Meursault – Live, Wee Red Bar Edinburgh, Wednesday 16th January 2008
This was the first gig I’ve been to that was put on by Edinburgh promoters Trampoline, and from the looks of their lineups it won’t be my last – Broken Records and Found are on the horizon. Tonight was Meursault, with support from Over the Wall, who I thought were decent, and Les Enfant Bastard who sprung something of a surprise on everyone. Most of the time they (well he, really) are known for playing acoustic anti-folk but tonight, just for fun, he roped in a couple of the lads from Meursualt and played two, erm, ‘pieces’ of abstract electronic clatter. A bleeping, droney rhythm would stagger all over the place, punctuated by some shrieking, some howling, some clatter on the drums or some barely coherent but utterly furious power chords played on the guitar, occasionally whilst battering it off the drums. And you know what? Oddly enough, it wasn’t bad actually. I may draw the line at listening to it on record, but actually, live it was good.
Over the Wall – Glasgow
Les Enfant Bastard – U R My Fucking Sunshine U Cunt
Next we come to Meursault, a group I have only just come across and hence know very little about. A group they are indeed however – one that for a change depends equally on its constituent parts. It may be the distressed wail of the vocal that first catches you, but there’s something vaguely unsettling about that metronomic banjo that bores a straight line right through the occasionally frantic electronica and Neil Pennycook’s barely controlled shriek.
His voice is phenomenal actually: it completely fills the room, despite the fact that he always seems to be slightly straining. It’s also one of those very emotive voices that makes you engage with the music, and between that and the combination of folky plucking and scraped electronic beats I think I might really like these guys. It can get a bit downbeat at times, but they had a couple more Furnace-like upbeat numbers here and I will definitely be checking out Meursault again.
Meursault – Salt Pt.2
Meursault – The Furnace
I completely agree. I think his voice is amazing. In fact, they are probably one of the most interesting and exciting bands I’ve had the pleasure to put on/see live. Loved every second of the show.
Hey! These two songs are really quite remarkably good! The Furnace in particular seems completely unique to me. Peculiar, but exhilarating.
It is quite a splendid song live, and they had at least one more in a similar vein. I’ll definitely be seeing them again, and they have an EP which I’ve bought and will review as soon as it arrives.
Meursault are great. Also worth hearing is Neil from the band playing with Withered Hand.
Ah, now I have yet to see Withered Hand at all. As I was saying to Bart on Wednesday, I’ve been here two years and I’m only just starting to quite figure out the Edinburgh music scene.
Withered Hand, Cancel the Astronauts and Frightened Rabbit at Cab Vol next Thursday – all for a mere £4.
I know, it can be quite insular. Perhaps not through an overt intention to be, but just through lack of numbers, and subsequent lack of promotion. The great bands are there though (Eagleowl, Meursault, Broken Records, My Kappa Roots etc etc etc). A lovely thing about most things going on in Edinburgh is that they seem shielded from the dreadful “make ourselves as ‘sign-able’ as possible” syndrome that you find elsewhere. Hope to see you soon Matthew, hope all’s well.
That’s what I like about it – less desperation to be in the Next Big Band and more focus on just making some songs.
Sounds like some damn fine folk music. Over the wall sounds really great too. I was actually up in your neck of the woods last weekend, but chose food and drink instead of live music.
Hiya Mike – well you do kind of have to know what you’re looking for in Edinburgh, but it’s getting much better at the moment I’d say. Tracer Trails always put on good stuff, RIP, and the lineups for the forthcoming Trampoline stuff look really good.
Salt Pt.2 has now drilled itself into my brain. I hope it never leaves.
yep meursault are so good. edinburgh’s music scene is discreet, that’s all. you have to dig under the laddy indie rock to find the gems. withered hand played cab vol last night with two guys from meursault and a cellist, was amazing! i don’t know if it’s antifolk or not but it made the rockers sound like dinosaurs.
Bollocks. I knew that was on as well and I didn’t make it. I wish I’d gone but the sheer endurance required to go to all these gigs would stump even the most determined. The perils of being an enthusiastic amateur…