By Ed Osborne.
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I thought I was late as I rushed up the steps and into Osbourne’s cramped-but-cosy bar. The synth drones and saxophone that filled my ears as I approached surely meant the start of the night’s music, and the failure of my job to record the night on paper. Luckily, my worries were calmed when the hiss of feedback and the rearranging of a microphone assured me this was only a soundcheck; still, it was the coolest soundcheck I’d ever heard.
The three acts booked for Sunday’s collaborative gig between DH1 Records and Wayzgoose magazine sounded about as far apart as you could get, a quirk which speaks to both organizations’ commitment to supporting anything out of left-field, and fostering a creative spirit in Durham which is often steam-rolled by ABBA-playing DJ’s and drunk people requesting Wonderwall. Luckily for the audience, there was to be none of that in Osbournes tonight.
Little did I know, I’d got my first taste of V.C.O. as I arrived, a never-before-seen Durham 3-piece who were about to show the crowd just how weird a saxophone can sound. After their protracted soundcheck, they took to the stage for real. Keyboardist Sam Shepherd started us off with a programmed drum kick and a synth drone. I was confused – they have a drummer, why do they need a programmed kick? But once Freddie Krone’s drums and Alex Wardill’s sax kicked in, I understood. Free from having to keep the collective’s rhythm, Freddie’s sticks were free to wander round his kit, sometimes mirroring the beat, others creating textures of sound woven out of the metal of his cymbals. Alex’s saxophone was layered in effects, producing an otherworldly sound that covered multiple octaves as he improvised around Sam’s washes of synth chords.
I can’t really write about the set in terms of V.C.O.’s different songs, because the whole thing was basically a long-form instrumental, loosely structured with healthy doses of improvisation. It speaks to the skill of each musician involved that they could pull this off and still keep it interesting. In fact, as the set progressed it only got more unique; Alex swapped his sax for first a clarinet, then a flute, which sounded even more psychedelic, sometimes akin to an organ. To compliment this Sam’s keyboards oscillated between spacey chords, competing melody lines, and occasionally the odd laser sound effect. I felt like I was listening to the instrumentals from Bowie’s Blackstar, if they’d been performed back in his drug-taking days. I can honestly say I’ve never heard anything like it, especially in Durham: V.C.O.’s experimental set was incredibly fun to witness and something I won’t forget for a while.
Throughout the night I saw placed around the venue various pieces of art, provided by Wayzgoose’s many talented collaborators and creators as a fitting companion to the equally creative music being played. One I found particularly interesting was a series of photographs provided by Honor McGregor, which depict unromanticised realistic scenes of British adolescent life; post-industrial scenery, a figure sprawled on a park bench, and – my favourite – some punk youths with hairstyles I will forever envy. The eclectic mix of art perfectly mirrored the diverse group of musicians who were performing.
Speaking of that – back to the music.
Next up was Clark Rainbow (Gabby Alvarez), a solo vocalist who sports distinctive pilot’s goggles every time she takes to the stage. Her use of backing tracks allowed Clark Rainbow to display her voice’s full capabilities; her catchy art-pop sounded like a fusion of Billie Eilish and Lily Allen. Opening with a forthcoming single, the funky instrumental went a long way towards disguising the disturbingly dark lyrics, a contrast I really enjoyed. Another highlight of the set was ‘Tycoon’, an upbeat girlboss anthem brilliantly self-aware in its materialism and begging to be danced to. Clark Rainbow closed their slot with ‘Find Me’, which has over 1000 streams on Spotify; the production (all done by Clark herself) brought out the best qualities of the eerie vocals, which were very Eilish-inspired. The song then disintegrated into a noise-pop bridge which threatened a further breakdown, before Clark Rainbow calmed the audience with one last chorus, leaving us forever wanting more.
Lord Emu, the heaviest act of the three, were thus the natural headliners. The 4-piece began with an amusing cover of ‘Livin’ la Vida Loca’ with a punky twist, which got the crowd immediately lively. Their next few songs showed the Emu’s knack for writing some catchy riffs as well as impressive solos, courtesy of lead-guitarist George Brown. He also gave the audience the occasional backing vocal, which never failed to improve a chorus. Martin Screen’s steady bass playing and “the sweatiest man in Durham” Luke Pocock’s fast-paced drumming kept the group tight, making sure they’re equally competent at speedy punk songs and catchy alternative rock tunes with choruses that veer towards power ballads. The star of the show, though, was frontman Dillon Blevins; he strummed and sang with furious intensity, bare-chested underneath a tweed blazer. Their showmanship and passion were embraced by the crowd and made the band’s cover of ‘What’s new Scooby Doo?’ even funnier – it’s “what you all came for,” according to Dillon. Lord Emu’s final song was another cover, this time of Electric Six’s ‘Gay Bar’ – perfect for the venue, which hosts one of Durham’s only queer club nights. Despite their focus on covers at the end of the set, I won’t forget how strong Lord Emu’s originals are; they tease that they are recording a studio album as they leave the stage, and I can’t wait to hear it.
The crowd, now in full clubbing mode, were more than pleased when DH1’s Jack O’Donovan took the stage for a DJ set. His up-tempo fusion of garage breakbeats and house music was perfect as the hours got later and the drinks got lighter. With the crowd in full swing a drunk man on his way out told me to “live the dream”. They were fitting words for the night, which felt like an indulgence in unashamed creativity – an experiment in what the whole of the Durham music scene could sound like, if we all listened to a lot less ABBA. Unfortunately, I have to return from this otherworld now, to my regular realm of summative deadlines and dingy kitchens, and hope we can do this again soon.
Instagrams:
@bourbaki_music (V.C.O.)
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