#356: JESSY LANZA - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

Canadian Electronic songstress Jessy Lanza returned to Manchester's Soup Kitchen for a 2nd visit supporting her latest album "Oh No" on Hyperdub Records, and was greeted to a sold out show! After an eclectic DJ set from DVA [hi:emotions], Jessy Lanza hit the stage, this time with a live drummer, Tori Tizzard.

Jessy Lanza entered the packed out Soup Kitchen basement stage and began her set with her most solemn tune of the night. A slow, ethereal and dreamy number with high pitched reverb vocals, that made me think of the scene in the Twin Peaks pilot where Julee Cruise sings the theme song! Jessy Lanza now has two full length albums. Her debut "Pull My Hair Back" is slower and dreamier, whilst the new album "Oh No" is much more energetic and playful. She managed to mix the two styles really well. Jessy Lanza transitioned into "5785021" from her debut, with the amazing "Come on and call me" chorus (is that her really number??). Her pounding bass and minimalist beats rumbled delightfully out of Soup Kitchen's fine sound system. "Kathy Lee" gradually added more bounce to the show and got people in the crowd dancing to the Witch House style sound.

As the show went on Jessy Lanza got more and more lively, with her drummer also helping to ramp up the sheer amount of groove in the room. "Never Enough" from the latest album was a massive highlight that saw Jessy Lanza truly lose herself in the music, dancing her ass off across the stage. The crowd were wild and rowdy by this point and Lanza took us on an incredible run of pounding bass, icy cool synths and choppy electro beats. The back to back punch of "V V Violence" into "It Means I Love You" was sensational, and the gems kept coming with "Pull My Hair Back" and "Keep Moving".

Jessy Lanza was soon applauded back on stage for an encore, completing a fabulous evening of vocals and beats that surrounded the senses and got everyone moving. I was fortunate enough to catch her first Soup Kitchen show a couple of years ago, and she was great then but a little on the timid side. The transformation she has made now is night and day, as she beamed with confidence on stage and looked like she was feeling and enjoying every second of it! Jessy Lanza's music isn't just about delivering high grooves and energy, but this Halloween she also managed to deliver such emotional resonance that cut through my soul like Leatherface on one of his killing sprees! 8/10.

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October 26th 2016 @ Soup Kitchen, Manchester

#350: GRAF ORLOCK + GHOSTLIMB & BIG MACHINE - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

Tonight's bargain show saw US Grindcore band Graf Orlock play at the hard to find Aatma bar in Manchester's Northern Quarter. Joining them were Manchester's own noise rockers Big Machine and US Hardcore act Ghostlimb. The show saw a good turnout with even a couple of distros selling hard to find vinyl releases!

BIG MACHINE

Manchester based Big Machine make some big sounds despite only being a duo. They stepped in at the last minute after Mums were forced to pull out after losing their pedals. Best of luck to Mums and I hope the pedals are found! Big Machine played a set of high energy Noise Rock with just a drummer and a guitarist, with both adding vocals to the mix. Their guitarist Sacha Zucconi churned out some gnarly screams, whilst drummer Nick Colman would offer a mix of screams and clean vocals. Their short songs were made of jagged twists and turns, leaning towards a Math Rock influence. Nick Colman really stole the show with the most impressive and versatile performance this evening from behind the kit. He was just awe inspiring to watch, with an acrobatic way of playing every part of his kit. The only real downside of their performance were that the guitars and vocals weren't quite mixed loud enough compared to the drums, taking away some of the aggression. Some of the clean parts of theirs songs fell a little flat. Big Machine's sound reminded me of Leeds based Clenstch (who I reviewed earlier in the year), as well as Shellac and The Hyena Kill. 8/10.

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GHOSTLIMB

Travelling all the way from California to play a bargain show were Ghostlimb, a Melodic Hardcore trio featuring the guitarist of headliners Graf Orlock. Ghostlimb channeled a lovely balance between more Extreme Screamo/Hardcore combined with a pinch of old school American Punk Rock. The trio were full of good riffs, though the gravelly screaming vocals could have benefited from a more varied tone. Ghostlimb weren't quite as crazy as the two bands they were sandwiched between, but were still enjoyable enough and could give their songs oomph when required! 7/10.

