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Jacobi
and Chemical Casino
Northern Empire Showcase
Academy 2, 11-13 Hotham Street
18th September 2010
Reviewed by
Celebrating the third birthday of the Northern Empire showcase, tonight’s
bill sees mod juxtaposed with classic. ‘Making My Way’, a
distant relative of U2’s ‘Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild
Horses’ signals the beginning of Chemical Casino’s (pictured)
set. Forthcoming single ‘Jackboot Boy’ stomps past confidently,
following by the driving ‘Ten Things’. Sounding like something
that could have been heard half a mile from here in Eric’s in the
early 1980s with its Bunnymen-esque clatter, the tracks’ light and
shade points up the effectiveness of the two guitar line-up.
‘Speak to Me’, replete with it’s spidery guitar solo
midway through allows Mezza’s voice to stretch it’s legs,
whilst ‘Soundtrack’ given extra four-string bounce by new
bassist Mark bobs along infectiously, sounding pleasantly akin to Syd-era
Floyd. ‘Stones’, towards the end of the set begins like long
lost Blind Melon gem ‘No Rain’ coasting along gently before
speeding up into a maelstrom, the guitars evoking the same kind of psychedelic
blizzard summoned up by ‘Silver Machine’-era Hawkwind.
Concluding with a short end-piece powered by the same kind of skewed
guitar riff The Coral used to specialise in, Chemical Casino’s dogged
gigging schedule has clearly paid dividends as tonight’s robust
display demonstrates.
Jacobi, kicking off with a Zeppelin style roar possess a frontman of
rare Robert Plant-esque lung bursting power. ‘Suffer’, a ricochet
off grunge lords Soundgarden has the same bludgeoning intensity as the
Seattle band, complimented with an anguished vocal. Proudly wearing their
influences on their sleeves, the group assuredly describe themselves as
‘progressive rock’, a term skirted around by many contemporary
groups. In the present case it makes perfect sense as early prog rock
behemoths like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple mixed innovation and melody
in equal measure. The classic rock component of grunge, as evinced by
Screaming Tress and the magisterial Soundgarden saw a return to the booming
hard rock of the 1970s with a tougher edge lyrically.
Sounding at points like classic rock revivalists par excellence The Black
Crowes, the huge success of Kings of Leon may point the way forward for
guitar groups in rediscovering the influences that the Tennessee quartet
treasure so highly. The thundering ‘Fallen Angel’ sounds not
unlike the brothers Followill mixed with Pearl Jam’s poppiest moment,
‘Alive’, whilst the occasional Kasabian inflections in their
tracks point to a skilled rhythmic base.
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