By Jase Walker
It probably doesn’t help my case when friends say I listen to potentially made-up bands when I give them names like Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Ultimately, they’re the ones missing out on outrageously good shows like the one I had the pleasure of witnessing last year at Paradiso so there’s no chance I’d let myself miss out on them when they popped up again at Utrecht’s Tivoli.
Along for the ride is Eosine, a band that is totally new to my eyes and ears but as always, support your support acts. The stage set up looks damn busy and the venue is filled with an assortment of subcultures in a similar way that King Gizzard also draws in many kinds. It’ll be another night of bloody good no doubt though, let’s have it.
Eosine silently walks on all cladded in white outfits, it’s time for the night to begin. A dull green cloud appears on the screen behind them before launching into things and switching to a timelapse of cars zipping around.
Admittedly I didn’t quite expect this after checking out their bio saying they erred towards shoegaze but still enjoying their atmospheric sound. Strong elements of post-punk, reminiscent of bands like Molchat Doma or Fat Dog, weaving the shoegaze elements into their overall sound while remaining energetic.
The bass and drums thump away and keep the rhythm driving at a furious pace while the guitars and vocals wail away creating a fuzzy space of various layers of noise and shrieks. Their singer takes a moment to thank the crowd for showing up early and you can hear the subtle cracking in her voice that reveals that she’s clearly halfway between nervous and overjoyed as she mentions it’s the biggest show they’ve ever played.
One thing that is abundantly clear from their performance though, is that they’re experienced performers and they’re having a fantastic time baring their craft to an audience that probably has never heard of them. Honestly I’m standing here in shocked amazement by how eosine have completely caught me off guard with how much I’m into them right from the start.
There’s so much going on with each and every song, layers upon layers of melodic dissonance that remains so incredibly danceable and keeps me nodding along and engaged. What I wouldn’t give to have these playing in some dingy cellar type venue with a comical amount of flood lights and smoke machines while they just drown the room in their sound. This is some seriously good stuff and they’re immediately on my list of bands to keep an ear to the ground for future shows because holy shit.
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets open their set with operatic singing and lights focusing on this yellow… thing on stage that looks like an egg and cup toy, genuinely no idea. My eyes focus a bit and I can make out a turtle on top of it and the mic is pointing at it so I guess I’ve been had.
Anyway, the moment that first riff hits several people charge past me to the front and all hell breaks loose, many pints already spilled so here we fucking go! These guys like it busy, and that’s exactly what they’re hammering out, rarely a moment where something bonkers isn’t going on and considering the storm of people losing their shit right next to me, they’re giving it as much beans as the band are. I mean it’s taken literally just two songs to see people getting launched over the top of the crowd so already time to keep my wits about me and I’ve still got over an hour to go! Someone tried to do a running jump off the stage at one point, tripped and fully ate shit launching themselves face first into the floor, good job!
Oh, apparently the tortoise is called “Rodney Pavarotti”, it makes sense now! This sort of insane crowd antics in response to massive meaty riffs and infectious grooves is everything that I expected to see and more, and this time I’m standing almost right in the middle of it for better and worse. I’ve had two pints tipped over me, several crowd surfers nearly kicked me in the head and unwittingly ended up in the middle of a mosh pit and had some random lass smash me in the balls with her arse but that’s all just part of the fun eh? Their singer makes a quick comment on all he can see is feet and shoes and starts choking with laughter which puzzles at me at first until I see a rowing pit start that very quickly dominates the entire crowd and I suddenly find myself standing looking around very confused as everyone around me joins in! I really cannot emphasize enough that I think that’s the biggest rowing pit I’ve ever seen: eat your heart out, Amon Amarth.
It’s absolutely incredible just how many people are up on stage and immediately jumping off with reckless abandon. It’s so seemingly effortless from the band that they just need to focus on smashing out song after song while the crowd goes utterly berserk for the whole show, they’ve probably spent more time being baffled by how insane everyone’s being. One absolutely cool as fuck dude gets up, puts some sunglasses on before turning around to be pushed off the stage backwards onto the crowd, what a guy! Another gets up, curtesy’s with their dress before throwing themselves back, one couple gets up and romantically kisses before simultaneously diving off, this is truly some mental stuff. I’m finding it hard to keep track of what the fuck is actually going on at this point because it’s constant and somehow increasing every moment.
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets truly have one of the most consistently insane crowds, I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to anyone who’s said anything other than the sheer unfettered mania of it. What an incredible show, the band, the crowd, everything about it embodies what live music should absolutely be. If they’re near you, I urge you to go even if you don’t know them, it’s a show you’ll never forget.