Category: Music

Sway
Camden Barfly
23.05.06

There aren’t many things more annoying than The Streets. But when I walked into a packed Barfly, I discovered one thing that was – Someone trying to BE The Streets. Thankfully who it was that was offending my ears left two songs later and I was able to enjoy the main support for the night – Sway.

Sway isn’t the most active performer on stage, he doesn’t dance around, he doesn’t even really move but his charisma and interaction with the crowd means he doesn’t have to. Joking with the crowd about how Scottish fans weren’t keen on his Union Jack bandana representing them, he launched into his verse from the Mitchell Brother’s Harvey Nicks, before doing his big songs, Little Derek, new single Products [“If you want to buy it, go buy it. If you don’t want to buy it, go buy it”] and his credit card hating Flo Fashion. Testing the crowd’s hip hop knowledge he dropped Dead Prez and MC Hammer, with a bit of Blur’s Parklife in between, and then finished off with the anthem to end them all, Up Your Speed. Absolutely brilliant.

Then it was time for Spank Rock to [finally] take the stage around 10.50. I must start by saying that I was standing in what was undoubtedly one of the worst crowds I’ve ever seen in my life – It was like standing in Madame Tussauds, with people seemingly only there to gain scene points for seeing a much touted band at a small venue, which is a shame for Spank Rock because their party infused electro-hip hop deserved a better crowd than this. Backyard Betty kicked things off and lead into Rick Rubin with What It Look Like being thrown in before we were told it was MC Spank Rock’s birthday and that the crowd needed to dance because the band had just got off the plane and were “drunk as shit”.

Thankfully for them, the introduction of the woman that had been sitting at the side of the stage, and who had been claiming much of MC Spank Rock’s attention in between songs, got things a little more amped. She jumped up to dance and stole the stage by rapping loudly and brashly as the rapper girated around her to the tunes of Bump. The heavy bass made me think the ceiling was about to cave in and the bleeping stunted melodies which are scattered throughout their album Yoyoyoyoyo sounded as crisp as a Gary Lineker fronted advert and when they hit Sweet Talk, they finally saw some movement in the crowd.

If they’d been infront of a crowd real hip hop heads, they would’ve had a better atmosphere to perform around, but regardless of the static crowd, they put on an energetic show with much booty shaking on stage. Next time they come over, make sure you check them out, but for their music, not for the kudos of listing the event on your MySpace page.

Abjekt

Hammersmith Palais
22.05.06

When you see a 6’5 man walk on stage in an Orthodox cloaked jacket and hat, the white light shining from behind him illuminating his every move and you hear the most beautiful chant-like voice coming from him, you look closer and take notice. And that’s what every single last person in the Hammersmith Palais did when Matisyahu stepped onto the stage and flew into his set.

From the first track he went into all the way through, he had the crowd in the palm of his hand. He didn’t need wise-cracks, he didn’t need to constantly ask people if they were having fun, he just closed his eyes and sang, or rapped, and we were all hooked. When he broke into Chop ‘Em Down, the upbeat opening track of his first album, the energy stepped up a level. Seeing a sea of orthodox jewish fans standing in a large group in the middle of the venue jumping up and down drew the whole crowd in and soon everyone was dancing in time to the chorus.

At times the humble Matisyahu stepped back to sit behind his drummer or rested next to a speaker to let his band get the credit they deserved as they bellowed a cacophony of syncopated rhythms. But most of the time he spent his non-singing time throwing his arms out and spinning around in a circle, skipping around the stage bouncing his head to the music. When he dropped a spectacular beat box half way through, I felt like there was nothing left he could do, as he showcased another of his talents.

But when I heard his two anthems, Youth and King Without A Crown, I realised that this was the pinnacle. He told the crowd that he believed everyone was in the darkness fighting for their way to the small sliver of light, as they pulled themselves towards it. Whether the crowd were believers or not, his understated spirituality made everyone warm to him before he let rip with a closed fist to the sky and proclaimed that London was madness, but he loved it.

It didn’t matter that I don’t like any other reggae acts, because this was more than just reggae. It was hip hop. It was energy. Matisyahu’s faith isn’t just a gimmick used to give him publicity, it’s something which projects his music and his live show into the hearts of everyone. An awesome performance from a very talented man.

