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Water Rats. 28th April 2006 By Daniel Fawcett Ah, WRECK.. A regular shindig that's largely a triumph in the world of DIY band-run evenings. The concept of bands putting on bands that they like is a great one, and in this case members of the public actually turning up to watch them. Which is nice. I haven't seen Akira in what feels like a long time, and I later calculate that it's actually been close to six months, but they're excellent as ever. The one overriding factor that they have going for them is the sheer scope of their vision; what they're trying to achieve is all over the place, so grandiose and is so widescreen in places that often in the past they've shoot wide of the mark more often than they bulls eye it. However, this is exactly what makes them so damn interesting, and makes repeated viewing essential and incredibly rewarding. They're one of the few bands who you can really say are completely doing their own thing with no regard to what the outside world thinks it should be hearing. Their songs twist and lurch in every direction at once and there are often too many ideas spilling into each one for it to ever make any real sense. But, and this is a great "but", I'm happy to report that it's now making more sense than it ever did in the past. I caught the end of The Strange Death Of Liberal England's set at the alcoholicaust that was Drowned in Sound's "Six Tips For 2006" night back in January, although the most I recall were some funny hats, a flute player and some signs being held aloft, and whilst I was impressed I felt an intense desire to listen to some album called Funeral. A few weeks later, and a copy their debut EP falls into my hands. A few listens later and I've fallen in love with them based on their own merits. Yes, the references to some Canadian seven-piece band featuring a married couple screeching songs about death who happened to make it fairly big last year are justified, they're also a bit limiting. To put it in crap journo language, it's The Arcade Fire Gone A Bit Post Rock. With a flute player. They're also a hell of a lot of fun, all skyscraper guitars, gentle flute and screeching vocals that draw you into the music in ways that only few bands can. By the end of their set I was wishing I had a hundred grand so I could give it to them to go and make an album. And I would, if I did. Which I don't. Damn. Anyway, If I'm going to be completely honest, I refuse to criticise them for sounding like the Arcade Fire. I'd rather see a hundred more bands that sound like them than one single more scruffy "east London" band trying the "urchin" look and sounding like they just fell over onto their skag needle while holding a guitar. But.. er.. anyway, onward we go... October All Over wrap the evening up in fine style, guitars-a-mangling with a sound that I imagine is what Sonic Youth would sound like if they'd formed in 2002 rather than 1980, and after listening to Rival Schools' United By Fate album - i.e., a bit post-hardcore, a bit shouty, a lot noisy, and a hell of a lot of fun. Apparently they're off to write a new album now, so one to look forward to for fans of the above. Two good bands and one excellent band - I leave satisfied, and so I would imagine do many others. What more could you ask for? [clicky]
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