Mi Ami / Gyratory System / Rock with Electronics – Portland Arms, Cambridge, 06/05/09

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Cambridge is blessed with an impressive range of promoters – each one curating subtly different evenings. Tonight it was Bad Timing’s evening – a promoter who always manages to bring an eclectic mix of acts, all whom lean towards the left field. Tonight also happens to be the second leg of the Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Barcelona, so the tiny Portland Arms is rammed with football fans, making trips to the bar longer than on most evenings.
Luckily the football was rubbish, but the beer and food were not. So, after a little delay, we potter along to the back room and arrive in the middle of Gyratory System’s set. It appears the running order has been moved around, which is a shame, as I was hoping to catch the full set from these guys. Harking from plain ole London town, they’re a curious blend of experimental Jazz and electronica. Playing over a variety of backing tracks, the band consisted of trumpet, saxophone, drums and bass guitar. The dynamic was a little low on energy, and the music oddly crafted. The trumpet looped through peddles to make it sound like a keyboard… which strangely seems to miss the point. Why not just play a keyboard? I don’t mind if the sound is subtly altered, but this seemed overkill. As their set progressed, the more uptempo movements made it sound more interesting, and it was the job of the saxophonist to really bring an impetus to proceedings. There’s obviously plenty of ideas here, and they make an intriguing setup to look at, even if they are incredibly nervous and shy tonight. Their single sells well post-show, which can only be a good thing for them. For me, I think they’re still developing, still searching for their definitive sound. But, in this world of identi-kit bands and sounds, these guys are an intriguing proposition.

Rock With Electronics do exactly what they say on the tin. A trio of guys who are mainstays of the Cambridge experimental circuit, their fuzzed up 70′s riffs were accompanied by some aggressive drumming perverted by a bench of keyboards, peddles and random pieces of electronics. A back drop of old black and white movies spun over their playing, perfectly suiting their scuzzy drone. As some film of a space station rotates into view, I’m suddenly struck by the fact that their entire set is as if Yes has soundtracked Kubrick’s 2001. Good stuff.

All this nicely built up to headliners Mi Ami. As the room slowly begins to pack out, I was wondering how they’d sound live. Their recent album on Touch & Go records is an adrenaline rush of noise and hacksaw riffs. Well, that’s what their live set is like too. For only a trio, they don’t half make a racket. A barrage of vocals over thrashing bass and guitar riffs explode like aural popcorn to fill the tiny room. It’s impossible to make out what the vocals are as they’re screamed at such a ferocity and with such a squeal that you think the RSPCA will arrive at any moment to stop any more cruelty to squirrels. An aural shot of adrenaline, like Dannanananakroyd but with a touch more art school about them. All you can do is embrace tinnitus, and hold it dear, like a friend. It must be a very close friend to Mi Ami on tonight’s evidence… best buddies no doubt.