The performing of classic albums by artists
has become such a commonplace occurrence that its almost expected, if not
demanded of an artist. But tonight’s Melvins show is low on nostalgia, and free
of the artistic and commercial cynicism with which some bands approach their
old records. A show like this can never be nostalgia free – everyone is
transported back to their first encounter with an album, who they were, where
they were, and what a record means to them. But throughout their 30 years of
existence, the Melvins have consistently refined their sound, and their
approach to playing tonight’s pair of fan favourites, Bullhead and Stoner Witch,
is to reinterpret much of that material, rather than purely recreating the
recordings, meaning these twenty year old songs sound modern and contemporary, placing
the band light years ahead in complexity and creativity of their peers, both
old and new.
Bullhead, bizarrely, was one of the first compact
discs that I ever bought in 1991, and whilst that format inevitably lacked the
deep tones of the vinyl edition, the clarity and space in their music opened up
then for the first time.
They rattle through an exhilarating version
of Its Shoved and a superbly twisted Zodiac that sees the band build layers of
voices and drums, the addition of a second drummer in their current incarnation
bringing much of the new energy to these old songs. The dark, heavy drone of
Boris, with its unexpected, quieter but more menacing reprise, reveals how
skilled they are at building atmosphere and tension, taking the audience by
surprise as they end the first set.
After taking a break, the second half of
the show displays more of their sense of control, and their lack of fear of
those quiet moments that counter balance the moments of aural rage. They begin
with Lividity, the closing track on Stoner Witch, which starts with just the constant
tap of a cymbal and a slow but melodic bassline that builds in its intensity. After
a few ironic shouts from the crowd, the audience falls in with the mood of the
song and stays silent, rocking back and forth and Buzzo’s repeated wail of
vengeance, “how does it feeeeel, redneck?”, echoes back at us in a great piece
of sound design.
The faster, heavier songs like Queen, the
ones that get their audience jumping around, actually tend to be shorter slabs of
metal than you remember. The Melvins have always used their riffs economically but
for maximum effect. Their songs aren’t improvised, extended jams - each song
takes a turn when you don’t expect it, they come to a sudden halt with a
juddering drum beat and then they often change tempo altogether. There can be seconds
of silence and an increase in tension before release or even just dissipation.
Tonight, The Melvins turned around the
familiarity that comes through playing well known material by injecting a jolt
of adrenaline into these songs. Festsaal was a furnace of heat at smoke tonight,
but ultimately, music this dark is life affirming (as highlighted by the band's own humour in-between songs), and its effect stays with
you days later.
