Words and Photos by: Nick Ashton
Up first we have Desire Lines, an alternative rock trio from Bolton and Manchester. Despite singer / guitarist Titch’s self-effacing comments that some better bands will be along after they have finished their set, they soon get people on their feet and dancing. Their music is angular and angsty, all choppy guitars and heartfelt lyrics reminiscent of bands like the Buzzcocks. They are less poppy and more in your face than Pete Shelley’s mob, but they have a similar pent-up energy which threatens to boil over at any minute. The songs are punchy, rarely hanging around too long before shuffling off for a fag outside in the rain. Latest single Can’t Crawl is a somewhat heavier affair, although it still wears its indie roots on its sleeve as it takes a swipe at those living off the backs of others. If you like edgy, guitar driven indie rock then go check them out.
Desire Lines
One of the great things about these ALT:MCR events is the juxtaposition of musical styles that you can experience in one evening. After some alternative indie rock we take a sharp turn into the stoner depths of Vassal’s psychedelic doom. While they also hail from Manchester, Vassal come from a completely different sonic heritage. Their music is often glacial in pace, embedded in a hypnotic cosmic fuzz that penetrates the deepest corners of your mind and takes you on a trip through inner space. The riffs drone and the drums weave complex patterns while distorted vocals urge you ever deeper into a trance. This is the soundtrack to a magic mushroom trip rather than dancing, but nonetheless the audience are involved and give the band a warm reception.
Vassal
So to the headliners, London’s Teiger: another trio and another change in musical style to round off this eclectic evening. While there is a psychedelic element to their approach, Teiger deal primarily in dreamy progressive soundscapes. Singer/guitarist Talie Rose Eigeland’s vocals are rather quiet and breathy, with a hint of Björk in the intonation, as she mostly lets the music do the talking. Bassist Phillip Eldridge-Smith cuts an imposing figure, with a mass of long black hair that swirls around as he coaxes complex basslines into existence and drummer Jon Steele lays down the polyphonic rhythms at the back. Again this is not music that you can dance to easily, but there are plenty of people in the audience who feel compelled to move, trancelike, with the ebb and flow of the sonic patterns emerging from the stage. New single Bloodwork is a highlight of the set. Although sadly not joined tonight by collaborator, cellist extraordinaire Jo Quail, the song still swirls around like a disembodied spirit hiding in the dark shadows before bursting forth in a crescendo of light and noise. Based on tonight’s performance and the warm reception that it received, the band should venture out of the metropolis more often.
Teiger
