No Age The Scala, London 19/10/09
3/5
By: Matt Tomiak
The list of “Gig Crimes” is long and varied, but chief amongst the most grievous charges likely to be levelled by disgruntled punters at their haughty musical heroes would include bad sound mix, inaudible lyrics and absence of between-song banter.
All of which we can tick off at the Scala tonight, although admirers of LA duo No Age’s impenetrable sludgy, shoegazery drone would no doubt like to think themselves rather above such bourgeois trappings (indeed, the selection of photos on No Age official blog could keep scenster-mocking oracle LATFH.com supplied for months.)
Via Randy Randall’s wailing, Dinosaur Jr worthy riffs and some furious percussion maltreatment courtesy of drummer Dean Spunt packed into a tight half hour, 2008 debut proper Nouns wasn’t a wholly inaccessible record, especially tracks such as ‘Eraser’ and ‘Teen Creeps’. Like a check-shirted Smith & Jones, this almost entirely sedentary performance finds the pair sitting across the stage from one another as the fuzzy abrasive guitar squalls, feedback-soaked glimpses of melody and Spunt’s pummelling combine to work their oddly intoxicating charms.
Artists in this article: No Age
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