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Updated April 2009
.Battant, Underground festival l#2, Cannes Fr, April 18th by Laurent Ciarabelli.
The amazing new band Battant gratified us with an unbelievable concert at the “MJC Picaud” in Le Cannet, France. They played for the second edition of the little “Underground Festival" which was their second show in he South of France.
Let's now share our impressions after our little disappointment towards their too short show in Marseille.
When we arrived -quite late- at the festival we were shocked to realize that the event stars were not Battant but another band called “The Dead Sexy Inc” (they play some kind of electroclash). Full of hope, we went on stage (backstage?) to meet Chloe (
Battant’s vocalist), who was getting quite anxious because there was hardly any people in the venue.
Most didn’t know the band at all when the show began. As far as I am concerned, I was really happy to see them for the second time : their album is an incredible mixture of many influences, mixed with talent, and emphasized by a beautiful voice. Most
reviews are pretty positive, introducing them as THE new phenomenon. What’s the matter ? Should we be afraid that this talented band could be soon reduced as a temporary hype phenomenon?
As the lights turned out, the crowd clapped, but without any real conviction. As said before, most of them had never heard about Battant before. However, the fifty-sixty people present would soon realize that they were going to see the show of a potential future star-band.
The minimalistic group appeared. Its members are Chloe (vocals), Tim (guitar) and Joel (synth, Bass). No drums, nothing superfluous. As the first song begins, we are
hypnotized by Chloe’s presence. She has an amazing voice : the comparison with Siouxsie Sioux or Patti Smith is justified. The beauty of her voice and her energy leave us breathless.
Joel quickly leaves his bass to play synth. Even if this is an ungrateful/static instrument, he manages quite fast to make us jump around. All of their epileptic hits are
played, one after the other, and drive the public crazy. “Highway Hopeful”, “The Lurker” or “Human Rug” shake the audience violently and make them applause and scream, completely astonished. Tim’s rhythmic guitar completes to dislocate the little reason we have left.
But Battant is not a 3-hits band and Chloe brilliantly demonstrated the different sides of their music to us. “The Butcher” and “Bruise” are just hypnotic, thanks to a minimalistic and heady melody. But it’s on titles such as “Mark Twain” and “Radio Rod” that we
are able to fully feel the real talent of Battant : only two instruments and a voice are what it takes to make the hardest-hearted desperately fall for them. Battant’s energy then appears, complete, and reveals some basics: the power of rock music. There is something different, something special in Battant, missing in so many other contemporary English rock bands : charisma.
The show ends with “Kevin [1989]” and “Jump up”, which is not on their “No head” album, but which also confirms Battant's obvious talent. The first one sounds like cheerful punk-rock. Even if it is a perilous journey, they don’t follow the easy way, resisting to compose commercial stuff : Battant mock convention too much to go there.
The second one has a poppy electronic melody with some joyful dancing 8 beat (?) music, the perfect song to say goodbye.
There’s no doubt that Battant stroke a blow that night on this date opening the tour, they really had an impact on the public ; No way : Battant are brilliant !
www.battant.co.uk
.Cercueil @ L' Embobineuse, Marseille Fr,
April 10thby Laurent Ciarabelli. English translation Mère Maquerelle
.it was for the « drive Punk Speed » event in the Embobineuse (Marseille, France) that Cercueil (band from Lille, France), new net excitement, played in Marseille. The party looked spicy first by the scene : a great sub-culture associative place, but also by two support acts who had to blend into the theme of the decor.Opening the night, “Heads of Wantastiquet” began to play. A full artist introduces the show making his guitar sounds like a cave landslide. Sampling piggybacks the sounds during the 20 minutes intense short show. Dissonance products effect on the divided crowd. Guitar stills no more the classic instrument that everybody knows, but is diverted from its use. It sounds, spits, shouts in a hypnotic melody, becomes a lame ritornello, a scream and finally comes back a classical folk.
