I forgot to give the cake out this time. Its in the fridge now, a lovely big chocolate cake in a box, aah well. Last month I forgot to put the golden ticket into one of the free CDs... whatever fricking next!

Filthy Turd set up a single 120 watt amp with candles on top, took his shirt off and stood in the space on the audience floor. Flicking the switch we were in screeching loud feedback land; great! In the dark I realise there's a chunk of metal down there with two contact mikes stuck to it leading through some distortion pedals. With rubber gloves on, now on all fours stalking the thing, he proceeds to pull tyre-irons and suchlike out of his trousers, throwing them one by one at the metal creating crashes and clangs above the screesh. Crawling over to the metal, picks it up…gets heavy chain with alarge padlock on the end and starts to beat the metal, the floor and the edge of the stage. More sharp metal is grated together and his back arches in a discomforting manner at each thrust of sound. I feel a bit disturbed but I don't know if it's the possibility of holes in the floor, the chain hitting someone, or what the rubber gloves are for. I've only to remember Filthy's been at this for years and knows exactly what he's doing. He's a master at his art though he tells me he is not an 'art wanker' nor is he…oh sod it, here's a snip from his email:

"Glad you liked my set. You'd have loved what I did in Bristol last week -> mud + noise + fire!!! The 'performance' aspect is important to me cuz (without sounding like an art w@nker) I'm expressing myself & giving you an honest peek inside.
I'm definately NOT a 'boy with toys' noisemaker - equipment just doesn't matter to me at all. Again, don't want to sound like a w@nker but as far as I'm concerend I make primitive/primevil folk music!"

Owner of the Voltagestress*r label who reputedly sell upto a thousand of each release, we were in safe hands and free to think what we liked about his short n sweet set. His latest album 'Dirty Letters' which he passed me a copy of deserves its own review but I'm knackered. Still not sure whether I imagined the strange smears on the (now binned) plastic package, but the sonic treats on the disc are safe, and well worth a purchase.

Rob Hart aka 'Eaten By Children' graced our stage beforehand to show us how the Southerners do it; in style. Originally from Dorset, Robs now based in the East End of London and has plenty of stimulation from the environment and lots of gigs on the go, as well as a new label 'State Sanctioned Recordings'. Now, on his website Rob has not mentioned the hair strimmer he attacked the old radios with …but he does say he uses human hair…the mind boggles. Kicking off with a tape of what sounded like some rather upset bloke whose been forced to read out letters from experiences with Rasputin and British insomniacal politicians, the vocal was sent thought some nice n smelly old black box stuff and generated into abrupt and grating racket, coinciding beautifully evilly with a cancerous sounding coughing fit of our narrator. Cable interference was harnessed and turned from sub bass drone into piercing white noise then mangled muchly and back again. A jack cable was whipped out and one end went into a hole (on a machine) and the other into another hole (his mouth) and things started to pick up even more. The electric head trimmer thing was started and it all got a bit exciting as Rob flew at the table and the knobs a couple of times then as he was attacking one of the old radios with the razor the power overloaded and shut out; climaxically perfect, and whoops and cheers for more went up. The man looked genuinely surprised though reading his webpage revealed this is a regular occurrence. Sorting his wires out we were treated to a further few minutes of knob attacking and harsh and thunderous electric song.

Unicorn Love are a couple of young Leeds dudes who go about mimicking a Christian rock group complete with stickers, badges and tee-shirts of their nauseating rainbow logo! Standing at a big table threateningly facing the crowd of around 40 in the dim lit upstairs room at the Grapes, a voice announced (after some heckling from Filthy Turd in the crowd) something about 'lessons in American morality' rapidly followed by insane thrashing and live screamed vocals. The two provided a kind of more intense rapped-up-screamo version of the previous set from GOK. A couple of very old analogue synths and some other, er, machines..the set ended with the crazy shouted harsh poem of a recently deceased member of UL. I recommend you listen to the track 'Streets of Denholme' on their website.

First up was GodOnlyKnows. give us some of their cut up nasty rhythms interjected with plenty of loud abrasion and ominous dull analogue keyboard tones, spooky! Their own animations projected onto rear screen added to the funky-noise malay. The lads album sales got underway with our old eccentric gentleman regular being the first to snap one up! Details here.

See you next month for Astral Social Club (Neil Campbell of Vibracathedral Orchestra) / Chora (Sheff) / Gate 33 (Leeds Lady) / GEN26 (Slovenia)

Links:

Filthy Turd / Voltagestress*r

Eaten By Children / State Sanctioned Recordings

Unicorn Love

GodOnlyKnows.

and thanks to Jon for filming
Sukmunki