Ikara Colt
With proceedings kicking off early in a rammed and sweaty Barfly the baying crowds of smelly punters were clearly exited about the prospect of a night of dark pop induced punk. The design faults of the venue really became a complete pain as I struggled my way through the masses who seemed hell bent on standing as close to the stage as possible. Anyway, once at the front I took my pew on the stage for the evening ready to capture some great close snapshots.
Entering the stage almost lethargically Ikara Colt quite frankly looked as average as most of the punters in front of them, yet produced a wall of feedback driven fuzz punk that belies their image. Delivering a performance of energy and hard-edged guitar strokes, singer Paul manages to bring things back down to earth with vocals swaying in between smooth and manic. The crowd seemed appreciative too with the twisted 'Sink Venice' causing more than a few spasmodic body movements, while the more laid back 'At the Lodge' was equal in its impact. At times some of the songs began to feel a little formulaic and easy to predict, but with this much energy forgiveness is certainly a strong possibility.
With masses of hype and the much hated label of 'the next big thing', New York exports the 'Yeah Yeah Yeahs had a huge level of expectancy to live up to, and quite frankly they didn't manage it. Despite the increasingly impressive intros and effects things quickly turned to disappointment as the dark pitch shifted punk edged into realms that there really is no need to delve into. Repeated staccato chording becomes a little bit tedious when used in every song, while Karen's whining vocals became more inaudible as the set progressed. Well structured intros were certainly a strong point with expectant build ups and a vast array of delayed effects, yet all too often dragged on a bit when a good solid 'kick in' would have prevailed. The next big thing maybe but a little work needed on keeping to the punky feel rather than heading towards progressive rock.
Review By Seph Ong