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Lets be honest, Peterborough isn’t the most interesting of cities, is it? I mean, it’s not Hull, but you’d certainly have more fun with Simon Cowell, a shotgun and a licence to kill (I know I would). It’s strange then that tonight it will play host to two of the most exciting and forward thinking bands in Britain. Oceansize fans have been waiting for these dates with bated ears ever since they were announced, the band, who are just about to go into the studio to record album number 2 (due in September), had promised new songs. In retrospect ‘Trendy Prog’ quintet “Pure Reason Revolution” (who seem more than ready for there first mainstream music magazine front cover, one of the guitarist looks like an exact replica of any of the Kings of Leon, in fact he was probably kicked out of KOL because Big Foot was going to sue for copyright of image….and because he had talent.) have a perilous task, Oceansize fans aren’t the harshest fans in the world, but it was like offering a pack of ravenous wolves some celery to chew on before the main
course. They prove to be up to the challenge though and obviously enjoying playing to the right type of crowd for once, who, by the end warm to their ‘Yes’ tinted brand of prog.
Oceansize, however, are the main event in this ‘who’s head is further up their own ass’ match of progness. (Radiohead have had a ‘Manchester United’ style grip on the title for a while now but with Mars Volta currently mixing things up, the battle for European spots has become exciting.) They take to the stage and quickly run through a series of new track such as 'Song 1' and 'Fiasco' which herald a further, heavier, progression from last years frankly awesome 'Music For Nurses”'EP. Within the first 7 minutes of their set they’ve simultaneously shown up every ‘heavy metal’ band America have produced in the last 7 years. (Stepping on the distortion pedal every 5 second like ‘Thumper’ with personal issues doesn’t make you heavy or a riff master, it just makes you another a blemish on ‘Dimebag Darrell’s legacy.) Fans of the sizes more mellower aspects shouldn’t worry too much though, tracks such as ‘Music for Nurses’ (formally known as ‘Gambient’, a regular from the last tours set list) indicate that they have by no means lost their stoner appeal, in fact you should probably get those joints ready now (DIRTY ZINE does not condone drug/herb use….possibly) as the new album will one of the best albums this year, you will probably spend months of your life disecting it, wondering what its all about, wasting your life on it (like watching the last scene in ‘Lost In Translation’ and trying to figure out what Bill Murray said to Scarlet Johansson (if anyone knows, please tell me, my life is waiting to start up again). I can say that even though it hasn’t been recorded yet. Even if you don’t believe me, there were about 300 people at the Met Bar last night who I’m willing to bet will back me up.
NB. I should also mention that we were lucky enough to get what I believe is only the second encore Oceansize have ever done that night, they played ‘Women who love men who love drugs’ for it as well, joy!
Ali Safavi |
| Coding: Darren Burrows