Rolo Tomassi / Shapes / Soni-Quella

Flapper

Birmingham

20th January 2010

 

 

 

Rolo Tomassi

 

The last time Rolo Tomassi “attempted” to play the Flapper was really one of those moments in a bands history that biographers love. One of those “were you there when?” times that every band has. A few years back a relatively unknown Rolo Tomassi, were booked to play here in support of sadly disbanded Seattle band These Arms Are Snakes. Being the fresh faced teenagers they were back then, they were questioned by the owners and reminded of the pub’s strict “no under 18’s allowed entry”  brought in due to the Labour governments paranoia over underage drinking (nothing much has changed has it Gordon Brown?)

So being the intelligent and resourceful souls they were and not wanting to let the people who had travelled to see them down, the bands only 18 years olds at the time, Ed (drums) and Joe (guitar) were allowed inside to play. While the rest of the band played in the car park with leads and such running through the fire doors. Needless to say it wasn’t the best performance but the boy’s and girl were not resigned to packing up their gear and driving back up to Sheffield.

Fast forward to 2010 and it’s a headline show, a packed out venue and all the sandwiches they can eat in their dressing room. Their passion, energy and willingness not to fail that they showed back then hasn’t faded one bit. Which is why the band has stood the test of time and has an exciting future ahead of them.

This was my first time seeing the opening act Soni Quella after hearing good things about them but unfortunately I found it difficult to find what the fuss was about. Although their intentions were good trying to fuse Hardcore, Metal, Indie and even Electronica, their set and the tracks preformed came across to be very disjointed and unnatural. With inappropriate beatdowns been thrown in at every opportunity it was difficult to enjoy.

Shapes on the other hand are one of the bands who are part of the revival in our UK music scene and deserve all the universal plaudits they have been receiving. This show comes at around the two year anniversary of the band and since their formation, has taken them all over the UK and even as far as Japan playing as many shows as possible.

Their 30 minute set was a joy to watch with all three members thrashing around the tiny Flapper stage without losing any, excuse the pun shape to their songs. The intricately formed,  eardrum piercing set was driven by drummer Gavin’s frantic ability to burst out delicate rhythms but being able to flick a switch and launch into the most aggressive rage filled beats which leave you shaking.

Shapes are a band that combine their love of Metal and Prog and present it to you in an accessible way, along with some well thought out instrumental tracks. Being one of Big Scary Monsters best singings you can see why they have been chosen to support Glassjaw on their forthcoming tour.

Rolo Tomassi

With a scores of hardcore fans won over the years,  the venue is packed for headliners Rolo Tomassi, which is a pleasant surprise to the band as this mini tour had minimal promotion.

The set is perfect. It isn’t rushed from song to song like the old days but there is time for everybody inside to take a breather before the music starts and the chaos ensues again.  It contains the hits and reworked live versions of tracks form their first EP. Playing “Cirque du Funk” and “Film Noir,” sparks fly and cameras literally flash. And tracks from their last album “Hysterics” on Hassle Records such at the epic  “Scabs” which sounds like an up and down rollercoaster of sounds that make you feel nauseous in the nicest possible way with an encore of “I Love Turbulence” which is short, mental and beautiful all at the same time.

Vocalist Eva Spence twists and twirls for the duration of the whole hour on stage like a girl dancing along to her favourite pop song in the privacy of her own bedroom. While her sibling James controls the keyboards with the precision and concentration as if he was at the helm of a rocket ship on a mission to a galaxy far far away. 

Rolo Tomassi Setlist 20/10/2010

Probably the most traumatic and yet exciting part of the set is delivered when three new songs are unleashed from forthcoming Diplo produced album, “Party Wounds,” “French Motel” and “Kasia.” The first of these “Party Wounds” is a disco laced, organ filled track which wouldn’t be out place in a horror film as the back drop to a scene of random brutality. Whereas “French Motel” is a stop-start and jagged affair before luring you in a dramatic pause which seems to go on for an age, before restarting into the most shocking and brutal 30 seconds of music you have ever heard.

Rolo Tomassi are an experience in itself and no review would ever do their live show justice. The kids in attendance lose all their inhibitions without being prompted or forced into doing so. The pretty girls are dancing. The Metal heads are head banging and the rest of us are just losing all control in time to the music.

This is vintage stuff and tonight is another reason why these youngsters have been hailed as the future of music.

Manoj Koeri

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