Check out photos from the Corner here

The talk of Dinosaur Jr being innovators of the metaphorical wall of sound became literal at the Corner with both support acts relegated to a side stage; the main stage instead filled with a solid wall of amplifiers. First support act Teen Archer are happy to go along with the loud, feedback inducing noise of the headliners but crucially they lack the underlying melody and musicality that makes Dinosaur Jr so interesting. Instead, they prefer to play out of tune and off key with the singer screaming to cover a lack of ability. I can understand the rock or metal scream when it’s used to convey key emotions or points with in a song but maintaining it for an entire set is just monotonous. The addition of a saxophonist does nothing to enhance the sound as, for the most part, it can’t be heard and when it is it is just as off key as everything else.

The second act, Deaf Wish, play in a very similar style to Teen Archer; however their brand of Hardcore is punctuated by a touch more care musically including some semi-capable singing. Perhaps it’s a matter of experience because the band members seem to have about twenty years on Teen Archer. By the end of their set, there was still little to be inspired about with the crowd more than ready for the night’s headliner.

Opening with Never Bought It to a close to capacity crowd sent eardrums ringing throughout the corner. Bassist Lou Barlow berated those in front for asking for Jay Marcis’ vocals to be turned up.

“Shut up about the vocals. What band do you think you came to see?”

In a way, he had a point. Not that Marcis’ vocals aren’t good but live, Dinosaur Jr are all about the screaming feedback of his guitar. Which there was plenty of as he often divulged into epic squealing LoFi solo’s. Whilst original drummer Murph speeds through songs and Barlow shreds bass-lines like a maniac, Jay presents a completely different character to the eyes. Whilst musically he couldn’t be anymore on form, visually he looks like a zonked-out old man with his long grey white hair, slightly overweight frame and blank, plodding expressions together with the fact he barely acknowledges let alone speaks to the audience. This doesn’t seem to matter too much to the crowd when he presents such perfect versions of tracks like Plans off the latest record and Freakscene which garners a singalong moment.

At times, it became difficult to differentiate between songs, although there was no problem recognising the angling pop overtones and distinctive rhythm of their best known track, the gen X anthem Feel the Pain . After closing with a track off first record Dinosaur the band return for a three song encore including fan favourite Tarpit..

Dinosaur Jr’s influence is inescapable and, while their live show is not without it’s flaws, it is still pretty special to see such an original and driving force behind modern rock music.