DOUBLE-HEADER DILEMMA:
TOO MANY SHOWS, TOO LITTLE TIME
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New
Christs/Bunt @ the Excelsior
Deniz Tek Group @ Bar Broadway
December 23, 2000
Dig this for a dilemma: the New Christs are scheduled to play at the Excelsior
Hotel from 9:30 to 10:30 and then again from 10:45 to 11:45. Meanwhile, just
a few minutes away at Bar Broadway, Dr Tek is scheduled to play from 10:45 to
around 12:15. "What, me worry?" as Alfred E. Neuman would say.
The obvious solution is to catch the New Christs first set at the Exe and then
zip over to Bar Broadway for the Deniz Tek Group's set. However, before any
of that, I got to go to the DTG's sound check in the afternoon, courtesy of
arrangements facilitated on my behalf by the I-94 Barman (may the blessings
of Allah be upon him and may all his camels be fruitful). Having made a supreme
effort, for once in my life I'm not late; in fact when I get there, via the
staff entrance following some helpful directions from someone who well may be
the manager (he is certainly unhappy enough with the idea of unescorted riff
raff like myself making their way around restricted areas of the premises for
him to be the holder of that portfolio), the band are still unloading their
equipment. My offer of help is declined, but that's nothing new: even back in
my school days, none of the lads who had persuaded their parents to buy them
expensive guitars would ever let me touch them either.
To begin with I'm not exactly sure how welcome I am, as Dr Tek doesn't altogether
look like he's expecting me, but taking my presence in his stride he seems relaxed
about me continuing to hang around (either that, or he's just too much of a
gentleman to have me thrown out). He even introduces me to Mrs Tek, who is of
course Angie Pepper of Passengers (and briefly Johnny and The Hitmen) fame.
Since I didn't move to Sydney until well after the Passengers (and Visitors)
era, I never got to see them play live and my knowledge of their oeuvre is limited
to a CDR containing both sides of their haunting "Face with No Name"/"Girlfriend's
Boyfriend" single and the "Sad Day" track from the Phantom Records "Paths of
Pain to Jewels of Glory" comp (all long out of print and given to me as part
of an international aid package by Steve Gardner of Noise for Heroes/NKVD Records),
so I lose no time in expressing my keen anticipation of the forthcoming Passengers/Angie
Pepper retrospective which Citadel has scheduled for release in the new year
(and the mixing of which is part of the reason for Dr Tek's current sojourn
in Australia).
Since her guest vocals on the good doctor's "Equinox" album have made it clear
that she's lost none of her singing ability during her years away from in front
of the microphone, I also express my hope that there will be a tour to promote
the retrospective when it comes out (actually, letting the mask of altruism
drop and being really selfish about it, she doesn't need to do a big tour -
she only needs to play in Sydney...).
Jim Dickson, another of life's innate gentlemen, also spares me some time to
chat while he changes over all the strings on his bass with brand new ones (no
broken strings during the show for him!). When the discussion turns to the recent
Penny Ikinger gig at the Exe, he tells me that I made exactly the right choices
that night. While she was originally approached by Spencer Jones to play support
at his gig (also here at Bar Broadway), the arrangement appeared to go into
limbo after she'd committed to coming up to Sydney, so she'd organised the support
spot at the Ex herself (which was the show that I went to) and was surprised
when she got up here to find that she was being advertised as supporting Mr
Jones as well (which show I didn't go to, but then neither did he apparently,
canceling at the last minute through illness!). Such is the luck of the draw
when it comes to live rock'n'roll.
At this point, I selfishly hope to myself that things work out as well for me
tonight. All conversation stops as Nik Rieth starts warming up on the drums
(it has to, as I can't hear a fuckin' thing). The sound check goes smoothly
after a little initial drama during which there appears to be no power at all.
They don't play anything I haven't heard on this tour already but it's interesting
to hear it all being put together one layer at a time, since they've got all
the time they need to get the sound right. By the time the sound check is over,
it's getting on for 8:00, so I stroll round to the Exe, which takes me 14 minutes
by my watch. Even at this late hour it's still a stinking hot day, so I'm not
pushing the pace at all. Coming back in a cab later, it will take four minutes
and then only that long because we have the misfortune to cop every fuckin'
red light between the front doors of the two venues.
Once at the Exe, I fork out for entrance fee and a mistake with the change nearly
sees me make a profit on the transaction, but I'm too honest for my own good.
Of course the fact that the New Christs are doing this show to help finance
next month's recording sessions to finish the new album is also a consideration
- I've been looking forward to that album for too long! I then get myself a
mineral water (no I haven't gone all new age and sensitive - I still believe
God meant my body to be a fun park rather than a temple, but after the previous
afternoon's serious over indulgence, the park is temporarily closed for repairs)
and since nothing seems to be happening yet, I prepare to kill a little time
with some of the extensive range of gig guides that the Exe has on hand (since
normally the Drum Media is my sole source of gig info).
