Bela, A Middlesex, One Person Music, EMB Review

06/11/05

Gig Review:

Euphonious Murmour Blend
A Middlesex
One Person Music
Bela Emerson

67, Albert Road, Levenshulme 02/11/2005

To say this was an underground gig was almost literally the case.

Based literally in the underground cellar of an old Victorian House just off the main road in Levenshulme, which is a small district a few miles away from the centre of Manchester, it was without doubt the most underground gig I have been too ever (and people that know me would tell you I have been to some underground gigs).

But yet among this incredibly underground venue, was music, which certainly didn’t deserve to remain in just such an underground, which would look completely out of place in the current top 40, but would make it look a heck of a lot more interesting.

We arrived a few minutes later before the first act; the wonderfully titled “Euphonius Murmour Blend” came on. Comprised of Paul Morgan from Brighton, E M B as I will refer to in the rest of this review played a kind of wonderfully kind of experimental dance (which thankfully had almost nothing to do with dance music), which I find almost impossible to try and categorise what I heard, although it was excellent.

My friend, Phil compared him to Terry Riley, although I must admit I don’t know, but either way like me we both really enjoyed it. It was particularly excellent, mention must be made also of the part of the set where he used a ticking clock, which on one level added a pretty near beat but also on a different level almost added a heart beat or a sense of time ticking.

Excellent (and somebody Setting Sun will hopefully be interviewing soon)

We missed by chance by talking upstairs to Paul and the headlining act Bela Emerson by A Middlesex, who were in contrast to the rest of the acts were a two piece group (Noise / Vocals and Drums) but not a two piece group in the fashionable vein that is the White Stripes.

Instead me and Phil were both reminded of a cross between Can (with some of the manic drumming) and Third Eye Foundation (everything else) and my old buddies in Amp with the in-human, non language singing – it is heard to offer much more judgement on the rest of the set but in hindsight it did seem pretty good although it must have left some people a little deaf the next day.

Music for one aka Canadian born but now based London based Sherry, who followed next was a lot more chilled, although not necessarily in a relaxing way. Her music, like Bela Emerson who followed next and headlined the night was music, which started off with live instrumentation in her case a guitar and then often cut and mixed up as she went along…

Comparing like with the first act E M B is pretty bloody hard but it is kind of reminded of Nick Drake with it’s folksy instrumental beginnings minus his vocals, but then made me think of a more wildly experimental Mogwai in the sense silence would sometimes be one of the most vital instruments in music before almost blowing out your ear-drums within thirty seconds to a minute later. Terrifying but really well done.

The last time Bela Emerson was reviewed by Setting Sun, I actually got told off by her afterwards for using the word classical in it as she said herself to me afterwards she had spent the last 15 years trying to shred the comparison.

And in her own way – she has – playing music in this case a Double Bass or Cello (By this point I was sadly quite pissed so cannot recall exactly either way) that like music for one would start off in a sometimes quite traditional sense, but would then change gears often into free form noise.

I’ve seen Bela play on a number of occasions over the past year or so, so had a half a idea of what was to come next, but a number of the more student (I guess) based audience did not and looking at a few of them, it was almost worth the price of admission alone to see some of their faces.

And of course, they were hooked. My mate Phil has compared her twice now that I remember to almost like a evil cousin of Laurie Anderson.

I personally can’t help to have a knowledge of Ms Anderson, in fact the only song of hers I can calim to know is “Oh, Superman” and Bela’s set doesn’t sound a thing like that unless you compare it that way with the sheer dementedness off it.

Underground as hell I guess, but a fitting finale to a first rate gig that was almost, underground literally, but bloody excellent.