Karmen Field, Risperidrone & Cemetery Dogs, Fuel Rock Club, 24.11.24
With so many big things hitting venues at the moment it's quite nice to have a local gig in a local venue (without sounding too much like a League Of Gentlemen sketch).
The sudden closure of The Moon just two days before still very fresh in the mind of everyone there, it was made reference too by all the bands, a reminder that even in a "Music City" like Cardiff local independent venues that don't rely on membership, financial backing form other means or aren't tied in with a bigger promotions company will not survive if we don't go to the gigs they promote.
Little rant over and on this Sunday night in we were getting three bands who bring some big riffs, two established and one quite new to the scene all for the princely sum of £6. That's a bargain in anyone's money but how much of a bargain it was wouldn't be really known until later.
Due to a raging storm, it being a school night and Fontaines D.C (me neither) playing the Utilita, it was perhaps a little quiet in Fuel but for what there lacked in crowd they made up for in fervency.
First up was new trio Cemetery Dogs (7), playing just their third gig, the first being at The Moon, the second at Tiny Rebel, they've now played all the venues on Womanby Street except Clwb Ifor Bach, which is quite an achievement. They play a style of stoner/doom inspired by High On Fire, Sasquatch, Red Flag and any other heavy riffing Sabbath worshipping, trifecta you want to mention, so long as they've got SG driven riffs, raw shouted vocals and fat grooving bottom end
They're a band who are a work in progress, there were a few mistakes, the new songs are being worked through live in front of you but this rough and readiness added to their easy to like charm. Experience breeds finesse, they've got the songs and the talent, all of the components are there, they need a few more gigs under their belt to nail it down. Local bookers snap them up as these dogs are ready to howl.
Next up something a bit slower and proggier, Risperidrone (7) are band who have been cutting about the circuit for a while, featuring members of Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2024 winners Root Zero, Riperidrone are a different sort of beast playing psychedelic doom metal that is driven by repeating, fuzzy riffs, intricate lead bass and mournful vocals.
Their set was plagued by a few technical issues but the gremlins were thwarted after a couple of songs but as with the nature of doom bands they only then had a couple more songs to play. Each time I see Risperidrone I see a band who get more confident, while they need to lay down some tracks proper to have on their merch stand, the set that they have gets louder, heavier and adds technicality behind a wall of distortion and fuzz.
Speaking of confidence I don't think there is as fully formed band on the South Wales scene as Karmen Field (9), I'll admit I didn't really understand what they did at the beginning but with repeated exposure they have morphed into a favourite. Hard to classify, impossible to ignore and taking influence from everywhere, they've built a very strong, die-hard following on the back of many shows, their multi-media approach to drip-feeding singles, accompanied by videos and release shows, focus on making the visuals as important as the songs while also cultivating an inclusive atmosphere around them.
At a Karmen Field show you can just be you, glitter is encouraged, as is head banging, the macarena and letting yourself hang loose. Oppression and negativity isn't tolerated and with political themes merging with escapist ones a Karmen Field show can feel like an LSD trio without the drugs. Musically they're diverse taking from Faith No More, The Flaming Lips, Frank Zappa, Alice In Chains and Tool. It's metallic music fully in the avant-garde but catchy and groove driven. Prog grunge that I once referred to as like having a trip without the necessity of drugs.
Playing a set that comprised mainly the songs from their as yet unreleased/unrecorded album. While they look to record that soon, the songs are fully formed already, honed with plenty of live performances, while also adding some cuts from debut record Black Star Emperor. With Joe Roper steering the set from behind the kit, he's got power and poise controlling the grooves alongside bassist Lewis Goold, his technical but muscular basslines balance finesse with ferocity.
Building the set up in a really clever way they began with the lighter groovier material before getting heavier and angrier towards the end. Will Bird peeling off riffs and solos like no ones business, be it with the bludgeoning Breaking The Cycle, the epic Black Star Emperor and their already classic funk rock thing Sticky Jam where Will takes co leads with Molly McBreen the effervescent singer of Karmen Field.
You can't deny the impact Molly makes on the audience and her importance in the band. A great voice delivered with raw, bluesy passion, part Janis, part Stevie with grunge twist. She's also got her stagecraft down perfectly, be it the jokes and stories told between the songs, her rapport with the audience, encouraging them to make more noise, throw their middle fingers up at the previous government or the way she brushes off some of the more inebriated members of the audience who were making a nuisance of themselves, Molly is a natural frontperson for this creative act.
Debuting almost all new material can be difficult but that new album is going to sound great from what I saw in Fuel on a Sunday night. Karmen Field really shine when they play live, one of the best bands on the South Wales scene the unique noise they make will get louder and louder in the next year!
No comments:
Post a Comment