Issue 106 / Dec 2019/Jan 2020

REVIEWS
Black Lips (Stuart Moulding / @Oohshootstu)
Black Lips
+ Yammerer
+ Ohmns
EVOL @ Arts Club – 13/11
With a status as revered and prolific as Atlantan garage punks BLACK
LIPS, they’re a band you have to see to believe. Rewind eight years and
they were well known (or extremely notorious) at venues around the
world. Gigs would descend into urinating and nudity on stage, just a
small sample of their reputation. In the years that followed, they became
somewhat controversial figures within the punk scene.
It’s 2019 now. Have Black Lips mellowed with age? Has craziness
stirred through the years? With a full supporting cast of Liverpool’s own
punks in tow, the scene is set to see if the notoriety still rings true.
As has been said a thousand times before – even by myself – but no
less true: OHMNS know how to put on a show. They smash out classics
from 2015 EP The Rice Tape. But what’s noticeable, particularly with the
seven-minute version of Keshi Heads dedicated to Craig Charles, is how
Ohmns elongate their riffs and a punk classic transforms into a sludgy jam
that you can’t take your eyes off.
Next on stage are Chester’s YAMMERER. With a lead singer who is
wrapping himself in his microphone lead and has sunglasses on the back
Snapped Ankles
Harvest Sun @ Invisible Wind Factory Substation – 25/10
of his head, Yammerer feel more like a performance art piece rather than
a punk band. You don’t have to know which songs are which, which is
probably a good thing. You can’t take home a coherent sentence from the
microphone. But it matters little. You want to participate in the madness
yourself. The entire set fluctuates between simmering anticipation to full
blown pandemonium. What’s more punk than that?
Black Lips immediately go for the jugular as they hit the stage, with
only an hour until curfew. They start off with Arabia Mountain classic
Family Tree. The crowd, which is hitherto relatively tame, splits into
madness and fear of madness. People begin to spin and bump into each
other, and some are courageous enough to crowd surf. You’re holding
someone up by their boot, but it’s definitely all part of the fun of being in a
crowd that energetic.
They play a varied selection of songs, including tracks from 2015’s
seminal album Let It Bloom and of course, their biggest hit O Katrina! The
songs begin to mellow as they turn towards their album Sing In A World
That’s Falling Apart, their forthcoming country-infused record.
For the more hardcore garage punk fans, this might not be what
they’ve come for, but it’s still captivating to witness a band’s sound
evolving in this way. Line-up changes aside, Black Lips appear to have
finally gelled together for the long term. They’ve matured and found
comfort in the country, but they haven’t completely forgotten to give fans
what they want.
Georgia Turnbull / @GeorgiaRTbull
Snapped Ankles (Mook Loxley / @MookLoxley)
Or:la
The Wonder Pot @ 24 Kitchen
Street – 16/11
24 Kitchen Street has remained a bastion
in Liverpool’s underground electronic music
scene over the years. It’s become a citadel for
electronic music culture to grow and expand,
break new ground and test its audience. It’s
been six years since its inception, but it didn’t
take long for it to emerge as one of Liverpool’s
leading mixed-use independent music
venues and arts spaces. Hosting regular club
nights, performance art events and various
workshops, it’s now renowned among the
city’s creative community. Notably, Kitchen
Street has allowed the electronic scene to grow
at an unprecedented level, hosting hard-hitting
DJs from Berlin to Detroit. But it hasn’t been a
solo effort. Kitchen Street is the centre point
of collaboration, working with innovative
promoters such as The Wonderpot, Watt Hz??
and Meine Nacht to introduce Liverpool to
some of the most electrifying nights the city
has witnessed in recent memory.
To celebrate their sixth birthday, who
better to take the reins than the Derryborn
OR:LA. Starting her musical journey
in Liverpool and a much-loved frequenter
of Kitchen Street, Or:la has constantly been
progressing since the start of her career.
Originally DJing with Liverpool based nights
such as Meine Nacht, she has moved onto
become a resident at Manchester club monolith
The Warehouse Project, as well as producing
her own tracks for Hotflush, Deep Sea
Frequencies and, more recently, her own label
Céad.
Walking into Kitchen Street, there is an
immediate sense of warmth and a feeling of
elevated spirits. A gathering of party people
and electronic enthusiasts, creating the sort
of vibe a birthday truly deserves. Immediately,
as Or:la jumps behind the decks, she brings in
her kaleidoscopic mix of genres, which varies
from bass, breaks, techno and everything in
between; ready to sway the people of Kitchen
Street whichever direction she pleases.
Through her guidance, the wide array of
sounds fit snugly under one umbrella held aloft
high above the decks, moving the crowd in a
way that most DJs can’t achieve.
A birthday occasion requires energy, and
there is little shortage with the Kitchen Street
native at the helm.
Rhys Thomas
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