Ancestors + Night Horse + Invasion – South Of The Boarder 16/04/10
Ancestors are one of my favorite bands of the past few years, their two albums to date (Neptune With Fire and Of Sound Mind)have been on pretty heavy rotation at Rizzanski towers since I got my grubby little mits on them (as is their excellent split with Graveyard now that I’ve finally got a copy!). With the added ‘will they make it?’ excitement thrown into the pot by the previous day’s volcanic eruption this, for me at least, was one of the most hotly anticipated shows in a very long time.
Despite the disappointment of Pombagira pulling out of the opening slot (which was lucky seeing as I managed to get lost looking for the venue) it was well worth getting to Old Street’s South of The Boarder to catch openers Invasion. Despite being hampered by poor sound, InvasionInvasion put on an energetic show for the worryingly small crowd, who at least appreciated their choppy riffed take on psycadelia. Regardless of the sound issues it was clear that singer, Chan, has an impressive voice and although, in my opinion, the band would seriously benefit by filling the hole left in their bottom end due to the lack of a bass player (or multi amped guitar, check out Pombagira), Invasion are well worth investigating further.
I have to admit that I had never heard of Night Horse, I decided that I would allow myself a surprise and made a point of not checking them out before the show. So it was with some (but not much) surprise that I watched Ancestors’ impressively bearded guitarist Justin Maranga take the stage, more proggy doom must be on the cards. As Night Horse launched into their set of 70s inspired cock rock I couldn’t have been happier, not only because I’m a big fan of early Aerosmith (who, by the way, this lot owe more than a slight nod) but because this was the last thing I, and by the looks of it a lot of other people were expecting, and let’s face it, there’s nothing wrong with shamelessly rocking out from time to time, something that some of the more po-faced audience members seemed to have forgotten. Joyfully ploughing their way through a set of seriously groovy stoner rock, Night Horse would be at home sharing the stage with likes of Fireball Ministry or Fu Manchu, a very pleasant surprise and a very welcome addition to my record collection!
Fresh from the previous night’s gig at Roadburn, Ancestors take to the (let’s call it ‘bijou’) stage at South of The Boarder, thankfully the small venue had filled out with a respectably large crowd (who were no doubt avoiding the god awful AOR that the venue insisted on assailing our ears with between bands) crawling out of the woodwork. Opening with Of Sounds Mind’s centere piece, Bounty Of Age, it’s clear from the outset that this intimate Ancestors show is going to be one to remember, the only concern is just how many tracks the band will be able to shoehorn into their set. Building to a massive crescendo on a wave of fuzzed out bass, psycadelic synths and driving guitar lines, Bounty Of Age doesn’t lose any of its impact due to the poor sound (the venue’s PA really wasn’t up to the job) and is the perfect way for Ancestors to announce their arrival in London. As the last notes fade away the band barely allow the crowd time draw breath before launching into another brilliantly constructed acid-drenched epic which is greeted with broad smiles and nodding heads throughout the crowd. Sadly it turns out that there is only time for Ancestors to showcase three songs in this hour long show, as the familiar final refrain of The Ambrose Law rings out I’m left wanting more but feeling in no way cheated. I can’t help but think that the next time I see Ancestors it will be in a much, much bigger venue!
Ancestors’ Myspace
Night Horse’s Myspace
Invasion’s Myspace
