Music / Previews
Metal & Prog Picks: May 2017
It’s another bumper month in our world, with gigs ranging from three big shows at the Colston Hall (Steve Hackett, Paul Rodgers, Procol Harum) to The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell at the bijou Gryphon. All this plus great prog-metal from Katatonia and Riverside, the intriguing prospect of former Can frontman Damo Suzuki’s improvised performance at the Exchange, a hometown gig by hard-working Tax the Heat, a firing-on-all-cylinders Hawkwind, and much more. We can’t include everything here, so head over to B24/7’s Americana, Blues & Country preview for a trio of great crossover gigs at Gareth Chilcott’s uber-friendly Tunnels: Dan Patlansky, who supported Joe Satriani at the Colston Hall; Devon (son of Gregg) Allman; and Seattle veteran Shawn Smith, who co-founded Brad with Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard.
Thekla, May 1
is needed now More than ever
So farewell then, Black Spiders. The Sheffield rockers might not have reinvented the wheel, but they were bloody good fun while they lasted. And now they’re splitting for, erm, ‘geographical reasons’. Expect emotion and general mayhem as the charmingly named Fuck Off Black Spiders tour reaches the Thekla.
Exchange, May 3
Proggy black/sudge/whatever metallers from Richmond, Virginia, Inter Arma (that’s ‘In times of war’, Latin fans) are a tough act to pin down. Hell, there’s even some old-school Southern rock in the mix. They’re well worth a look if you like your metal experimental as well as crushingly heavy. Hey – they might even play all 45 minutes of The Cavern. French support act Celeste are renowned for playing in total darkness and for tackling themes beyond the Beelzebubbery usually associated with black metal. Their 2010 release Morte(s) Nee(s) was even a feminist concept album.
Colston Hall, May 4
He was shamefully written out of Genesis history by the BBC, but there are a billion reasons to love Steve Hackett. Here are some of them. 1) He’s the only member of the ‘classic’ Genesis line-up to keep the music alive. But he doesn’t just churn out the same old stuff, delving deep into the catalogue to unearth rarely played gems. On this tour, he’s marking the 40th anniversary of Wind and Wuthering by performing most of it live along with one track for each album he recorded during his seven years with the band. 2) He’s restlessly inventive and continues to record and play new music, exploring middle eastern sounds on current album The Night Siren, with guests such as Israeli Kobi Farhi and Palestinian Mira Awad from those great prog-metallers Orphaned Land. 3) Unlike many proggers who choose to steer clear of politics, he makes no bones about his pro-immigrant, anti-Brexit views while avoiding using the stage as a soapbox. The themes of co-existence are all in the music. 4) He’s got a great band, fronted by the flamboyant Nad Sylvan with ex-Kajagoogoo fella Nick Beggs on bass. 5) He invented modern heavy metal. No, really. Steve originated the finger tapping technique on The Musical Box way back in 1971. Without this, there’d have been no Eddie Van Halen.
Thekla, May 5
Bristol’s very own suited’n’booted Tax the Heat bring their distinctive brand of hard rock and entertaining facial hair home to conclude a string of dates, some of which were as support to Royal Republic. Their debut album, Fed to the Lions, certainly impressed the rock press on release last year. “The energy is infectious, performances pinpoint-perfect and they know their way round a melody,” enthused Classic Rock’s 9/10 review. “All Killer, no filler. An outstanding debut from the Bristolians”
Marble Factory, May 8
Like their more high-profile Stockholm chums Opeth, Katatonia have evolved from fairly bog-standard death metal origins, spinning off in a proggier direction to become masters of epic, exquisite melancholy whose albums are now accorded lavish audiophile 5.1 mixes. They haven’t played Bristol for nearly five years (the Dead End Kings tour at the Fleece with Alcest, remember?). Since then, Katatonia have released the live acoustic CD/DVD, Sanctitude, recorded at the Union Chapel, and recently unleashed their first studio album in four years. The Fall of Hearts sees them move further in the direction of prog with a magnificent surround mix by Bruce Soord of Somerset’s very own The Pineapple Thief, who collaborated with frontman Jonas Renkse on that excellent Wisdom of Crowds album. This could very well prove to be the gig of the month.
Colston Hall, May 10
Rodgers’ fabulous, distinctive voice remains impressively intact at the age of 67, but he hasn’t released any new music since that rather iffy The Cosmos Rocks album with Queen, and hasn’t put out any solo recordings since Electric 17 years ago. But then it could be argued that he doesn’t need to with such a great back catalogue of Free and Bad Company material to draw upon. And as the title of this Free Spirit tour signals so clearly, it’s the former band who’ll be celebrated exclusively tonight. Let’s hope that means he’ll be delving a little more deeply than usual into the diverse Free songbook. Accept nothing less than Mourning Sad Morning, Oh I Wept, Come Together in the Morning and Over the Green Hills – especially at those eye-watering ticket prices.
https://youtu.be/kvptRAfYpWM
Exchange, May 12
What on earth can we expect from a solo show by Damo Suzuki? Y’know – the 67-year-old Cologne-based Japanese fella who was famously invited to become Can’s frontman after Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit heard him busking in Munich. Suzuki stuck around for most of Can’s best albums – including Tago Mago, Future Days and Ege Bamyasi – his distinctive improvised vocal style sealing his reputation among a wide constituency ranging from adventurous proggers to, erm, Mark E. Smith. But – hey – that was more than 40 years ago, after which crazy ol’ Damo jacked it in to become a Jehovah’s Witness. Having got that out of his system, he now pitches up in different cities for improvised sets with local musicians, or “sound carriers”. How does he recruit the bands he plays with? Well, in a rare interview with Prog magazine last year, Suzuki revealed that he doesn’t get involved, leaving this entirely to the local promoter. And they’ve chosen . . . the Cube Orchestra.
