Attrition/Black
Light Ascension/Dead Blood Cells/Coor Brow-Obles
Poco Loco, Chatham - 6 December 2024
"Another
excellent night courtesy of promoters Post Plague"
First time
hearing solo artist Coor Brow-Obles
whose own compositions were good enough - with some distinctive
hints of his influences but still managing to be his own thing.
The half-speed tempo cover of Love Will Tear Us Apart was
an inventive take on an overly covered classic that worked
surprisingly well.
Jason
Cheesman's Dead Blood Cells
project gets better every time I hear them live. Loving the
repetitive beats and basslines, but the completely bonkers random
ideas are still evident making their sets constantly unpredictable
if, like me, you're not overly familiar with their recorded
output. Lead vocalist Lilith Firechild (also a vocalist in The
InSect) has some impressive range and contrasts dramatically, but
very effectively, with Cheesman's own vocal parts. The combination
of the two shouldn't work - but it does.
Setlist: The Silence Is So Loud, Neon Demon Queen, Such An Attractive Sky, On the Beach, Let Me Out, Lucretia My Reflection
Black
Light Ascension continue to be one of my favourite live acts
(and the perfect support to headliners Attrition tonight). There's
always a genuine intensity to their performances both from front
man Andrew Trail and keyboardist Hunter Barr - who is one of the
creepiest-looking performers on a stage. His eyes and manic smile
are the stuff of nightmares! Tonight's version of Black Sun,
from their most recent (2021) album Flesh Ghosts, was
particularly intense. I have yet to attend a dud BLA gig.
Setlist: Dark
Angels, Night Came In, All Of The People, New Skin, Black Sun,
Hiroshima Shadows, Jack In Burn Out
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Headliners Attrition I've been following
constantly after picking up their sublime Smiling At The
Hypogonder Club LP on Third Mind in 1985. (At that point
Third Mind were one of only three labels whose releases I would
buy unknown or unheard. The other two being Mute and 4AD.) I
didn't know who they were but bought it simply based on the cover
design and the track titles. It remains one of my favourite albums
to this day, some 39 years later, and I quickly began going to
their gigs and buying up most of what they've released ever since.
Photos: Attrition x2
Founder
Martin Bowes has been the constant throughout their long
history. He'd just returned last week from a tour of Australia
and New Zealand but tonight was joined by the other founding
member Julia Waller (nee Niblock), making their current UK dates
a bit more special and resonant for long-standing fans like
myself. John Waller was in control of the live and backing
instrumentation.
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There's
something mesmerising, hypnotic about Attrition's music and
Bowes' distinctive growling vocal delivery. I wondered if they'd
overdone the smoke machine (it was thicker than the 1952 London
pea souper in here), or perhaps Bowes should stop inhaling the
fistful of smouldering jossticks he always carries on stage, as
he was coughing several times throughout the set. (In a
conversation with him later, it turns out he was just recovering
from a heavy cough and cold, causing the recent cancellation of
a gig in Coventry - the bands home town.) Still, he got through
tonight's set fine. Besides, it only added to his usual vocal
gruffness.
Setlist: The Voice Of Truth, One Horse Rider, Snake Pit, Mercy Machine, Two Gods, The Alibi, Narcissist, The Great Derailer, Dante's Kitchen, The Long Haul, A'dam & Eva
This
was chance to showcase material from their long in gestation The
Black Maria album released earlier this year. The
Great Derailer already sounds like a standard as it was
released four year ago(!), but having not actually gotten
around to listening to the most recent material, it was the
classic Mercy Machine that was the highlight of the
night.
Setlist: The Voice Of Truth, One Horse Rider, Snake Pit, Mercy Machine, Two Gods, The Alibi, Narcissist, The Great Derailer, Dante's Kitchen, The Long Haul, A'dam & Eva
To
sum up: another excellent night at Chatham's Poco Loco
courtesy of promoters Post
Plague. 8/10
Review
+ Photos: Rob
Dyer
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