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The Aftermath Assassins have already gained a (sub) legendary status among users of the Gigwise forum. To then come and play in front of the Gigwise connected Mashed audience is a very brave thing to do for your debut appearance. With promises of a life changing, no, hang on, WORLD changing experience, there were bound to be some disappointments. In truth, first gigs are nearly always disasters and this is no exception. The key word here is nearly, as for all the problems (the bass player leaving the stage in (it seems)
embarrassment on more than one occasion; sound levels being changed left, right and centre; lyrics being remembered from the back of a bank statement), there is something oddly encouraging in watching this embryonic form struggle it's way into being. At times like this the music doesn't matter at all, for this was an event. For those who came, bear witness. They came; they kicked against the pricks; they very nearly conquered. The Aftermath Assassins - keep your eyes and ears open.If we've just had the egg, then Lovecraft are the chicken - their brand of kitchen sink, "we've got imagination and we're going to use" it pop is full of the same driven attitude to make music that fuels these Mashed nights. Take a straightforward song, take it to the limits and you have Lovecraft in all their glory. From the splatter funk bass and drums that open the show like a modern day Talking Heads, to the toyshop freak out that is the end of garage rocker 'I Was Your Boyfriend In A Former Life', there is always something happening in their world. As Craig Sinclair dashes from guitar to keyboard in search of his next sonic experiment, even some members of the band seem unsure as to what will happen next. That is the beauty of this lot though, you are
guaranteed something fresh each time you see them. Like the little Einsteins that they are, it can't be long before their 'Special Theories' are praised further afield.What do you get if you cross James Dean Bradfield, Bono and the Edge? Actually, throw in a bit of Robert Plant for good measure, and a bit of je ne sais quois for that matter, and you have the lead singer of France's finest punkadelic (their words) trio I Love UFO. Don't be thinking about little green men however; UFO is their own acronym for U Fuck Off. The first song appears to be called Confusion and confusion reigns. Throughout the evening the one man whirlwind who fronts this lot is leaping about the stage (and off of course), attacking his bass player (who remains gallicly impassive) and pulling some of the finest faces the Barfly has ever seen. However, the diminishing crowd and the youthfulness of the support acts make I Love UFO look a little bit desperate and old enough to know better. The effect-laden music space rock on offer is often at odds with all the jumping about, and when our now shirtless, heroic showman starts writhing on the floor with an out of tune guitar, under the feet of the few remaining punters; it makes Gigwise think - there must be office jobs better than this.
Photos by Sakura Henderson :: [email protected]
