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> > CLICK HERE TO READ IT ON THE GIGWISE SITE (IN A - slightly - BIGGER FONT!) Saturday 23/10/04 War Against Sleep, Flipron, White Trash Ambition, The Max Milton Quartet plus one @ Club Choke, Bristol It’s not every gig or club night that opens with original compositions being performed by a string quartet while a man with a mixing desk and several pedals wages guerrilla warfare on their output, but on this showing every goddamn one should. The Max Milton Quartet plus one have only been in existence for 10 days but it’s easy to see why they’d bagged themselves a slot at Bristol’s most prestigious live music night. Rather straightforward, if excellently rendered, string harmonies soon descended into sumptuous avant garde weirdness with the addition of musical saw (played by somebody who could actually play the musical saw) and live looping. The violins became progressively more violent, the cello choppier, the saw pervasive and then suddenly they segued seamlessly into Max’s self-penned 'Depression song,' about “Australian themed pubs that are full of mating animals”. Nobody was more surprised than them that it worked so well and set up the evening so perfectly. They were practically ordered to do another, and improvised excellently around Max’s disturbingly autobiographical 'Relapsing Alcoholic'. If only all classical music was so urgently contemporary. Following that was always going to be a hard task for White Trash Ambition, the ironic approach of their trailer-trash aping dress sense and sardonic song titles was no match for the self-examination that had gone before. They had some epic riffs, some motoring kick-beats and brilliant bass lines, a neat trick in reverberating vocals, but as a show they just simply fell short. The lyrics where never quite smart enough, never quite clear enough, and, although they would make a cracking instrumental outfit, at such an innovative evening, the basic drums, bass, vocals and twin guitar approach looked lacking. This was a lesson that Flipron have obviously learned on their travels, bringing flower wreaths, keys, lap guitars, and accordions into play to carry along their crazy cabaret. Mad it was, and mad went the ladies. The effect was striking; as if they were broadcasting on a wavelength that only the women in the audience could pick up. There is obviously something about the cheeky delivery of this Thomas Traux style anti-folk replete with monster-hop piano and children’s book lyrics that particularly appeal to the feminine ear. Not that is wasn’t enjoyable for the male listener too, as the lyrics of 'Big Baboon' and 'Hungamunga' couldn’t help but bring a smile. Alt-country so off the wall that’s probably tending the compost heap at the bottom of the garden, it was for the most part quirky and captivating, despite rattling along at largely the same tempo, though one couldn’t help but suspect it might not be something you’d want to see again and again. War Against Sleep, however, is a band Bristolians clearly want to see again and again. “I’m not going to make the joke that usually goes with this song as I must have said it 50 times in Bristol and you’re probably well bored of it.” Maybe, but judging from the crowd’s response to classics such as 'Bedminister Parade' and 'Teletex Days, Teletext Nights' they aren’t bored of the songs. Driven by Duncan’s madcap piano and charismatic, almost musical hall, delivery, their observational and yet completely serious tunes are given added depth by varied guitar and synth sounds, while the percussion and bass render them all the more energetic. The new single due out on Fire Records was debuted (though not introduced!) which, while proving no massive departure from previous material, proved that their wells of creativity are as deep as ever. After nearly 7 years on the Bristol ‘scene’ the passion in both War Against Sleep’s performance and in the audience’s reception remains undiminished. |