The Black Angels, The Flowers of Hell, Sarabeth Tuceck - London Legion - 29/02/07
4/5
By: Ali MacQueen
In a city where turning up to any pub or live music-venue can guarantee you at least 3 mid-tempo indie rock bands on the bill, all sniffing for record deals, the Legion's Sonic Cathedral nights are a celebration of eclecticism in music and attitude. The theme continues when walking into the venue, decorated with black helium balloons and accompanying strings placed invitingly mid-air. It seems an incongruous place for this Texan sextet to play, but anticipation is still evident in both the UK and US elements of the crowd.
After much preparation and kitting out of instruments, first support act The Flowers of Hell take to the stage. The orchestral six-piece command attention through silence, starting with the barest of introductions. A lone trumpet player plays a mournful 'piece' before the rest of the band join in roughly 2 minutes after the start. The rest of the set is divided into many other 'pieces' with no lyrics, but all decorated with delayed guitars, saxophones, a violin, xylophone and egg shaker. Not nearly as dark as their name suggest, parallels could be drawn with Belle and Sebastian at their most indulgent scores. Overall, there's just enough to entertain when seeing the 'Flowers, but confusion reigns as to whether this is really their most effective outlet to play in.
Sarabeth Tuceck then meanders unassumingly onstage, wide brimmed hat perched firmly on head, and tousled tresses cosseting her face. Accompanied by a second guitarist, Sarabeth may be familiar to some due to her fleeting cameo with Anton Newcombe in brilliant rock-biog, 'Dig!' Though we may come from Bedfordshire, her acoustic set of bittersweet tales and angelic voice evoke nights on the Californian highway, watching the neon burger joints fade into the black forests and shacks brewing moonshine. Recent single 'Something For You', is greeted with near silence in the venue, and Tuceck makes even the chattering rabble at the back quieten down and take notice. After an appreciative reception, Tuceck gushes 'thank-you's' and makes way for The Black Angels.
To a background showing Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now', they ramble on to the stage in various shades of dishevelment and, apart from the girls, good beards. As guitarist Christian Bland plucks the opening riff to 'Empire', tension builds with every pounding of Stephanie Bailey's drums. Alex Mass commands the stage with talismanic ease, enrapturing the crowd with simple "hey-hey-HEY!" The 'Angel's make no bones about the fact they adore every important rock band of the last 40 years; The Doors, The Velvet Underground, Love, The Beatles, and Oasis. Echoes of Jim Morrison, droning raga-esque instruments and US 60's politics pervade every piece of their music.
While some may recoil from these anachronisms, once 'Young Man Dead' begins, you can't help but be overwhelmed by the sheer power of their music. Distorted guitars are beefed up by Jennifer Bailey's almost monosyllabic, but highly effective one-note keyboard playing, recreating Dante's 9th circle of hell right in the Legion. 'The Sniper At The Gates Of Heaven' intensity is bolstered by Kyle Hunt's sole job of drumming the heck out of a floor tom, as bombs simultaneously explode in the background. With each passing song, more bodies sway to the music, more long hair gets caught on your face, as people cram to the front.
By the time 'Black Grease's filthy bass lines sails through the P.A, The Black Angels are creating their own debauched pit of enjoyment. At times though, the songs can just get a bit too indulgent, as evinced by 'Manipulation', which strolls on for a good several minutes, yet you can't complain you don't get your money's worth here. Encores are duly dispatched and whatever your thoughts about the band's fusion of politics, imagery and music, it smelt like victory tonight.
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment