What an astounding set provided by New York based A Place To Bury Strangers in Leeds' Belgrave Music Hall this evening.
From start to finish this was an absolute knock-out show courtesy of Oliver Ackermann (guitar/vocals), Dion Lunadon (bass/backing) and Robi Gonzalez (drums), whom together have made up the psychedelic, shoegazing ensemble since 2012. There have been many others involved in the band since its origins in the early 2000s although the latest trio continue the theme with their latest long-player, Transfixiation, of which they provided an absolute smasher of a rendition tonight.
Prior, we were treated to a set from Dublin all-female band September Girls. Appearing second on the line-up (after a local band who will remain nameless simply because I missed them...), they provided a rather haunting and yet melodic set, using three guitars plus drums and machines to accompany, with every band member sharing lead vocals at some stage throughout the performance - aside from the drummer, who appeared way too fixated in her own world to contribute. Each and every indy-pop song seemed to build to a climax - perhaps intentionally - leaving the punters hanging for 'something' which, in hindsight, only the girls and fans of APTBS alike could have possibly been anticipating.
And on they came, to an extremely darkened stage, with only a strobe and dry ice for illumination. A Place To Bury Strangers opened with a string of fast paced, industrial-sounding tunes, extremely heavy on drums and as loud as you could get. It was so dark I couldn't see Ackermann stage-left, although I had no trouble hearing him; he finally began to emerge through the smoke and strobes by around song number three and proceeded to go full blown mental on his guitar in front of a completely captivated audience.
Up until now it was easy to see how they have supported the likes of Nine Inch Nails. By their fourth number, they had taken their foot off the gas a little and were very much The Jesus and Mary Chain inspired shoe gazers they have built a following upon. Bathed in red, they progressed at a slightly lesser speed - all be it noisily - as images of ballet dancers projected across the walls and along with the loud drumming I was temporarily hypnotized, alongside all others present.
With no in between song banter to differentiate the tracks, together with a continuous reverb and industrial back up effects, at times only the avid fans applauding helped to signal the end of one tune and the beginning of another. This never ending provision of noise continued throughout the gig and was clearly a real treat for the crowd as all here swayed, toe-tapped and occasionally air-punched along.
After some 40 minutes of consistent sound and strobes, Lunadon began moving an amp from behind him and over to the front of the stage, at which point he and Ackermann jumped down to the dance floor and proceeded to drag the amp along behind them toward a space in the middle of the crowd which had just formed. Gonzalez followed with more machines and, together, the three of them now took to something of a live jam exempt of any vocals and bashed out one fifteen minute or more tune which had everybody smiling from ear to ear and some of us (myself included) dancing along rave style. An epic finish to an epic gig. Nothing like what I had expected to see tonight, but very much something special and a band recommended to anyone seeking some live music action with a punch.
FUTURE GIGS
sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.