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Artist: International Noise Conspiracy Venue: The Garage, Highbury, London Date:
11 May 2002
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this climate of widespread political unrest there doesn't seem to be
many bands with a solid loud voice giving any time to what's going on
out there. The birds may be chirping outside your window but they're in
a sweltering heat. 100,000 march in France, protesting the Preliminary success of extreme - right candidate Jean-Marie Le-Pen, 50,000 march in Washington in response to Bush's insanity concerning the middle east (which, for the Americans, is pretty impressive), voter attendance has reached an all time low; but it's not apathy, it's anger. (I)NC aren't content with this mediocre uprising. They want more. The sleeve notes for "Survival Sickness" are an intelligent heartfelt plea. Headed 'Dear Listener' the explanation for track 2 of the album, "The Subversive Sound", quotes Marx and gives a damning review of the present 'old and dull' condition of music today. The written translation for "Enslavement Blues" is a sad description of the lose of silence but ends with the line 'thank the industrialization for making us amplify our manifestos and enables us to sing and scream and dance'. (This is my favourite of their albums and to me is held above their new release "A New Morning, Changing Weather"). And the rest are just as thought-provoking as any political-preacher you may have read. Like Bill Hicks without the humour, raw, honest and real. But here in the dingy ground floor of the Garage in Highbury that all seems a million miles away, for the moment, as the support band, described by the mate I went with as 'a bunch of dirty hippies who should have a wash', otherwise known as Bikini Atoll, do their set. Apart from the limp bassist who looks as it he's about to ooze right off the stage any minute and the swirling dervish that is the keyboardist, the band look like their going through the motions. The lead singer is cute but he knows it and tries his best to look ubercool. To be fair the set is extremely tight and organised, every band member has put a lot of work into getting the band into a semi-professional status of play, but unfortunately the songs are fairly forgetable, despite the nice Velvet Underground influence. But as the place fills up you can feel expectations rising, and when (I)NC make it to the stage, the cramped quarters of the Garage get even smaller as everything pushes forward to get a better look. Dennis Lyxzen, lead singer, has no quarms about getting right to it. Welcoming the crowd and throwing himself into the fracas. An epileptic performer, he works the crowd into a wonderful frenzy, the crowd not merely po-going but actually dancing!! I never see that in gigs, and it's damn refreshing ... introducing songs with scathing diatribes on the very scary aforementioned Le-Pen and asking us all to 'Just see, just look!!!', inviting us into this world of awareness so sorely lacking in most peoples brains. Inviting us to think about what we're listening to instead of just letting it just wash over us in an ocean of noise. That ocean is already big enough, with all the bands with no agenda apart from getting played and getting laid. Their second albums title track 'Survival Sickness' was a rapturous, chaotic set, Lyxzen grabbing hold of the tiny ceilings' overhang and screaming out at the crowd with unabashed fervour. It was met with cheers of approval at its piercing screech of an intro as many of the audience sang along with giant grins on their faces and fists in the air. New track 'Breakout' with it's infectious chorus had everyone screaming right along with this gyrating maniac and throwing fists. As the band managed to work up an amazing amount of sweat, I realised just how few bands there are like them and how few will ever get a larger forum than the Garage. They may use the corporations they loathe to reach people who never get to see anything like the birds in their backyard, but they truly loathe to reach people who never get to see anything but the birds in their backyard, but they truly have something to say that isn't a grab at a chic and hip angst money shot. Like Rage Against The Machine and The Manic Street Preachers early stuff they're not going to hold your hand. They want you out there making something different, they want you to help them tell the world. Special guest reviewer - Rose Denne |
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