[ATTENDED: May 18, 2023] ST 37
I had never heard of ST 37 until they were scheduled to tour with Acid Mothers Temple back in 2020. That tour was postponed and then cancelled, but here it is three years later and they are still touring together.
What does ST 37 mean? Well, when I searched for the band, what came up first was:
ST 37 ANTISEPTIC SOLUTION kills common pathogenic bacteria quickly on contact. Laboratory tests have established S.T.37 antiseptic solution as a general antiseptic for household use.
So maybe they are a tribute to the antiseptic. Actually, an interview from 2021 sets it straights:
Carlton Crutcher named us that after the song by the great San Francisco band Chrome, from their album ‘Alien Soundtracks’. It was not until later that we discovered it was the name of a throat antiseptic product!
And what do they sound like? Their bandcamp says
Quite simply, we rule. And we have been ruling for over 30 years. So there.
They play a noisy experimental kind of rock and have nine people listed in their “past members” category. Wikipedia gives these two quotes about them: mind-altering space-punk whose live shows are drowning in a haze of guitar and reverb that can drift through cosmically shifting layers of aggressive punk riffs, fuzzed noise, and scalding jams.
And that’s all pretty accurate. As they started, I was standing right in front of bassist/singer, ever present member S.L. Telles. The bass was WAAAAAY too loud for the rest of the band, so I had to back away. I think it was fixed later because it seemed to settle down okay. Of course, the bass is the only constant through the set.
Telles plays a bass line (usually pretty cool) that runs through the whole song. Meanwhile, the two guitarists (I think Bobby Baker and Matthew Turner, but they may have been replaced by now) play mostly solos and noise and, occasionally, riffs. The songs are waves and waves of feedback and noise with electronic wizardry (I think by Bob Bechtol).
In addition to Telles’ bass, what holds the whole thing together is Lisa Cameron’s drumming. She is steady as anything.
Telles told us that they have a new album coming out called Ballardesque, which is a tribute (I guess) to J.G. Ballard novels. It’s a concept album.
The one song that wasn’t from it was “If Your Mind Expands, Your Head Will Hurt” from Spaceage which is a slower song with a recording of a woman speaking random thoughts, including the title.”
“Bombing Nightclubs” is a cover by the band Texas psychedelic noise band Indian Jewelry who changed their name to Studded Left in 2016.
I rather enjoyed their set. It was a little repetitive (as is the nature of their music). I think it may also have been a little too loud for the space–any subtlety was lost, although that may also have been on purpose as well, to really make your brain expand.
If what Telles said is to be believed (and why shouldn’t it be) this was the setlist.
- The Drought (Summer Come Too Quick) ⊗
- If Your Mind Expands, Your Head Will Hurt €
- Running (LOUD) ?⊗
- Dusted ⊗
- Bombing Nightclubs (Indian Jewelry cover)
- Crash ⊗
€ Spaceage (1998)
⊗ Ballardesque (2023)
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