LaFaro - Upstairs At The Garage, London – 5th October 2011 (Live Review)
Friday, 14 October 2011
Written by Ben Bland
The UK is in healthy form for producing bands whose main desires centre largely on the impulse to create lots of unruly, unhealthy, unholy and downright nasty noise. Sadly the tiny venue upstairs at Highbury’s Garage venue indicates that only small amounts of the British listening public are fans of such desires, which is a real shame.
Of course it is no surprise that a band like main support trio Exit_International aren’t huge. Their double bass attack is the aural equivalent of being punched repeatedly in the stomach by a smiling clown who sits you down and performs the best circus routine you have ever seen as you are recovering. Hugely entertaining, and showcasing tracks from their recently released debut full-length 'Black Junk', Exit_International are intent on taking filthy noise rock in to new, previously unconsidered territories.
Headliners LaFaro are clearly unashamed of their debt to fellow Northern Irish men Therapy? Their noisy, yet anthemic, tunes are scuzzy slices of furious riffage with lead vocalist Johnny Black’s awesomely raw vocals are not all that far from the legendary aforementioned trio’s angrier moments. Live, this is a band that are pretty tight despite the fact that they give the impression of having consumed their entire rider’s worth of alcohol before taking to the stage. They are also great showmen. Their stage banter is hilarious, with tonight’s asides about Blackburn being particularly good value. Temporary bassist is none other than Jetplane Landing/Fighting with Wire man Cahir O’Doherty and he adds plenty to the live show, both in terms of his furious headbanging and his witty comments between songs. The crowd receive the news of the band’s departure from the stage with dismay but get more than their money’s worth with a passionately delivered set of serrated hard rock from one of the top bands doing the rounds at the moment.
LaFaro tour the UK with Hold Your Horse Is in November. Their album 'Easy Meat' is out now. Exit_International’s 'Black Junk' is also out now.
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