Cave In / Beecher Derby Victoria Inn - January 16 2002

I missed the first band, hey let's start a new year of gigs the way the rest of the year is more than likely to pan out. Saves making a resolution after all.

First band that I did see turn out to be called Beecher (I think, I missed it when they announced their name, but I've since discovered that's what it appears to be). And rather fine they were too, initially coming on emo like which made me think it was going to be a little boring (sorry, begining to find stuff just too samey and a little nauseating), but then lo and behold they go and strike out at a tangent, and then another, and another. Kind of left me with an impression of Mr Bungle in terms of the disjointed styles in a song yet somehow it working and holding itself together. And some rather tasty divebomb like guitar (yeah, someone will know the technical term, but that someone ain't me, unlike the writer of this here thing.) Vocally things switch between an abrasive hardcoreesque rasp and the more emo like stylings, both of which are ok, but don't really move me as much as the music did. And they've a song called Megadrive Vs SNES (I think, I dunno, when ah were a lad, it was a spectrum or C64, kids today, pah).

I've got to be honest, I've not heard or listened to Cave In much. I bought the Jupiter album recently, but it's had less spins in the CD player than an infrequently spun spinning thing. Or 2. But people seem to be losing some bodily control over the band, so I thought it would be worth checking them out. And you know what, it was. Sure I didn't know any of the songs, but it was very refreshing. Melody and singing, combined with still enough power and crunch, and songs. Not just a mindless mess of noise. Everything underpinned by some wonderfully languid flowing bass lines. They don't say much, though when we are thanked for the welcome on this their first visit to the UK, there's a rather eerie silence, even though every song's climax is greeted enthusiastically. Maybe it was telling us that we weren't allowed to leave without buying a copy of their single that did it. Nice start as the first gig of a new year, and I must put the CD in the player and have a few more listens.