Psicle: Es are good

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Es are good

No we've not been to a KX warehouse rave circa early 90s (are there any left?) but it's an indie rock night out in north London upstairs at the Lexington. The main draw being Scrounge which Pete really wanted to see but missed cos I got him a ticket for Gong and Italia 90 which was the Windmill headliner for the infamous Bicycle vs Christmas Tree face off from a year ago. It's Pete's birthday so a few there including Wendy of course, newly returned Simon & Jules, our drummer Gary, and Nick and Murdo and we're all very civilised standing by the raised bar at the back next to or on comfy benches. After presenting my Gong themed card to Pete the first band are on. Four women going by the name of Es (not sure if that is ees or ess) who have a great sound. I sneaked a listen on bandcamp and was a bit worried about the singing but live the vocals are not as jarring. Firstly they have a fantastically growly gravelly bass sound with a great bassist to push the songs along. I've not heard anything that deep and throaty since Jean Jacques Burnel in smaller venues back in the day. Just a perfect sound tonight. Really makes the band. Pushing us along too is an on point drummer complimenting the bassist all counterpointed by swirly keyboards which give the hammering bass and drums an etheral psyche sound. The keyboards could have been turned up a few notches but they did come through. Vocals were shouty spoken word and fitted the sound just great. They remind me a lot of Duchess Says which is a very good thing to remind me of and there's the thread back to The Stranglers with hard edged running bass and rising organ. Think daughters of Duchess Says and Slits Y bootleg era. Definitely ones to look out for. And no guitarist Pete. Next up are the hotly anticipated Scrounge who are a male drummer and female guitarist sharing albeit unfairly vocals. The drumming is pretty industrial and for the tunes where the guitar goes into full on headbanging rocking mode they are great. But some of the songs trail off a bit and when the energy falls there's nothing to keep the interest. OK but not worth missing Gong for. Last up are the also hotly anticipated Italia 90 who as said impressed at the Windmill. Evening up the gender balance our 4 boys are a standard outfit of drums bass guitar singer. The latter is striking in that he looks like, or possibly is but seems a little young, a committed skinhead with crombie, smartish shirt, white jeans (or sta press?) and I would guess a pair of docs. Mind you I'm in 8 hole cherry reds, turned up jeans and Harrington so don't take that description as critical. Anyways this ain't a fashion blog. The energy that I remember a year ago precipitating mass moshing interspersed with great psychedelic interludes is sadly lacking and they seem to have knocked the edges and therefore their charm from their songs. Maybe being pretty tanked up in a very small venue is a better way to see them than at the back of a small venue having only had a couple of cans. Whatever I leave determined to see Es again but not the others unless I happen upon them. I have to say that others prefer Scrounge and whilst all us admittedly ageing punks and rockers didn't rate Italia 90 the kids down the front seemed to for the last couple of numbers. Good to catch up with Nick on the tube south...