Review:
'Fire Records 40th Birthday Party At Earth Dalston'
'The Giant Syndicate, Giant Sand, Islet,'
- Album: 'Kristin Hersh, Marta Del Grandi, Graham Reynolds'
- Label: 'Bas Jan, Steve Wynn & Jason Victor, Jane Weaver'
- Genre: 'Indie'
- Release Date: '27.4.24.'- Catalogue No: 'Immaterial Possession'
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Our Rating:
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To Celebrate the 40th birthday of Fire Records the label took over Earth or the Evolutionary Arts Theatre in Dalston for an all-day party, featuring many of the label's current acts, in this magnificent former cinema that has a vast stage and scooped bank seating on wooden steps, that were not too comfy, for an all-day extravaganza, but that's a small quibble on a day like this.
The event was hosted by Stewart Lee and by the time I arrived at 3.50 I had already missed the first 2 bands and the third band Immaterial Possession were already playing, they are a 4 piece from Athens Georgia who played a set of Psychedelic background music, that seemed to be in the spirit of Mazzy Star meets The Doors but in need of a hefty dose of magic.
In The Loom the third song I heard from them stood out a bit, the vocals floated over me, I enjoyed the visuals being projected on the screen behind them in a good acid haze as they were for the whole event. The set seemed to all be at a similar pace with the odd Doors style rising keyboard part setting them off. They went down well with the already busy hall.
Next on were Steve Wynn and Jason Victor from The Dream Syndicate on duelling electric guitars, the set opened with a spry take on Glide with the repeated vocal line of higher and higher working well against the oil wheel psychedelic light show. Southern California Line had spectral shards of noise coming from Jason's guitar as he wrung all the energy he could from his guitar as Steve led us down to SoCal once more.
They then went back to the first Miracle 3 album for a cool version of No Tomorrow. Bullet Holes was the one nod to the fact we were close to Hackney murder mile as Jason let rip, really twisting some dark notes out of his guitar. Steve then paid homage to the artwork lining the walls of Earth when he told us the next song was from the album on his left, they played a raw energetic version of the title song of The Days Of Wine And Roses that has good fractured edges.
Steve then invited Jane Weaver to join them so he could duet with her on a magnificent version of the Linda and Richard Thompson classic Wall Of Death that was a brilliant way to close a far too short set.
Next on were Bas Jan who are a 4 piece band named after a Dutch Photographer who disappeared while sailing the Atlantic solo in 1975, they opened with Progressive Causes that laid out the bands political intent nicely while sounding like the Au Pairs meet Suggested Friends with a few nods towards the Bodysnatchers, they has a good low-fi feel as they sang about a day trip to Walton On The Naze choosing the perfect weekend to recreate memories of the childhood matzo ramble I was taken on nearly 50 years ago to Walton On The Naze, they conjured up the desolate beauty of the barren Essex coastline perfectly.
The violin infused the song about a very Vivid Memory before they made clear I should Have Listened To You to let that advice sink in, a safer happier life might have resulted. The highlight of the set was King Of The Holloway Road I assume it's about Joe Meek, but as it also mentioned all the Fetish wear shops, the road is almost as famous for, perhaps the king is actually about Atsuko Kudo.
They then played the title song off the band's latest album Back To The Swamp album that's out on Fire records, that wasn't swamp rock at all but a lo-fi indie wonder with some very interesting lyrics that led into No More Swamp as to coin a popular phrase they sought to drain the swamp and bring back decency to public life.
They closed the set with what might have been the band's theme song as it appeared to be about Bas Jan not coming back from that fateful trip. This was a very cool set, I want to see Bas Jan again.
By the time I got back from a short food break in a local Turkish bakery Graham Reynolds set had already begun he was playing some soundtrack instrumentals that sounded and looked like a cross between Martin Rev and Hans Lundin. He switched effortlessly between piano and keyboards and effects boxes as he played some of the music he composed and played on the soundtracks to A Scanner Darkly and Before Midnight.
He then introduced his special guest Marta Del Grandi to sing Linger In Silence from The Prophet 3, she sang in Italian and was quite bewitching as his keyboards got more intense before he switched to the massive bass drum that he hit with a ride cymbal and large sticks while it rotated on its stand with rising waves of intensity as he demolished the drum stand and carried on battering away.
Marta Del Grandi then came back on with her band for there first ever london performance, as a band rather than her solo shows, her band coming from Milan.
The trio began with a song about Friends And Daffodils as her sax players notes wafted over the audience. Marta had a sense of deep longing throughout you and Me or whatever the love song was called. Chameleon Eyes had all the pain of betrayal at its heart as her drummer seemed to be triggering all sorts of keyboard and other samples as well as his drumming.
