We lock our bikes up, by Yellow Wave to the rawkus sounds of Kitchen Lover outdoors in the sunshine. What’s not to like as we quickly make our way from door to bar and the first taste of cold beer hits our lips and Lars waves his Robert Plant locks about? They are a great fun band and they kick this evening off perfectly.
So it must be said, are Lemonscker. Top Marks to Opus Kink for allowing a line up of this quality to play before them. They take to the stage like the rock stars they are surely well on their way to becoming.
Their set pulsates, and the dancier clubbier side of their sound really hits tonight. There are two German women bouncing up and down outside the fence, just behind us, who know every single word to their songs, which adds to vibe immensely. Guy really works hard in his front man capacity. By the end of their show, he certainly couldn’t be any redder. They played this gig like it was a headline show.
A tough act to to follow, and despite the chaos of the bar literally freezing all the pump beer accidentally with CO2, Team Source is pleased to report that our heroes have got this.
Rumors abound of how many people are now in the terrace. Source can confirm it’s a lot, possibly even close to the number of people you’d normally see inside, and they are all well oiled and ready as the first punchy sax line of ‘Come Over, Do Me Wrong’ rolls out over the bluesy stomp. Angus is having fun and allows himself a cheeky reflective smile.
A proper mosh pit ensues for ‘Wild One’ and the hits flow liberally. By the growl of ‘Dust’, the track which confirmed to this writer this merry band deserved consideration alongside the greats from the Fat Whites to Tom Waits, who isn’t moshing?
Indeed this is masterclass in an album launch set list. Play some hits get them rabid and they will carry on in that manner. We’re here to celebrate the band, not just the album.
“Has anyone listened to the album yet? Coz if you have you know I need to shine my Sunday shoes.” The rendition of the album track straight after is pure gospel fire.
‘The Head Tree’ is folk music as nineties club classic. A gothic tale of the last woman to be hanged by a man for witchcraft. It might be new, but the crowd is singing along, in riotous scenes. Sadly no appearance by the New Eves for their backing vocals, despite how close some of them live to Concorde 2 but the crowd take their part.
By Show Boy Angus is in the crowd aping Birthday Party era Cave riling all around him into a moment of pure filth. It’s a pure driven performance from a rock n roll ringmaster.
They have always been great, from the first second we laid eyes on them at Mutations Festival in the cellar of the Latest Music bar one early Friday evening before Lambrini Girls.
Tonight as Angus is held aloft and draws Cramps and Bad Seeds lyrics into the extended breakdown, they pick up the crown and say, we are mudder funkin ready.
If, deer reader, you don’t already know, the album is also brilliant as are all the mini albums and eps and singles that preceded it. Buy all of it. Play it loud.
Half the band are crowd surfing by the end of ‘St Paul of the Tarantulas’. Sax and tambourines aloft.
Album closer ‘Oh, Irony’ is almost anthemic. We might have just about got our heads around how unlikely it is we will ever see the man who wrote ‘Raindogs’ play those songs live, but we are seeing this, and you know, it is spectacular stuff from a band whose time is now.
The terrace has long been the preserve of Dub, house and filthy DnB, so top marks to Joy and C2 from bring our favourtite type of inside outside too. That was all the right kinds of wrong.
Joy Promotions Present: Opus Kink Album Launch
Concorde 2 Terrace – 6th August
Words: Nick McAllister
Stunt Photography: Jamie MacMillan
