[DID NOT ATTEND: September 1, 2022] Boris / Nothing
I came to the Boris part way too late. They’ve been melting faces for over 25 years and I really only found them about five years ago. They were on the verge of breaking up, in fact, when they were inspired to make some new music and to keep touring.
I so wanted to get to this show (which would have been my third). But, it was scheduled for the same night as a Kurtis Conner show that my daughter wanted to go to.
I have to assume that Boris will be back at least one more time (since there’s a new album in the works already).
Nothing is a shoegaze band from Philadelphia.
I was a little surprised that Boris would have a shoegaze band open for them since in the past, they’ve had some pretty heavy rockers open up. But I listened and Nothing is quite heavy.
I’m a little puzzled when shoegaze became associated with heavy metal. I know there are many metal bands who successfully use shoegaze elements, but I would never have had a blanket association with metal given its origins. My Bloody Valentine is certainly loud, but not really heavy.
Either way, this would have been a great show.
That new Heavy Rocks is a doozy. Dublin next Wednesday and I was on the fence but rapidly falling off it. There’s also a new drone album on Bandcamp that’s not terribly interesting to my ears. I got the rerelease of their Altar collaboration with Sunn and that sounds fresh as ever.
Think I told you before but I found that 25 year show very disappointing. Good, but they weren’t really up for it. Giving them another chance as I know what they’re capable of: growth mindset, and all that.
Hope you’re well. Will let you know how my eardrums hold up after Wed.
I keep getting updates from them on Bandcamp and each one is NOT a listing of an American tour. It’s a mystery what they’ll play on this tour. Maybe they were tired of playing 25 years of the same songs and they’ll be revitalized for this one.
I’m getting an Acid Mothers show in a few weeks–I have you to thank for both of these bands and my subsequent exploration of much Japanese heaviosity.
Keep those ears safe for future sounds.
Just out of the Boris show with a big grin on my face. A completely different band, with a new drummer and Atuso moving to lead vocals. He’d been leading on the last tour but posing more than anything; here he has the crowd going from the get-go, like the bastard child of Steven Adler, Cruella Da Ville and Gene Simmons fed through a pasta roller before being rolled in nori.
They featured lots of tunes from No, the loud lockdown album, and Heavy Rocks, the now-third most recent release(!). I’ve been listening to the latter record a great deal, and both She Is Burning and Nosferatu were stunning tonight. Throughout quite a thrashy set they kept control and dynamics, the crowd appreciative but failing (understandably) to sing along. We’re Dubliners: we tried ironically.
The last half hour was some of the best live music I’ve heard in ages, with Loveless, from No, ripping up the room. Pause, then the awesomely wonderful Wata took to the keyboard to open Not Last Song, which silenced the crowd before exploding at the climax of the evening. That crash, not really represented on record, was heartstopping.
Encore was Farewell, but while the last performance of it I saw was doomy, this one was huge and uplifting, the power chords cascading as we know they can and Atuso back behind the kit, pointing at the drums he’s about to hit. Takeshi, who looked like he was enjoying this whole thing, sang his heart out and that was that. For a band who disappointed me six years ago, this was a transformation. Always a good sign anywhere when you see the results of a good, hard look in the deep, dark truthful mirror.
Waiting for a bus now, glad I hauled my ass out on a Wednesday one more time. 9/10 because they didn’t do Blah Blah Blah, the most fun they’ve ever been on record, their Pixies meets PiL CHOON!
Setlist, from their Twitter account of last night’s show in Cork:
01. Anti-gone
02. Non Blood Lore
03. She is Burning
04. My Name is Blank
05. Question 1
06. Nosferatou
07. Blood Red
08. Fundamental Error
09. キキノウエ
10. HxCxHxC
11.Loveless
12. (not) Last Song
encore. Farewell
That is fantastic. What a great review and a great show.
I didn’t realize that Atsuo wasn’t on drums. He is such a showman back there, but would probably be better up front.
I REALLY hope they bring this tour to the States.
I was right in front of Takeshi last time. So I might have to back up a bit to take the whole spectacle in.
I go to a lot of shows but I haven’t been blown away by a show in a while. This one sounds fantastic.
*Atsuo!