iLiKETRAiNS – The Soul Tree, Cambridge, 01/10/07

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It’s a Monday. And an early curfew. Not exactly the most promising setup for a good night, but hey, at least it means I’ll get a bit longer in bed. On the day of the release of their debut album, iLiKETRAiNS rolled into Cambridge for the first time. Playing their historical take on post-rock riffs and melodramatic movements, their live reputation is impressive. After the relative disappointment of the new record, I was hoping to be wooed again by the band I’d fallen for 12 months ago after the release of their EP, Progress Reform.

Initially though, we bore witness to The Resistance rebooted. By far my favourite Cambridge based act, their art-rock pretentions have shifted with the addition of local Iggy Pop starlet Matt Abysmal on vocals. The dynamic has completely changed. They band themselves may still personify the phrase “shoe-gazing” whilst they play, but Abysmal’s natural peformance is to let go. Prowling the venue like a wounded animal, he preys on the crowd, carrying the microphone around the entire floor as he hollers into it. Their psycadelic, Velvet Underground inspired rock has become dirtier, meaner and more focused than previous shows. Now they’re inhabiting the crunching riffs and dark corridors of Primal Scream circa Xtrmntr and the upbeat, rock ‘n roll inspired moments of Ride or The Jesus and Mary Chain. Even if the sound was a little loud and you couldn’t quite pick our what was being sung, you could gather from the performance that it was important. These guys are important, full stop.

Norwich-based Sennen were next on the bill. These were a little more straight forward and I’d previously heard them on their debut record, Widows, which was like a long lost Ride album. Tonight they’re the more melodic side, plus vocals, of what is now post-rock but too loud, in places, to be straight-laced Shoegaze. They’ve moved on slightly from the debut, feeling more comfortable in these lounder sounds and yet still using delicate and harmonious vocals as a counterpoint to the wall of guitars, but it’s nothing new. The sound, towards the end of their set, was a touch on the loud side as it became apparent that you couldn’t pick out anything from the huge curtain of feedback and power chords.

The scene was set for iLiKETRAiNS then. They arrived on stage all impeccibly dressed in black trousers with white shirts, black ties and a black armband in mourning… but for who? Their entire back catalogue is littered with songs about past masters, from Spencer Perceval to Captain Scott, they’ve championed the greatness of ordinary men. Perhaps tonight it was in rembrance of them all. Lead sinder David Martin was complaining that his voice was shot, but you wouldn’t have guessed. His dark rumblings leading the dark and melodramatic charge through their post-rock influenced sounds.

Their nine song set began slowly, but surely. Like a steam powered train it built up momentum and energy, steam seeping from the moving parts until they reach full power (you’ll have to excuse the train metaphors, but they’re oddly apt). Then, the brilliance and majesty of their songs reveal themselves to you.

“Terra Nova”, their hymn to Captain Scott, is wrecked with emotional power, the projector showing footage of Scott’s ill-fated trip, images of his last words flitter across the screen as the music reaches it’s epic conclusion. The crowd are completely in awe, watching the five figures on stage channel this power through their music, the riffs entwining, the vocals rumbling as it reaches the crescendo. The set finishes with their center-piece, the epic “Spencer Perceval”. The only British Prime Minister to be assassinated, the song is full of anger, darkness and ill-feeling. Once again, the band seem to be able to open a channel to the past, absorb the gutteral feelings of then and transport them to now. The music heaves and pulsates with noise and energy before, in one explosion of music, it ends. As they leave the stage the old British Rail logo flickers on screen. It’s an odd sight that, for some reason, brings a smile to my face. It seems to sum the band up – they’re obviously of the now and looking to the future, but they’ve always got an eye on the past.

Links
iLiKETRAiNS [official site] [myspace] [elegies to lessons learnt review]
Photos [valerio berdini]

mp3:> iLiKETRAiNS: “The Deception”
[From Elegies To Lessons Learnt; Out Now, Beggars Banquet]