Cloud Control + Big Deal + Empire @ The Rainbow, 10th October 2011
Before this gig I had an inkling that Cloud Control were pushing to be my favourite new band of the year. And by the time the night was over I was convinced. This Aussie four-piece are ones to watch.
Before I could get to the main event I had to get through two supports. First was Empire, local lads and proud of it judging by the chanted chorus of “We’re from Birmingham” in their first number. Local pride goes a long way and it was nice to see a band stamping their hometown onto their stage image in such a ballsy way.
Unfortunately, that was where the Brummie charm ended. Empire are an amalgam of a few different bands. They dressed like The Jam (wearing shirts that only a mother could have ironed), played like Oasis, and sang like an Arctic Monkey’s covers band. The combination wasn’t unpleasant, far from it, but Empire lacked originality and could definitely improve on their stage presence. Overall a solid Brit-pop support act that need to find their own voice if they’re going to win over partisan crowds.
Next up was Big Deal, who awkwardly clambered on to the stage with so little fanfare that most of the small but attentive crowd would have been forgiven for thinking the roadies were still doing last-minute equipment checks. However, the boy-girl combo strummed into action mixing acoustic and electric guitars, haunting dual vocals, and no rhythm section to speak of.
I’d heard Big Deal before enjoyed their pared down, lo-fi stylings so I have to say that this showing at The Rainbow was a bit of a disappointment. The pair of them looked like they’d rather be anywhere else, nervously staring at the floor and occasionally giving each other a despairing glance. After a couple of minutes of competent chord chugging and monotone vocals, pockets of chatter started up in the audience and I wasn’t too surprised. The duo clearly have some talent as their album Lights Out proves, but the first two acts on the night left me wondering ‘Is the art of showmanship dead?’ There are only so many acts that can get away with standing still, playing some simple chords and muttering into a reverb-heavy mic for twenty minutes. Unfortunately, Big Deal isn’t one of them.
But all was not lost, as Cloud Control bounded onto the stage with more energy than the previous two acts mustered over the course of their sets. Now, I’m a sucker for folky rock with a tinge of psychedelia, so when I first heard Cloud Control’s Bliss Release album earlier in the year I was more than interested in seeing them live. So when they ripped into album opener Meditation Song #2 (Why Oh Why) I knew I wouldn’t leave with my illusions shattered.
The Aussies — who won the Australian Music Prize this year — have a lot of the qualities I love in a band. They’re young, they’re musically talented, they don’t do the expected, and they are clearly still enjoying the music that they play. This last point was evident throughout the show, as the band smiled their way through most of Bliss Release, joking with the crowd that were tightly packed around the front of the stage. They’ll need all of this banter to win over fans of The Drums on their European support tour later this year.
Cloud Control’s sound often starts out as a mix of plucked folk, bouncy McCartney-esque basslines and affecting male/female vocals that seemingly always develops into a wall of distorted bass with splashy drums and soaring keyboards as back-up. The arrangements on show are impressive, twisting and turning when you don’t expect them and taking you on a sonic journey of discovery, rather than a predictable trudge through your usual verse-chorus-verse indie effort. This is quietly progressive music that is firmly rooted in the idea that it should be a pleasant, affecting, and exciting experience. Take any one of There’s Nothing in the Water We Can’t Fight, Death Cloud, or Gold Canary and you get an idea of what I’m getting at.
In fact, Gold Canary was my highlight of the set as Cloud Control gave us a barnstorming version complete with a rapped segment that was seamlessly spliced into the song. Trust me, it wasn’t as cheesy as it sounds.
Ending with an almighty distortion and feedback-drenched wail, the bad jumped into each other, causing controlled carnage. After all, why break your instruments when you’ve got other cities to impress? I’ll definitely be seeing Cloud Control again, and hopefully for my sake it won’t be in a much bigger venue. For the band’s sake, I hope it is.
Review – Ian Ravenscroft
Photos – James Hough