The Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Where do I begin? Another psych rock band to come out of Australia's fine conveyor belt of talent, this Perth based four-piece are as outlandish as the name suggests and possess an unrivalled musicality which jump them straight to the front of the pack of these trippy hippie Aussie rockers.
From the moment they set to stage, The Brudenell was on the right vibe. A packed house, the highly renowned Headingley-based Brudenell showcases an eclectic mix of music from cult favourites to up-and-coming acts - anything that tickles owner Nathan's fancy essentially. The Psychedelic Porn Crumpets (which I'm going to refer to as PPC for the rest of this review because the name's just, well, ridiculous) were on English soil for their second visit to The Brudenell and it felt like a long overdue homecoming. The Leeds' faithful embraced the band from the get-go in this packed house of 250 or so, a rally of cheers straight into a mosh pit which for the duration of the gig only died down for brief interludes before enveloping yet more sweaty alt rockers with glee.
No exaggeration, PPC are one of the most impressive bands I've seen live. Like so many fellow Australian bands that are part of this wave (think Tame Impala, Pond, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard) they just seem to get it right. PPC were tight on stage, each player slaying their moment to perfection. Points in the set were euphoric, with the exceptional drummer orchestrating instrumental breakdowns which slowed down and sped up at will. I can't really stress to you how on point these guys were with their playing, their energy unrivalled and the audience reciprocating that. The mosh pits had sprinkles of crowdsurfing with one man left to tackle the tricky job of pulling said surfer onto stage and sending them on their way through the fire exit. Unfortunately for the crowd control representative the crowd quickly cottoned on to the fact that surfing in the middle and not front of the crowd kept them out of his clutches!
It all added to a very joyous head-banging occasion shared by young and old alike. Naively I'd assumed a PPC crowd as being on the younger side given the name and look of the band themselves, but there was a mix of just about anyone. Take for example a 50 odd year old in front of me, he rocked his way through an hour and a half of psychedelic trippiness with ease. Everyone did. This was a performance tailored for all, not as niche as I perhaps thought it would have been.
It's hard to find or want criticisms for this band, but the one flaw with PPC was the singing. The lead singer, the focal point of the band with his long curls drenched over his face whilst shredding with frightening accuracy, was difficult to hear at points. There were various mic effects throughout the gig, mainly reverb or echo, but it was nigh on impossible to hear what was being sung in amongst the guitar whails, neverending bass lines and symbol smashing. To tell you the truth it didn't really make a difference either, PPC's emphasis is on the instruments singing, vocals take a backseat for this one. And that would be more or less my only criticism. Though there are obvious use of vocals with varying trippy effects, it's hard to actually remember what you've heard. There's a lack of familiarity really due to the guitar often leading the song. I've not taken home any particular song, more the whole experience. Which I suppose isn't a bad thing coming from a live perspective.
So to summarise: The Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. A fantastic band which could be entertaining for your whole family. Check them out while they're in the UK.
Reviewer - Tobias james
on - 21/2/19
No comments:
Post a Comment