Pulled Apart By Horses – Brixton Academy, London – 12/11/09
4/5
By: Toby L
Such is the rapid ascent of PABH, already we find ourselves at sodding BRIXTON ACADEMY to watch this meticulous punk quartet knocking the balls out of the PA. OK, so maybe it's a first on supporting the Biffy, but still, this is a taste of what they'll be doing a hell of a lot more of.
The Leeds foursome have been the revelation of the year. Clearly, 2010 is going to be theirs (and sneaky early listens to their raw-as-feck, recorded-for-a-shoestring debut album prove this). Simply for now, however, the evidence alone is the live show. Frontman Tom Hudson struts the stage, SG swinging his often topless torso, like a bearded Iggy; wizard guitarist James Brown (yes, really - James Brown) plays innovative and cutting riffage and lines like Jonny Greenwood duelling with Slash (uh huh); whilst the propulsive rhythm section of Robert Lee (bass) and Lee Vincent (drums) is so fucking gnarly and forceful it's best to pack an inhaler and a fresh pair of pants.
And, basically, they just don't give a flying fuchsia. Tom spits what seems an entire bottle of water into the crowd; Brown leaps from a 12-foot speaker stack; they curse the 'latecomers' that didn't arrive in time for the beginning of the set – not the typical etiquette for a support act. It's only 7.30pm, and it feels like this is entirely their show; never before so early into a career have I seen a band already own it so hard.
Enticingly too, perhaps what limited Gallows being able to break out of their hardcore shell to claim a broader swipe at mainstream favour won't happen to PABH: their songs are entirely accessible, occasionally hilarious. In half an hour tonight, we get the majority of their written repertoire to date (cue a conveyor belt of comedy song titles) - 'Get Off My Ghost Train', 'E = MC Hammer', and, of course, a closing 'I Punched A Lion In The Throat'. The hooks are bigger than big – monstrous, really, and the screams and yelps are innumerable. But underpinning the rock theatrics and distortion are layers and layers of impeccably considered songwriting – just as one riff has pulverised your senses, a superior one follows it. And this happens over and over. The opportunity to get distracted is not an option at a Pulled Apart By Horses performance – you get the sense that they've edited out all the damp bits that made even their heroes occasionally lull in either suspense or innovation.
Then, it's all over. A couple of thousand brand-new fans are claimed. Never before have fun and intensity fused to form such a compelling and vital rock band from these shores – yes, a broad statement, but that's the sheer delight you'll receive from watching this lot. After a year of roadkill pop tosh, the boys with guitars are back again – and they're going to pickaxe at your fucking soul until it's theirs. Our advice - submit willingly, they deserve everything.
Artists in this article: Pulled Apart By Horses
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment