Mono
Sometimes a gig comes onto the radar for reasons other than because you are a fan of the band. By virtue of the fact MONO are from Japan, and that several people had asked if I was going to see MONO, because they’re Japanese, I figured I ought to go along to the Arts Centre and see if they lived up to the expectation that their country of origin had created.
First up though was solo cellist Jo Quail who had played at the same venue earlier this year supporting Amenra & Boris and who had come highly recommended. Arriving just as Jo was beginning her set I was instantly drawn in. To call her a cellist doesn’t really tell the whole story. Her ‘cello’ resembled a pair of scissors and was fed through a variety of pedals and electronic gadgets allowing her to loop and build her sound by playing short riffs or tapping the neck of the instrument on top of which she would then play the main melody. The hall was full, and everyone seemed entranced by her act. If I had one slight negative thought it was that the final 5 minutes veered a touch too close to normality after the otherworldly sounds that had come before, but the 30 minutes she played could have easily doubled in length.
I’d never heard of A Storm Of Light, but after discovering that they have a link to US avant metal legends Neurosis my hopes were high. Guitarist/vocalist Josh Graham served as that band’s visual artist so it was no surprise to see the screen being used throughout their set. After a promising start, I found there was something unsatisfying about them though. A lot of effort was going into the music, a lot of bluster, but for little reward. The sound, whilst certainly being heavy, was just not heavy enough. The vocals needed to cut through the music with far more aggression, but brought to mind Ministry’s Al Jourgensen at half speed. The bits in between the songs in many ways were the most interesting, recorded snippets of noise leading straight into the next track. To be honest I’m probably being a bit harsh, but I really had expected some engrossing and challenging post ambient metal, but what I got was something far less compelling.
So to MONO, the four piece instrumental act who had drawn a large crowd, possibly even a sold out one, to NAC on a Tuesday night. Dispensing with the screen the opening seconds of their set immediately bettered all that had gone before. The sound was massive, the scale of the song was exactly what I had been waiting for all night. Intricate, rhythmic and precise I felt this was going to be the start of something very special. However, the second song showcased their gentler side, the ambience coming to the fore, and although they are just as well known for this aspect of their sound, for me it was less successful. The soundtrack elements and shoegaze that is within their music work incredibly well on their recorded work but just didn’t grab in me quite the same way in a live setting as that first song. This proved to be the pattern which repeated itself throughout the remainder of their 90 minute set. Complete engagement with parts of their music, drawn in and transported away, then back to earth with a bump where I found my mind wandering.
There were definitely people at this event who probably had an amazing night, but I wasn’t alone in not being completely sold, and it was interesting to note that there were always plenty of people in the bar during the latter two acts. So for me a slightly disappointing evening musically, but Jo Quail completely stole the show and I hope I get the chance to see her play a longer set next time she’s in town.
