Merchandise set
(no
list – the drummer used a laptop!)
Lonesome
Sound
Crystal
Cage
In
Nightmare Room
End
Of the Week
Right
Back To The Start
Green
Lady
Little
Killer
True
Monument
Anxiety’s
Door
After
The End
Flower
Of Sex
Time
The
first gig of a busy November sees me beating feet upcountry, to a new venue in
Birmingham to see nevertheless familiar protagonists – Tampa, FL’s excellent,
inventive spacey alt rockers Merchandise, back in the UK after a 2 year hiatus,
promoting current album “A Corpse Wired For Sound”. A slight step away from the
more structured, conventional and cleaner sound of last effort “After The End”
and back to the layered, textured feel of previous efforts, this one, with
tunes and vocals hazy, indistinct and submerged, and an occasional strident and
blaring 80’s proto New Romantic synth encroaching into the mix. It’s
nonetheless a grower, and they’ve been consistently excellent and entertaining
“live”, especially vocalist Carson Cox, currently occupying Evan Dando’s usual
spot as my favourite impossibly handsome and equally flaky space cadet rock
star.
Unfortunately
Birmingham was the nearest the tour passed to the ‘don (didn’t fancy crossing
London to the earlier Lexington show so soon after returning from our Florida
holiday last weekend!), so this necessitated a 5pm leap into Friday commuter
traffic, and a reasonable 7.30 arrival at the venue after parking at The
Mailbox. An odd place, this; a small bar leading to a tiny downstairs room
which was possibly the smallest venue I’ve been to in ages, including Cardiff’s
boxy Gwdihw! I checked out openers Manners, on at 8, although I only gave it 3
of their smothered synth pulse-driven songs as they were threatening to induce
a Merz-like migraine! Escaped upstairs to the bar and followed the Swindon town
game on the BBC website before popping back down at half-time, coincidentally
just as main support EZTV took the small stage. A new York trio, they were
immediately a considerable improvement, weaving a wide-eyed and innocent
Summery vibe with some lovely C86 jangle pop, which recalled a US BMX Bandits
or Adam Schlesinger’s side project Ivy. The smooth harmonies of “Dust In The
Sky” were almost Gigolo Aunts-like, and the resonant guitar riffery in the Byrdsian
“Temporary Gold” also recalled The (UK) Wallflowers’ excellent “Blushing Girl,
Nervous Smile”. Then, after some political chat (“we’ve got a recession special
on the merch ‘cos the whole world’s going to shit!”), they checked time with
the soundman, and before launching into the fine ascending riff-powered
“Goodbye Morning” they remarked, “still time to make this set great again!” No
worries there, gents, this was a very fine appetiser. Nicely done!
Another
quick upstairs break and a quick chat with EZTV vocalist Ezra, a Velvet Crush/
Teenage Fanclub aficionado (no surprise there!), then I took a wander back down
and quickly eased my way to the front, as Merchandise were just kicking off
their opener “Lonesome Sound”, the chugging, moody best number from their
current CD. Immediately it was apparent that this would be a different sonic
experience from their recorded output, as they were set up as a conventional
4-piece, eschewing the echoing loops, layers and effects, and even employing an
actual drummer behind the kit instead of the drum machine featured on the
album! The angular Carson Cox was already off on his own head trip (introducing
the slow sway of “Crystal Cage” with the comment, “we’re gonna play some new
ones, and some old ones, and mix them together in a confusing way!”), but his deliciously
doleful, half-murmured baritone, more exposed “live” than on CD, was
immediately a feature, dovetailing perfectly in with partner-in-crime Dave
Vassalotti’s resonant and often cacophonous guitar crescendos. The lazy haze
and drumbeat stomp of “Green Lady” (“about smoking pot!” according to Cox) was
followed with a superb dance-along “Little Killer”, the chugging Smiths-like
beat underpinning one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard in many a year. Cox had
made reference to the upcoming US election prior to this number, prompting a
(hopefully ironic, surely?) chant of “Trump!” from the locals, so quite rightly
closed that door with a sardonic, “that’s the last time I bring up politics!”
A
stately “True Monument”, with its towering riff a feature, preceded the true
highlight tonight – a lengthy and sinuous “Anxiety’s Door”, which saw me throw
shapes down the front as Cox urged the front rows to dance to this metronomic
and thrillingly absorbing epic. Superb! I’d honestly have been happy with that,
but a couple of subsequent numbers, including the funky newie “Flower Of Sex”
(“for the kids down the front – you’ve got too much damn energy!”) and a
brooding finale of “Time”, saw the set stretch to 1 hour 15. Fine stuff
overall, though, with the tunes, stripped of their recorded effects, standing
up superbly.
Grabbed
my breath before a few quick words with the Merch boys. Both Dave and Carson
appeared to remember me from previous gigs (I guess old greying blokes throwing
themselves around down the front are at a premium at their shows!), Carson
humorously commenting, “you’re from Wigan, right?” “Swindon” “Yeah, Swindon,
that’s right…” A quick chat about my recent trip to his home state of Florida
with this always gregarious and affable chap ensued, before I excused myself to
hit the road just after 11. Good thing too, as motorway closures, no diversion
signs, then gridlocked Worcestershire roads at the dead of night, saw me
finally and wearily hitting the sack at a red-eyed 1.30. Yikes! However, always
worth it for this splendid band Merchandise, although I hope Carson makes good
on his promise to play closer to the ‘don (Bristol?) next time!
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