Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard/ Dead Shed Jokers-Priory sessions – Abergavenny 26/10/19

Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard/ Dead Shed Jokers-Priory sessions – Abergavenny 26/10/19

Before I write another word, you might have noticed (if your from the local area) I’m a headliner missing, no Henry’s Funeral Shoe who were said headliner, yours truly made the conscious decision to abstain, having already seen them any number of times, what drew me tonight were the opening two bands.

Openers Dead Shed Jokers have to me released the LP of the year in All the Seasons, produced by ex Tortoise Corpse’s Tim Hamill in his studio down in far West Wales, which you can pick up on Band camp (Sadly the Corpse have long since necrosed, but if you fancy listening to some absolutely stunning technical thrash, dig deep into the metal graveyard), in fact its not just me who’s been raving about this release, I think every mag that’s reviewed it has been stunned by how good a record it is, and I hope this is the one that drags them kicking and screaming out of the underground, I mean its even trending as I write in HMV in Cardiff.

Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, I had heard nothing but good things about live. And coming off the back of a tour slot with Miles Kane, recent Radio 1 coverage and a feature in NME, these are another Welsh band going places, shows how vibrant and diverse Welsh music is at present.

Opening to a more than half full priory the Dead Shed Jokers proceeded to tear the place a new one, no compromise and with only playing songs from the new LP, the band absolutely nailed it. Live the music takes on a whole new dimension, it’s complexities driving rather than slowing things down, when you watch the band, influences flick through your mind but ultimately what you are listening to is so unique the influences pale into insignificance, this is 100% original and I love the refusal to bend or re-shape the sound for the mass market.
Now I have to say after reviewing All the seasons I didn’t realize how much of a monster Dreams of North Korea was going to be live, you could have picked my jaw up off the floor. The only shame about tonight’s performance was it was too short!! Fact!

Now talk about rock music on the other end of the spectrum, as Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard kicked in their set I found myself transported back to the ’70s, frontman Tom very definitely channelling his inner Bowie drawing down early days Jagger when preening was par for the course, and recalling classic Glitter band, Bolan, Wizzard et al. And for the whole duration of the set, the band got tighter and tighter with the crowd expanding more and more, dancing and smiling taking over en masse with tracks like Late night city, Love forever and double denim hop, bringing the stomps.

Two bands, one pushing a totally new direction for rock music, the other caught on the revivalist train each relevant now and today, showing how strong rock music in Wales currently is, it doesn’t get much better for a Saturday nites entertainment.

Author: Nev Brooks

Dead Shed Jokers—All the Seasons (Pity My Brain)

Dead Shed Jokers—All the Seasons (Pity My Brain)

Where do I start, I think I’ve followed Dead Shed Jokers right from the beginning, reviewing just about everything they’ve ever done, listening to the ideas shift and develop release by release, caught them live a number of times, always amazed at the live intensity, but always thought what if they could focus the live intensity into a non live production?

 

Welcome to ‘All the Seasons’, which does exactly that, the Monster that is ‘Phantom Pains’, comes screaming out of the speakers an intense sonic maelstrom, a howl of anguish that most bands can only dream of, it pins you back in the chair and I would hazard a guess that it becomes a live set opener, a real statement of intent.

 

Next up ‘Feel some more’ leads me into memories of ‘Masters of Reality’, but its something quite different, a subtle shift, bursting with creativity, but retaining focus, the voice becomes just another instrument, trading time with the guitar, but what holds you is the rock-solid drum beat, holding all the parts together, the centre of the storm.

 

Third track in ‘Dreams of North Korea’ takes it into a different dimension, the vocal acrobatics, dropping and bending around the instruments, before we get hit with the heaviest guitar riff I’ve heard in a while, but all the time held in place with that drum beat.

 

‘All the seasons’ again takes the music in a very different direction, the picked guitar, underpinning the vocal, there’s a real sense of menace behind it, this is probably developing into one of my favourite tracks on the LP.

 

‘Aesopica *15’ is all over the place and Christ do you need a set of speakers to pick up all the little subtleties, this is a seriously clever track, on first listen it’s everywhere, but as you the listener allow yourself to be drawn in you start to pick up on all the threads that are entwining and twisting around each other.

 

‘Feel Today’ opens up with almost a classic rock riff, before the band dispel any hopes of a run of the mill rock track, I don’t think the guys would have it in them to not push their musical boundaries. At this point I’m lost in the music it draws you in, and have to take a breath and just admire what I’m listening too.

 

This is 100% the LP that will tear The Dead Shed Jokers out of the underground, it’s too good not to, there’s nothing out there quite like it and with that refusal to bend, change or allow the music to be changed by narrow minded perceptions to what music should sound like this band are going places, as the initial press is showing.

 

764 weaves its way from the sub-conscious to the conscious, immersing you in the sound, again drawing you in, while You’re a Thief has almost a 60’s feel to the beginning before that heavily overdriven guitar knocks you for six it ebbs and flows, rolling over you, before pulling itself away leaving you listening for where it’s going next.

 

Spanner in the Works alongside Phantom Pains brings the intensity back to the fore the guitar kicking up a storm, the vocal gymnastics taking the music in all sorts of directions, at times leading, at times acceding to the other instruments, there’s almost a Janes Addiction at their best feel to it, I suppose the Dead Shed Jokers version of Mountain Song.

 

Finally because seasons come to an end or even a new beginning, from Spring, through Summer into Autumn then Winter we have Enough is as good as a feast, this is I think a Pink Floyd Wall era Howl of Anguish, given an upgrade, in a modern world the processors are running at full capacity, its not one individuals story, but the story of a society that is withdrawing into itself, blocking out the carnage.

 

Fair play the Dead Shed Jokers have created an LP unlike anything out there, for me absolutely bang on, best thing I’ve heard this year, but give it a go yourself, get drawn into a world you didn’t know even existed. Can’t wait to pick up a copy of the vinyl version, which sources tell me is a rather immense coloured vinyl package.

Buy All The Seasons Here

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Author: Nev Brooks

 

 

September Playlist

September Playlist

With summer fading fast its time to cwtch u to your stereo or however you currently listen to your music and check out the RPM Spotify Playlist to hear who are the movers and shakers at RPM Towers.  From the albums, we’ve reviewed and are reviewing and the shows we’re attending to the interviews we have coming up.  Here is a playlist to accompany your reading.

 

This month we feature the following bands who have new albums or are playing live shows.

Hollywood Brats, Andy McCoy, The Bar Stool Preachers, Cock Sparrer, Jim Jones and the Righteous Minds, Duff McKagan, Jesse Malin, Queen Zee, Subhumans, Black Star Riders, Strung Out, Dead Shed Jokers, Pardon Us, Paradise Alley, Dead Furies, The Chuck Norris Experiment, TSAR, New Model Army, Ginger Wildheart