What other earthly reason would you want to actively spend time in a tiny, airless lumber room apart from the chance of seeing tremendous gigs?
What other earthly reason would you want to actively spend time in a tiny, airless lumber room apart from the chance of seeing tremendous gigs?
Family Underground (with Stiff River), But God Created Woman; Sub 071 – 19/06/07
Hell it just seems I can’t get away from Sub 071 in Leiden. I mean what other earthly reason would you want to actively spend time in a tiny, airless lumber room apart from the chance of seeing tremendous gigs? Family Underground had borrowed the drummer of the late, great Stiff River for their show; his presence was made all the more lordly by his wearing of a gold mask, making him look like a monster from a 70s sci-fi programme. The rest of the band sat around, respectively twiddling a small keyboard, a minature gong (and other hippy percussion) and a guitar. One young lady eschewed any form of band-audience contact; her back to us, she resolutely stared at her electronic gagetry throughout the 40 minute set.
Family Underground create a very organic, free-form, feminine sound redolent of Popol Vuh. Put it this way; if you like Popl Vuh, you’re in for a treat with this lot. The music grumbled away in a vegetative manner for a good twenty minutes before being regimented into a sort of structure by the drumming (which became more and more metronomic as the set progressed). Indeed the drummer became the dominant figure (and quite scary, to be perfectly honest) as weird, karate style postures were adopted mid-fill… Suddenly everything kicked up a gear before dropping tempo dramatically, ending on a long rumbling growl. A sudden (and a very unexpected) shot of dry ice, and the show was over. Brilliant stuff.
Next on were Italy‘s But God Created Woman; who made a classic two guitar and drums racket in the best possible manner. What is it with the Italian bands I encounter; they are all (almost) psychotically into pushing that wee bit too hard? What with all the screaming, (the singer being bent double for most of the gig it seemed) it was very reminiscent of Be Your Own Pet, albeit in Italian, and doubtless of a much less frivolous nature. So loud were they that they drove the leader of Julie Mittens (and arch noise-hero) Aart Jan Schakenbos out of the room for some light relief… Actually they were really great, and somehow the tiny enclosed space really suited their mind-bendingly loud muse.
A fabulous night, one can only wonder as to what is next in store for your correspondent.
Words: Richard Foster