Abjekt.

THE UNDERWORLD, LONDON
05.05.06

It’s not often you can precisely pin-point the exact moment a radical change in music occurs. Metal, hardcore and punk were the results of a steady evolution in rock music that happened over many years, yet the first real combination of all three styles can be aimed squarely at the 1986 release of the Cro-Mags debut ‘Age Of Quarrel’ album.

It’s sheer muscle-flexing power and unrelenting brutality signalled the birth of metalcore and to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of this pivotal moment, original members John Joseph and Mackie have teamed up with Biohazard guitarist Scott Roberts and Leeway bassist A.J. under the name F.V.K. for a nostalgic romp through their best material.

Within moments of arriving onstage it becomes immediately clear that age has not mellowed the songs or the people playing them. Heavily tattooed frontman John Joseph stalks the stage like a caged panther, smashing his microphone to the floor in disgust when it fails to work then leading the band through the likes of ‘Hard Times‘ and ‘Malfunction‘ with such intensity that the veins on their necks look they’re about to pop. A liberal sprinkling of Bad Brains covers (drummer Mackie played with the rasta rockers in their later years) result in the whole audience losing their voices as we scream ourselves hoarse to every word. Nostalgia never felt so good.

James Sherry

The Forum
17.05.06

The support of the evening is a band called the Horrors, which according to murmurings was exactly that. A horror!

Next support act is 2 Hoxton looking lads that made an unbelievable amount of noise. I tried to imagine it as electro-garage-clash, but eventually resorted to imagining the whole experience just wasn’t happening. Loads of energy though. After sticking out the support bands, a relieved audience welcomes the headliners with thundering applause.

Karen O, from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs graces the stage, adorned in a white Elvis-esque sequined suit. “Gold Lion” topped the NME chart earlier in March, so it is no wonder they use it for their opening. Singing “Gold lion’s gonna tell me where the light is” Karen O moves slowly, poised like a cat. She dedicated an entire album to the life of her cat after all.

With her clown make-up, she looks like a punk-rock ballet dancer. Every muscle, movement, and note in perfect place for the cameras.

In “Cheated Hearts” she starts hinting provocatively when she strips off her cape and a few items to “She’s taking taking taking taking it off… He’s taking taking taking taking it off…” She stops at her hot pants and vest, and leaves the crowd going mental. It’s sweet chaos after that, as she jumps around the stage constantly stirring up the audience.

When she sings it comes from her gut. In certain moments (like in “Phenomena“) you can see her holding her stomach as she bends over to hit those difficult notes. Karen O truly has a versatile voice. Not only is each track on this album different from each other, but it doubles as a very different style from previous albums like “Fever to Tell“.

If, like me you were wondering how she does her death metal voice in “Art Star” you would have been amazed to watch her swallow the head of the entire mic-with her hands behind her back! The jumping, and dancing stopped while everyone looked on in awe!

The anthem of the evening is clearly “Maps“. A favourite, as everyone mimes the lyrics, and listens to Karen coo. You might recognise the riff in this song, as it was stolen by Kelly-friggin-Clarkson. Nick even went so far as to dedicated part of his previous interview to complaining about it!

Each member of the band is vastly talented. Nick takes photos like he plays guitar. The lightning fast guitarist has released a book, humorously called -“another book”. Karen lets none of the attention deflect off the rest of the band, as she drapes her arms around them after almost every song.

The energy of their music could come down to uniquely strong ingredients, that compliment each other, simmered at a steady heat. No bull, its just about the music with this band as each track is played back to back with 150% endurance.

The last track is fittingly “Warrior” ending on:
When it’s missing then you want it more
It isn’t right
Turning, turning out the door
And back to this
Leave it like it was before
And let me out
Must’ve been the end of the story
The escape lament of a wanted woman!

Polydor released 12 addictive tracks on the new YYYs album – “Show Your Bones” on March 27. In Karens’ own words “Show Your Bones is what happens when you put your finger in a light socket”

Niki Kova’cs
[Photo by Niki Kova’cs]