Open the Boxoctosis
Mountain Energei
Green Eyed Loco Man
Middle Mass
Mr Pharmacist
Janet, Johnny & James
Theme from Sparta FC
Mere Pseud Mag. Ed
Contraflow
White Lightning
NOTES
47 minutes
Reasonably good audience tape but some audible and irritating audience chatter.
This is a slick and punchy Fall performance – the first of a three night “Playlouder” run at the Barfly Club in north west London. Archer and Milner form a particularly potent rhythm section on this particular evening, and Pritchard’s guitar is thickened by a range of presence building fx.
An oddly non-bass driven version of Middle Mass which seems completely out of kilter, appears for the first time in a while, Smith too low in the mix, and only on this track do you get a sense of the keyboard playing which is exemplary, the rest of the group seems to be struggling with the number and it comes across as a bit too jaunty. “Mr Pharmacist” appears to be “live mixed” as the keyboards dominate for the first two choruses.
“Janet, Johnny & James” is well played but irritating audience chatter gets in the way – one wag says “I like this” – begs the question why he isn’t listening to it instead of discussing something of complete insignificance throughout the performance? “Sparta” is its usual crowd pleasing self some elements of cockuppery on the backing vox mind.
MES seems a tad tired on “Mere pseud” and it lacks its usual bite in the vocal department. Things are back up to brain splitting form on a scouring “Contraflow” where Milner/Pritchard do their best Bonham/Page “When the levee breaks” impression. This is an nice speedy version of the song with the bass taking a dominant lead and Smith extemporising over skanking rhythm guitar and backbeat drums. The song morphs into something else between “Mad Mock Goth” and one assumes the audience “adding” a rhythmic “Out of Control” and other choice lyrics- as Elena does a Dik-Mik with the synth and the band strays into “Hawkwind ” territory. There is a sense of a protean version of “What about us?” somewhere towards the end as Mark starts to play with the words. The band then subtly shifts in Can mode towards the end and we could easily be listening to something from “Ege Bamyesi” or “Tago Mago”
Not sure if the band are actually playing “White Lightning” – the words are right but the tune seems a little adrift.
Short show but well played and a captivating version of “Contraflow”