DAMO SUZUKI NETWORK WITH SOUND CARRIERS

VENUE MIRTH, MARVEL & MAUD, LONDON

DATE 23/04/19

SUPPORT COWBOY FLYING SAUCER, AMESBURY BANKS

Former Can vocalist Damo suzuki has always been an artist of surprises, but today’s event is the culmination of a series of unexpected events. with just days to go before the sold-out gig, the concert is almost derailed when the original choice of venue – a church in the heart of walthamstow village in northeast London – suddenly becomes unavailable for reasons never fully explained. But thanks to the community vibe that’s come to characterise this corner of the capital, the 300-capacity mirth, marvel & maud steps in.

maintaining the unpredictable vibe, this is a matinee show with suzuki taking the stage at teatime. early arrivers witness amesbury Banks, a self-professed group of “space dad-rockers”, whose improvised set of satisfying cosmic grooves hint at what’s to follow. elsewhere, demented foursome Cowboy Flying saucer combine reverbed psychedelia with a few nods to The Fall, though there’s enough of their own personality to win over new converts.

Yet it’s suzuki and today’s collection of musicians that truly startle and beguile in equal measure. suzuki’s modus operandi of playing improvised sets with his support bands is well known. what makes this gig so unique is that none of his band have actually met each other until the soundcheck earlier in the day. Behind the drums is Cowboy Flying saucer’s Dave Bamford. His rhythm partner is bassist whitney Bluzma from mancunian postpunks iLL, while to her left is Darren Hayman on sax and percussion. On the other side of the stage is Factory Records alumnus and guitarist kevin Hewick and arsenic mines’ violinist kat Richmond.

Of course, this could all amount to a total calamity, yet the resulting two pieces of music improvised here belie their origins. The first, a 52-minute epic, avoids any form of self-indulgence thanks to a band utterly in tune with each other’s spaces. so while Bamford ushers in a gentle beat that incrementally rises into a more forceful entity, the rest of the band add flesh to these bones. Hewick evokes the spirit of Frippertronics, his sound coalescing beautifully with Richmond’s treated violin. Bluzma’s downstrokes add an increasing urgency as Hayman weaves in and out with his weapons of choice. at the centre of it all is Damo suzuki, a ringmaster whose voice is as much an instrument as those surrounding him.

The subtle increases in intensity cause the audience to move in time with the music, with many doing so unconsciously. The second piece is half the length, but it’s no less seductive. The audience affirm the uniqueness of the event, with suzuki applauding his band, who can scarcely take in what they’ve delivered.

Bringing out the best in musicians, his inspirational journey continues apace.