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John Tennis (B) / Spiritu (USA) / Pawnshop (NOR) / Dozer (SWE)
04/12/03
Sojo, Leuven
John Tennis (B)
The main reason for attending this evening in Sojo (a bit of a home front for half of the Belgian “stoner scene” and other heavily 70’s inspired heavy rock bands) was that I wanted to attend the gig of John Tennis (in which my friend Roel Paulussen, who is also the guitarist in our band, Mr. Mama, plays the guitar), for who this was to be the very last gig. Although they could be considered the mavericks of the evening (their sound is the least stoner-indebted of all the bands) they did fit in well, despite the fact that drummer Geert Vanloffelt played his very first (unrehearsed) gig with the band, replacing usual drummer Bart who was injured. Anyway, they performed well, played with loads of energy, and their crunching blend of classic stoner and elements from alternative rock was well received. It’s hard to be objective about it, but especially highlights such as bulldozer-grind of “Black Baby,” the speed-rock of “27 Days” and their led-heavy “Fat Boy” was met with a lot of enthusiastic reactions, so it was a great ending of a few years of dedication and rock ‘n roll. It’s just too bad this is Belgium: it kind of limits the opportunities you’ll get.
Spiritu (USA) / Pawnshop (NOR)
Anyway, the rest of the evening was enjoyable as well, with three bands that had been on the road with each other before (Spiritu and Dozer had done a small tour with Clutch and The Spiritual Beggars) and clearly intended to kick some Belgian asses. Spiritu, hailing from New Mexico, USA, spearheaded by ‘little-guy-with-big-voice’ Jadd (who’s also a founder of the Meteor City-label), delivered a hard-rocking blend of stoner elements, 70’s-rock and often surprisingly complex stuff that made them hard to categorize, but never got in the way of the flow. Also striking were the performances by the bass player, who did all kinds of weird stuff on his 6-string bass, and the inventive and hard-hitting drummer. Next up were Norwegian band Pawnshop, whom I had seen before at the same location, and who impressed me more the first time around. Their approach leans more toward traditional stoner rock, combined with the hot rod rock of Fu Manchu, especially because of the John Garcia-styled yelping of imposing-looking vocalist Kjell Undheim (flashy sunglasses, flamed boots, dreads, half an inch away from a pastiche), but somehow they never indulged in monotonous half-hour space-jams, relying on medium-length bursts of mind-numbing power, like “100% Mambo” and “Supersonic Device,” songs as wild as their titles suggest, with primal but powerful drumming, heavy rumbling bass and fierce guitar playing. Good, but not amazing, although anyone with even a remote interest in the genre should check out their album Aloha from Saturn (2000), which can easily compete with their American brethren’s releases.
Dozer (SWE)
I’d often heard about final band, Dozer from Sweden, who’d released a split album with John Garcia’s Unida project, and they’d made a name for themselves as a stoner band par excellence, one that played by the rules, but pulled it off with style. You bet they pulled it off! Easily the youngest looking band of the evening, the band didn’t look that impressive when they stepped on stage (compared to the previous acts), but, oh my, that changed a few songs into the set, as their music almost set the place on fire. The singer must be one of the most laconic people I ever saw on a stage, motionless and sweating beneath his cap, but the rest of the band, especially the sizeable guitar player, were rocking their butts off, churning out massive riffs and heaps of decibels. It’s always cool when a band exceeds your expectations and can keep it up for a set that long (they must’ve played at least an hour and a half) and keep the crowd yelling for more. So, for several reasons a successful evening. Lots of fun, lots of wild rock ‘n roll, dB’s and sideburns. Cheers, John Tennis.
Mudbreeder (B) / Dozer (SWE)
12/09/05
Paradox, Leuven (B)
Until the roof exists no more
I'm getting a knack for arriving (too) late at concerts lately, so I missed a part of Mudbreeder's set. The band consists of three guys in their early twenties who've been listening to fuzzed-out desert rock and progressive instro-metal, while also incorporating elements from more cerebral sub-genres, as several of their songs are dominated by nearly trance-like instrumental passages favoring unpredictable flow over flat-out force. The singer's high-pitched voice occasionally recalls The Mars Volta's theatrical drama, but the band as a whole opts for a much more low-key approach, resulting in an odd twist on stoner-rock that didn't sound bad at all.
Swedish volume dealers Dozer are apparently in love with living on the road, as touring seems to be all they've done the past few years. The peak of their career so far was probably a support slot for Mastodon during February and March of this year and it seems that hanging around the underground's metal moguls has left somewhat of an influence on them, as the songs that I heard from Through the Eyes of Heathens have them moving further away from the rather traditional desert rock direction they pursued a few years ago. Instead, the band incorporates more melody and metal aggression into their music. By result, their most accessible songs remind you of a more muscular Audioslave, while the heavier ones bring them closer to their American brethren. Even though it's a bit of a pity they're from Sweden and therefore sentenced to a life in the underground (I'm pretty sure their album sales would be much higher if they were an American band), it's on small stages that they deliver the truly memorable shows. I have no doubt whatsoever that the experience with Mastodon was a fruitful one, and I witnessed their dedication when I saw them open for that band earlier this year, but anyone could see the band felt much more comfortable in this smaller venue.
Another advantage of seeing this band in more intimate setting: sound. Their previous album Call It Conspiracy had the band branching out beyond the led-heavy stoner grooves of their earliest work, yet it seems these guys need to be equipped with an in-your-face aural assault for full impact. When the powerhouse drumming of Daniel Lidén, the bass rumbling of Johan Rockner and guitar bombings of Fredrik Nordin and, especially, Tommi Holappa all lock together, that's when you understand how the latter can freak out like he does, throwing his body all over the stage, nearly banging his head off while attempting to crush your skull with his crunching riffs. The intricacies of the songs might get lost, but the primal energy boost you get instead is one hell of a thrill. From the first to the last minute (which came a bit earlier than planned because of the cops' visit to the place), the band displayed an almost manic intensity, turning their performance into an impressive showcase for their prowess as a live band. "The Hills Have Eyes" would trudge all over its studio counterpart, "Rising" was enthusiastically received by a crowd that howled along to the chorus and new song "Until Man Exists No More," with Rockner filling in for Mastodon's Troy Sanders (who appears on the album version), is destined to become a highlight on their next album.
The set was fairly brief (well, a bit less than an hour), but there was an extended encore, which was for the most part taken up by a gargantuan "Riding the Machine" with an extended jam that proved drummer Lidén is barely able to restrain himself. Rarely has a band been blessed with such a dexterous drummer, one who will not be satisfied with what a standard drummer would come up with (and occasionally I did wish he'd hold back once in a while - I get exhausted just seeing the guy play). The end result: a damn fine, down-to-earth performance by one of the genre's most reliable live acts.
