HEALTH @ The Bakery, Perth(14/01/11)

Sun 16th Jan, 2011 in Gig Reviews

You’ve got to hand it to life is noise, they consistently bring us gigs populated with musicians who are not only talented, but who possess an uncommon genius for creating tunes outside of the box. Friday night at the Bakery was a shining example.

Opening the evening was Gemma Pike on the decks, skilfully playing some decent background tunes to slowly introduce people to their Friday night. Though nothing could truly prepare virgin Injured Ninja audience members for what they were about to receive, ninety minutes worth of drinks in a non-threatening environment probably helped.

During Pike’s set, both vocalists from Injured Ninja were spotted drinking lemon tea and trying to coax their hoarse voices back to life for just a little while longer (happily, neither of them opted for the pretentious ‘I’m a singer in a band’ scarf). Despite fears, their vocals pretty much held on, in fact, the couple of times Dom Pearce’s voice cracked, it had the effect of injecting added passion to the sound. They played mostly new material from their upcoming album, and their sound is now fuller and richer than ever before.

Star performer of the night was Matt (Boobs) Bairstow whose drumming was spot on, particularly in new track Redeemer which had the crowd doing a confused jungle-bop half head-bang dance. As confronting as ever, the Ninja’s performance drew the crowd inside and to the front immediately, but the faint of heart (or those without earplugs) gradually melted towards the back of the room where they remained engaged, but less likely to sustain permanent ear damage. Fools. Some music is worth going deaf for.

It can sometimes be a long time between gigs for The Wednesday Society, comprising, as they do, of the rhythm section of Sugar Army, plus two. So what do you get when you put a drummer on bass and a bassist on guitar? A succulent sound with none of the mindless guitar-solo wankery that is common in bands driven by guitarists. Oh, there are solos, but they enhance the band’s sound, adding to it and making what comes out at the end sound larger than the sum of its parts.

Highlight song of their set was All we do is Butcher Everything (“All this fucking shiny and brand new”). Like all of their songs, it takes you on a chaotic ride through concepts and reflections of the world that aren’t particularly uplifting, it is true, but poignant for all that. In the right frame of mind, one might suspect this song has its roots in the experience of a band from inception to mainstream success. Their lyrics were intriguing, and though they were delivered in a strong authoritative voice they were not always understandable. The words that did come through clearly made it impossible not to strive to decipher the rest so that the story would be complete.

The short changeover was extremely pleasant; being in the most punter-friendly outdoor area in Perth, with it’s roof open to the sky and couches and stools scattered around, inviting people to sit or stand, as they preferred. The Bakery also wins for its modestly priced drinks and abundance of fresh clean water and giant water glasses ensuring the continued hydration of its patrons. It is refreshing to go into a venue and not be treated like a criminal as is becoming the norm in Perth.

HEALTH will do your head in. That’s a promise. They’ve seen a tiny bit of love on the Js, but not enough to account for how packed the room was by the time the quartet jumped up on stage. There are not a lot of experimental synthpunk bands around, so presumably when one appears of this calibre, the grapevine goes into overdrive.

The juxtaposition of dreamy vocals with postindustrial noise against a steady beat and occasional melodic theme works to create music that is both challenging and accessible. Add the insanity of their stage show, and there’s enough going on to keep you entertained for a long time.

The tense facial contortions of Jupiter Keys, who alternated between throttling his guitar and precisely banging various other noise making effects including floor tom, synth, microphone and pedals, created an interesting contrast with bassist John Famiglietti flinging himself hither and yon in his pizza shirt and wildly swinging locks. Famiglietti had an even greater array of effects at his fingertips, covering a full third of the stage in front of him.

Jake Duzik did guitarwork and crazy jumping around as well, but the notable thing about him was the vocal melody he was producing. Loaded with a tonne of delay, the effect was enchanting, and mildly disorienting against the absolute insanity coming out of the other three members’ instruments.

All three of these bands are absolutely worth checking out if you’re a fan of barely controlled chaos. If you like your music flat packed and mass produced, don’t go there, you’ll never get it.