Coming
along two at a time, like a proverbial bus, having waiting ages for one to
arrive. I headed back to Brudenel, Leeds for my second show within the last month, having
caught Kylesa during their most recent UK Jaunt. The venue kinda resonated with me following
that show, I took home a great vibe from the place and as result, I was more
than eager to return when it was announced COC would be returning to our shores
from the City of Oaks.
Problems with entry aside (cheers to the dude, for eventually hooking me
up), I had met up with cool peoples, YO! And tonight, couldn’t fail to
deliver. Could it?
.jpg) |
| (C) Jez Walshaw |
Wandering down front, I had been reliably tipped off
(Thanks Jez) about Bong Cauldron, who acted as main support. Locals to Leeds ,
this doom, drone, stoner 3 piece recently signed to Superhot Records have
created quite the level of buzz about them.
Like the homecoming of some herculean warrior returning to Mount Olympus
At times their sound was reminiscent of early Sleep with
added scarifying discord from the guitar, the crowd and indeed I was
immediately drawn to this brand of aggro doom, with the bassists vocals having
a hardcore flavour spliced with a side order of bludgeon from guitars, bass and
drums. The thing that was striking about
the sound was the high end mix, Bong Cauldron just sounded huge, aggressive and
Neanderthal.
Bong Cauldron were amped like a Sunn O))) stack, with the
drone of stoner riffs rupturing your eardrums, sounding like a possessed
buzzsaw intent on severing limbs (Maximum Overdrive, people).
Finishing off with a decedent instrumental, Bong Cauldron
were exceptionally good and with a haze of smoke, the crowd was bouyant, dare I
say it under the spell from their batch of stoner brew.
.jpg) |
| (C) Jez Walshaw |
So having witness COC almost 18 years ago, supporting a
little known band called Metallica, tonight in Leeds is only the second time I
have seen this legendary band. To say
this gig was hotly anticipated is a goddam understatment and with the all too
familiar backdrop, it was game time. With
drummer, Reed Mullin dressed in his The Obsessed Tshirt, COC kick things with “7
Days”, albeit a momentary intro if you will, with the opening riffs tantalising
us before they hit full stride with “The Money Changers”. Mike Dean delivered from the outset and
despite Woody Weatherman’s white SG baring more battle scars than a war veteran,
the tone of the southern riffs just enveloped you and were truly monstrous. There is a unique garage band flavour to
their performance tonight, it exuded a cool loose swagger and Weatherman’s deft
solos were stunning. “On Your Way” from
their much underrated “In The Arms of God” record sounded huge, indeed it is
only after I revisit the record, do I get a sense of the awesomeness of the
performance. Mike Dean’s vocals are
pitch perfect.
Tonight, COC are kicking out the jams like a tight well
oiled machine. A flavourful degree of
crush blended with old school hardcore. “Strong
Medicine Too Late” from their Scion Presents record, “Megalodon” is a treat and
sounds fresh, Reed Mullin never missed a beat and the interplay between the 3
is a stunning proposition. This is no bullshit
poser free music boys n girls.
“Deliverance” get possibly the biggest response, causing
a ripple effect, the crowd bouncing spontaneously to that sumptuous
groove. The crowd is amped for a nod to
this classic record and the pit goes crazy.
The unmistakable tone of Weatherman’s solo is something to behold, then
we’re straight into ‘Rat City’. This
music certainly has crossover appeal and to be at close quarters with these
legends is real highlight, hardcore, punk, southern rock, sludge, every song
sounds stunning. 30 years, many lineup
changes and yet still they sound as fresh as ever. I must say that watching Mike Dean at work is
a lesson in understated badassery and COC were phenomenal. Layered with songs from their hardcore past
COC turn the Brudenel into CBGBs, the pit going crazy and yet the switch
between genres was seamless, one minute break neck pacing of hardcore to a
brief burst of “Vote With a Bullet”, possibly their heaviest track to
date. Another highlight was ‘Your
Tomorrow’, one of my favourite tracks from their S/T record, this was a
brilliant example of what this band are still capable of. With a 3 song burst from ‘Animosity’, we get ‘Priest
Brains’ and finally ‘Technocracy’. COC complete a memorable and monumental set.
20 years is a long time, but with a performance like this, COC reminded me just
what an important and essential band they really are.
Words by :
Aaron Pickford
.jpg)
