Red Stripe Camden Crawl - North London - 18&19/4/08
4/5
By: Various Scribes
Personally, for the first slot of the Red Stripe Camden Crawl 2008 I am torn between going to see Agaskodo Teliverek, who I love but have seen a few times, and seeing something new. I took the easy option and didn't regret it one single bit. I really, really hope that Agaskodo are heading for as big things as they seem to be, as I walk into the best rendition of 'The Beautiful Bread Man' I have ever seen, the atmosphere in the room is amazing, causing a really good vibe amongst seem to be an unusual audience for the band, who are also having a really good time. If I could only convey to you the excitement that I felt at this point, then you would undoubtedly be looking for tour dates before you can finish reading this sentence. But it's not all dandy sweetie candy-o's because the singer still seems to be having teething problems. The points of the set in which she's shouting her guts out are extraordinary, but because she does not pull her gob away from the microphone when this happens, it means the sound man inevitably will mix her really low, which means in the more melodic vocal moments not only can you not hear her very well, but she cannot hear herself, and anyone that has ever heard anyone singing along to an iPod (other portable mp3 players are available) will know, it is not very easy to sing in tune when you cannot hear yourself. But, and this is a big but, she is a brilliant front person - everyone loves a bit of badly spoken English and nobody does it quite like the Japanese. Whenever there is a moment of confusion she puts that massive grin on her face and you know that everything is OK. The sound for the band is unfortunately quite muddy, but this seems to be in part due to the confusing mix of two live guitars and live drums against recorded bass guitars and other miscellaneous samples. One step that would go a long way in making this simpler is to have a live bass player, the other option is separating out the backing tracks with various hardware so that the sound man has more control over getting the sound right for the venues acoustics and sound equipment. In no way would I ever suggest getting rid of the guitar tracks, as one of the most exciting things about this band is hearing guitars on guitars on guitars on guitars on guitars. I also think that the samples are great, but there needs to be a bit of a rethink if they are going to be able to take it further. In spite of teething problems with the singer, the drummer has settled brilliantly. There are of course one or two moments here or there when he goes very slightly out with the click track but 99% of the boy shows an exceptional ability on the drums without the tempo faltering. At the end of the show the band announce that they have just finished recording their second album which will be released in September presumably on Adaadat, oh yeah, and because they haven't got any records to sell they have some Agaskodo Teliverek panties instead. The reason I don't buy a pair is not that I don't love this band. (Charlie Potter)
Then to the Purple Turtle for some fresh faced synth led new wave pop from Warwickshire four piece Post War Years. The band treated the crowd to a high octane show of soaring West Coast 60s style harmonies, all delivered though with delightful Received Pronunciation. Instrument swaps abounded, and the sweet soaring pop melodies were diluted just enough by a musical angular jaggedness to keep any hovering musos interested. Buoyantly tuneful, danceable and fun. (Jim Carroll)
Lo Fi Fnk (it's pronounced 'funk', I believe) are just the ticket for a headline slot at the Crawl - just when you're beginning to feel jaded from too many cross-Camden treks (Purple Turtle to Barfly anyone?) to see noisy, guitar-abusing bands, the skinny Swedish trio drop their twisted disco-pop and remind you that music can be - sometimes - a very good thing. Although the band seem less than happy with the sound, lights and venue, no negative feelings seep into the performance - which is joyful and fun in the way that only electro-pop can be. The four-four pulse and Leo's thin yet loveable vocal delivery perhaps call to mind Hot Chip, but LFF manage to squeeze plenty of originality and personality out of their synth-heavy arrangements. They walk the tight-rope between intricacy and danceability with ease, mutating an off-kilter pop song into a dancefloor-igniting leftfield house workout without batting an eyelid. Oh, and the idea of having a band name that describes the band makes a music journalist's job so much easier - perhaps The Kooks could change their name to The Idiots? (Chris Pratt)
It was then off to the Bullet (which must have qualified for the Camden Crawl by the most tenuous of margins judging by the expedition it took to get there) for Johnny Foreigner. Luckily, if the trek left me in somewhat of a malaise, then the Birmingham three piece were the perfect pick me up. The two boys and a girl bustled onto stage like three t-shirt and jeans clad bundles of bristling, Brummie latent energy. Delightfully without pretence, here is a band who sounds like they take more care over their songs than their look. And what a sound! Opener 'Champagne Girls We Used To Know', explodes with more raucous energy than an A-bomb. What follows is perfectly crafted indie pop tunes over intricate, frenetic guitars. Ferocious yet melodic in equal measure, frontman Alexei Berrow has more sick licks than a bag of unwell affectionate kittens, all augmented with yelping call and response vocals and Casio keyboards. With everyone beginning to sound so 80s, Johnny Foreigner seem to have taken all the 90s' most interesting bands and crafted them into one interesting, arresting package, with dashes of Cap'n' Jazz, Stellastarr and Pavement. The best band I saw over the weekend. (Jim Carroll)
