Another Point Of View: The Birthday Massacre (Live Review By Stief)

The Birthday Massacre, The Fleece, Bristol

After hearing that The Birthday Massacre were doing a tour and playing what seems to be the Musipedia's second home for gigs, Bristol, Me, Nicola and Dan jumped at the chance to go see the
Canadian Darkwave sextet.

Walking into the Fleece, we are greeted by the dirty synth-tinged sounds of Stereo Juggernaut (7) of whom we only manage to catch a few songs. Definitely one to keep an eye on. After a sound check, The Dead Betas (4) enter the stage dancing to Haddaway's What Is Love. However, this is the highlight of their set. Their sound may be to some people's taste, but their synth-punk noise isn't great, at times sounding like a bad tribute act to the Sex Pistols. Overall, slightly disappointing.

The same can be said about Among The Echoes (6) visually covering the musical spectrum from death metal to goth to Bono. Musically, the band are great, but lead singer Ian Wall's vocals are just lacking for want of a better word. His voice never seems to rise above the rest of the band's sound,  and when it does, makes every song sound like a dirge. Essentially, they make you think that just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Finally The Birthday Massacre (9) enter the stage and break immediately into Broken, alleviating any worries that tonight was a waste. The band are constantly engaging, lead singer Chibi joking with guitarist Rainbow, the entire band working together like a close-knit family. The main thing I seem to notice about the Birthday Massacre is that there's very little banter between each song. A few words, the odd joke then the band blast into yet another classic.

Chibi's vocals are great, moving from haunting clean vocals to sinister growls effortlessly, all fitting perfectly with the synths of Owen on keyboards. It's all brought together by Falcore's lead guitar, Rhim's percussion and the aforementioned Rainbow who also provides the backing vocals on most songs. The band's sound is tight, and apart from some technical difficulties with Rainbow's guitar at the beginning of the set, and one occasion in which Chibi's microphone seemed to cut out, the band blow us away, the crowd bouncing and swaying to every song. An excellent finish to a somewhat mixed bag of a night.