Yak
– GULLIVERS, MANCHESTER –
Swedish Death Candy for me stole the show. I’m sorry Yak, but their psychedelic musings were a lot more stimulating tonight than your visceral 2 minute “songs”. And Rory Wynne, I like that Heart Of Stone song you played at the end and your comment about how “amazing” we were as an audience, despite being utter shite, was chuckle plucking to say the least; well done.
Yak are a band who are loud and violent. The trio, whose members include the eccentric sounding Oliver Burslem and Elliott Rawson, then finally the very NORMAL blokish sounding Andy Jones, are energetic to say the least. With brooding and repetitive drumming from Rawson, occasionally breaking out into cymbal shagging via snapped sticks, twinned by the bouncy finger work of tall denim donning bass player Jones, was incessant and primal. The screams from frontman Burslem were also spine shattering. Passionate, full of some sort of pain whatever degree it lands under.
I like Gulliver’s but once again I find myself surrounded by old timers. The only people who really looked like getting into it were the same two maniacs who were at Demob Happy last December. At one point one of the lads, wearing a rather sporting Action Bronson shirt, decides to take a break of thrashing into his mate and get on stage. At first, it is fine. But then, when Burslem returns from…well, I don’t even know, he is dragged off with the sort of vigour that reflected Yak’s music. Loud, harsh, BIG choruses; often a mesh of messy instrumentation and “AHHHHHHHHH”. I rather enjoy the song ‘Victorious’ (I may be getting that title wrong but ah well, the song names aren’t important with an act like this to be honest). If you like bands such as Bad Breeding or even Yuck (not to be confused with tonight’s main event) then you may enjoy Yak’s frantic sets which are entertaining and blossom with young rage.
Despite this however, I am more impressed with support act Swedish Death Candy. Coming from London, and introducing me to a new form of stage lighting via the mixture of an old school projector and food colouring, they wriggled inside my brain with mind numbing psychedelic vibrancy. The four piece, five if you include the lighting girl sat at the side, intrigued me straight from the get go. Reminding me of up and coming bands from Liverpool of the same ilk, such as the Probes and the Floormen, their dialogues in distortion and expeditions in echo were delicious. Maybe I’m a sucker for the more “wafer” sounding stuff, so I doubt Yak were ever gonna win me over.
Despite in my opinion being slightly overshadowed by a band who contain a flamboyant Asian bass player, which instantly means you win, Yak were still good; just not very stimulating for the long term I imagine. Rory Wynne: moody, funny, sarcastic, and decent. Swedish Death Candy: melting, whirling, top notch neo-psych. And finally Yak: …the name says it all really.
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Liverpool born music writer with passion for punk and Everton FC
“I’m sorry Yak, but their psychedelic musings were a lot more stimulating tonight than your visceral 2 minute “songs”. And Rory Wynne, I like that Heart Of Stone song you played at the end and your comment about how “amazing” we were as an audience, despite being utter shite, was chuckle plucking to say the least; well done.”
Is this English? I can’t tell if you’re personally addressing the artists or writing a review haha. We all like to get pissed but we should wait until sober to write a review!
Hello Iva, so what if I am addressing the artists? Sorry its not as straight forward for you haha and you can dissect it as much as you like, it is what it is mate.
I just try and be abit more interesting rather than shitting out a bland, by the numbers review. If you don’t like that well that’s absolutely fine, cheers for reading it anyway! 🙂