Polar Bear Village was almost as chilly as Earth was, but icy vocals drew me into Marta's world. Do Anything will always be good advice, Marta seemed genuinely chuffed to bits to be on a bill like this, playing a venue as cool as Earth.
Marta put her guitar down for Snapdragon and the sparser sound made her sound very frail, as the sax imbued the song with a very downbeat feeling. Wake Me Up was an unnecessary cry, as no one was falling asleep while they played. Good story was one of those rare happy story songs.
Marta laid down her guitar before they closed with Birdsong that is her own Drum and bird song that goes into this year's most niche musical movements, she's now the third act to join the movement that I know of, she went down very well with the packed house.
Then it was time for the first headline act Kristin Hersh to come and sit down to play a peerless set of her Throwing Muses classics and solo songs that opened with Kay Catherine as the chords rang out the entire room was rapt and in awe. Mississippi Kite flew by with Kristin’s pain wracked vocals filling the room.
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City Of The Dead had a dark delight at its core before Kristin took us to the Darkest places she could describe, with tales of Unhinged Amputees and adventures on Bywater, while she closed by asking What's Your Dirt, she easily got the biggest ovation of the night, Stewart Lee insisted she come back for a well-earned encore that I guess was A Cleaner Light that rang out through all the multi-faceted lights raining down on her, she left the stage to huge cheers.
Next on were new Welsh Psych band Islet who are slightly bonkers, entering the stage from the audience playing percussion bell things, as they walked down the stairs before getting on stage, baffling most of the audience singing about Virtual Machines, Alex Williams did all sorts of weird no wave dancing will extruding odd notes from his guitar, they behaved throughout like they were at a revival meeting.
Emma who was on bass mainly, brought some intense passion to the weirdly off kilter It Feels So before they went a bit nutty with calls of EEy Hee haw while sounding like a sober version of They Came From The Stars I Saw Them, the madness was a little bit too contrived. Still no one would argue with the core message of Waiting To Change The World to a place where this sort of band gets as much fuss made of them as Taylor Swift does.
They then asked the important question Why Geese that has a totally dislocated funk feel to it as they ended a short and at times baffling set.
Then it was time for the second of the headline acts Giant Sand this was the first time I've seen them this century, they had original drummer Tommy Larkins joining Howe Gelb and co once more, they opened with a glorious Western instrumental setting things up nicely as Howe's guitar rang out in time to meet that Wayfaring Stranger once more.
Thin Line Man was taut with bags of energy, Howe then got Jason Victor to join in on what I guess was Keep On Trying a totally energized guitar freak out.
Howe then brought up Terry Edwards for his second special guest appearance of the week as Howes daughter Tallulah sang what I guess was Your Insanity as Terry tore into a terrifically dark sax solo. Tallulah shared the vocals with the bass player on Femme Fatale before they closed with a remarkably off kilter version of We'll Meet Again that left a good few jaws on the ground.
After a very short break it was time for the grand finale with The Giant Syndicate led by Kristin Hersh, Howe Gelb and Steve Wynn who were ably assisted by Tommy Larkins, Jason Victor, Tallulah and the Giant Sand bass player, the band were playing there first and last gig ever, so for one night only Kristin kicked things off by singing See See Rider with blasted blues edges, it was magnificent, I guess the second song was Mercy as Jason Steve and Howe locked horns for guitar supremacy a battle that continued on the third song Kristin sang.
Then Steve stepped up to the plate to knock it out the park on Tell Me When It's Over with some great backing vocals from Tallulah. That’s What You Always say was a rampage of distorting guitars and Tommy Larkins super solid beat that was more straight ahead than Dennis Ducks drumming would have been.
We then got a wickedly amped up version of Amphetamine that was only lacking a great Bandslam style sax solo, but the guitar histrionics more than made up for that. Howe Gelb took over on vocals for Shiver, as he told us all about what happened at his Grandpa's house.
They then encouraged us all to sing Happy Birthday to Fire Records before they closed the set with Steve Wynn singing Lust For Life but unlike when Lenny Kaye covered Iggy a couple of weeks ago Steve kept his shirt and jacket on, as they all hammed it up, Kristin's guitar battling for space with Howe and Jason.
Of course Stewart Lee came out to encourage the band to play an encore, that was as encores should, be nice and ramshackle, as you play an unrehearsed encore, Kristin was volunteered to sing, deciding to go the full Zep on Memphis Minnie's timeless classic, When The Levee Breaks a song Steve played with John Paul Jones at Ice Station Vadso a few years ago, this version was a louche ramshackle jam, a perfect end to a mammoth days music. The third all-star gig I've been to this month, Alongside Lenny Kaye's nuggets and The Vive Le Rock Awards Show thankfully impossible to decide the best one, As they were all immensely great gigs. Thanks to everyone involved in at Fire Records putting on an incredibly well run all-dayer happy 40th.
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author: simonovitch
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