While I love seeing bands that I know and love again and again I equally love seeing artists that I have never seen before. This show at the fabulous Fulford Arms had three bands that I had never seen before. First up it was Eldermother who are a wonderful combination of harp, cello and dark heavenly ethereal vocals. They opened with a haunting, mesmerising cover of Radiohead’s “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”. Their original songs chase perfection and in most cases achieve it. Particularly “Water Wings” which apparently comes from a defunct Folk/ Black Metal project. I certainly hope that project is “refunct” <sic> one day! The working of a WB Yeats poem to music was magnificent. There was another simply spine-tingling cover. If you thought that the Johnny Cash version of the Nine Inch Nails classic “Hurt” was emotional then think again. The cover of “Hurt” by Eldermother brought me to my knees as it ripped at my heart, absolutely stunning.
Luna Cult Club took to the stage next. I feel that if Bjork was to die, and I hope she doesn’t, she would come back and haunt us in a most wondrous way through the music of Luna Cult Club. If the early Human League had been possessed by the screaming souls of every woman killed at the Witch Trials of the 1600’s then “Being Boiled” would have sounded more like Luna Cult Club than Mr. Oakey and pals. Luna Cult Club are Stygian dark goth electro in both appearance and sound. This is formed from both skill levels and musical prowess. The veiled shadowy look of the two female singers was eerie and hypnotic. Meanwhile the synth, keyboard musical maestro reminded me very much of a young Brian Eno.
Finally it was time for Dead Space Chamber Music. They are described as “a gothic / experimental / doom group. They reinterpret historical material, taking forms and melodies that are hundreds of years old and shape-shifting them into new and varied contemporary works. Incorporating improvisation and use of ‘found sounds’, and with vocals spanning medieval Middle English, Latin and Welsh, they blend elements of dark ambient, post-industrial, avant-classical, sacred chant and dark-folk in their powerful and atmospheric music.” It is impossible to disagree with that summary. On stage they convey a delightfully wonderful weirdness and I can honestly say that I don’t believe that I have ever heard anything quite like the sounds that they produce and let’s face it I have been on the planet for fucking years! If someone ever wants to do a decent remake of British folk horror classic ‘The Wicker Man’ (not like that atrocious Nicholas Cage remake) then Dead Space Chamber Music should be given a free reign to write and record the soundtrack. This band give you deep, dark, and we are talking very dark, folk with gothic incantations and post witchcraft incantations. If Stevie Nicks took a full gothic turn after appearing in ‘American Horror Story’ she might have ridden this kind of supernaturally driven soundwave. The use of a bow on the cymbals gave some very different percussive tones (and in Jimmy Page style), as did the dropping of small pebbles (well at least I think that is what it was) onto a metal tray. I also felt that from a voice perspective and in some of the songs they sounded like a reincarnated Jefferson Airplane but with a 21st Century vibe. In my dreams I forsee a Dead Space Chamber Music collaboration with Yoko Ono. Can anyone make that happen? I would definitely see Dead Space Chamber Music again. You need to check them out!
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