It’s hard to imagine that when I first stumbled upon this oddball duo called Lightning Bolt about a decade ago that they would still be churning the sonic maelstrom in 2013. Now, I have nothing against rock bands ageing and performing into their twilight years, which Lightning Bolt most certainly aren’, but there is something about the frenetic hyperactivity of Lightning Bolt that may convince one that this music is of the now, and that the now may be behind us.
Is that enough of a metaphysical paradox to start a live gig review? Hopefully. Anyway, so yes, Lightning Bolt played at the Corner last night, close to four years since I last saw them at the Thornbury Theatre. There were other acts as well, but for some reason the show started at 8pm, so I must apologise to Cocks Arquette for missing them entirely. I was still in the limousine smoking crack for most of New War’ set, although I managed to catch the last two minutes. I am hesitant to review them based on that, so let us just say that they were great the last time I saw them and leave it at that.
Lightning Bolt. Are they even real? That is pretty much what I thought when I heard them for the first time. Insane comic book noise speedcore sludge from that crevice where the overlap between Super Nintendo and Dungeons and Dragons lays. Nerd rock. If you are reading this then chances are you have some sort of idea what world these two exist in. Brian’ Gibson (bass, introvertedness) and Chippendale (drums, vocals, extrovertedness) took to the stage…. um, yes you read right. The stage. Not the floor surrounded by the audience, but the actual stage riser. OK, times change, I know I know, and yes it’s all fine that they played on the stage. It did nothing to change the sound of their show, but it did somehow change the dynamic I expected with the show. It’s nothing quite like Metallica going from “never selling out, maaan†to playing a Coca-Cola sponsored show in Antarctica, but it does say something. Anyway, as Chippendale straps on his microphone mask he tells us how they have had a day off, and that Gibson has been watching a show called Man Vs Food. A nice bit of casual banter is good, particularly considering that legibility for the rest of the show was to be rather minimal. He also mentions that because of their day off they don’ know what to do and so therefore will start with a jam. Gibson starts wailing on his bass, Chippendale slams his drums and away we go. Lightning Bolt have landed.
So, was it good? Well, yeah, it was great. But was it amazing? Hmmm… I’m not sure it was. I’ll easily admit that I am no longer a crowd surfing whippersnapper, of which there were a fair few last night, but I couldn’ escape the feeling that Lightning Bolt and myself weren’ so in-tune anymore. While the crowd was loving slower, chunkier songs like Colossus from 2009″s Earthly Delights LP I found myself longing for the more hyperactive, frenetic power of Wonderful Rainbow or Ride The Skies. For me the power of Lightning Bolt comes from the way they craft the continuum of chaos around them into a heady mix of rhythm and melody, the way it seems barely contained and ever threatening to spew onto the crowd, to engulf and enflame everyone present and hurtle into the black hole of sonic insanity that is created with the two Brian’ crank up. There were definitely passages of this during the show, moments where Gibson’ bass whirled into the ether while Chippendale’ snare hits reached unimaginable tempos, lifting the room into the skies, straight into the fantastic hyper-reality that Lightning Bolt, as an entity, dwell. Perhaps having the band on stage instead of on the floor contributed to the apparent separation of sonic and physical space that I have come to attribute to Lightning Bolt, along with facetearingly unrelenting power. The power still holds, but it has shifted. Many bands excel at heaviness, and to me Lightning Bolt have excelled in the power of chaos.
That all said, it was a very good show by Lightning Bolt. They played with the levels of intensity and humour you would expect from this comic-booking, video-gaming couple of avant-noise weirdos. The crowd really got into it too. I was surprised the turnout wasn’ larger, but I suppose most people went and saw them at the weekend festival that brought them to our shores once more. Post-gig my ears rang as they should after such a pummelling, but for some reason I didn’ feel the positive uplifting power of rock’n’noise as I had expected. I can’ quite put my finger on it, but something didn’ quite gel with the evening for me. Perhaps it was the venue, the early timeslot, or something unrelated, but something wasn’ quite right. Or maybe it was too right, maybe it just wasn’ wrong enough.
Jason Heller