I'm rescued from a slow evening in the reading room by Simon Li, who has recently
moved back up to Sydney from Melbourne and is keen to talk about last night's
DTG gig at Carringbah, which he went to but I missed due to the Died Pretty
gig at Newtown. Simon's a keen fan of all good noise, as can be seen from his
web page , so the time passes
pleasantly. Tonight there's also to be a support band, Bunt (hmm, can't help
recalling that Monty Python sketch about the character who can't pronounce words
beginning with the letter "c"). Allowing for a standard 40 minute support set
and 20 minute change over, I figure I should be hearing them start up around
8:30, which time comes and goes with no noise emanating from the band room.
Christian Houllemare, the New Christs' bass player, passes within cooee and
I express my angst and alarm at this development (well, lack of development
actually). He tells me the New Christs aren't scheduled to go on until 9:50
in fact, at which information there is an even greater display of angst on my
part. In the end it is actually more like 10:10 before they go on. Shit, shit,
shit.
In the meantime, Bunt finally fire up and play a set which is unfocused and
uneven, though energetic. After some early discord and dissonance, they slip
into good groove (and I don't mean that in no techno shit sense neither) for
a couple of songs before overbalancing into Birthday Party inspired strangulated/demento
histrionics which leave me unmoved. After the end of their set I make my way
back out to the front bar, where I discover the I-94 Barman sampling the opposition's
non-virtual product and having a few words with New Christs guitarist Al Creed,
so I take the opportunity to butt in and express yet more angst about the scheduling
in general and the current time frame in particular.
Fortunately the New Christs don't waste a second getting their equipment set
up and almost before I know it they're at the gates and under starter's orders.
Then when Mr Younger gives the word they're straight out of the box and off
at a gallop for a set that just doesn't let up. As the set progresses, Mr Younger
finds plenty of opportunities between songs to make callous comments about people
in the audience having important engagements elsewhere; the habit of certain
members of the audience to be continually consulting their watches; and the
likelihood that many taxis are being kept waiting outside the front door. I
can see his point but, fuck it, what more does he want, he's still got my $9
whether I stay or go [cue appropriate sound effect as New Christ fans around
the world fall off their chairs in a swoon - that's right folks, 9 lousy pacific
pesos; even with the Australian dollar having briefly bounced back up off its
deathbed, that's still only about $4.95 US at today's rate for almost 2 hours
of the New Christs, up real close and very personal].
Everyone in the band seems to be working up a major sweat (and those in the
audience are feeling some real heat as well!) as they whip through a traditional
set which includes both of my favourites ("Shivanarine" and "Sunny Day") from
amongst the unreleased section of their repertoire. The Barman ducks out a little
before the end of the set but I hang on until the very end, still in a dither
because they're really nailing every song magnificently as they go along. Someone
should be getting this down on tape for a live album (yeah sure, like Mr Younger
would ever countenance a New Christs live album).
Eventually they take a break, which lets the audience off the hook upon which
they've been impaled by the band's unrelenting sonic onslaught. They're sounding
so good I don't want to leave, but then I don't want to miss Deniz Tek either.
After some anguished indecision I make a bolt for the door and jump into a taxi
at the service station across the road (which conveniently also happens to be
the headquarters of Legion cabs). As I get out of the taxi at the other end
of my brief ride, another cab pulls up and four more punters I recognise from
the crowd at the Exe spill out and also start heading for the Bar Broadway entrance,
so clearly the Barman and I are not the only ones suffering from divided loyalties.
One thing I notice immediately (and with some relief) upon entering the building
is that Bar Broadway's air conditioning is a lot more efficient than the Exe's,
even though Dr Tek does still work up quite a sweat during the course of the
evening. The band are playing "Give It Up" as we all enter and clearly Mr Younger
isn't the only one who's aware of the scheduling conflict. After the end of
the song, Deniz welcomes those "who've just arrived after Rob's first set" and
he asks for and receives a brief gig report from one of the newcomers near the
front of the stage.
According to the Barman I've missed about half a dozen songs, but there's still
plenty of good stuff to come, with the "Outside" album being heavily featured
again but the highlights of the night also including a guest appearance from
Mark Sisto, who does the vocal honours on "Journey By Sledge" and a version
of "Brother John" that really takes off and flies on wings provided by Dr Hoyle's
keyboards.
The Bar Broadway sound system is sounding great, aside from a slight sibilance
on some of the vocals, and it's turned up LOUD, which doesn't deter one trendsetter
from taking a call on his mobile phone while standing right in front of one
of the speaker banks... Shit this guy must be desperate to communicate!
Even though it's a long set, it's over too soon, even for those who were there
from the very beginning. The band relents and gives us encores of "Love Kills"
and, appropriately enough since by now the clock has ticked over into December
the 24th, a rousing finale of "Christmas Eve". It's a pretty good way to end
the set and since Nik has broken his kettle drum, we're definitely not getting
anything else.
Rating: 4 beers, 3 mineral waters, 2 great bands and a cabcharge docket in a
pear tree...
