Dead Meadow @ The 229 Club
September 20 2008 @ The 229 Club, London.
So, after a long wait I finally get to see Dead Meadow at a gig of their very own. I've seen them at ATP where they blew me away but since then I've missed them every single time, whether it be due to arguments or my arse falling out. So tonight I'm determined to make it come hell or high water!!
But before that we have the support acts. First Yellow Moon Band shuffle on and make me feel young, which is no easy task I tell you! But I'm not an ageist so let’s hear them out. What follows is a mandolin inflected folk rock jaunt, but one that leaves little to no impression. The sound is bad and the main strength lies in the lead guitarists widdly widdly bits. Unfortunately these displays of virtuosity are not enough to stop the whole thing from sounding bland, tired and lacklustre. To the back we trundle.
Next come The Beep Seals. On looks alone these are the polar opposite of the previous outfit - all fresh faced and excited, like little puppies with a rib eye. They start with a crunching riff that would not sound out of place on a Black Mountain album (I think it's called 'I Used To Work At The Zoo'??) and then come on all Teenage Fanclub, Bluetones, 60's shuffle. I find it pretty good, especially with the 3 part harmonies, but it leaves other parties in the crowd (ok just my rowdy, beer swilling, tobacco chewing, girlfriend) requesting, rather impolitely, that they 'GROW SOME FUCKIN BALLS, YOU FUCKIN TREE HUGGERS'. Anyway the rest of the set sounds like a mixture between those bands already mentioned but with added Pavement and Beta Band. One to watch I reckon.
So finally onto the main event - well the main event to the handful of people that bothered to turn up. I suddenly realise that I'm actually pretty drunk and that the only person drunker is bassist Steve Kille. This may have something to do with him and lead singer Jason Simon slugging Bells Whisky (for Christ sakes lads, surely you can afford something better than that!) out of the bottle as they walk on. What follows are waves of wah wah drenched guitar playing with added psychedelic revelry and a thunderous rhythm section.
The sound is an issue, with Jason Simon complaining that the PA can't handle them, hence his vocals being non-existent. To be fair you don't hear me complaining, his vocals have never been the reason I trudge down to the local record outlet and hand over my cash.
Despite the poor turnout and the size of the venue, this feels like a party as it's the last date in the UK, and Kille certainly sees it as such; bonding with the crowd, leaping in the air, handing out cans of Red Stripe and even begging Jason Simon to play an additional song in the encore, which he eventually does. Despite all of this his playing is faultless and he clicks in with the guitar and drums to produce dense layers of doomy noise.
The real star of the show though is drummer Stephen McCarty. Not only does he look uber-cool (like he's just stumbled off the set of Almost Famous), he also has the demeanour of the coolest man alive and plays the drums like he's fending off an attack of giant killer bats, even causing the audience to spontaneously erupt mid-song due to his ability to make the earth shake with his vicious drum rolls and grooves.
Was it worth the wait? Damn right. My only complaint is - why are they playing in a venue the size of a doll house and why wasn't it full? Next time let’s make it at least Brixton and let’s get it sold out, come on y'all join the party!!