Again, not really knowing what to expect, I rock up to the Odeon only knowing that The Horrors are apparently Industrial Punk, whatever that means. I guess the one expectation I had was that I might see some punks, or maybe some industrial goths. I saw neither, nor very few anyway, and instead just saw another “normal” looking Tassie/Tourist looking crowd.
The lights go dull, and the venue blacks out before that all too familiar rush of Dark Mofo Red floods the stage. What happens after this is a bunch of indie-looking musicians taking the stage, followed by an old school punk-looking dude decked out in what looks like a SWAT uniform, or at least the vest of one. Not at all what I expected, even though, as I said earlier, I did not know what to expect.
Now, the tunes to me are not really that punk, or even that industrial. And with a name like The Horrors, I did partially expect that I might get a band that looked like some kind of horror punk outfit, ie. The Misfits. That is the thing about Dark Mofo, it is art and its artists, you just never know what to expect, or exactly what you will get.
The songs are a little slower than I expected for a “punk” band, and the “industrial” is merely just some keys that push through the songs here and there, but never really overpower it. It is hard for me to put my finger on a genre, or what to really call this, but it is fun, especially with the vocalist who owns the stage and demands constant attention. The bassist moves around like a stiff-legged robot, which is a bit weird but also partially mesmerising, and the guitarist spins around and bounces up and down, sometimes way more energetically than the riffs coming from his guitar. The drummer and keyboardist rest in their respective positions, and when I say rest, I mean that as in their positions onstage. They definitely are not resting as they work their instruments like the rest of the band, who are free to move around onstage.
I do not know a single one of the songs by this band so far, and they do not at all sound familiar. I tried to get my filthy mitts on a set list, or at least a photo of it, so I know the song names, but as it turns out, I have failed thus far. You will all just have to pretend that I know what I am talking about here, because I sure as hell do not. Do not hold it against me.
The further the set goes, the more the energy dies down, as does the pace of the songs. I am not saying that in a negative context, I am just stating how the set is flowing. And besides, there is only so long you can keep up the stage energy that this band had when they first launched into their set. If you have ever played an hour-long set, you would understand just how much energy that takes. This is not a 20-minute opening set.
The keys are starting to push through a lot now as it appears the band are bringing the set to a dramatic end. The guitar is also wailing some synth-style leads, and the rhythm section of drums and bass are just holding the beat down. When the song ends, I realise that I was wrong about the set ending, as some thumping tom hits start another more upbeat tune. I still believe that things are coming to an end, though, just a more energetic one. The calm before the storm, one might say.
Yep, and that is the end … so far. Of cours,e there is going to be encore, though, especially when the crowd are stamping their feet, rattling the venue and cheering loudly for one. This one starts like a techno track with keys and sampled drums. The vocalist did say the name of it, but I did not manage to capture it.
Not quite the horror story I was after, but fun nonetheless!
