Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-la-la Band – Scala, London, 07/04/08

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It all seems like the members of the Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band are feeling very much in familiar territory tonight as they play The Scala again. I counted this as their fifth show at the Kings Cross venue, and their eighth show in London within three years (not counting GYBE’s four-night residency here either). You could almost say that the band feel at home. They take to the stage looking relaxed, all smiles and holding mugs (one of which would later fall and smash, accidentally). Efrim Menuck greets the audience, claiming this to be their 148th show, before the band launch into the bolsterous ‘One Million Died To Make This Sound’. And boy, it sure does sounds raucous and brash as violins and cellos swell in and out of the mix over the fuzzed guitars.

The band wanted to make a firm point to the crowd that they despise being labelled as simply a political band when reviewed or interviewed (usually negative ones or ones with an agenda) and this fuelled the next song, also being the title track to the new album, ’13 blues for 13 moons’. A song more about being sick and tired of there being too much war on TV and just wanting to get out, get drunk and get horny. As the song cries: “I just want some action!” before taking a more sombre direction, with intricate finger picking guitar and finicky drums which eventually build to a mess of noise as Efrim and fellow guitarist Ian Ilavsky intertwine with a call of “We will not serve in your damn parade!”. It sounds incredibly exhilariting as the band rejoin the fray.

One of the evening’s highlights was the performance of album closer ‘Blind, Blind, Blind’, a down-beat song which sounds powerfully fragile as Efrim bleats about wanting “Punks in the palace because punks got the loveliest dreams” and the heart-warming refrain that “Some hearts are true”. I must admit that, as much as I love their music, I’ve not been as keen of their later work (from Horses in the Sky) mainly due to Efrim’s more promenient vocals not being to my personal liking, but when seen live you tend to forget this. Maybe because it’s a collective spirit occuring in front of you. The band all stand in a circle facing each, interacting and giving each other cues. It felt very much a communal experience with them all taking vocal duties. The performance seems so raw, honest and pure that you can lose these hang ups.

The inbetween music banter provides the light relief and connection the crowd actively desire. Efrim jokes about nicknames of band members. He mentions Bono and The Edge and ponders on how they came about choosing their names. He wisely doesn’t divulge what the band’s internal petnames are for each other. “You don’t wanna know our nicknames!”. He later makes note of the Chinese protesters who distrupted the Olympic Flame parade to highlight their human rights conditions against Tibet, which he praises. He even takes an opportunity to converse with a member of audience. “How are you? How was your day? Where do you work?”. It’s not that the band are telling you what to do or what to think. They just want to engage, understand and learn.

The band even performed new material. One entitled ‘There is a Light’ and the other I believe called ‘I made a metal bird / and I fed my metal bird wings / of other metal birds’ (I could be wrong but I think that’s what he said) which followed in the same sweeping, somber chamber rock we’ve come to expect. They both displayed a definite progression in the band’s desire to creating considering pieces with striking lyrics but with expansive and unrestrained strings and guitars which add that overwhelming intense eye-rolling-into-the-back-of-your-head factor. The band endured sound problems with the monitors. They kept asking a sound-guy named Oddo (Violinist Jessica Moss’ imaginary friend apparently!) to cut the sound because of a delay. This didn’t stop them from 2 encores. One of which being, perhaps, my favourite song of theirs, ‘Microphones In The Trees’. A song which appears on the The Pretty Little Lightning Paw E.P released in 2004. The song is underpinned by a simple but memorable sprawling upright bass line by Thierry Amar. Efrim and Jessica both creating a glorious vocal loop, through a megaphone and violin pick-ups respectively, declaring, “We are the flood!”. Just magical.

Due to the sound issues, they decide to turn off the monitors completely for the final encore. But no matter, they aren’t needed. The band decided to play a vocal only choir version of ‘Hang on to Each Other’ to end the night and it really sums up evening and the band. They’re continually trying to break down barriers. I think maybe I understand now why they keep playing the Scala. Maybe it’s because of the lack of steel blockage and security guards which can you leave cut off, seperating you from the band (which most people are used to with the usual lifeless beer sponsered London venue). You can’t help but feel a connection with them and feel that you were part of something very, very special.