Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band
Rescue Rooms, Nottingham 12th October 03
Erstwhile Norwegian DJ Erlend Sellevold a.k.a. Ralph Myerz (although also masquerading this evening as Robin Hood) arrived on these shores with his band of merry men to promote the newly released album. This follows on the back of the positive publicity these Scandinavians have received – earlier singles have found their way onto adverts for VW Passats and their more recent material is currently being used on trailers for ‘Dharma & Greg’ in the USA.
However, although the advertising men may be knowledgeable about their Norwegian downtempo/DJ + beats outfits, the small crowd filling (unusually) the front of Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms shows that the band are as yet little-known in the UK. Next door at Rock City, hair rockers The Darkness are holding court; the sell-out means that disappointed fans wander around the front door disconsolately. Little do they know what a treat they are missing just a few yards (and an adjoining wall) away!
Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band play tonight as part of the ‘Big Chill’ tour, accompanied by a variety of DJs and VJs. The initial problem is that it can prove difficult to chill out when you are forced to stand up – the lack of seating in this rock venue makes the audience somewhat uncomfortable. The VJs also prove a little uninspiring – unless you enjoy listening to a sampler CD whilst watching your PC’s screensaver.
However, it was an evening of two halves, and RM&JHB (as I believe they like to be known) were an entirely different proposition. Mr Sellevold asked his two friends to accompany his DJ set with live drums and percussion, and their arrival on stage signals the end of any chilling, and the beginning of some serious dancing. With great care paid to their set dynamics, they lead a receptive crowd into an energetic and hugely enjoyable hour-long show. The drums and percussion are miked to match the power of the music emanating from the DJ booth, and the band themselves prove they are not simply eye candy – they provide a useful focal point and also generate great crowd interaction. The charm with which Tarjei Strom (drums) addresses the audience, and his obvious pleasure at the response ensures that the whole room is jumping.
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RM&JHB have been compared to Royksopp (who come from the same area of Norway) and superficially it is easy to spot the similarities; but RM&JHB say themselves that they want to bring the theatrical side of rock into their electronic music, and trashing the kit at the end of the set certainly feels familiar. I felt sure that The Darkness would have approved.
Despite being a Sunday night, the Nottingham audience prove they are ready to dance when the occasion arises and RM&JHB provided such an opportunity. I will certainly be following their sage advice, and petitioning the Sheriff of Nottingham to ensure they return soon.
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