Liverpool Music Week update – Wednesday

• 7th Dec 2007

Lovecraft, Reism, The Most terrifying Thing, Eighth Day Army, Bendal Interlude and Metro Manila Aide (pictured)

On an evening that had so much Heavy Metal promise, it was made all the more stranger that a band by the name of Lovecraft opened the night’s proceedings in the Magnet.

There’s a wicked line up planned here with Mugstar and Stig Noise Soundsystem on the bill, Zangief are billed also, but first up are the antiquated Lovecraft who barely fit on the stage. A plethora of familiar faces have joined together to form this band and they are Liverpool's answer to the Crosy, Stills and Nash 60's supergroup.

Fronted by harping jester Mr. Sinclair, the audience have a focal point that allows the other six members to focus on the music. Strange tales from the caverns of the cobbled back streets, it is as though Lovecraft have been resurrected from the graves beneath the Anglican cathedral and brought to the stage before us. Of course they are modern enough to know what's down with the kids as they launch into the ‘Birdy song’. At this point Mugstar walks out.

The Arcade Fire comparisons are fair, there is something unsettling almost ghostly about the presence of this band and when they all sing together it rustic and like the frogs off the Frog Song video. Ole Lovejoy takes us on a journey as he strums on his miniature guitar and tells a story of his dead wife he holds in an urn on stage, raising questions from the crowd, 'Is he serious'? Almost Jarvis Cocker in lyrical delivery and attitude. If Lovecraft are the Common People they come from the 1800’s.

Up in the Barfly is the metal gig of LMW. Battle of the acronyms; the co-headliners of MMA and MPC.

Down in the theatre are Reism, who despite hailing from Liverpool have a certain European charm. A heavyweight metal backing track from the four piece, the vocal is the original element. Kev Bayley on the drums means they are tight as the screws in Frankenstein’s neck. Somewhere slightly similar to Evanescence in line up and Within Temptation for theatrics, Reism have something that most others bands don't, they're intriguing.

The Most Terrifying Thing are in the theatre with their latest addition Andy Scott, Our Escape vocalist, on bass and TMTT are now a classic Liverpool rock band. Pricey's songs, 'Silent Type' for example, are written into Liverpool Music history, just like Gerry Marsdon is.

Eighth Day Army (or EDA) are the first act we see as we arrive in the loft of this quality smelly mosher gig. Eighth Day Army are the evil brothers of Biffy Clyro only now unleashed on the world to undo all the good work of the Glaswegian three piece.

Similar in many ways, EDA have the triple vocal and the local three piece have the melody and the influence from the Glaswegians but with the added weight of Matt Lawton on bass's throat scream that makes babies cry for their mothers. Brother Jon (ha) on the guitar has the Tom Morello effects board that made the RATM guitarist’s sound so unique in the nineties. Coupling this weight, the time signature changes (marshalled by Richie on drums), changing rhythm every few bars, monster choruses, melodic interludes, and the range of effects and sounds to keep your head spinning until the end, Eighth Day Army are a band to get behind.

Opening with Immortality, Metro Manila Aide launch into the best live set we have witnessed so far. Perfect in their imperfection. The atmosphere is absolutely electric when this band play. The MMA hardcore fan base are out in force to hear the sermons of Pastor Paul who tonight chooses to pick on organised religion and the police force, drifting into poetic delivery of metaphoric tales with moral morales.

McBride is not bridled by his guitar duties, he constantly drops it and makes way into the crowd to assault members, incite circle pits and do his bit for audience participation. The battle of the night is between Bendal and MMA for who has the crowd eating from the palm of their hand most? Was it the speaker-stack clambering MMA or the multi-vocal line-up of Bendal?

The Bendal Interlude vocals in the absence of regular Buckfast merchant Nat Gavin are mantled by Tom from Unsanctum and Kate from After The Massacre. The stoner groove kicks in but there’s no sign of apathy as Bendal power through their set. Drummer Dave Archer pounds and rocks like Dave Grohl in the Smells Like Teen Spirit days. The highlights of the set are Hat Time with Kate on vocals and the inclusion of SSS frontman Foxy who steps up for a track with a typically aggressive showing of brute force vocal.

Audience participation peaks as the Metro Manila headline set comes to a close and the crowd are given the choice of Destruction or Queen Bee to close on. “Play them both!” comes the cry, so they do. The tension that collected in the build up to the Wall of Death in The Queen Bee was unbearable and the crowd unleashed divine hell as countless bodies hit first each other then the floor.

When McBride throws in an almighty sweeping lick, the crowd kicks off into a riot.

The floor rumbles as the hundreds of Converse and an army of boots charge from wall to wall.

In the words of Jack Black, You can't kill the metal. The metal will live on!

Photo by Sakura link