After this artist which does not leave indifferent, Psukaï rose on stage. Announced as post-punk electro-glam, the combo were in disgrace : madness missed despite a few titles a little bit dancing, but theatricality can’t level the songs redundancy linked together with no real interest. Singer’s gesticulations and crystalline guitars did a pale boring death-rock. Show ended to let the eagerly awaited Cercueil finally playing.
It’s a kind of hopefully polymorphic band : they are touching at so much areas : art, movies, artistic creations… Increased the apparent caricature of the name, it took no more than 10 seconds to realize that under the so-called dark side hides a trio of talented musicians, so if Cercueil is talented, their potential is expanded. Is the band taken by Nico Devos, Olivier Durteste and Pénélope Michel as good as their first album “Shoo Straight Shout” ? (The band decided to put his tools and make an express stopover in Marseille)
When the lights turned off, we wondered how the musicians will make us forget the previous performance ? We quickly realized that Cercueil is simply osmosis. We are affected by the great job made on the album that makes us glimpse the evident capacity of Cercueil on stage. Each instrument has its place in a deluge of electro pop, rock, noisy, psyched sounds. Drums are tribal, guitars are almost funk, almost noise, synth sounds like echoes. Yes, Cercueil trio has talent and claims it! Their sounds make us travel and we are surprised to dream, being transported on cold and desolate land where show turns into a sensitive experience. Penelope’s beautiful voice makes us shudder. Even if she is too shy, she stills courageous and sings, even whispers on some songs. Her crystalline voice is carried by other members of the band. Paradoxically, we feel unity in the band hidden by sensibility and fragility but revealed by spontaneity of the singer. Each track on the album is played. Quickly, we came back from our travel to realize that it’s over. Look at the watch : a short hour was overshadowed, gone in a flash. We go out to breathe fresh air and definitively come back to reality, hoping they will be back soon.
C’était à l’occasion de la soirée « Drive Punk Speed » de l’Embobineuse que Cercueil, nouveau phénomène de la toile, a joué à Marseille. La soirée s’annonçait forte en couleur notamment par le lieu, véritable bijoux artistique associatif à la personnalité contre-culturelle fortement prononcée, mais également par deux premières parties qui devaient se fondre dans la thématique du décor.
Tout d’abord le guitariste de Head of Wantastiquet artiste à part entière, a introduit la soirée en faisant sonner sa guitare comme un éboulement de fond de caverne. Le sampling se rajoute au fur et à mesure du show court mais intense. La dissonance fait son effet sur le public un peu divisé. La guitare n’est plus l’instrument qu’on imagine mais est détourné de son usage. Elle sonne, crache, crie, la mélodie se créée hypnotiquement puis sonne tour à tour comme une ritournelle boiteuse, un hurlement pour revenir à de la folk.
Passé cet artiste qui ne laisse pas indifférent, Psukaï se hisse sur scène. Le combo s’annonçant comme post-punk electro-glam n’est malheureusement pas dans la grâce ce soir là. La folie n’y est pas et malgré quelques bons titres un peu dansants la théâtralité n’arrive pas à palier la redondance des chansons qui s’enchaînent sans grand intérêt. Les gesticulations de la chanteuse et les guitares cristallines ne forment qu’un pâle death-rock dénué d’intérêt. Le concert s’arrête pour laisser place à la tête d’affiche très attendue.
Cercueil fait partie de ce genre de groupes très prometteurs et touche à tout. Passée l’apparente caricature du nom, il ne faut pas plus de 10 secondes pour se rendre compte que sous le prétendu côté sombre se cache un trio de musiciens talentueux. Si l’on regarde de plus près, on peut se rendre compte que le phénomène Cercueil est touche-à-tout (cinéma, projets artistiques divers) et qu’il prend aussi de l’ampleur. La formation live emmenée par Nico Devos, Olivier Durteste et Pénélope Michel est-elle à la hauteur de leur très bon album « Shoo Straight Shout » ?
