Wolfmen live at the 333 Motherbar (review)

Marco Pirroni and Chris Constantinou

Wolfmen News - London's 333 Motherbar recently saw the Wolfmen play their third live gig. Pete W was there and writes the following review (courtesy of Ms Dayglo of www.punk77.co.uk).

Liked the venue, put me in mind of a set from The Monkees or something, or perhaps The Standells in The Munsters, Mighty Boosh then! It's a front room kinda thing with lampshades and flecked wallpaper. Behind the bands are two large windows through which shine the neon signs of the shops over the road and on the corner. You're also overlooking some poor sod's kitchen too, "Have you washed that pla...oooo there's that feller from Adam's Ants over there tonight love". Great back drop.

Gig was more like a showcase, maybe 50 people there or something. For me it was a getting to see and hear them first time kinda thing. Yes, a showcase. A Thursday night too, so deliberately low key in many respects.

I'm not that 'au fait' with all the tracks yet, but one after another, they're consistently strong. Takes what, 10-15 seconds each to know you like it and you're in with it.

As you'll probably know they're a five piece, two guitars, bass, synth, drums and a bongo man, so rhythmically all ground is covered and some. It all takes place in a wide sound space between the percussion, filled out and driving up front with the guitars and Marco's artfully sustained feedback squalls threading through the lot of it.

I'm a feedback fan, or rather feedback and sustain used as solo (and/or atmos) fan. See Mick Ronson on Moonage Daydream. The Marychain almost managed it, but that was squeaky, uncontrolled stuff like The Velvets having severe amp problems in a small room (or a large hall then!). When it's tethered, used and controlled like Hendrix or Ronson or early Weller, it's a thing of sheer beauty and a sorely underused asset in itself.

Happily, Marco Pirroni's a master at it. It's not so much just where he puts his fingers on the strings like your average guitar playing is, it's where the guitar itself is held that comes into play. Using it to find those off-chance, on the night sounds in a continually searching interaction between man and the ether.

This makes for good visuals too off course, you're not stood knocking out a riff with a nodding head, you're given over to the possibility of sound in the full circle of space around you, above your head, here and there by the p.a., guitar neck in hand dangling at the end of an outstretched arm. Anything goes, and it's fun. Looked like he was in his element to me, weaving, dipping and diving, on the ball (sounds like football this doesn't it?), delivering heavenly noises from other planes.

A word for the showman too. Nah, you'd never guess Marco's a TOTP veteran from an age that bothered. Them shapes are a thing to behold.

He'd mentioned the Price Of Love rip on the O Show. I'd forgot, or rather wasn't listening out for it, so when it came I was thinking "what's this, what's this, it's something, what is it?". I dunno about sampling, but having the guy play it is just, so much better sometimes.

Hey Ant fans (sex people?), one of the numbers in there has a burundi-ish-like drop out. It's not obvious like "oh yeah, here's our Ants bit" just occurs to you simply because of who's in the line up. Which is nice.

All in all a damn good band you can dance like a maddie too. There's some seriously brilliant moments in what they create together live which will truly overwhelm you, have you forgetting who's playing, or who's in the kitchen over the road. They do that thing the best music does, lift you away, and when you're up there you know they're good and that IS that.

Many thanks to Peter W for writing the above article, and to Ms Dayglo for permission to use it here.

The complete set list was:

Needle In The Camel's Eye
Love Is A Dog
Jackie Says
Up All Niter
Wak This Bass (Right In Your Face)
Better Days
Thieves And Liars

Wolfmen live at the 333 Motherbar (review)

Related links