Crystal Antlers at the Borderline

Crystal Antlers at the Borderline

29 January, 2009
by: Domzig

I know this is an unconventional way to start a review, but if you're reading this in sunny Southern California, I'd just like to let you know how lucky you are. By and large almost every band I've seen from your neck of the woods has blown me away. We had some amazing shows from Health, The Mae Shi and Abe Vigoda last year, and if tonight's Crystal Antlers show at the Borderline is anything to go on, then 2009 will be even better.

It's not all doom and gloom if you're British though: tonight's first support Banjo or Freakout are a seriously impressive outfit. If one band can get way with the old cliché of sounding like a kaleidoscope then it's these guys. Armed with an array of loop peddles, lap tops and drums they make music that is close to patterns as music comes, creating melodies that move into and out of the background like interlocking geometric shapes.

Next on is The Delta Spirit, who have had the BBC talking them up like the second coming. I'm a little unimpressed with these guys, for despite early promise of a bit of old fashioned blues action, they descend into pretty mediocre country rock that is all mouth and no trousers.

Fortunately Crystal Antlers more than make up any disappointment by being one of most engaging live bands I've seen in ages. Thanks to the strange 'cowboy-land' interior the Borderline, a place so weird it sort of acts like a magnifier for the bands psychedelic edge, they rip up a set of hard rock that even Led Zeppelin would struggle to beat. They are so freaky in fact, that I catch glimpses from worried people who had obviously come down just to see the The Delta Spirits and are now wearing the same shocked expressions as parents at a marijuana party.

There's a weird dichotomy to Crystal Antlers sound that is even more apparent when they're playing live. On one hand the music the music is quite trippy, with a layered, almost space rock feel that is easy to get lost in, but then Jonny Bell's yelped SoCal vocals cut in to bring this slightly unnerving sense of urgency to proceeding. It's a bit of a weird metaphor, but it reminds me of that scene in Platoon where Charlie Sheen is tripping out on acid and Tom Beringer steps up looking like a nutcase and saying 'I am reality'. Scary, weird, and intense, but really, really good.

It's not very often that I say this but wow, this is going to take some beating. I think I speak for everyone when I say keep it coming Long Beach!

Click the link to freak yourself out with some other London Psychedelia events. Crystal Antlers will be back to play White Heat in March.

Domzig