Metronomy are a band I can happily say I have watched steadily grow into a band with an incredible buzz around them, which I think is a surprising feat for a band who are largely instrumental, and this is shown tonight as the band comfortably fill out the huge Electric Ballroom. The room is very low lit to accommodate the band's trademark lights strapped to their bodies that they turn on and off by hitting them, which is becoming less of a spectacle as the band become more successful and play on larger stages. As much as there is a buzz about Metronomy at the minute, there is also a baffling backlash - just the other night I had someone telling me that they didn't like Metronomy as they aren't melodic enough, which is about the stupidest thing that anyone has said to me of late, because if there is one thing that Metronomy do well it's melody, and tonight is no exception, with songs like 'Black Eye Burnt Thumb' showing an exceptional lengthy melody being built up and evolved and pulled apart in a way that no other pop band could possibly manage. It does seem that the band still haven't been able to top this or 'You Could Easily Have Me' ,although 'Radio Ladio' more than any other track showcases Joseph Mount's actually quite good voice - it has a sort of lazy unassuming sound, which seems to just be a stroke of luck coming from someone who has been making instrumental music for about half a decade. Metronomy, being originally the solo work of Joseph Mount, seem to be slowly starting to work more like a band, with the guy on the left yielding the crazy LFO keyboard which has become one of the most recognisable elements of their sound. Considering the first album is fetching £50 on Amazon market place and £35 on eBay, not only am I gutted that I didn't but it when I saw it for a tenner ('nah, that's a bit steep' I thought to myself) but I am very much, along with a lot of other people, looking forward to the imminent second album. It'll be very interesting indeed to see how that one does.
Getting a bit lost on my way to Acoustic Ladyland I end up asking for direction. Luckily for me, the people I ask happen to be on their way to Acoustic Ladyland, and not only lead the way to the venue but buy me a drink once we get there, which just goes to show that for all it's queuing problems the Camden Crawl does manage to invoke that fantastic festival atmosphere that leads to talking to strangers and being nice for no reason. Not being familiar with the large proportion of the indie acts playing the Crawl I have felt slightly inadequate surrounded by competitive indie lads. But everything is put right when I am watching this band, because whilst everyone else is off presumably fawning over some indie rubbish, I get to watch this, which I am so, so sure is infinitely better than whatever mediocrity they are indulging in (I know, I am a very sad man). But really, insecure bitterness aside this was such an incredible show. The band play what is commonly described as a mix of punk and jazz, but more specifically the band use jazz instruments to play fast rock with a degree of improvisation involved, remembering that a huge proportion of jazz has no improvisational element. Anyway, the large proportion of the notable melodies are exactly as they are on the CD - the hook lines come predominantly from the sax with one or two emanating from the keyboard player, the bass acts as a perfect go between for the rhythm and the melody. This is though my first proper time seeing Seb Rochford. I originally tried to describe what I mean by 'proper' and realised it was painfully boring, the point is that the rumours are true, Seb really is an exceptional drummer, I would recommend going far out of your way to see him, his ability to knock out rhythmically intelligent, fast and exciting drum beats without putting one hair of his massive afro out of place, without even raising an eyebrow, is amazing. It occurred to me how good it would be to see a super group of Seb Rochford, Buzz Osbourne (guitarist/vocalist of the Melvins) and Shane Embury (bass player of Napalm death). But Seb is not the only one providing the energy to this performance, every person in the band is gurning away whilst playing with a unnatural energy. By the end of this set I was in giggling fits just simply because I was enjoying it so much. (Charlie Potter)
