The most wonderful thing about this gig is the fact i got to meet and interview the band before hand.. well, no i lied. The most spectacular wonderful thing about this gig is that it was amazing and FREE! I'm not a tight ass but a free gig that i enjoy... the perfect gift.
The interview went really well (with help from Mike on camera.. kinda). It was Joe, the 'lead' of the band, i had the satisfaction of meeting and questioning. Friendly chap with lots to say about how he's been truly inspired by decent music and good times. An edited video of the interview will be online soon enough (ill link it when its done).
Anyway on with the gig! This is 65days biggest ever home town gig. After all they are born and bread Steel City goodness. It felt homely and proud, like a decent mug of Yorkshire Tea. The Octagon hasn't been used much of recent months. I think the music scene blames the Academy for this. Big corporate venue booking all the bands and all... bastards.. but not for 65days!! From interviewing Joe i learnt that this venue had some meaning for him anyway and that they wanted to stick to a proper Sheffield venue for this gig. And I'm very very happy they did.
I'll mention the support... but that's about it. Firstly, Nerdy. A Bjork esc lead singer mixed with a brick left on a synth on full blast. I say Bjork, if Bjork was being forced to push a Land rover up her fanny, that's about the right sound of her voice. This was followed by Loops Haunt.. a man with a skill... a skill to push buttons in time with a 4/4 beat. That's all he did. One long 30 min song where he pushed buttons and spun something now and again to change the sound or make a squeeky effect... actually suicidal. I have no idea why these two supported 65DOS but all i was thinking at this point was 'If they don't blow my mind.. im gunna be pissed off i had to sit through this bollocks'.
They made up for it.
The new album is a lot dancier than the older stuff but it mixed perfectly within the set list. Opening with 'Go Complex' off the new album, straight off the mark everybody was moving one way or another. As the set went on, people got heavier and livelier with their dancing. The band themselves had an aura about them that can only be explained as a mix of the atmospheric feel of Radiohead and energy of someone like Fall Out Boy (early, good FOB) yet the music sounds like neither. 65 have no lyrics in their songs. 65 have no set time signature. 65 have no typical song layout. Live, they are pure energy and atmosphere through music. Heavy guitars, beating drums, thriving synth. Its just pure sex. They went on to play songs of both old and new including 'Tiger Girl', '65 Doesn't Understand You', 'A Failsafe', 'Await Rescue', 'Dance, Dance, Dance' and the fantastic 'Retreat! Retreat!' to which, the very little, amount of lyrics/words were screamed back at the band before people were jumping, spinning, moshing, raving about the venue like a room full of epileptic fits.
All the way through the set i couldn't help but feel a faint sense of horror in the bassist eyes. He looked angry, murderous you might say. Yet there was a distance in his eyes of reality. So into the music he was. He seemed to lose concept of normal human facial expressions. It was fun.
They ended the set (after going off and coming back on for the encore) with a true bang. 'Radio Protector' with the slow piano start is simply spine tingling live. Every person in that venue knew what was coming and as the piano got louder and higher in pitch, we all including the band went stiff for a second before those wonderful drums kick in with toms and crashes that make muscles you didn't even knew you had move in ways you never thought possible... that was only the first couple of minutes of the song. Never mind the 'breakdown' before the massive explosion of the song that turns into the pure rhythmic spiral orgy of dance, classical and rock that is the final 3 mins of the song. I know Ive gone on about one song for an entire paragraph... but it really is that good.
SEE THIS BAND! That's my only advise. They are playing Tramlines Festival in Sheffield on the 25Th July for FREE! Take some time out and just see them.
Peace
x
No comments:
Post a Comment