God, I feel awful. Probably nothing to do with the redesigned Buffalo, which has jettisoned the upstairs’ toilets, opened up the whole area, and moved the bar to the back. Even with chronic lurgy, it’s an improvement. There is also a giant neon sign which reads ‘WHAT THE FUCK’. This is not an improvement. Oh yeah, they do bands too: witness Markers, and some fine riffwork. It’s muscular, punchy stuff that never quite lands enough killer blows (and not helped by some fairly generic rock vocals), but they improve as they power on, and deliver a fine repetitive shouter right at the end.
Not at all devaluing the idea of a supergroup, Exit International feature Scott from Midasuno on bass (looking like a cross between J Mascis and Garth Elgar), Fudge from Space In The 50s on more bass (who always looks like he works in a trendy clothes shop) and Bloke-From-Stray-Borders on drums (worst hair ever) (I realise me slagging anyone’s hair is like Geoff Hoon calling someone boring, but it’s true. It goes everywhere it shouldn’t). Their set is completely diamond brilliant by the way, double basslines bubbling dementedly, distorted vocals itching and cutting through your brain. Girls Against Boys are an obvious touchstone, but mixed with a lot of feral rock action, it all becomes scarier and funner. Yes, funner. One of the best sights of 2009.
There’s a great moment in Oxford Collapse‘s great set, where the occasional saxophone player has been blaring over a couple of songs, and I take my earplugs out, and the plate smash indie suddenly goes crazy alive, all around me. The joy element hitting you in the face. There are great moments even with earplugs in: Oxford Collapse look like nebbish comedians, but work through songs made of components awkward and poppy, cool and shambolic. Everything whacks and rubs together in some sort of lo-fi indie construction heaven, with micro-stage invasions and Cranberries covers thrown in. Lest you think this is zany, it’s not: it’s TREMENDOUS FUN writ large as any shit Buffalo sign.
