SLINT

HMV Forum, London | December 3

Slint are one of those groups we thought we’d never see live. That same feeling of defeat you get from knowing that you’re a generation too late to see Fugazi or The Wipers often creeps in when listening to a Slint record. But tonight, thanks to the wonderful persuasion of ATP, one the most important ‘post’ bands of the 90s are moments from walking onto stage.

The foggy haze of a smoke machine filters out the discernible features of the band as For Dinner slowly unravels itself to a room packed with nostalgic shoegazers and excited teens – craning their necks to get a better view. Choosing to hit the crowd with a double-barrelled shot from their revered second LP Spiderland, Breadcrumb Trail and Nosferatu Man flip the switch repeatedly between paper-thin melancholy and screaming exhilaration. The room falls into silence before each song, a sensation of measurement remains, a knack of give and take so easily lost in the firework display of a live performance.

The important sounding mumbles of Brian McMahan rarely peak above a piercingly loud snare drum and lead guitar, they’re loud enough to catch, though, if you pay close attention. Besides the lack of vocal clarity the mix seems a little too quiet overall. The explosive pay-off to Good Morning, Captain could have been whacked up to 11, just to keep the vibe ticking over. Otherwise, it would have been perfection.

Technically, Slint lose precious few marks in their effort to fulfil the multitude of expectations they garner from the variety of generations gathered here tonight to watch them play. Sincerity shines through a performance delivered with hands in pockets – never verging into the mundane or dull. And that is exactly what makes Slint stand out among the sea of bands currently returning to the live arena with material from decades past. After a brief reflection on tonight, a particular lyric from a group cut from the same cloth as these Kentucky rockers summarises the night quite well; “we need an instrument to make a measurement”.

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Words: Charlie Wood