I made my first excursion to the recently opened XOYO on Monday night to see an American band I really like, Ganglians. As expected, the venue (which still smelt of new paint and MDF) was small but perfect for a night with little-known bands and there was more than a smattering of dubious facial hair. That said, the turnout was decent without being sold-out and the people who were there seemed to enjoy the music to varying degrees.
The first, and least heralded, band that was on was Graffiti Island, an American outfit who make music that could be seen as a cross between surf-rock and punk. Their lead singer, dapper as he was with freshly-coiffed hair, kicked off proceedings by screaming “Oh God!” into the mike before continuing to wail like a seasick wolf, before shout/singing the rest of his lyrics. Their songs were short but enjoyable affairs, never once exceeding the two-and-a-half minute mark and replete with simple but amusing lyrics and yet more wailing. At one point the singer stared at the diffident (and possibly indifferent) crowd and shouted something about his nipples being on fire, if only to get a reaction. He left the stage disappointed.
The second act was five-piece Eat Skull, who, as the lead singer was quick to point out, aren’t actually from anywhere as they don’t currently have a home. Having never heard their music, I don’t know what I was expecting but the bongos and clarinet they brought on stage did not prepare me for the aural onslaught that was to come. It was loud. Their music veered between noise and more conventional indie/lo-fi but the singers amusing lyrics, which were high in the mix, (screamed sample: “Your family’s dead!”) brought an element of lo-fi punkiness to proceedings. Their songs varied greatly in length and style, presumably coming from different albums, but all were enjoyable enough to make me want to look them up and the singer’s verbal tics and curveballs (such as the song about cooking) kept me constantly entertained and on guard.
The final act on, and the one I came to see, was the Sacramento band, Ganglians. Having previously seen them in the summer supporting Real Estate at another great Upset the Rhythm night in East London, I thought I knew to expect from these three hairy hippies and their teenage-looking mate who plays the guitar. They even started with two songs of their last album, Monster Head Room, before the singer pointed out that they were going to play mostly new songs and use the gig as “practice”. Unsure of how I felt about being ‘used’ like that, I was actually pleased they didn’t play the same gig twice. The new material was just as occasionally tripped-out, reverb-heavy and prone to jams as the old stuff; yet it was noticeably heavier in places and longer. The audience (teenage moshers included) seemed to like it, too, despite the late start time and the fact that many people left after East Skull. Though one never knows with some British crowds. Their acoustic album cut, Cryin’ Smoke, was a particular highlight and they definitely remain a young band to watch.
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