Live review

A Place To Bury Strangers

The Cargo, London

added: 10 May 2012 // gig date: 8 May 2012
reviewer: Paul Chapinal

A Place to Bury Strangers are on a roll at the moment with a solid EP behind them, a good new album on the way and a series of well attended shows across Europe.

First up tonight are Calling All Astronauts whose politically charged electro/punk is ok for a bit but wears out quite quickly. Carlisle’s The Lucid Dream just blow the place apart with a performance of assured power and control. They hit a groove pretty quick and while their psych based wall of sound is superficially noisy, there are melodies in there somewhere. Great Stuff!

A Place to Bury Strangers’ sold out show was much anticipated but didn't start too well, as a disembodied voice, rather lamely, asked for the lights to be turned off. Eventually the band start, lights are sorted and…we couldn't see a thing. White backlights effectively shielded the band on stage leaving the music to do the work. As the gig progressed the lights changed the band started to appear, slowly ebbing back in to the shadows towards the end of the gig. It’s very neat.

APBS deal in heavy duty guitar soundscapes at high volume, and if you get caught and ploughed into the furrow it can be an extraordinary sonic and visual experience. However, if you stand back a bit it can appear pretentious and self-indulgent. Sheet metal drumming and bass, interspersed with shards of guitar, its music that at times was disconcerting to listen to. They were tight, building up the tension at points and knowing just when to let loose.

It was a shame that some of the lighter more psychedelic intricacies of the albums were lost in their desire to crush all before them. Despite that, it was a fine show and they did actually mange to get some of the crowd to move rather than nod knowingly for an hour.

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