For such a simple set up, it never ceases to amaze me the endless mileage that there is in a three piece rock group like Future of the Left, but then of course it's to do with that thing that Eno says about people finding new rapports with their instruments, and interestingly enough (if you're a geek) the guitarist Andy Falkous plays his guitar with only four strings, the E, D, G and top E - how's that for a new rapport? It also never ceases to amaze me how exciting it is to see a drummer play simple beats really bloody hard, although saying that, the drummer that springs to mind whilst watching this drummer is Todd Trainer (of Shellac), not a drummer that you would call simple. But there is something about the way he hits the drums and the way things are often stripped back with a lot of high hat work that I think a lot of drummers would kill to sound like. Most of what the Future of the Left play is relatively simple, although of course the melodies are deeply satisfying and the songs are played with a conviction that is all too rare these days, but for me the real excitement comes when the band show their openness to much more unusual ideas that if you are a fool you could dismiss as being gimmicky but really are the result from a good step back and a fearlessness to do what they really want to do. If Mcklusky are anything to go by, this band are heading for something much more of that persuasion which I find really exciting, because if we're really honest with ourselves there just aren't that many bands in the UK that are making such fearlessly experimental music that still has a pop appeal. (Charlie Potter)
It's just minutes before we open the doors for day two of the Camden Crawl, and the mood in the Rockfeedback hosted Underworld is rather subdued. In fact, it's more just plain tired. It seems that certain members of our team went at it a little too hard on day one. The likes of Future of the Left, Soko and Jeremy Warmsley playing in aour Camden living room can be blamed for keeping Friday's crawl going well into Saturday morning - you can see these very exploits for yourself to as said happenings can be witnessed on rockfeedback TV. Judging by the drained and confused faces at this point on day two, it will make for some pretty interesting viewing. (Dan Monsell)
Still, Saturday is a whole new day, and after a good shake down and face slap, we're opening the doors of the Underworld (the venue we're hosting), spinning some Springsteen, and we're ready to go. The wonderful wonky pop stylings of Liverpool's Elle S'appelle kick off proceedings and whip us into gear like a mad sugar rush of adrenaline. We love this band. Not only have they got some straight up killer pop songs and a live show as tight as a choker around the neck, they've also packed out the Underworld and got it jumping about like it's a headline set - and all at 6.15 p.m. They do two encores, and their fizzy pop and roll leaves us smiling from ear to ear. (Dan Monsell)
Proceedings began again at the Purple Turtle with Official Secrets Act, four dapper gentlemen knocking out calculated indie pop. Think Television's jerkiness coupled with a dash of Talking Heads; all rounded off with a hint of Adam and the Ants tribalism - yet with enough a la mode indie sensibilities to still feel contemporary. From the moment opener Art of Being Sure was unleashed through a storm of swirling feedback to the show's rousing stomping finale; the crowd was in agreement that this was an assured showing from one of the most exciting bands around right now. (Jim Carroll)
Leaving behind our fine Rockfeedback djs (who've now moved away from The Boss in to what can only be described as party hip hop duel), we dash to catch the monochrome minimalism of Ipso Facto at the Earl of Camden. Unfortunately, those who've made it in (the queue's so long the people at the back get a little small) are still forced to deal with the fact that only twenty or so people at the front can actually see what's going on. The Earl of Camden is not a venue and the lack of stage means we can't see a thing. Ipso Facto are very beautiful people, thus, we're very disappointed. Still, they're droning hypnotic rock sounds promising enough, as it does on record. But the inability to see anything proves way too frustrating. We move on. (Dan Monsell)
A sweltering Kentish Town bar, a capacity crowd, an impenetrable queue at the bar and an hour's delay due to equipment trouble are not many people's idea of the ingredients of a great Saturday evening, but most of those gathered awaiting a headlining set from French electronica maestros M83 at the Bullet Bar do so surprisingly patiently. That's probably because they know that M83 are easily the best band to grace the Camden Crawl this year, and therefore the scheduled hour-long set will be worth the wait. An announcement that the band can't play until an unspecified piece of equipment arrives from France is met with scattered groans and light jeering, but the crowd soon return to the unavoidable conversations with strangers packed sardine-like around them. Just when most are beginning to check their schedules for another musical option, two surprisingly unapologetic men (one of them M83 supremo Anthony Gonzalez) take to the stage, play 3 fantastic songs without uttering a word, then promptly vacate the premises, leaving a roomful of people shaking their heads in disbelief. On the one hand, we just heard 15 minutes of electronic music the way it should be - repetitive and primal yet complex, machine-based yet packed with soul and energy - but on the other we didn't get anywhere near enough of it. (Chris Pratt)
