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In a serendipitous pre-performance encounter with Californian dream-rioters Crystal Antlers, Purple Revolver discovers that the five piece have spent the past seven weeks playing to packed out, madcap, Antler hungry audiences across Europe.
The UK audiences, they explain- a little disheartened – have been far more reserved. So far so good for Liverpool though. The venue is packed out from the offset with Bow And Arrows and Apple Cannon pepping the crowd up with exceptional flair, and The Bendal Interlude cause a mass of chaos so big that a bloke even breaks his arm in the process.
Sadly, when CA finally take to the stage, the crowd has whittled down to a mere quarter of it’s size, and people are dashing off twenty minutes in to catch the last bus home (thanks a bunch, Liverpool transport).
It’s a big time gig tragedy – not only is this the final gig of their tour, but they’re also gorgeous live. A sumptuous disorder of cacophonous and heart storming organ, brazenly sincere and at times raucous vocals, and double kapow-fests of drums and duplicitous percussion – high fives to the bongo drum, people.
Onstage they’re incredibly charming – even if they’re personalities don’t always quite match the emotional heavyweight of some of their songs – percussionist Damian, for example, bumps, grinds and thrusts along to the beats.
Between rhythms he swivels bongo mallets with the style and stealth of a shaker-tricking cocktail maker. Meanwhile the song playing will be a visceral little number determined on eliciting sad, wide eyed, heart-bumps of pining out of it’s audience, as though plucking forceful love me nots from every one that can hear it. Thrust not, sir. At least, not until you play Tentacles. Then you can thrust away. Right now we’re having a moment.
Set highlight Andrew is an absolute aural treasure live. Powerful and emotive, it’s suggestive of underlying desperations and desolations. Drums demolish, guitars swagger, vocals lunge and peter, and all of it is framed lasciviously by a subtle use of organs that utterly ravishes your attention.
It’s a brief, blissful oasis between election updates that helps you forget the total state of this country and it’s ridiculous uncertain future. In fact, had the last bus not come, we would have made them play all night. Drown out the politics, please and let us crawl in between the safety of your dream-stitch melodies. Thanks guys.
Myspace: http://myspace.com/crystalantlers
Official: http://crystalantlers.com