After The Fall @ The Oxford Art Factory 17/7/09
August 31st 2009 09:21
My first outing to the Oxford Art Gallery and I felt inappropriately dressed in a zip up hoodie. If there was ever a venue to wear my old man driving cap and not get mocked, it was here. First up was Newcastle’s Here Comes The Birds. Playing your typical run of the mill triple j style oz rock the band gave it their best shot as the opener. The room was only half full and no one was drunk yet, so no one cared for them. Which is sad because while nothing stood out, the band has potential to grow and develop with more time and more gigs.
Next act,Smoke took the room back to the post hippy era New York. 4 skinny, nerdy looking guys playing sex-filled, machismo rock n’ roll. They looked like early Rolling Stones and tried to emulate that sound. Maybe they fantasized about playing in Warhol’s studio where there was plenty of drugs, booze and women. But this is 2009 and they just looked like a bunch of try hards. In the same vain as Wolfmother trying to be like Zeppelin or Jet trying to be like The Stooges. They just failed. The singer posed and pouted like Mick Jagger and was just as annoying. Mick would roll over in his grave he ever decided to die. They had 2 decent songs which didn’t sound like the rest of the set and if they could tell their singer to stop acting like a tool and played those style songs, I’d rate them. But instead, they just annoyed the shit out of me.
It had been a four year absence for After The Fall
. Extensive touring here and abroad plus a new record label and a year working on the new record has caused the delay. Tonight's set started with some old favorites to get the crowd pumping. Tracks like ‘Me You = Breakdown’ and ‘Mirror, Mirror’ were met with thunderous cheers. The band used the middle part of the set to play some new tunes. The songs weren’t as short and sharp as previous albums but more instrumental and flowing while keeping the elements of a good rock song. The songs saw growth and maturity in the band which is what you would expect after such a long break. The night ended with crowd favorite ‘Concrete Boots’ and the band left. Then, they broke the only rule in rock. If the crowd wants a encore, go and play a fucking encore. Tonight we wanted more and got nothing. I don’t know if that was a band decision or a venue decision but it pissed alot of people off. If they hadn’t performed such a cracking set, I would be more annoyed.
Overall, After The Fall returned to the oz music scene and I think they will have continued success when the new record comes out in August and they hit the summer music festival season.
Next act,Smoke took the room back to the post hippy era New York. 4 skinny, nerdy looking guys playing sex-filled, machismo rock n’ roll. They looked like early Rolling Stones and tried to emulate that sound. Maybe they fantasized about playing in Warhol’s studio where there was plenty of drugs, booze and women. But this is 2009 and they just looked like a bunch of try hards. In the same vain as Wolfmother trying to be like Zeppelin or Jet trying to be like The Stooges. They just failed. The singer posed and pouted like Mick Jagger and was just as annoying. Mick would roll over in his grave he ever decided to die. They had 2 decent songs which didn’t sound like the rest of the set and if they could tell their singer to stop acting like a tool and played those style songs, I’d rate them. But instead, they just annoyed the shit out of me.
It had been a four year absence for After The Fall
After The Fall @ The Oxford Art Factory
Overall, After The Fall returned to the oz music scene and I think they will have continued success when the new record comes out in August and they hit the summer music festival season.
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Comment by musicallyanimated
Like any celebrities, or indeed anyone at any job, musicians are paid to perform a task, and others benefit or are recipients of that task. Despite the fact that one never gets everything one wants in life - the bands that are sensitive to this equation and show their appreciation to their fans, as their fans do by attending their shows, should surely be more successful!