Thursday, February 17, 2005
Fickle Public - Bannerman's, Wed 16th Feb
"We have some stuff to sell, but I don't know where it is"
Singer/guitarist Al Ferguson's remark reminds us firmly that we're back in Edinburgh's premiere firetrap toilet venue, Bannerman's Underworld.
But it's busy tonight and as the guitarists either side the stage throw alarmingly similar shapes and play almost exclusively the same notes, I can't help but wonder if Fickle have invented stereovisual rocknroll. Leaping around, their too-brief, thirtyfive-minute set rocks hard and is clearly appreciated by the crowd crushed into this tiny cellar. It's clear that Fickle Public are a band of short attention spans, pounding out riff after unrelated riff one on top of the other, seemingly at the whim of the visibly perspiring drummer behind the gaffertaped bass drum. And yet the guitar attack's eerie symmetry proves this to be not the case, they are in fact ferociously tight and powerful and playfully messing with rhythm and timing to disconcert the odd headbanger. It's all done with precision though and it helps to elevate their sound above the solid plod available in countless pubs, bedrooms and garages throughout Edinburgh. The overall effect rocks although the vocals aren't so clear, but whether this is bad set up or the devastation to my hearing caused by the ferocious, crunchy guitars, I'll never know 3.5/5
Singer/guitarist Al Ferguson's remark reminds us firmly that we're back in Edinburgh's premiere firetrap toilet venue, Bannerman's Underworld.
But it's busy tonight and as the guitarists either side the stage throw alarmingly similar shapes and play almost exclusively the same notes, I can't help but wonder if Fickle have invented stereovisual rocknroll. Leaping around, their too-brief, thirtyfive-minute set rocks hard and is clearly appreciated by the crowd crushed into this tiny cellar. It's clear that Fickle Public are a band of short attention spans, pounding out riff after unrelated riff one on top of the other, seemingly at the whim of the visibly perspiring drummer behind the gaffertaped bass drum. And yet the guitar attack's eerie symmetry proves this to be not the case, they are in fact ferociously tight and powerful and playfully messing with rhythm and timing to disconcert the odd headbanger. It's all done with precision though and it helps to elevate their sound above the solid plod available in countless pubs, bedrooms and garages throughout Edinburgh. The overall effect rocks although the vocals aren't so clear, but whether this is bad set up or the devastation to my hearing caused by the ferocious, crunchy guitars, I'll never know 3.5/5
# posted by Sagremor the Foolish @ 6:12 PM 
