BASS DRUM OF DEATH
The Exchange, Bristol | May 14th
It was a peculiar atmosphere in The Exchange. The bar half deserted, tumbleweed the only thing to be seen in the smoking area and the entrance to the basement stage locked and sectioned off. A part of us feared we had the wrong night, or worse, the show had been cancelled.
The mass of grey clouds, torrential rain and the Tuesday night billing meant punters in the venue were few and far between. It’s credit to Bass Drum of Death, then, that they delivered an energetic, raucous performance when it might have been easier to throw in the towel and coast through the set.
Kicking off with debut album highlight Velvet Itch, the former duo, now expanded to a three-piece to the benefit of their live sound, appeared in high spirits. The guitars and vocals of bandleader John Barrett were particularly biting, while the brutal drum fills and tom work felt like being repeatedly pummelled in the chest … in a good way, of course.
Sticking largely to tracks from their 2011 album GB City, highlights included the earth shattering beats of Leaves, the BRMC-esque psychedelic jam Spare Room and the sugar coated pop of Young Pros. The band also gave us a taste of their as-yet-unreleased, self-titled second album; lead single Shattered Me effortlessly slipped into the set while other cuts from the record received an equally positive reaction from the handful of attendees furiously head banging centre stage.
Bass Drum of Death are a further pivotal band in the seemingly boundless mainstream resurgence of garage rock, began with Jay Reatard in the previous decade and has continued with the likes of Ty Segall, King Tuff and Jeff The Brotherhood finding (moderate) fame more recently. It makes it more of a shame then that the night was so poorly attended; however Barrett and co. ensured that the set went off with a bang and not a whimper. Your loss, Bristol. These guys are the real deal.
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Words: Benjamin Salt
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