Naughty Skepta. When an act doesn't turn up on time at a tightly-scheduled event like this it can screw up a lot of people's plans - and it was only a couple of weeks ago that Skepta lambasted his brother and fellow Boy Better Know founder JME for arriving late to a gig. Unfortunately we have an appointment to keep elsewhere in Camden, and so must scarper before getting a chance to even see Skepta, let alone hear any of his often great music - so who knows whether he actually turned up or not. If his set at the aforementioned BBK gig was anything to go by he would have had the Cuban Bar eating out of the palm of his hand before long. Although he doesn't seem to mind being somewhat in the shadow of his more celebrated brother, he proved then that he has just as much to offer grime fans. His rough flow and cavalier attitude (he didn't think twice about pulling a song up after 30 seconds when he was bored) made for a fun and fast-paced performance, and when Jammer is your hype man you can't really fail. Skepta's currently enjoying a rise in profile, mainly due to his follow-up to Wiley's 'Wearing My Rolex', 'The Rolex Sweep' and its accompanying dance moves so perhaps he'll be encouraged to be a little more professional - but hopefully not too much. (Chris Pratt)
Next we nip to Kentish Town to see, hands down, one of the best bands in the capital - Fanfarlo. We've seen these talented souls a number of times, even had them down to our Basement Club on occasion, but still couldn't resist seeing them once more. Plus, they really seem to be coming into their own at the moment, honing their Beirut style multi-instrumentalism into a wonderful clarity. Despite a displeasing array of technical problems, their majestic indie pop still goes down an absolute treat. (Dan Monsell)
It was then off to Steve Lamacq's night at Oh Bar for a night of endearing folkish indie whimsy with Sheffield duo Slow Club. The quirky lyricism, boy/girl combo and anti folk feel will draw inevitable comparisons to the Moldy Peaches. Only this is far sweeter, and a lot less worldly, bordering almost on the virginal. Drummer Rebecca stood behind an ad hoc kit of snare, kick and any other paraphernalia that was close to hand, as band mate Charles strummed cheerily away. Minimalist, ramshackle and ever so twee, but sweet pop harmonies and a charming sincerity mean that Slow Club warmed even the curmudgeonliest of hearts. (Jim Carroll)
Alas, we can't get too caught up; we're due back at the Underworld for Swedish electro-pop songstress Lykke Li. Gosh. She is so hot right now. And understandably so, tonight she demonstrates a fierce display of big, gutsy and interesting pop music, powerful like a giant fist that could squash meagre scribes like us, even if we are singing her praises. Just to show that she's due to join the company of Swedish pop giants, Robyn joins Li onstage for the electro stomp of 'I'm Good, I'm Gone'. There's no messing about here, this is the finished product, and some. Big stuff. (Dan Monsell)
A little dazed by Lykki Li we get rather cosy where we are and make the decision to finish up Saturday with Kentucky party rockers Cage the Elephant. The whole thing seems a little stupid at first, with vocalist Matt Schultz's sunglasses-on-stage and rap-rock delivery leaving us a little unsure. But hell, it's late and it's the end of the night, and we about to P-A-R-T-Y. Or something. We forget that a packed out room jumping up and down to some serious funk rock and roll is kind of hard to argue with at times. These folks are having all kinds of a good time, and it's infectious as hell. (Dan Monsell)
There is a degree of confusion amongst us indie kids as to whether Kode 9 is playing or not. Basically, some guy comes into the DJ booth and starts playing records when Kode 9 is supposed to be on. Well, whoever it is, he plays an absolutely amazing set. It is of course perfectly reasonable to just set up in the DJ booth when there is no particularly performance based element to what he does and there is a set of turntables set up at the back anyway. As a guitar fan, but one that likes to think that he is open minded enough to enjoy dub step (although this is only really broadly speaking dub step as I understand it), I felt incredibly vindicated that I can honestly say hand on heart that this was an absolutely amazing set. It's weird, I think that the words dub step must mean a different thing to pretty much everyone who is interested in contemporary music. A lot of the confusion arose when the first dub step to enter a lot of peoples frame of reference was Burial, which is quite different to what I was first introduced to as dub step, (massive, heavy, dark bass sounds against beats that were so slow thcaat they were virtually falling apart). What is being played tonight however is up beat and fun, and a lot closer to electro than what I thought I understood as dub step. Saying that, there is a massive amount of variation in Kode 9's set (if it was him), although it does seem to be largely geared up to get people to dance, and that it does tremendously. (Charlie Potter)
The rest of the night gets a little blurry from here on in. Bands are officially done. The Underworld gets darker and full of scattered beats as dub step supremo Kode 9 takes over on the decks. Somehow we seem to recollect Paul Kaye, Dennis Pennis himself, fronting some kind of punk-rock outfit at the Camden Dingwalls. Plus they were great. We'd had a few official sponsor red stripes by this point, so make of that what you will. Another year, another crawl. Christ we're exhausted... (Dan Monsell, speaking for all of us)
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