Saturday 2 January 2010

Review - Lightning Bolt - Brighton Audio - 11th December 2009

Lightning Bolt - Brighton Audio - 11th December 2009

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8 out of 10

Seeing Lightning Bolt live is an experience unlike no other. For one, you can't see the band unless you're in the front row - and if you're that close to the inner circle your new job for the evening is to make sure the twisted sea of convulsing limbs doesn't go astray; crashing into the band.

First up were the J-Pop stylings of Pseudo Nippon. This guy needs a TV show quick! Take the insanity of Takeshi's Castle, throw in some Banzai and get the artist Tanaami to direct it with Ghibli overseeing things. Its hyperactive, ridiculous rap-rock-noise-pop..with dancers! And walking through the crowd to give out high fives and hugs between songs is something that all bands should do.

However memorable they are visually, the crowd is here to see Lightning Bolt and not one second after Pseudo Nippon leaves the floor space, people are circling the other drum kit. As a casual Lightning Bolt fan I was intrigued about how you could record and document such a whirlwind of organized noise. I was never a fan of Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" for one thing, much to my friend's disappointment (who listens to it whilst jogging). So I was expecting to get bored quite quickly and proclaim "Emperor's Not So New Clothes" and go back to the hot girl in the Testament shirt at the bar.

But like a nasty virus spreading through the Audio (or was that the smell that constantly persists in that place), the bass frequencies grab hold of you with their groove tentacles and before you know it your being whipped into shape by the frenzied percussive panzer attack.

Songs off their new cacophony "Earthly Delights" were aired to much delight from the die-hards spasmodically convulsing at the front. The opening "Sound Guardians" and "Colussus" having a thick sludgy groove that had the room moving as one. "2 Moro Moro Land" and "Two Towers" bringing the show to a thundering end the crowd clambering out of their respective K-Hole's to chant for more.

You don't see Lightning Bolt, you feel them. Like the brown sound, but cleaner.

Listen: www.myspace.com/lightningboltbrians

Tracklist:

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