LIVE REVIEW: Rolo Tomassi / Grammatics / Pulled Apart By Horses NORTHERN ALLIENCE TOUR!

Ok, so baisically these gigs were one of the main reasons I've decided to set up this blog. They we're THAT good.

Now I'm talking in plurals because I actually attended 3 of the gigs on this tour; in Bristol at the Croft, in Cardiff at the Barfly, and in Oxford at the O2 Academy 3 on 28/4, 29/4 and 4/5 respectively. I've gotta say that they were all pretty stellar gigs, though for the sake of cohesion I'm going to review the Oxford gig here.

So we rock up in plenty of time to catch the opening band, Pulled Apart By Horses, who are the perfect band to kick off the evening. They epitomised the role of the warm-up act and got the crowd moving within the 1st track, with their combination of Death From Above 1979 dance floor grooves and big, Reuben-esque riffs. Most of the energy the crowd gets comes straight from the guys though, as singer Tom plays a good portion of the set from the front row and guitarist James refuses to stay at ground level- clambering over the bar during one break-down, despite a knee injury that saw him pull out of the tour in the early stages. Stand out track for me has to be "High Five Nose Dive Swan Dive", which introduces massive tempo changes to what is otherwise a full-steam-ahead set with powerful results, although single "I Punched A Lion In The Throat" never dissapoints.

Problems? We'll the guys seriously need to invest in some wireless systems for their guitars if they're going to continue to asault the punter's personal space. Not that we mind getting up close and personal, but sorting out the cables and CONSTANTLY kicking out the pedals realy breaks up the pace of what is otherwise a thrilling set.

Next up are the leeds based art-rock gods Grammatics. Possibly the source of many scratched heads, their inclusion on the bill seems a bit obscure on paper, but works perfectly on the night. They offer a respite for those intent on moshing to hell and back, and a melodic oasis for those seeking some variety.

The performance is effortless. Melodies that would leave annother man with severe marital problems flow from singer Owen like they're nothing, and drummer Dom keeps things tight, despite the complicated and involving paterns. Fans of the band may have been slightly dissapointed with the set list though; single "The Vague Archive" and fan favourite "Rosa Flood" are sorely missed, and the inclusion of album closer "Swan Song" seems dubious. However, to discount the set on this fact is to disregard what makes the band so great in the first place. The band's music makes use of the so-called "rule book" when it suits them, but they aren't afraid to deviate if they want to. The same can be said of the setlist; opener "Shadow Committee" and closer "Relentless Fours" remain firmly in place as staple standards, but the format in between is unexpected and exciting. Furthermore, the new as yet unnamed song they played shows real promise, all "doo doo dooos" and hip waggling rhythms.

Finally, headliners Rolo Tomassi take to the stage, Rock and Roll guns blaring. To look at, you wouldn't expect what would happen next, and indeed the friends I had brought along were pretty shocked.

I could now plough on through the relatively boring and well trodden ground of saying how cute and disarming singer Eva is, or how mad her brother James seems to go WHILE STILL KICKING EVERYONE'S ASS AS A KEYBOARDIST, but the reality is that I had a tete a tete with annother bloke in the mosh pit during the 1st song and can't remember a lot of the set. They were ace on all the other nights though!

They close with "Fantasia", the 10 minute epic that closes their album, but on this, the last night of the tour, they are joined for the final riff by Grammatics and PABH. All thirteen band members clamber onto the tiny stage to thrash out the final melody, and a big shout out to the sound guy for managing to make it sound half decent!

This is why this tour was such a success though. All three bands seem to have gotten on so well and kicked ass every night. It's a real party atmosphere as the set closes, and the bands abandon their merch stalls to go get pissed somewhere. Good job.

Thanks for reading,
Chris/Audio Biggot/Rattle Your Bones!!/Whatever...

P.S. Ta muchly to Rory for getting me on the guest list....... Bloc Party in Bristol? I seem to be lacking a ticket... :P