Issue 99 / May 2019

Terry Riley and Gyan Riley
+ Daniel Thorne
+ Ex-Easter Island Head
24 Kitchen Street – 10/04
A much-anticipated gig this one, with some astonishment
that such a musically pioneering and respected figure could be
sequestered away in the low-cap confines of 24 Kitchen Street.
Back in the day, the cognoscenti knew: The Who, Curved Air,
Soft Machine et al all nodded in Riley’s direction, as he and others
of the San Francisco Tape Music Centre pushed the envelope of
what was musically possible and acceptable.
Support act EX-EASTER ISLAND HEAD have a good go at
keeping that experimental spirit alive with a set of complex but
melodic tunes played out on a series of assembled instruments;
guitars laid horizontally and played as percussion instruments,
for example, that seems entirely in tune with what people might
expect of the evening as a whole. It appears to be a good gig at
which to be a support act, the audience are focused and very
appreciative. Saxophonist DANIEL THORNE picks up on this
and captivates the crowd with a set that begins delicately and
sparsely enough, but which is progressively layered through
his use of pedals, building to the echo-laden Double Helix and
further warm applause.
The Rileys enter – father TERRY and son GYAN – Terry
smiling benignly at the applauding crowd, some seated but the
majority standing to the back of a packed room. Without much
ado, they launch into a piece that certainly could not be described
as minimalist. Gyan’s jazzy, discordant chimes are caressed and
coaxed from his guitar and Riley Snr’s piano playing becomes
more and more expansive. The pair constantly look up from their
instruments, glancing at each other, searching for clues as to
what will come next, which direction they will take, in what is a
largely improvised set.
It’s as though Terry Riley is exploring some of his own
influences, playing with time and timing as we hear elements of
jazz, ragtime and blues weaving their way in and out of the set.
And it is a very playful set, a playful atmosphere, both performers
and audience are smiling and laughing at the turns the music
takes. There’s no obvious backbeat but the set pulses with
rhythm and energy. They must have done this a thousand times
in their kitchen.
About half way through the set I feel as though I’m listening
to the soundtrack of a crazy Tex Avery cartoon, the music
jumping about – sweet, dissonant, whimsical, earnest – in a
maelstrom of West Coast joie de vivre. Riley Snr later takes up a
Terry And Gyan Riley (Glyn Akroyd / @GlynAkroyd)
melodica for a ‘don’t forget about us’ paean to the prairies of the
Mid-West.
Riley Snr’s lifelong fascination with Indian classical music is
apparent in much that he plays; he constantly switches between
a grand piano and a Korg tuned to Indian scales, occasionally
playing both at the same time, and the only vocal of the evening
is his mantra-like introduction to the final piece.
There is a huge amount of goodwill in the room and the set
is well received aside from a few mutterings from those who had
expected a set of classic minimalism; and, for whom this version
of Riley was an unexpectedly cluttered deviation from the pure
space of his earlier work. Enjoyable, but not quite as anticipated.
But people like Riley don’t sit still and they don’t pander to
people’s expectations. They tread their own path.
Glyn Akroyd / @glynakroyd
SPQR
+ Ohmns
+ Piss Kitti
Harvest Sun @ Arts Club – 29/03
Touts
+ Inhaler
Studio2 – 28/03
From Derry, Northern Ireland, TOUTS take to the Studio2
stage to play angry, ferocious, unhinged punk rock, warming up
the crowd initially before chaos erupts throughout the latter-half
of their set. The venue is pogoing, headbanging, and moshing
as the teenage three-piece lay into their instruments. It is the
perfect storm after the calm, this Joy Division-inspired post-punk
of Dublin four-piece INHALER.
Consisting of Josh Jenkinson-Tansia, Robert Keating, Ryan
McMahon, and Elijah Hewson (son of activists Ali and Paul
Hewson – the latter better known by his stage name Bono),
Inhaler channel the Manchester sound of the late 1970s through
to the early 1990s into their own rhythmic style and delivery.
