This isn't the first time I've witnessed these two bands playing in this venue. On the first occasion, I marvelled at the architecture and the acoustics of this cavernous building, as well as the ways the bands utilised the remarkable - if potentially challenging - acoustics to good effect.
Worriedaboutsatan, who I've seen a number of times since, have proved themselves to be a consistently cracking live act. As purveyors of electronica, this could perhaps be expected: however, so much of what they do is live, from the real-time sonic manipulations, to the vocal loops and an abundance of live guitar work, worriedaboutsatan don't really exist in the same space as your average laptop DJ sorts. This is a real live performance.
The percussive pops and crackles are a dominant and distinctive feature of their sound, but these are interwoven through stretches of quieter, dark ambient music that occasionally erupts into a pounding dance beat, and below, way below, flows a deep dark river of shuddering bass. They don't talk much between then songs - of which they're are only four - but to do so would interfere with the atmosphere, and worriedaboutsatan are all about the atmosphere. Rarely will you see two guys so wholly engaged with the music, or for such a sight to be so engaging. They're not up their own arses smug in their delivery- just incredibly focussed. The set flows seamlessly, and climaxes with a blistering rendition of 'Noise 01' from their first EP.
I've followed Her name is Calla's career for some time now, and have seen them live an almost embarrassing number of times. However, the release of their debut full-length album is imminent, and while they've been touring the material that would become 'The Heritage' for a fair while, most of the long-awaited (and long-threatened) 'The Quiet Lamb' hadn't received so much road-testing. To make this gig even more interesting, the band had hinted that, as a one-off, they would play the album, in its entirety, from start to finish. I had heard a few preview snippets over the last new months, but this would surely demonstrate how the album hung together - assuming, of course, that it would.
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Performing as a seven-piece, including flute, cello, violin and, alongside the conventional rock instrumentation, occasional trombone, it was immediately clear that Her Name is Calla would be going for the full orchestral sound that rendered tracks like 'New England' on 'The Heritage' something special.
While the opener - the title of which I missed - wasn't the most compelling start, 'Pour More Oil' is a remarkably spiritual space, the combined vocals creating an almost choral effect. It's genuinely moving.
They may have played it 'a thousand times', but 'Condor and Rive', having made appearances on two very limited single releases, will finally see the light of day on a full commercial release. Tonight, they attack with complete conviction, and it's during this epic opus that it becomes clear once again that the reason Her Name is Calla work: they operate as a unit, and there's a painstaking attention to detail, to nuance, that really makes their sound what it is.
Current single, 'Long Grass' is by no means the strongest song of the set, and while 'Thief' is compelling, 'The Union' (which will fill side D of the vinyl when it comes out) is one of, if not the, most intense and angry track of the band's career to date, driven by a seriously ugly, snarling bassline that lunges and lurches and hits around the solar plexus. It's harrowing, and it's heavy, and it's fantastic, suggesting that this is a band who are really finding their stride now.
The signs are that the album's going to be a corker: bring it on!
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