01.22.08
It’s not for the cock, it’s for a game of two halves
The Lionheart Brothers @ The Social 19/01/2008
The modern musical world is defined by many different things, from stodgy Everyman rock to tight trousered, flashing rave music via carefully constructed, arty indie. Although the range of sounds is diverse, most bands try to keep things to the point, without making their songs out stay their welcome. So, is there much time for a gig with a line up compromising of shoe-gave bordering on prog?
The answer would, at first, seems to be No. Walking on to the stage to a semi full, half arsed room are support band, Nottingham’s Heroes of Switzerland. This is appropriate as the band create some sort of medium sized, half arsed, numbing sound. At one point, after another overindulgent guitar solo, the singer half apologetically mumbles something about “that being their White Snake moment”. Jesus, don’t advertise the fact that you have such a moment. Watching the band play through their lifeless songs, you can’t help but think of the cruel, unjust world in which we live in that makes it a reality that Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Joe Strummer are all now rotting in the ground while this truly uninspiring music exists. You say shoe-gaze, I say pub basement.
After Heroes of Switzerland have left the room feeling stagnant, the Lionheart Brothers come on and pierce the mediocrity like a blinding light. Bouncing in unison with the lights flashing madly, randomly highlighting their faces for a second like an early Pink Floyd show, as they create weird, fuzzed up landscapes of noise.
The Norwegian band instantly show charisma, passion and a blatant love and belief in their music. As they work their way through their twisted prog inspired set, the audience become more and more captivated and its clear that this is a band on form. The Lionheart Brothers have intelligence and depth but use these traits to bring an upbeat joyfulness to their sound. They’re like Radiohead with a spring in their step.
The band can, however, create the perfect pop song at times. “50s Soul and A Disco Bowl” is a charmingly innocent pop stomper that, with its floaty guitar lines and soaring horns, will get anyone dancing. Sounding like The Beatles at the height of their pyscedelic form, at points, they are epic and captivating yet catchy and fun.
The Lionheart Brothers are experimental, vast and epic without ever taking it too far and falling into a boring mush of sound. While they do have the occasional grand guitar solo or haunting vocal, it is always done just right without turning stale.
The band crouch down, fiddling with effects and sounds, in the quieter moments and then, as the songs explode, they launch back up and bounce around together. A breathtaking, glorious climax to the gig comes when the Norwegian pixie guitarist swings his instrument around and around in all different directions and shapes to create feedback as the band work themselves into a frenzy before simply walking off the front of the stage and downstairs. Tonight, The Lionheart Brothers have pulled off a blinding show- surely winning over anyone who was previously unaware of them- they have shown us intelligence, a sense of fun and great melodies, all of which is done on the right side of musical overindulgence. A fantastic band.
www.myspace.com/lionheartbrothers
Nottinghamimp said,
January 24, 2008 at 9:15 am
Really, you must have had far too much of the dodgy beer at the social. That, or, the Lionheart Brothers are paying you.
Heroes of Switzerland were far from ‘half arsed’ as you put it, but I don’t suppose coming on at 8 helps matters as far as the crowd are concerned. There was one solo which may be seen as a bit long but the rest was actually quite good and the songs are nothing as dire as you try make them out to be.
Now on to the Brothers. Yes they were very up for it, yes they were loud and yes they clearly loved themselves, they left little room for anyone else to think the same. Each song contained far longer guitar epics than the support and I got sick of seeing the lead player on his knees while his mate stared at his shoes. I would add it was hard to tell one song from the next ithroughout their set.
While it was not a brilliant show from either band, they both made a fair show for a the venue. I’m rather taken aback by your version of the evening, You clearly dislike the HoS, is this personal? and surely you have to admit the LB are like a hundred other scandinavian bands!!!!!!
G Town said,
January 24, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Anything I’ve put is certainly not personal towards Heroes of Switzerland, I just really didn’t like their music. To me it felt lifeless and lethargic, they didn’t put enough passion into it for my personal taste. I like music with energy, feeling and meaning. Heroes of Switzerland, or maybe just the genre of music, didn’t appeal to me. But yeah, it’s not a personal thing, I fully appreciate that people like them and that’s a good thing.
Lionheart Brothers did have longer guitar epics etc, but in my opinion they never over step what makes a great song and fits the mood. HoS seemed too overindulgent and their guitar solos didn’t seem to add anything particularly to the song. My point really is that both bands play a similar type of music but LB do something epic and strong whereas HoS (to me) do something that has no really authenthicity or great depth. You review gigs by writing what you made of it really. My personal feelings are different from others and I hope HoS don’t take anything to heart- there’s clearly people who do like them, which I’ve obviously got no problem with.