Hello.
I reviewed Kutosis a couple of months ago so I shall keep this first bit short. They did not start brilliantly. As my guest quoter stated: "They didn't sound like proper well rounded songs".
But, luckily, they were just waiting to hit their stride. Into their second and third songs their frantic combinations became more cohesive and deliberate and the furious guitar noises were soon joined by brilliant drums. An illogically logical cadence bounced and thrashed its way over the enclosing crowds.
I am, however, aware that their considerable improvement ran parallel to my pint progression and the changing opinions of my companion. I don't really think that had anything to do with it and I do really like Devo.
Gallops graced us with their presence secondly. Last year they tied with Slow Club as the best band I saw at Swn Festival (an achievement not to be trifled at) and I have been a reasonably gigantic fan ever since.
Here comes the second (grander) introduction to their review segment...
Just as mathematics transcends the apparent chaos of the universe with its precise elegance, the best math rock bands transcend the potential pandemonium of its often delirious concoction of ingredients. And Gallops definitely fall under the 'best math rock bands' category. They immediately demonstrated their bewitching complexities before launching into an unstoppable tirade of guitars, drums, keyboards and electronics. There were buttons on the floor and everything. Their sound was always advancing, much like the precarious speaker that kept edging closer and closer to falling on the drummer's head.
Mari says: "I like that they don't sing". She is right, they don't sing. They are one of the best and most interesting instrumental bands around. I do wonder if they will ever start to sing. It happens.
I must insist that you go and see this band live, and listen to their music being done un-live, like this one. Although this might be considered live by some, as the presenter lady said; "We are broadcasting this live... next week". To clarify, those three full stops indicate a pause, not a part of the sentence I have removed.
She said this just before the headlining act Truckers of Husk came on. Straight away I like them because they have a saxophone. Mari says: "Saxophone!". And they were also playing a film about Robert Falcon Scott going to the South Pole. This was very distracting - particularly when seals were fighting and people were dying.
Similar to Kutosis (but for different reasons) Truckers' first half wasn't their best half. Whilst very enjoyable they didn't distinguish themselves from the abundance of similar bands which crowd around them in our contemporary times. Gallops were also proving an extremely difficult act to follow and Truckers had included some strange samples in their songs which, to me, felt slightly uncomfortable and unnecessary.
Then there was a turning point. One song arrived with an impressively grand rise and crescendo and brought an irrepressible energy and drive spearheaded by their fearsome drummer. The energy went from irrepressible to overwhelming the players on stage and the crowd which rapidly became a mass of people leaping and bouncing along to every beat. They had to stop, momentarily, as said drummer rearranged his kit in the midst of them all before launching into the final stampede towards the end, dousing everyone in a flurry of flour and exceptional banging.
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