Le groupe a décidé de poser ses instruments et de faire une petite escale Marseillaise. On se demande alors lorsque les lumières s’éteignent comment nos trois musiciens vont nous faire oublier la performance précédente. On se rend compte très rapidement que Cercueil est tout simplement une osmose. Le travail effectué sur l’album se ressent ici de façon très prononcée et on entrevoit l’ampleur du talent du groupe. Chaque instrument trouve sa place dans un déluge de sons electro pop, rock, noisy, psychédéliques. La batterie se fait tantôt tribale, les guitares oscillent entre sonorités presque funk et noise, le synthé résonne comme un appel lointain. Oui, Cercueil a du talent et le revendique ! La sauce prend tellement qu’on se surprend à rêver, être transporté sur des terres froides et désolées où le concert se transforme alors en une ouverture des sens. La voix de Pénélope nous fait frissonner. Alors qu’elle semble timide, elle ne se démonte pas et chante, susurre, chuchote presque sur certaines chansons. Sa voix cristalline est portée par les autres membres. Paradoxalement, sous la fragilité et la sensibilité se cache une unité dans le groupe. Celle-ci se retrouve auprès du public conquis par la spontanéité de la chanteuse. Tous les titres de l’album y passent. Très rapidement, on redescend des nuages dans lesquels le groupe nous a propulsé pour se rendre compte que c’est terminé. Regard à la montre : une toute petite heure s’est éclipsée, passée en un éclair. On sort respirer l’air frais, histoire de réellement reprendre le dessus sur le réel, en espérant qu’ils repasseront bientôt.
Updated February 2008
.Cobra Killer @Corsica Studios, London-UK, 14/11/07 by Riotmiloo:
Ever been on myspace, just to catch up with your favourite bands? Well, so did I and to my biggest surprise, I found out that Gina V d'Orio and Annika Trost, the crazy German electro clash female duo, Cobra Killer, were about to gig in London for a one off UK performance!
Unfortunately, on the same day, my back decided to protest, (let's call it a lumbago). Rhaaaaaaa, why on that day? Why my back? Why? Nevermind, I chose to go anyway. I'd been longing for approximately 10 years to be able to see them so there was no way I would have missed them (even if I had to crawl to the venue). So I made my way, took a couple of strong painkillers with me to ease the pain, and fuck it, went to Corsica Studios.
Corsica Studios is a nice little venue with a lovely welcoming staff and cheap beverages. I was not the only curious soul to have crossed the whole of London city. A heterogeneous crowd gathered together for the occasion.
The German queens appeared, ready to present a 100% original DIY choreography and to entertain us with their high pitch vocals as well as their deliciously groovy and wonderfully danceable electro sampled loops. Everyone was expecting the storm. "Let me get my dress destroyed", Annika screamed. Gina's was already in a poor state. No wonder why. The two uncontrollable performers raised their hands and started wrecking the stage. They dragged the audience into their world with so much sense of humour that no one could resist them. They did a grand job by opposing impeccable samples and well controlled songs to a punk frenzied on stage messy attitude. I particularly liked the industrial moment when the two devils played with screws located on the top of metallic two legged stand thingies, in or out of time, who cared anyway?
I had heard about the Wine Ceremony Ritual but was not sure whether we would assist to it on the night. To my surprise, we did. As an introduction to their Cobra Movement song, the riotous frantic pair seized a bottle of wine each and emptied delightfully its content onto their heads. And even if the scene became slippery because of the wine spillage, they still managed to stage dive, to jump and not break any bone although they were wearing stilettos!
I was so pleased to finally be able to feel the live magic of titles such as LA Shaker, Mund Auf Augen Zu or Ledercouch. Thank you very much, ladies for this breathtaking and unique experience. Promise, I did not go into the peace corner despite my awful back. One question though: why did you bring a hoop and did not show Annika's extraordinary hula-hoop skills?
http://www.myspace.com/cobrakiller1
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