The Von Bondies - London 100 Club - 4/11/03
4/5
By: Kevin Molloy
With peers such as Graham Coxon and The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince gazing onwards in the audience, and Har Mar Superstar jumping onstage to introduce the band, it seems bizarre that The Von Bondies are still, essentially (and literally), underground. Giving the 100 Club one of its regular dust-downs (The Clash played their first ever gig here), The VB's couldn't be more at home, even in this smoky, nostalgia-drenched, cellar jazz-bar.
The moment they poutingly swagger onto the stage (from the audience, no less), the anticipation rises. This is The Von Bondies' first gig in England in over a year, and we are not to be disappointed. As lead-vocalist Jason Stollsteimer hits the first chord on his guitar, it is as if he's catapulted backwards over the narrow stage, missing the drum-kit by a hair's breadth - which itself then kicks into life, along with bass and second guitar. What follows is the most gutsy, degenerate, bluesy riffage imaginable. But oh so tight. Whilst Stollsteimer manages to project the impression that he's only hanging onto his geetar because it's slung around his neck, he couldn't be hitting the nail more squarely on the head. These songs have been honed to absolute perfection.
He's flanked on either side by the two ladies of his life - bassist Carrie Smith, and lead strummer Marcie Bolan. Relatively restrained in comparison to their frontman in centre-stage, both provide commendable - and, occasionally, three-part - harmonies (the short-but-sweet 'Going Down'). With just three chords and a plundering riff, they maintain the kind of stark, distortion-ridden simplicity that made fellow Detroiters The White Stripes (in)famous; the song is over in under two minutes. And it doesn't even matter that you can't understand a word Stollsteimer screams/drawls - the entirety is so sexually charged and electrifying, words might even detract. This is only enhanced by the honed, toned 'n' balanced backing-vox of Bolan and Smith, the often call-and-answer nature of the voices more than oft leading to a rousing climax.
Stollsteimer, however, does not have the night all to himself. Bolan assumes the role of lead-guitarist for the majority of the gig, and she storms the entire set with shining examples of what blues solos are really about. They're full of double-stops and pinched-harmonics, yet the majesty of the Bondies is still the heads-down straightforwardness with which they rock.
After a five-minute break at the end of the show (amongst the revellers again), the quartet take to the stage for more of the same, but it's no matter. Finishing up with stirring renditions of new single, 'C'mon C'mon', and old classic 'Lack of Communication' is a cunning tactic, but highlights possibly the Bondies' only shortcoming - the similarity of their material was such it went unnoticed that they hadn't played such an obvious, usual crowd-favourite until the encore.
Partly because they have the city of Detroit in common, and also because Jack White produced their last album, it's little wonder the Bondies are regularly compared to the Stripes. And the parallels are not defunct - the urgent energy and rigorous sound of the former is much like a four-piece impersonation of the latter, and whilst they have failed to make the breakthrough their erstwhile Detroit mentors have stumbled upon, it can only be a matter of time... Unless they simply choose to stay underground; they might quite happily remain as one of those few bands that are content to be hyper-talented and cool, and yet lurk forever on the modest club-circuit.
So, when Jacky-boy fell out with The Von Bondies and called them the 'sore thumb' of the Detroit rock-scene, don't take his words to heart. It's only in a good way.
Artists in this article: The Von Bondies
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