I am a self-confessed (despite my advancing years) rabid fan of this “act” having been transfixed with the first tunes and observed them at the Barfly (RIP), Tuts, the ABC1 at some badly-run festival, yes call your lawyers if you want, in July (?) and even the Homecoming (referred to by Mr Sad tonight as “crap” but I only saw 60 seconds at 6.55pm so am undecided – see the itm? review of the entire event which is required reading and is indeed on fire, as the beer thrown by View fans certainly wasn’t, it was just f***ing wet).
We are in the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh, that eternal field of dreams and uncollected rubbish and mangled-up pavement, we’ll get the word on the ravey davey pavey yet though guys.
We are in the frozen east tonight to see The Twilight Sad (whose web hits must surely have gone up a bit with that teen vampire franchise named Twy Whatever but hey, we are all victims of circumstance).
It’s already started as we inch into the completely packed venue, bit like a vampire’s bourdoir, however not the best choice overall, even for the frozen east. I get the impression this was a bit hasty last-minute arranged when they were in the States. The Sleazy’s gig was sold out very quickly hence the trip to the frozen east (did I mention this?).
Looking a bit knackered (and I’m sorry Gordon I think you were a bit flat on the first few but I couldn’t do it any better), the “sound” which I must say made the biggest impression in the James Noughties (God knows a betting man could wager on the next decade but we’ll have some pathetic suggestions first) on me this side of the Fuck Buttons or Arcade Fire, from Bloody Kilsyth no less, was pretty much intact. Not the best venue, with a low ceiling, I had some initial worries about the tinnitus bodycount.
Like that Ryanair jet landing badly at Prestwick (and we apologise don’t we), the sound has an undercurrent of violence. I won’t comment as I think it belies my humble analysis at this level of sarcasm, but respect due, I had images, I had fevers, and this combined with the music (below, attempt at describing), makes me seek them out, and I’m not joking.
There was (and I report) a brooding maelstrom of noise topped with lacerating shards of white feedback and a grumpy backbeat.
This makes it very good, in any venue, in any circumstances, weddings, parties, anything really although not too many barmitsvazs up there in North Lan.
A combination of what one would call “newies” from the last album with classics of a mere three years ago, there were some highlights but I must admit this was not building up to the main event for me and I think a bit more planning is required next time.
The Joy Division cover still goes down well and if you want my impressions on influences I’d say Joy Div/MBV/Extreme Noise Terror and even dare I say it the Metallists etc. (see Deep Purple, the Maiden, though not my department).
A slight footnote as I will always review the crowd as well as the audience; myself and my chum attempted to get a bit closer to the action and were told we were on the wrong side of the rope, sorry the what?, sorry the rope…
In the west they have crowd control barriers, in the east they have a velvet rope – I rest my case.