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GRAF ORLOCK

Our headliners Graf Orlock hail from Anaheim, California. Graf Orlock's trademark is to combine lightning fast, spazzed out Grindcore, punctuated by samples from cult films to introduce each track. The quartet successfully implemented the film samples in a live environment, through the use of a sampler. The way the band would kick in to mad bursts of grind all in unison at the perfect moment was a sheer joy to watch and got the crowd's energy raised. Since there were some sound issues across the whole night, the backing vocals from the guitarist were much louder than their frontman, but he still managed to command the stage, often spilling out into the mosh pit and crowdsurfing. Their frontman had a really raw, throat shredding scream. Graf Orlock's songs were frequently noisy and unpredictable, injecting a sharp sense of humour as they bantered with the crowd. Their performance was suitably brief but very intense, with lots of energy. Graf Orlock come across as the kind of act that Grindcore purists might scoff at, but their live show cannot be denied, as they are simply a lot of fun and know how to have a great time! 8/10.

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August 9th 2016 @ Aatma, Manchester.

#344: THE COMET IS COMING + XAM - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

XAM

Information about XAM is pretty scarce as they don't even have a Facebook page, but this Electronic duo opened the evening tonight at Soup Kitchen in Manchester's Northern Quarter. There wasn't too strong a crowd to begin with, but people continued to pour in during their set. Xam consisted of two gentlemen, perhaps in their mid to late 20s. One of the members sat in front of a large modular synthesiser with pedals and more wires connected to it that I would dare to count! And to my right, the other gentleman showed his multi-instrumental talents, first starting out playing the saxophone and then later switching to keyboards.

XAM performed a single continuous piece of music that seemed to rely heavy on improv. The modulated synthesiser opened their set with a playful, pulsing sound that reminded me of the music from cult comedy series Look Around You. As the repetitive cycles of arpeggios gradually escalated in volume and weight, the saxophonist began to add subtle timbres into the mix, merging natural instrumentation with Electronic soundscapes. The subtle, repeated nature of their music gave off a strong Ambient vibe, reminding me of Brian Eno's collaborations with Jazz musician Jon Hassell in the 80s. As the saxophone started to dominate the sound mix, the composition felt more dense and droning. The saxophonist then retired his instrument and switched to keyboards. Whilst it was enjoyable to see the sax in action, I think it was a little too subtle in the mix and there simply wasn't enough of it showcased to make an impact!

Fortunately XAM's body of music continued to get more exciting as the keyboardist doubled up the melodies set by the modular synth, creating a rich harmonious sound. The tempo of the piece began to gradually speed up with the modulated phrases ever so gradually shifting. XAM were well received by the crowd and created some truly blissful, peaceful and chilled out vibes, giving out an almost meditative feel. Their music requires some patience, but fortunately the open minded audience gave them a big cheer at the end. 8/10.

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THE COMET IS COMING

The headlining trio managed to pack out Soup Kitchen's basement tonight after the word of mouth success of their debut album "Channel the Spirits". The Comet Is Coming is a Jazz trio who fuse their sound with Electronic elements. The trio consisted of Danalogue the Conqueror on keys, Betamax Killer on drums and King Shabaka on the sax (that's their birth names you know!) 

After an ethereal warm up with bubbling synths, rolling drums and expressive sax, they soon kicked off with the keyboardist creating a dense rumbling dub influenced bass sound that shook my entire body! It was soon evident from their performance that this band ooze high energy, moving around the stage and breaking into sweat very quickly. The Comet Is Coming also got the crowd moving, with infectious funky grooves that got people dancing. The keyboardist not only made an array of fast paced heavy synth sounds, but added in all kinds of effects adding a more experimental Electronic approach to the performance. The drummer was an absolute beast with an endless supply of massive fills and funky breaks. Their amazing saxophonist helped to keep their compositions grounded in melody, but also ran off into wild soloing when the time was right. Each band member was extremely talented in their own right, and found times to perform solos throughout the night. Yet they shared a unifying vision of their sound, with each band member complimenting each other rather than trying to outdo each other. One of my favourite pieces of the evening was a few songs in when the trio went absolutely crazy, perform a lightning fast and intense piece with all 3 members going crazy on their instruments at once, resulting in loud cheers from the crowd.

Throughout the show, The Comet Is Coming also managed to work in more relaxed numbers that leaned towards a Jazzier sound, but in particular it was their fantastic energy and insane individual talent that stood out most. Set highlights included "Neon Baby", which was one of their funkiest numbers, but it was "Space Carnival" with it's strong rhythmic sax lead that sent the crowd crazy, dancing their socks off! The band went off to a huge applause and were demanded back for an encore, which they fulfilled, closing the evening with sheer class. 9/10.
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June 22nd 2016 @ Soup Kitchen, Manchester.