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The Silvermine Tapes + Clue To Kalo, Battlesnake Jade Monkey, Sat 19 Nov It is something of an event each time the Silvermine Tapes perform. It is, of course, also something of a rarity; this marks the band's third Adelaide show in two years. Even so, they can pull a crowd, and looking around, I'd have to say that nobody could have left the venue disappointed. The night began with Battlesnake, a Silvermine side project providing a tantalising taste of what was to come. Mike Pulsford's drums are always spectacular, but in competition only with a bass guitar and a xylophone, they really got a chance to shine. (As a side note, Pulsford also managed to simultaneously play a rhythm on the kit and a melody on a xylophone - how could anybody be so well co-ordinated?). Clue To Kalo were beleaguered by technical difficulties, the residual effect of having so much gear on stage at a time (two laptops, a keyboard, a handful of guitars, a harmonica, a piano accordion...) with only three musicians to control it. The Clue To Kalo experience is fascinating in itself just to see how three people can possibly attempt the live emulation of Mitchell's ambitious and often convoluted computer recordings. Whilst it would be almost impossible to match the skill and finesse of this year's extraordinary 'One Way, It's The Only Way', it seems Clue To Kalo were hampered by many things, not least of all tour fatigue; but having said that, they are still three brilliant musicians playing some of the most interesting music this city has ever produced. But the night belonged to the Silvermine Tapes, whose mind-bending melodies and crashing crescendos are the stuff dreams are made of. In complete contrast to Clue To Kalo, the 'Tapes' debut LP 'A Tenuous Thread', while worthy in of itself, goes nowhere near capturing the magic and bedazzlement of the live experience. By the time they got to set closer Live By The Sword, the 'Tapes had the impressive crowd at their mercy; not only is this quite possibly the best instrumental guitar track I've ever heard, their mastery of their unique sound makes it almost hypnotic. Pulsford again excelled himself, but he is matched well by his colleagues, particularly Max Mackinnon whose entertaining (if somewhat light-hearted) banter and forceful guitar sound kept us all spellbound. This was just another amazing show for the Silvermine Tapes - and a sweet-sounding promise for more frequent appearances may mean that their other-wordly instrumental wizardry need not be kept hidden for long.  |
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