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Emerging through the foggy stage haze is James Chapman, aka Maps – a lone beatsman who hails from the heady heights of Northampton. His music somehow manages to capture and reflect something of the romanticism of the place that its other famous resident, graphic novelist Alan Moore, has already depicted so well. Gearing up for a busy summer season of gigs, it’s ideal festival music – providing enough in the beats department to steer you away from drug-addled slumber, but not so beat-tastic that your pint’s at risk of being emptied by a crowd member’s wayward elbow.
‘It Will Find You’ if recorded in his bedroom as he suggests, then his bedroom is a deep metallic dungeon where the burbling, creepy notes bounce and ping from wall to wall. Chapman’s dusky vocals and darkly blissed out industrial sound have so far seen him compared with My Bloody Valentine, Mojave 3 and Spiritualized, and the chanting, soulful ‘Lost My Soul’ deftly actions the latter’s well-worn formula for a rejoicing gospel refrain. Tonight, Chapman/Maps, joined by a full band for the live show, proves he deserves all the comparisons.
So, the headliners. What a joy that a band like Blonde Redhead still exist. At least 10 years into writing songs together, the band has honed the epic, pounding, darker side of indie rock that’s recently given bands like Editors a more established foothold on the market. Gelling a fizzy concoction of synth keyboard, occasional high-pitched wailing and a ghostly, haunting edge. Moving on from their past discordant, experimental sound, Blonde Redhead are now nurturing their more melodic side…unfortunately, this means there’s a couple of worrying moments when Evanescence springs to mind (albeit only briefly).
Coquettish lead singer, Kazu Makino, veers between delicately crooning like Nina Persson from the Cardigans then the next minute going all guns and head-banging her hair into a sweaty, tousled nest. Making up the rest of the threesome are semi-silver foxes and Wayne Coyne clone twins, Amedeo (bass) and Simone (drums) Pace. As soundtrack to the 2005 paedo revenge flick 'Hard Candy', ’Elephant Woman’ shows off how well they can do chilling, volatile feistiness and many of their latest songs, like attention-grabbing ‘23’ especially, and ‘SW’, ‘Publisher’ and ‘The Dress’ evoke a futuristic, cosmic sound. While there’s something to be said for a more humble approach to live shows, especially with music of this kind of intensity, if Blonde Redhead could have managed a little more chit-chat apart from “Lovely to be here” it might have made them seem more human. As it was, a sort of static, clinical feel crept in.
That said, both Blonde Redhead and Maps produce the sort of songs we should welcome with wide arms - thoughtful yet sexy music that strikes the perfect balance between indie and dance.