The harmonious vocal interplay between Hewson and Keating
is complemented by the band’s hook-laden melodies, and the
highlight of their set comes when they played the Stone Rosesinfluenced
I Want You.
After watching the crowd down a few pints of the black
stuff, it’s time for drunken anarchy. Self-described as “a singer
that can’t sing, a mod that can’t play bass and a drummer that
can’t see,” Touts are incendiary, tackling the political climate of
today with fire, as well as the bygone years of Northern Irish
history. Even their name has political undertones, taking meaning
Terry And Gyan Riley (Glyn Akroyd / @GlynAkroyd)
not only from ticket touts but also from police informers in Ireland
and Northern Ireland.
Inhalers soon join the crowd, standing not too far away from
myself, as guitarist and lead vocalist Matthew Crossan prowls
the stage, laying into his guitar like a young, angry Paul Weller,
while bassist and backing vocalist Luke McLaughlin delivers raw
power reminiscent of Joe Strummer. It’s no mere coincidence, the
band draw much inspiration from The Clash through songs like
Bombscare and Political People. Luke even takes on lead vocal
duties for Can’t Blame Me, as drummer Jason decimates his kit
with ferocious energy.
Touts were recently offered the opportunity to cover a ‘lost’
Joe Strummer track originally recorded in 1984 called Before
We Go Forward. Released by Touts to raise money for the
Joe Strummer Foundation – copies of which are available at
the merch stand – the cover is played live to the cheers of the
Studio2 crowd.
Towards the end of the night, Touts play the self-explanatory
Go Fuck Yourself, bellowing out the chorus with confidence
and undeniable punk rock attitude; the relentless camaraderie
between the trio electrifying Studio2. And if I’m getting the
running order of the setlist mixed up, please forgive me. Each
song is approximately two and a half minutes of unadulterated,
anthemic punk rock played at lightning fast speeds. Touts appear
to have no shortage of energy and understand the fundamentals
of the genre. And no, I haven’t been taking notes at the bar; I’m
in there, headbanging – destroying my spine one punk song and
vertebra at a time.
Ken Wynne / @Ken_Wynne
The upstairs of Arts Club has filled quickly, here, at a fringe
event, on the opening night of the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival.
It’s not without good reason. Some of the most exciting bands to
come out of the North West in recent years are billed together
tonight.
Despite the large environment playing home to the group
of underground bands, the punk atmosphere is still prominent.
First up on the bill are rising stars PISS KITTI. Before they begin,
drummer Dan dedicates their set to Her’s, who died tragically
while on tour in America days before. With emotions still very
raw, it’s a fitting way to begin a weekend of music, dedicating it
to local music stars gone too soon.
Piss Kitti deliver loud, raucous music with an element of fun.
Lead singer Esme dedicates song Better Than You to “all the lad
psych rock bands around at the moment”. It’s a funny moment,
especially since some of them are probably in this audience.
However, the band still get everyone up to the front for Hash,
now a staple song of their sets. A few people (including myself)
dance along to keep the energy going.
For a long time I’ve felt that OHMNS are the best live band
in Liverpool. There’s been some good competition, but, for
me, no-one has matched their level of high ferocity, filled out
with an underlay of doomy sounds. Such is the abundance of
the latter, it’s difficult to decipher which song is which, such
is the reverberation through the venue. It’s a bit of a downer.
Regardless, they have an unshakeable sound and presence. Even
after being off the live circuit for a few months late last year, they
play a set that reminds me why they’re my favourite band.
I’ve heard a lot about SPQR over the past year or so, but this
is my first time seeing them live. Without surprise, they really do
live up to the hype. They have a relentless energy and a perfectly
tight punk sound; the basslines jolt with that Talking Headsesque
elevation. It’s an appreciation of rhythm that’s more unique
than their peers. This may be the biggest venue SPQR have
played, and it’s nearly at full capacity. This is a sign of the future
growing more punk than we imagined.
Georgia Turnbull / @GeorgiaRTbull
REVIEWS 71