sort of like Scouting for Girls. Only not as good. Yes, the singer plays keys for all but the last song. It’s not something I’m ‘Keane’ on at the best of times, and it really doesn’t add ‘depth’ or whatever to their sound. If I was a careers advisor, I’d be telling them not to give up the day jobs, and the drummer to find another band.
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Spokes, on the other hand, are everything Collisions and Consequences aren’t. They play intuitively, cohesively, and without any inflated sense of ego or self-importance. They plug in and play. And how they play! Chiming guitars build into immense crescendos and extended rock-outs. The songs from ‘People Like People Like You’ – with ‘Yong People! All Together’ being something of a standout with its slow gentle build-up and rise and fall waves of sound – benefit from the additional volume of the live setting, and the new material really does have both solidity and texture. Having seen them a couple of times before, I can report that this is a band that gets better and better. As post-rock goes, Spokes are one of the most exciting exponents around right now. Cracking.
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