Showing posts with label Stay Here. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stay Here. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 06, 2015

Man and machine

It's turning into a very metallic autumn for shows. First there Was the big Alcest gig, then San Diego's Author & Punisher comes to town. The one-man band is another act on the outskirts of metal. He's usually tagged as a doom and drone act, in part thanks to the heavy duty machinery he manufactures to make his industrial strength sounds. He's touring with Portland's Muscle and Marrow, a duo I can easily see on a bill with Chelsea Wolfe or Emma Ruth Rundle. They were joined by local outfits Sombre and They Grieve. Here's Sombre bassist Nick Turenne.

Sombre at Mavericks

Murderous mechanical action with Louis Cyr!

Sombre at Mavericks

Gabe Grove hits!

Sombre at Mavericks

 And Ian Bain does the guitar stuff.

Sombre at Mavericks

Extra Louis!

Sombre at Mavericks

Rhythm section action!

Sombre at Mavericks

They Grieve features Gary from Alaskan and is as heavy as you'd expect. He's joined by Stay Here's Deniz on drums.

They Grieve at Mavericks

The shouty bit!

They Grieve at Mavericks

Dual action!

They Grieve at Mavericks

And so on!

They Grieve at Mavericks

Muscle and Marrow purvey some lovely, doomy and desolate sounds. Here's drummer Keith McGraw.

Muscle and Marrow at Mavericks

They had a projection machine throwing up abstract figures on the backdrop; here's a shadowy Kira Clark.

Muscle and Marrow at Mavericks

Extra Keith!

Muscle and Marrow at Mavericks

Gripping action!

Muscle and Marrow at Mavericks

Muscular action!

Muscle and Marrow at Mavericks

Extra Kira!

Muscle and Marrow at Mavericks

And here's a closeup as she soundchecks for Author & Punisher's set.

Author & Punisher at Mavericks

Here's the man himself, with his microphone and the handheld contraption that appears to do the duty of a bass drum.

Author & Punisher at Mavericks

Closeup action. He's a very intense performer.

Author & Punisher at Mavericks

Punishing action! The spinning cylinder in front of him is a drone-maker.

Author & Punisher at Mavericks

Everything's clamped on firmly.

Author & Punisher at Mavericks

Grimacing action!

Author & Punisher at Mavericks

He had Muscle and Marrow back on stage for a song.

Author & Punisher at Mavericks

Singalong action!

Author & Punisher at Mavericks

And so on!

Author & Punisher at Mavericks

A really fine evening.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Into the black

It was metal time again Thursday night at Mavericks. There were a couple of other things I could have headed off to last night (Coliseum was playing upstairs at Cafe DeKcuf, for one), but I haven't had a chance to see headliners Woe or openers Stay Here, and am quite keen on Occult Burial and Alaskan, the two other bands on the bill.

Stay Here seem to have had a busy schedule in the early months of this year (and yes, they are playing Ottawa Explosion). I haven't had a chance to see them before, and indeed knew very little about them. What I know now: They give off a definite Jesu/Godlfesh vibe, and Max from Critical Convictions is their bassist (she also did the sound for the other three bands on the bill that night).

Stay Here at Mavericks
Stay Here at Mavericks, May 16, 2013

Faceoff action with Tashi and Max!

Stay Here at Mavericks
Stay Here at Mavericks, May 16, 2013

Occult Burial may have been the most "trad" band on the bill - if you have a tradition of blackened thrash metal and covers of Bathory and NME, anyway.

Occult Burial at Mavericks
Occult Burial at Mavericks, May 16, 2013

In the red action!

Occult Burial at Mavericks
Occult Burial at Mavericks, May 16, 2013

Alaskan sounded even more crushing than usual.

Alaskan at Mavericks
Alaskan at Mavericks, May 16, 2013

Synchronized headbanging action!

Alaskan at Mavericks
Alaskan at Mavericks, May 16, 2013

Woe finished things off with a blistering set. I think by the end the drummer's crash cymbal was missing a bigger chunk.

Woe at Mavericks
Woe at Mavericks, May 13, 2013

Hairy action!

Woe at Mavericks
Woe at Mavericks, May 13, 2013

Awesome sets from all bands.