SYNW, image by Stewart Innes

SYNW, image by Stewart Innes

Arriving just in time to witness psychedelic dark wave rockers Changeling perform the last two songs of their set was fortunate to say the least. Lead singer and, interestingly occasional bassist, Noah Swinney along with band members Cameron Davey (guitar), Gabriel Hope (drums) and Ruby Angelica (synth/backing vocals), managed to let the mind-bending spell of the trance-ey ’60s seep into the barren concert hall with untouched doom-chants over abyssal dream melodies. The hard-hearted looking band was a worthwhile discovery that, although not as punk as a strict definition would demand, definitely did justice to the more laid-back genre that is psychedelic rock.

SYNW, image by Stewart Innes

Beach Party, whose genre description states psychedelic-afro-disco-surf-punk, did a better job at bringing punk’s passion for anarchy to life as lead singer Danny Video gets the crowd to start a serious mosh pit. As a proper punk would, he jumps over the stage barrier to join the moshers, but refutes his newly gained rebel rep later when he apologizes for his crappy beach pop band that just plays punk songs. Be that as it may, the crowd was won over by Video’s humorous stage charm, the band’s natural cheerfulness and surf punk melodies that reminisce of The Jam’s ‘A Town Called Malice’, leading to their set ending with convinced hand claps.

SYNW, image by Stewart Innes

Matthew James (vocals and guitars), Devon Martindale (guitars), Craig McKune (bass) and Jimmy McGregor (drums) of Crossfire Collision took the audience on a journey to greater and heavier shores. Backed by some razzle-dazzle stage lights, they excelled in reviving some US punk with some straightforward Blink 182 rock riffs. A sign was produced by a girl in the crowd, carefully hand-grafted with a biro, that stated ‘I’m Pregnant You Cunt’ to get the young men’s attention. Taking their music seriously, they finished their song effortlessly and with an unabashed demeanour. It being their first time to perform at The Assembly, they gave their audience what they expected to hear: unfussed punk rock.

SYNW, image by Stewart Innes

The much-anticipated The Dollfins, fronted by an Indian-headdress sporting Fuck You, kicked everybody’s punk ass through getting her namesake’s attitude spot on. Along with Bear Trap (bass) and Pussy Slap (drums) they soared through their set with catchy riffs, a rough beer-drinking cuteness and a nostalgic garage punk sound. Although the vocals could have stood out more above the instruments’ kick-ass noise melodies, the foolhardy trio pleased everybody with a heartfelt ‘In Your Head’ or a carefree ‘Friendly’ as well as some song material that they say is yet to be recorded. Their decidedly old-school rawness is very refreshing among an air of often desperate experimentalism. Punk rock til’ you drop!
 

See you next Wednesday? Mr Sakitumi and The Grrrl, FUXDVT (Das Kapital vs Sideshow) and Phaze vs Dynamo will be amongst the dedicated beat generators. Click here for more information. Also, watch out for our upcoming interview with The Dollfins to be posted on onesmallseed.com soon!

images by Stewart Innes, c/o The Assembly

Saturday, October 13^th was the night of the YOH! Early Halloween party, which featured, amongst other things, a screening of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973), performances by Beatenberg, Beach Party and the Exorsistahs as well as very little light. We attended the dark parade and felt homely between the presence of spider webs, vampires and murderous masks. But there was more to it than the simple acceptance by nightly creatures, so please, read on.

Image: Charlotte Tinnion

A climb up some scruffy stairs to a gloomy nightclub was what it took to enter the world of pre-halloween mysteries. Once admission was granted by a robed vampire, we paced to acquire the elixir of nocturnal pleasure amongst the comfort of masked party heads, fake spider webs and creepy projected visuals just before Beatenberg started to play. Although, counter to the event description, no massacres were witnessed, it transpired that the dark and dingy aura of Hectic on Hope served as the perfect façade for the intermingling of macabre pretenses and the usual Evol-going cool cats’ impeccable sense of style.

Image: Charlotte Tinnion

Scream masks, Indian feather headdresses and faux fur beauties gathered alike to indulge in Beatenberg’s high-school-dance-a-la-Hollywood-teen-movie’s sound. Being a self-proclaimed South African pop band, they led us through their set with dreamy melodies that were interspersed by steady-paced drumbeats that miraculously managed to be light-hearted without being corny. Lead singer Matthew Field’s soft boyband-esque voice made for the perfect accompaniment to their unabashed swagger that made it hard to ascertain just how seriously the three musicians take themselves. Be that as it may, the lovers of the sombre night were so satisfied by the contrasting lightness of Beatenberg’s sound that they begged for more. Although Field claimed that his ear was hurting, the band struck up another tune.

 
After being bewildered by the distortion of a realistic place-on-the-timeline perception through the combination of seventies disco music and funky disguises, Beach Party was up next. “This song goes out to Beatenberg, they’re awesome,” proclaimed Danny Video before he kicked off the set. Sporting a The Who fan t-shirt, he fittingly pulled off the sound of bygone British pop rock to the delight of the audience. Party-goers were swaying back and forth as the band-members managed subtle up-and-down jumps while still being in command of their instruments. And at times, Video would leave the stage to caress audience members’ heads or mess with their beers, which added to the carefree rock ‘n’ roll attitude he was taking advantage of. Eventually, the rough teen-punk vocals over playful surf-rock melodies and a self-aware approach convinced a won-over crowd to moshpit.

Image: Charlotte Tinnion

Image: Johann Botha

The room was filled with a content air and an anticipating audience was thus ready to receive the Exorsistahs with their first live performance of their track ‘You Lie You Die’. Known for a mysterious coolness that they exude in the music video to the song, the down-toned rapper duo entertained with a similar untouched demeanour before going back to DJing as usual.
 

 
A confident musical self-insight, fearlessness of being categorized and spooky aesthetics were what made this evening a memorable one. Satisfied by a healthy mix of camouflage, it became time for the creatures of the night to wander off and remain resourceful until the next YOH! party hits town.
 
Words: Christine Hogg
Images: Charlotte Tinnion, Johann Botha