The Idiot Rate / Showing Off to Thieves

The black and white emo army are out in force tonight as I pass beneath the garish banner of the Carling Academy and enter the grimy glory hole that is its smaller, top bar venue. Fashionably entombed to the jet black walls, Rock legends are preserved photographically in perspex, reminding everyone that this is a monolith in the mainstream when it comes to music in Bristol. ‘If it’s popular, it will be playing here’ they reassure the surprisingly large crowds of skinny-jean-scene kids that flock to this rock Mecca on a chilly Monday night.

This is a whimsical and slightly sentimental experience, stark with reminders of my musical beginnings. The underage optimism and excitable bubble of the crowd take me back to my first gigs. Several years after the nostalgic Hundred Reasons dominated heyday of British hardcore, I am intrigued to see what this particular scene still has to offer.

	"it is great to see a band mature enough to steer away from the cliché imagery of ‘cool’ that seems to dominate and ultimately dilute this scene, and also one that is not afraid to cleverly twist your expectations."

The Idiot Rate and Showing Off to Thieves are two new bands which, according to their respective Myspaces, have both recently received rapturous critical acclaim. However, this must be taken with a pinch of salt as the impartiality of a lot of smaller zines is questionable.

To a delirious crowd Showing off to Thieves emphatically explode onto the stage, amid eye-watering feedback and thunderous cacophony. Immediately they tear into their own brand of hard melodic noise and the crowd are taken aback by their boundless energy which, for the entire performance, never wilts. Suddenly, just as we are safely acclimatized to a synapse-shaking sonic assault, familiar to fans of Fall of Troy and alike, a brilliant shift in dynamic brings in an entirely new dimension. In an amazing wash of sound the storm dies and Andy German's delicately sorrowful lyrics emerge amid delicious layers of guitar. It’s hard to believe this is the same band, which conjours the subtle Indie/Pop (but infinitely more rich) down tempo of Snow Patrol one second, and the screeching white-noise of Melt Banana the next.

Embracing the beauty of the non-obvious without becoming obtuse is a rare skill, and one that, combined with a such a catchy and accessible core as this, is sure to catapult them to quick success.

The only concerning thing is that with music that chops and changes at such a tremendous pace comes the need for more and more variety, so it will be interesting to see how the band progresses with time and popularity.

As the show continues, the joyful chemistry between band mates is revealed as they joke and bounce about, proving they do not take themselves too seriously. During the breakdowns the lyrics can get a little repetitive but nevertheless the crowd is thoroughly entertained throughout and the set ends on a tremendous crescendo that leaves the lungs devoid of air and ear drums suitably humming. Most importantly, it is great to see a band mature enough to steer away from the cliché imagery of ‘cool’ that seems to dominate and ultimately dilute this scene, and also one that is not afraid to cleverly twist your expectations.

	"In a market over saturated with dozens of identical bands The Idiot Rate will have a job being noticed or remembered for anything except for their stupefying ability to tread water"

If these expectations were superseded by Showing off to Thieves they are more than a little dashed by headline act The Idiot Rate. Despite an impressive and promising entrance, erupting through plumes of thick smoke with leviathan-like energy, it quickly becomes clear these beasts of rock ‘n’ roll emo have been listening to hardcore from the start..... and very little else. These are one-trick ponies, born to rock in power stances, and entertain for approximately five minutes. They have the energy and stamina to keep on rocking but quickly lose the interest of the crowd as they break into another dated number.

The stage presence and musicianship of this band is good, (from what I can hear, as the volume has bizarrely been boosted beyond any shred of clarity), and the high pitch screaming vocals are impressive- given the size of the singer! The trouble is that for all the obviously well-rehearsed crunchy guitar work and epic drumming the final product fades dramatically into a cringe worthy, banal stereotype, a parody that is simultaneously similar and yet far removed from bands like Funeral for a Friend who were there first! The crowd isn’t fooled either and the packed out buzzing atmosphere following Showing off to Thieves soon tragically dwindles and the bar begins to empty. The dying vibes are only catalysed when the singer engages in a constant stream of peculiar in-jokes with the sound engineer, further alienating himself from the audience.

Its incredible to think that something so loud and raucous can be so safe, so blatantly uninspired and dull that one song blends effortlessly into the next and no one even notices. In a market over saturated with dozens of identical bands The Idiot Rate will have a job being noticed or remembered for anything except for their stupefying ability to tread water, as victims of a copycat culture and the unfortunate triumph of brawn over brain. Showing Off to Thieves would do better to distance themselves from this band and concentrate on the ever growing art-rock crowd which, providing they stay interesting enough, will receive them well and allow them to develop their own unique sound.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.