Hectors House, 18 July 2009
Kicking things off tonight are Run Walk, a drum and bass duo (we’re talking instruments, not genre). As a two-piece they are the antithesis of the White Stripes, all-teenage angst and no groove. Unfortunately for Walk Run, it’s difficult to attempt the drum and bass line-up without the inevitable comparisons to Death From Above 1979. One things for sure, if there’s only two of you in a band, you need a bloody good singer, which these guys don’t have. Creative bass playing is their only saving grace, this juxtaposed with confusing rhythms and virtually indistinguishable lyrics, most of which are lost on the slightly meagre audience.
Next up are Battle For Paris whose hardcore breakbeats leave a lot to be desired. Leaping off the stage is only interesting when there’s a crowd to feed off and without even one remotely catchy hook between them, they succeed in clearing the venue in record time. It’s difficult to be original with hardcore music and these guys are no exception.
So then, onto tonight’s headliners Appi. Formed at the tail end of 2008, this instrumental quintet is a musical force to be reckoned with on all fronts and they’ve been insanely busy since their inception. After a remarkably fruitful initial writing period, they’ve since honed their ability to convey their introspective soundscapes live with unbridled passion and feel. Fans of Mew and Explosions In The Sky will appreciate their ability to blend songs seamlessly, while fans of local lads thedealwasforthediamond will spot an obvious influence.
The music has been described as ‘roofgaze’, with intertwining guitar melodies, slow rolling rhythms and cavernous reverb being the order of the day. However, you choose to label them, they’re a bright young hope for Brighton’s alternative rock scene and well worth checking out.