https://youtu.be/xlZT8vBC7dg
Colston Hall, May 16
They’ll no doubt be skipping the light fandango. And possibly turning cartwheels ‘cross the floor. But there’s rather more to these symphonic prog pioneers than THAT SONG, as one trusts they’ll demonstrate tonight. Now celebrating their 50th anniversary, with 71-year-old Gary Brooker the sole remaining original member (though if bassist Matt Pegg looks a tad familiar, that’s because he’s the son of Fairport’s Dave), Procol Harum just put out their first album in 14 years. Titled Novum, with lyrics by veteran Cream collaborator Pete Brown, it’s all a bit soft rock rather than the grandiose prog we might have hoped for. Still, fingers crossed for the full In Held Twas in I, as brought to a younger audience by prog supergroup Transatlantic on their SMPT:e album
Marble Factory, May 20
Magnificent Warsaw proggers Riverside’s previous show at this very venue was one of the best gigs of 2015. But tragedy struck just a few months after that gig when guitarist Piotr Grudziński died suddenly of a heart attack. The band subsequently announced that they would not be replacing him and intended continue as a trio, with guest guitarists joining them for live shows. They also put out an experimental/ambient album, Eye of the Soundscape, comprising four new songs alongside previously recorded but unreleased instrumentals. This is truly classy stuff, as far removed as it’s possible to get from the band’s extreme metal origins. Anyone who loves Pink Floyd or Porcupine Tree shouldn’t hesitate to take a punt on them.
O2 Academy, May 24
Blimey – what’s happened to Hawkwind, eh? We’d got used to the veteran space warriors putting out mediocre albums (and downright bloody awful ones in the ravey-davey ’90s) and making up for these with the full sonic attack of their live shows. But then last year they unexpectedly released a great concept album, The Machine Stops (inspired by the dystopian E.M. Forster novel), which became their first chart hit in decades. The follow-up, Into the Woods, is out this month. It appears that the Hawks’ newest recruit, young Bristolian bassist Haz Wheaton (see our interview here), has given the band the bloody great kick up the arse they needed and helped steer the mothership’s trajectory away from noodling and back towards the muscular, riff-heavy space rock that we all crave from Hawkwind out here in punterland. Oh, and lest you think we’re only bigging-up Haz because he’s local and a lovely chap, check out the fan-shot video above of him giving it the full Lemmy on Assault and Battery.
O2 Academy, May 25
The depressingly predictable attempt to repurpose Skin as a bland mainstream diva following Britrockers Skunk Anansie’s split back in 2001 proved to be a failure. So it came as no surprise when they reunited in 2009. Nobody’s actually bought any of their albums since Post Orgasmic Chill back in 1999, and recent releases have been decidedly patchy, but they remain a potent live act. Fascinating fact: Skin turns 50 this August. How time flies, huh?
The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell
Gryphon, May 28
A lovable trio of Julian Cope-approved gorblimey Sarf Londoners with a taste for Budgie-style album cover artwork and the late ’60s proto-metal of the similarly named Sir Lord Baltimore. The singer’s called Johnny Gorilla, the bass player appears to have acquired Graeme Garden’s old sideburns at a jumble sale, and, rather magnificently, they play a song entitled Scratchin’ and Sniffin’. Back to rock Bristol like it’s 1973, they’re touring to promote splendid new album Keep It Greasy! on former Napalm Death frontman Lee Dorrian’s estimable Rise Above label. Let’s hope the Gryphon has somehow managed to get Watney’s Red Barrel on tap in celebration.
Bierkeller, May 28
Pop quiz! Who’s the only metal vocalist ever to have been played by Mark Wahlberg in a major motion picture, with Jennifer Aniston cast as his girlfriend? Yep, it’s Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens. Remember 2001’s Rock Star, the rather timid and formulaic tale of a singer from a tribute act who’s plucked from obscurity to replace his idol? Well, that was based – very loosely – on Ripper’s experience when he was recruited to take Rob Halford’s place in Judas Priest. Metalheads will also not need reminding that he went on to front veterans Iced Earth and Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force. It’s a safe bet that Priest material will dominate the set tonight, but he’s also been known to cover everything from Queensryche to Iron Maiden.
COMING SOON
Here’s our essential diary of upcoming gigs that should be of interest to anyone of a rockin’ disposition.
Syd Arthur/Morgan Delt, Exchange, June 4
King’s X, Bierkeller, June 12
Blood Ceremony, Louisiana, June 15
Metal Church, Thekla, June 24
The Enid, Fleece, June 26
Cheap Trick, O2 Academy, June 29
Steve Winwood, Colston Hall, July 4
SUNN O))), Trinity, July 13
Dan Baird and Homemade Sin, Thunderbolt, July 20
Graham Bonnet, Bierkeller, July 24
Wayward Sons, Louisiana, July 26
Suffocation, Bierkeller, Aug 27
KMFDM, Fleece, Sept 10
Sparks, O2 Academy, Sept 26
All Them Witches, Bierkeller, Oct 7
Supersuckers, Fleece, Oct 10
Windhand/Satan’s Satyrs, Exchange, Oct 13
Focus, Tunnels, Oct 17
WASP, O2 Academy, Oct 25
The Hawklords, Bierkeller, Nov 7
Fish, O2 Academy, Dec 13
The Darkness, Colston Hall, Dec 14
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