Medieval techno

Having got four free tickets each Simon and Jules get two friends along, who I last saw at the Tooting Tramshed for Simon's big Hawaii birthday bash, but only the gigging stalwart Pete takes one of my four. Other offers turned down due to work or cos it's too far from south London or too cold. Or both. We meet at 8 in the Shacklewell Arms and after a chat and a drink go into the venue's back room for the band. There's only one on tonight who are the Finnish K-X-P. Pete and I are excited by the prospect of two drummers which means there is little room for anyone else on the tiny stage. The three boys take the stage from the front as needs must and with their hoods up to a man we hardly see their faces the entire set even though they're about 6 foot away. They start off fairly slowly and understated with one drummer using sticks and the other alternating between gong type big fat hitters and jazz type cymbal worrying. With near noodling slacker grungesque guitar a lot of head nodding starts in the audience. Well the little of it I could see as we were pretty close to the stage. Row two if anyone was counting. Row one and a half for a while. Anyways the tempo picks up and during a couple of numbers we are moved along nicely from our comfortably numb Pink Floyd era into a more inner city unit vibe as the hooded claws come over all psychedelic with Hawkwind space rituals masters of the universe gazing the only interruption being Nik Turner vocals channeled through the guitarist. That's about the only singing he does sort of shouty with loads of echo bouncing his yells around the space. At one point the cowl slips off our singer and we see his hair for half a song but it's soon back up. You're not that bad looking mate. Maybe he's embarrassed as he's wearing what looks like a studded leather apron like some medieval outcast from The Hobbit films. My vegan principles are appalled but Pete says he's drinking soya milk so either he's a carnivorous straight edger with a lactose intolerance or he's got a faux leather apron on. Either way he looks a bit odd. Maybe at this point I should say something more about the music after all that's why we're here and try to avoid lazy comparisons. The drummer at the back, see pics, who is hidden behind the pointless stage set from those at the side, seems to be the one driving the beat forward with some pretty damn sharp and metronomic stick work. The drummer stage left (that's to our right) with the fat sticks I don't know the name of does a lot of cymbal work and generally fills in the percussion gaps. Not that he's just a filler as what he does is an instrument in it's own right. Having two drummers in a three piece band is pretty brave. These guys really drive the set along and give us the foot tapping beats. Apron boy varies between strummy grungy shoe gazing head nodding riffing and noodly straight in front gazing guitar neo-licks and big smile ceiling gazing keyboard synth soaring at times and smacking us around the chops at others. Yeah they are good. A few within my range get moving and must admit I was shuffling about and nodding my head like it was a Wednesday night of old and me practicing me headers which I was never that great at but Pete do you remember that glancing header which was entirely meant oh no of course it was just before you arrived and you never believed me or the boys that I done it. Sorry bout that but it's the sort of meandering that listening to K-X-P puts you in. Back to lazy comparisons. These guys are pure festival small tent techno merchants who need to be seen after a heavy day's trudging about in the mud early hours just when you want to get some smooth vibes but really need a dose of full on psychedelic techno beats to squeeze that last bit of energy out of the day. And then some more. So those who can't imagine early Pink Floyd and ain't seen Hawkwind in full force with Nik T taking over I guess you could file next to Hookworms. Possibly. Or early Sabbath when they were understated and played pure blues albeit with a ridiculously heavy vibe with a little jazzy meandering if they'd formed a band now and had to use synths and get all techno to engage the kids. I think it was Pete who summed it up as we were walking back to Dalston Kingsland: Medieval Techno. Spot on. Go see them while they're this good. It will not last in it's present form as the reformation will cast aside all hooded catholic genre mongers such as the mighty K-X-P

The boys with hoods on

They'll never be let into Lakeside for their Yuletide Shoppeing

Footage courtesy of Jules. Ta. But it's Quicktime so you may not be able to play (worthwhile tho):