By DJ Astrocreep
What do you do when you go for a weekend away to have a catch up with some friends? Look for a gig, of course, especially if live music is as vital to your life as it is to mine. To the uninitiated, as was I until gig night, Washing Machine is a showcase night in Bury St Edmunds, with this evening’s edition featuring five varied acts. The venue itself is a small room with great sound and welcoming aura, so it’s a quick drink and time for the bands just after arrival.
Our opener is are noise prog act Bi-Neural, who start off sounding almost a touch post-punk before quickly showing their sound is much closer to the likes of Tool, with some added noise. Featuring a three piece of drums and two bassists, something the lead vocalist apologizes for on a couple of occasions, there is plenty of rhythm with some occasional off beats and slight time signature changes, whilst seeming to remain in a fairly standard 4/4 for the main. The music itself is approachable, with vocals mainly in the upper male register and layered to fit well with the music, rather than taking full control at any real point.
The 30-minute set passes in a flash, and they rightly get good applause both throughout and after their set.
Second on the bill are Chemical Paradox and it’s noticeable that the room is getting fuller. As everyone takes a big step forward they start and I admit to being kind of torn. There is certainly the nucleus of something good there, the two-piece playing what seem like some pretty good songs, but there are a couple of quite major deficiencies – while the drummer is excellent and the vocalist is a good guitarist, the vocals are not so strong and the sound is fairly thin. Whether it’s adding a bassist or maybe some heavier pedals to make up for the lesser amount of low-end live and potentially a specialist vocalist to give them more balance, they are currently missing something in the live setting.
They give it their all, to their credit, and get a lot of applause for their efforts, it’s just a pity that they currently lack that something to make them really stand out on the live stage, despite what is clearly otherwise some good, old school, downtuned heavy metal.
Chasing Ophelia are our third act and the evening takes a turn darker, as we get an industrial and darkwave hybrid that goes down a storm with the ever busying room. Despite a slight hiccough with a mis-start as there are issues with the mic, the three piece capture everyones’ attention quickly with what is some excellent alternative music. It grows into an ever-loudening crescendo as they work through their 30 minute set, with some justly earned applause between songs. Vocalist Andy, in particular, seems to be the target of praise, when all three are quite equally deserving, though this does not denigrate him at all. The effects used across the board work well, with both keys and guitars being used alongside the backing tracks to fashion an absolute wall of noise by the end of their set, alongside the heavily distorted vocals.
A superb set.
Main support are Silence Answers and the evening’s compere warns us carnage is coming… and I still feel that he somewhat understated it! Mosh pits, circle pits and hardcore pits, almost constantly. The main vocalist coming into the pit to do a front flip during a breakdown. Absolute scenes. On to the music. Metallic hardcore, breakdowns, all of that filthy, horrible stuff that is such a growing scene around the ÜK, almost all played at breakneck speed to an absolutely frenetic crowd. The pit is incessant to the point that the drummer of the headline band and one of the venue staff come to stand in front of me, perched on a chair against a wall and check on me, much to their credit. An absolute wall of noise and a real hell of a performance.
Our last act and first time headliners at the venue, Final Transmission, have a tough act to follow. The epic metal five piece released their debut album only three years ago and seem to be building up a bit of momentum. Another technical issue delays the start, though the crowd decide instead to sing loudly to Britney, ‘Mambo No. 5’ and more, creating a great atmosphere.
When we finally get the band on, there’s absolutely great stuff from them. Slow, fast and in between, vocalist Adam seems to suit some of the punkier end with his nasal cleans, though his voice comes to the fore more when he goes into his growls, with his rough vocals working really well, even on some of the brand new songs that they play.
The band are tight right the way through, with new tracks such as ‘Fractured Futures’ working very well alongside even their much more established material. The crowd, as they have been throughout, in fairness, are absolutely up for it all. They come across better when heading more into melodic hardcore of post hardcore territory, but this is in addition to, rather than in contrast to their other songs. It’s a superb set and a fantastic night all around.
It may have been the first Washing Machine night of the year, but my god, has it set the bar so high. The crowd have been so appreciative and supportive of everyone, with the bands all supporting each other too. For a first visit to the town, it has left such an impression of just how things should be, if you want them done right. I also want to add in a huge personal thanks to Seymour, the organizer, too, as, having heard me remark about my wheelchair requirements in general, on my way in to someone, he made sure that either he or one of the other staff stood as blockers as the mosh pits raged on through the gig, as I sat next to a wall on a chair!
- Photos courtesy of Washing Machine.
- All content © Über Rock. Not to be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of Über Rock.