Mama Rouxs has quickly established itself as a crucial venue for bands to play in Birmimgham, it’s a nicely intimate venue with a great sound and has seen great performances in recent months from everyone from Yob and Trap Them to Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats and the Misfits, Doyle and you can now add Big Business and Whores along with their two support bands History Of Sex and LongFallBoots to the growing list of bands who have delivered blistering performances at the venue and credit is also due to Birminghams finest promoters Surprise You’re Dead in putting on that his gig and continuing to support live music in the city.
The four bands who make up tonight’s bill each have different styles of heavy music but one common goal in that they all feature big riffs and big grooves and this adds up to a hugely enjoyable night, one that starts with local four piece LongFallBoots and their brand of fuzzy and noisy riff led songs and they defiantly got the night off to an great start. With harmonies and riffs aplenty, the band made a big impression on the increasing audience in a set that saw singing drummer Ben Holdstock holding a powerful rhythm as the backdrop to the bands sound as guitarist Alex Caithness and bassist Amy Smith trading vocals gloriously. Mixing new material from their upcoming album For The Journey with songs from their You’ll Know It When It Happens EP, the band, the band end on a high with a new song, one that deomstartes the bands light and heavy dynamic and on this evidence, the album will be one not to miss.
Next up were another local band in History Of Sex and they brought more noise to their set than their predecessors but just as many riffs added to the mix too. With the bands frontman, a man with a definite Frank Carter vibe prowling the dancefloor in front of the stage, they unleashed a barrage of vicious riffs over the too of some very energetic drumming that saw the bands hard hitting drummer constantly throwing away his drumsticks and using new ones, resulting in a tremendous onslaught of primal music. Reminiscent of a considerably heavier version of Primus in terms of groove at times minus the bassist, the band weren’t messing about as they ploughed through their set with furious energy. At one point a declaration of “We’re History Of Sex mate” rang out from the stage and with the forthcoming bombardment of that both preceded and followed it, it was clear that nobody in the audience would forget the bands name.
Hitting the stage with a detonation of energy and a heavy, lurching groove, Atlantas Whores took the night to the next level with their commanding noise rock and delivered a gloriously cathartic performance that didn’t lull once in its forty minute length. Guitarist and vocalist Christian Lembach sang his heart out and it was only when he was singing that he stayed still, constantky moving across the side and interacting with bassist Casesy Maxwell while drummer Donnie Adkinson held things down at the back. Loud, disorientating swathes of noise were the order of the day for Whores and their intense set was a joy to behold. Cheers rang out as Lembach held his guitar aloft amid waves of feedback as the bands massive, lengthy and noisy jams filled the venue to the crowds obvious delight. Tracks like Participation Trophy and Bloody Like The Day You Were Born from last years Gold album mixed in well with the bands earlier material with the opening threat of Daddy’s Money and Shower Time from the Ruiner EP being particular highlights from the show. On record Whores are a formidable force but onstage it takes them to next level heaviness. An unstoppable set from an unstoppable and brilliant band.
As Whores were leaving the stage, they gave a shoutout to Big Business for taking them on tour, showing the respect between both bands. Respect for Big Business is plentiful for noise rock bands past and present, such is the bands influence and reputation for great music and it is with huge anticipation that they took the stage in Birmingham tonight. Arriving to a heroes welcome, the Seattle band, consisting of bassist and vocalist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis took to the stage that consisted of a mass of effects pedals for Warrena an a massive gold drum kit complete with cowbell for Willis and got down to the business of destroying the audiences ears and minds.
Big Business start as they mean to go on with Regulars from last years outstanding album Command Your Weather and proceed to annihilate us with almost an hour of blissful and joyous noise rock. Other Command Your Weather songs like the brilliant Fathers Day, Diagnostic Front, Blacker Holes and Own Throats go down a storm in a set that is obviously weighed heavily in favour of their latest album but older songs like the pasionate, heavy blues flavoured Just As The Day Was Dawning and Hands Up from the Here Comes Waterworks album go down just as well. The band let the music do the talking throughout although Warren does chastise whoever left chewing gum on stage! Their sound shifting music is so good in a live setting and comes on like a wall of noise in the most uplifting way imaginable with low end sound of the bass colliding with precise rhtyms and both members of the band putting their all into proceedings, Warren bringing the passion into both his vocals and playing and Willis smashing his kit thoroughly in one of the most intense drumming performances I’ve ever seen complete with great use of the cowbell.
Big Business end their triumphant set with a monumental performance of Horses that has everyone watching in completed awe and as they finish, Willis jumps atop his drums and leaps from his kit and the band leave to mass applause and everyone clapping will always remember such a memorable gig with four magnificent performances.
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