Madonnatron
-GULLIVERS, MANCHESTER-
Leather Party
The curiously titled Leather Party open the evening, with the approach of their excessive pedal-induced fuzz sound reminding me a little of the Cramps or even Kyuss; albeit not quite as interesting as the aforementioned monoliths. The vocals have a vague growl to them at times, but typically come off as a little uninspired, in conjunction with them being drowned out by the excessive volume (engineer at fault?). It all comes across as a little formulaic; the guitar and bass fulfil their purpose without much awe beyond implying bringing the desert to Manchester would be a good thing ecologically. The drummer’s ability to pad out their sound with consistent, hypnotic cymbal clattering is surely one of their finer elements, but sadly it isn’t quite enough in preventing me from getting a little bored of what I feel could have been something of interest; I mean certain tracks (3rd one?) have a better sense of suspense than others but the dynamics feel few and far between.
Madonnatron
Putting yourself down to review a band you have no real knowledge of is always a risky venture; fortunately I defied the random number generator (literary device) that I decided to invent for this review. Electrical outages, an alarm, as well as issues with the sound don’t appear to impede the esteemed act from playing; they demonstrate an ability to keep the quality of their set engaging throughout, as if to defy the venue’s health and safety standards. Their intricate usage of harmonies is the defining characteristic of their sound; knowing how to utilise the differing vocal attributes of each member almost invokes a Siren-type element, barring the risk of drowning or loss of maritime trade. Unlike the former act, their melodies are quite inventive and their individual abilities as vocalists qualitatively consistent with each other, even if the venue’s sound isn’t exactly on their side; limiting my ability to decipher the supposedly off-kilter lyricism.
Their set is primarily melancholic in tone and avoids the cliche of Riot Grrl mimicry; they venture into Iommi-inspired guitar hooks as well as what appears to be the sound of a punk band stealing all of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s equipment, only serving to cement my positive opinion of them and giving the illusion the audience had somehow been transposed into Luigi’s Mansion. Their talent to defy expectation, with their stylistic u-turns going against specific genres along with the myriad of differing influences make this band something of substance; I can’t say I’ve seen quasi-disco followed by… something I wouldn’t describe as disco.
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Recent career decisions have compelled me into the journalistic... thing; I could list my literary influences or even debate which 3rd rate beverage has the best economic value per litre (But I won’t). Oh, in addition, I write reviews for the Independents Network.
