This double header live review blitz has one thing in common, opening bands who were missed. In this instance the honour fell to Lady North. Sorry guys! I can however indulge myself with even more words about Die! Die! Die! and the ever brilliant Battery Face – witnessed inbetween gorging myself on the Fringe Festival.
The night after their Glasgow show, New Zealand’s die! die! die! were booked to play Opium in Edinburgh.
Located in the Cowgate area across the road from Bannermans, it’s similar to the Cathouse of Glasgow and the Kage of Dundee. Or the Tavern of Winterfell. Or maybe not, it’s not like I know much about metal/hardcore venues in Scotland in 2013. These days I’m drinking orange juice and home by 11pm. It’s easier on my stomach. But Saturday 24th of August 2013 was part of my Fringe weekend of fun so it was Andrew WK P-A-R-T-Y time!
Two years ago that same month I’d been to a gig at Sneaky Pete’s (next door) during the Fringe and enjoyed Avast! playing what must have been one of their last gigs. I loved watching them play that night.
Fast forward to today and walking along the Cowgate I spotted Andrew from the band of triple exclamation marks rolling a cigarette outside the venue. By the time we went inside, Lady North had already played their set. Damn. Next time!
Battery Face is easily one of my favourite bands to watch live. I said as much on Twitter after the show.
And then just in case I hadn’t made my point clear I followed it up with this insightful analysis:
I know, it’s strange to get carried away about a band whose tunes you can’t exactly hum. The reason why I enjoy Battery Face so much is that they clearly don’t want to be yet another noisy post-hardcore shouty band. There’s real artistic merit and imagination at work. They’re the nearest Scotland has to a Future of the Left that hasn’t disappeared up it’s own rose tattooed arse. Thanks Cheryl.
In the same way I thought from their first demo there was something special about Copy Haho and Household (and yet neither lasted long enough to escape total obscurity), there’s something about Battery Face that marks them out as a cut above the rest. In these days of independent labels less willing to take risks on bands, it’s difficult to see who might release their records and help them get noticed.
Speaking of getting noticed, I squeezed in a Rolling Stone Australia quote about Die! Die! Die!‘s current album Harmony at the end of the previous gig review. The constant touring has to pay off sooner or later and Edinburgh got another opportunity to witness them in the flesh – close up and sweaty. For a band who have shared stages at festivals with some of their idols and heroes, they never fail to thank the support bands or play every show like it could be their last.
If you’re going to be biased, and I am, then better to make it extremely well-placed bias. Songs across their catalogue of albums soar out across the room. There’s even a new song played from what we’re told will be the next album, soon to be recorded. As with the set they keep the momentum up at all times. The energy levels never drop, the bass keeps pounding along and the drums are phenomenal. Fuck this band! Too fucking talented for their own good. If only more people knew about them.
Until next time guys, have fun in Europe!
